The Influence of Fear on Emotional Brand Attachment

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The Influence of Fear on Emotional Brand Attachment Journal of Consumer Research, Inc. The Impact of Fear on Emotional Brand Attachment Author(s): Lea Dunn and JoAndrea Hoegg Source: Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 41, No. 1 (June 2014), pp. 152-168 Published by: The University of Chicago Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/675377 . Accessed: 07/07/2014 15:03 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. The University of Chicago Press and Journal of Consumer Research, Inc. are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of Consumer Research. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 128.189.82.95 on Mon, 7 Jul 2014 15:03:06 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions The Impact of Fear on Emotional Brand Attachment LEA DUNN JOANDREA HOEGG The current research investigates the role of fear in the creation of emotional attachment to a brand. Previous research examining the influence of incidental negative emotions on brand evaluations has generally found that negative emotions lead to negative evaluations. The current research suggests that for fear, the relationship may be more positive. Since people cope with fear through affiliation with others, in the absence of other individuals, consumers may seek affiliation with an available brand. This, in turn, will enhance emotional attachment to that brand. Four studies demonstrate that consumers who experience fear in the pres- ence of a brand feel greater emotional brand attachment than consumers who experience other emotions such as happiness, sadness, or excitement. The find- ings from the research advance understanding of consumer-brand relationships by demonstrating that relationships between consumers and brands are not merely metaphorical. Rather, under certain circumstances, brands can actually fulfill in- terpersonal psychological needs. ear is an emotional response to the presence or antic- The body of work on fear in consumer behavior has focused F ipation of a danger or threat (LaTour and Rotfeld primarily on message-induced emotion. The experience of 1997). The emotion of fear has been shown to have a incidental fear has received less attention (see Griskevicius powerful influence on consumer behavior (Boster and et al. [2009], Lee and Andrade [2011], Lerner and Keltner Mongeau 1984; Rotfeld 1988). Most prominently, fear can [2001], and Raghunathan and Pham [1999] for exceptions be effective in advertising contexts by persuading consum- with regard to incidental fear’s effect on risk taking), and as ers to engage in certain activities in order to avoid fearful such, its influence on brand evaluation is less clear. It may outcomes (Passyn and Sujan 2006; Robberson and Rogers be that when the experience of fear is not linked to a way to 1988). For example, advertisements recommending safe manage the emotion (e.g., buying condoms, investing in a driving courses or cautioning against drug use often evoke retirement plan, driving more slowly, etc.), its effects are fear in their messages (Anand-Keller and Block 1996). The negative. Indeed, prior research has shown that negative emo- experience of fear enhances elaboration and, if carefully tions experienced during television shows can lower evalu- manipulated, can have a positive influence on persuasion ations of an unrelated advertisement presented immediately (Block and Anand-Keller 1998). following (Goldberg and Gorn 1987). This may be one factor that has led marketers to avoid associating their brands with fearful content (e.g., ensuring that advertisements do not ap- Lea Dunn is assistant professor of marketing at the Michael G. Foster pear during fear-inducing television shows or avoiding plac- School of Business, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 981395-3226 ([email protected]). JoAndrea Hoegg is assistant professor of ing brands or products within horror movies [Russell 1998]). marketing at the Sauder School of Business, University of British Colum- There is, however, reason to suspect that incidental fear bia, BC, V6T 1Z2 ([email protected]). This article is based on could have positive consequences for a brand. Interpersonal the first author’s doctoral dissertation, supervised by the second author and research has shown that when people feel scared, they are Darren W. Dahl. The authors would like to thank the editor, the associate more likely to seek out affiliation with others (Sarnoff and editor, and the reviewers for their guidance and helpful suggestions. The Zimbardo 1961; Schachter 1959). For example, individuals authors would also like to thank Darren W. Dahl, Maura L. Scott, and who experience a fearful event together (e.g., a natural dis- Katherine White for their helpful feedback on this article. aster, terrorist act, etc.) display solidarity and group cohesion Ann McGill served as editor and Patti Williams served as associate editor and demonstrate stronger attachments with those who were for this article. present during the experience (Fried 1963; Moore 1958; Tyhurst 1951). If the experience of fear can lead to emotional Electronically published January 29, 2014 attachments to other individuals, it may also be that it can 152 ᭧ 2014 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc. ● Vol. 41 ● June 2014 All rights reserved. 0093-5301/2014/4101-0010$10.00. DOI: 10.1086/675377 This content downloaded from 128.189.82.95 on Mon, 7 Jul 2014 15:03:06 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions DUNN AND HOEGG 153 lead to emotional attachments to brands. The current re- For example, the theory of affect transfer (MacKenzie, search considers this possibility. Lutz, and Belch 1986) states that the close proximity of a Emotional brand attachment has been defined as the pos- target to an emotional experience may result in the eval- itive emotional outcomes of a strong connection between a uative meaning of the emotion being transferred to the consumer and a brand (Thomson, MacInnis, and Park 2005). target. Similarly, mood-congruent processing hypothesizes Consumers who feel a strong attachment to a brand will be that consumers’ evaluative actions and judgments are biased more loyal and less price sensitive. While most of the re- in accordance with their emotional states (Bower 1981; Co- search to date has demonstrated that attachment develops hen, Pham, and Andrade 2008; Forgas 1995; Gardner 1985). and strengthens over time as consumers have numerous ex- Incidental emotion has been shown to affect a number of periences with the brand (Escalas and Bettman 2005; Las- outcomes, including product evaluations (Axelrod 1963), tovicka and Sirianni 2011; Park et al. 2010; Thomson et al. evaluations of advertisements (Goldberg and Gorn 1987), 2005), we propose that because of its impact on the desire attitudes toward brand extensions (Barone, Miniard, and Ro- to be with others, the experience of fear can facilitate the meo 2000), and decisions about future consumption (Pham attachment process. Specifically, we suggest that if a brand 1998). Overall, positive mood tends to lead to more favor- is present with a consumer during a fearful experience, the able evaluations, while negative mood tends to lead to more consumer will have a sense that the brand actually shared negative evaluations. Perhaps because of this, marketers are the fearful experience, and this will result in a heightened somewhat wary of associating their brands with negative sense of emotional attachment to the brand. contexts and experiences (Russell 1998). Across four laboratory studies, the current research in- Given this body of work, it is reasonable to suspect that vestigates the effect of incidental fear on emotional attach- experiencing fear during exposure to a brand would have ment to brands. In so doing, we make several contributions similar negative implications for the brand. However, it is to the literature. First, we contribute to research on incidental also important to consider the coping mechanisms that con- emotions by demonstrating that fear, a negative emotion, sumers have to deal with these negative emotions. Emotion can have positive outcomes on brand evaluation. Specifi- regulation is a person’s spontaneous attempt to intensify, at- cally we show that incidental fear experienced in the pres- tenuate, or maintain a given emotional state (Cohen et al. ence of a brand can facilitate emotional attachment to the 2008). The most commonly regulated states are negative (Laz- brand. Second, we provide evidence that this attachment arus 1991; Morris and Reilly 1987), as people strive to achieve occurs due to a perception that the brand and the consumer positive emotional states. Thus, when faced with a negative shared the emotional experience. As such our work provides emotional experience, consumers seek ways to cope with the some of the first empirical evidence that brand relationships negative feelings. Common regulatory strategies are to avoid are not merely metaphorical but that people can make psy- and disengage by directing attention away from negative stim- chological, personal connections to brands. uli (Cohen et al. 2008) or by directing attention toward re- lieving cues (Derryberry and Tucker 1994). People in neg- THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ative emotional states are more likely to engage in behavior that results in more positive feelings, such as watching com- Fear in Consumer Behavior edies, listening to uplifting music, or eating chocolate when sad (Andrade 2005; Cohen and Andrade 2004; Weaver and Fear is a basic emotion typically produced by the presence Laird 1995; Zillmann 1988). or anticipation of a specific danger or threat (LaTour and Despite a broad array of consumer research examining Rotfeld 1997).
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