Self‐Construal, Reference Groups, and Brand Meaning

We propose that consumers purchase brands in part to construct their self-concepts and, in so doing, form self-brand connections. We focus on reference groups as a source of brand meaning. Results from two studies show that brands with images consistent with an ingroup enhance self-brand connections for all consumers, whereas brands with images that are consistent with an outgroup have a stronger negative effect on independent versus interdependent consumers. We propose that this differential effect is due to stronger self-differentiation goals for consumers with more independent self-concepts. We also find greater effects for more symbolic than for less symbolic brands. People engage in consumption behavior in part to con-struct their self-concepts and to create their personal identity (e.g., Belk 1988; Richins 1994). We examine one aspect of this construction process, namely, the appropria-tion of brand associations derived from the usage of these brands by reference groups. Building on McCracken’s (1988) theory of meaning movement, we propose that the