Abstract

Self-congruence is the degree to which consumers perceive brands to be similar to themselves. It is measured in terms of either actual self-congruence, where consumers feel the brand is similar to their current self, or ideal self-congruence, where consumers feel the brand represents their personal aspirational values. The objective of this paper is to explore how perceived self-congruence with a brand’s spokespersons or spokes-characters affects consumer responses, measured in terms of emotional brand attachment, purchase intent, and brand recall. Furthermore, this thesis explores the moderating role of implicit self-theory. The results indicate that actual (versus ideal) self-congruence has a more positive significant effect on emotional brand attachment and purchase intent. Actual self-congruence also has a significant and negative relation with recall. Implicit self-theory did not emerge as a significant moderator.