Dissolution of a Person-Brand Relationship: an Understanding of Brand-Detachment

There is an increased emphasis on affective factors on consumer behaviour, particularly on brand loyalty, and the deterioration of these factors, known as brand detachment. Brand detachment has been demonstrated to provide an explanation for the dissolution of the relationship between the brand and the consumers. This paper aims to examine the role and the determinants of brand detachment in the relationship ending process between a person and a brand. Three key variables were derived from literature; they are indifference, rejection, and perception of quality decline. A survey was conducted to examine the variables. The sample comprised of 255 UK respondents. The result indicates that brand detachment is not necessarily triggered by a negative experience or event. Amongst the three determinants tested by the regression analyses, the ‘perception of quality decline’ does not have a significant influence on brand detachment while consumers’ feelings of ‘indifference’ and ‘rejection’ are significant predictors for subsequent brand detachment.

Citation:

Li-Wei Mai and Paolo Giovanni Conti (2007) ,"Dissolution of a Person-Brand Relationship: an Understanding of Brand-Detachment", in E - European Advances in Consumer Research Volume 8, eds. Stefania Borghini, Mary Ann McGrath, and Cele Otnes, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 421-430.