Who are fashion brand fans? an investigation of antecedents and outcomes of brand commitment

University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. November 2012. Major: Design, Housing and Apparel. Advisor: Kim K. P. Johnson. 1 computer file (PDF); vii, 118 pages, appendix p. 108-118.A model was developed to test the concept of fanaticism within the context of a fashion brand. Specifically, the research objectives of this research were to investigate 1) whether individual attributes (i.e., need to belong, materialism) and brand-related attributes (i.e., brand consciousness brand engagement in self-concept, relationship investment) were related to a fan’s commitment to a fashion brand, and 2) whether a fan’s commitment to a fashion brand was related to related behavioral outcomes (i.e., behavioral loyalty, consumer advocacy intention, personal obligation, and willingness to pay premium prices for a brand). Data was collected from panel members (n = 418) obtained from a marketing research company who self-identified as fans of a specific fashion brand. An online self-administered survey methodology was employed. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the proposed hypotheses reflected in the model. Participants who indicated they had strong desire for belonging indicated they were also materialistic, but their desire for belonging was not related to brand consciousness and brand engagement in self-concept. Participants who were high in materialism were conscious of fashion brands and strongly agreed that their sense of self was linked to the fashion brand that was the object of their fandom. Participants who were brand conscious also indicated that a fashion brand was an important part of their self-concept and invested resources (e.g., time, effort, money) to keep their relationship with this fashion brand. Participants also tended to invest resources for a brand to keep their relationships with a fashion brand when they reported a strong connection between a fashion brand and their self-concept. Participants who invested resources in a fashion brand were highly committed to the brand. Brand commitment was found to be positively related to behavioral outcomes investigated: behavioral loyalty, willingness to pay premium prices for a brand, advocacy intention, and personal obligation. Discussion of the findings, theoretical and practical implications, and limitations and suggestions for future research were provided based on the findings