The effects of brand revitalisation and retro branding on brand and purchase outcomes: the moderating roles of consumer nostalgia proneness and self-construal

The present study designed two studies with different research designs to test the effects and boundary conditions of brand revitalisation and retro branding strategies. Study 1 found that both brand revitalisation and retro branding strategies increase consumer brand attitudes and purchase intentions (compared to control groups). In addition, the effect of retro branding was stronger for nostalgia-prone consumers, whereas brand revitalisation was more effective when consumers were low in nostalgia proneness. Study 2 used incentive-compatible design and found that retro branding strategies can increase consumer-perceived self-brand congruence and willingness to pay (WTP) for consumers with interdependent self-construal. Brand revitalisation strategies, however, increase perceived self-brand congruence and WTP when consumers have independent self-construal.