The Effect of Consumer Perceived Values on Brand Love and Its Consequences: Explaining the Mediating Role of Brand Identity

The aim of this article is to investigate the effect of consumer perceived values on brand love and its consequences along with explaining the mediating role of brand identity in this regard. The present study is descriptive- survey and in terms of purpose is applied. The population of this study is customers of luxury brands in Tehran. The research data were collected from non-random and available sampling at the stores offering luxury brands in Tehran during the winter of 2018. Results show that actual self-congruence has the greatest impact on emotional attachment to the brand. Therefore, a sense of enthusiasm for a brand occurs when the brand is able to initially reflect the inner personality of the consumer, and then can help to enhance the person's inner identity in his social environment. Research Limitations: The use of self-report measures in data collection, especially in relation to the consequences of brand- love and limited literature on the subject of research, are among the main constraints of this research. Managerial Implications: Evidence suggests that, while hedonic values are the only direct stimulus of passionate love towards a brand, but for a sustainable relationship between consumer and brand, Utilitarian values can also, by strengthening brand identity, play a significant role in creating love for a brand. Brand love is also associated with important consequences, including loyalty, word-of-mouth advertising, and willingness to pay a price premium. Little research has focused on the antecedents of brand love, especially the importance of identity construct to create high levels of love. On the other hand, the major studies have focused on hedonic values of consumer and only few studies have examined logical values in this field. Therefore, the present study aims to eliminate these gaps.