WORKING PAPER 2013/09 Modeling Buying Intentions: The role of Nostalgic Value, Authenticity and Brand Attachment
Ruben Chumpitaz, IESEG School of Management, Valérie Swaen, Louvain School of Management, Nicholas G. Paparoidamis, IESEG School of Management, Anne-Laure Bartier, Louvain School of Management
L O U V A IN S C H O O L O F M A N A G E M E N T R E S E AR C H IN S T IT U T E
Louvain School of Management Working Paper Series Editor : Prof. Jean Vanderdonckt (
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Modeling Buying Intentions: The role of Nostalgic Value, Authenticity and Brand Attachment Ruben Chumpitaz, IESEG School of Management, Valérie Swaen, Louvain School of Management Nicholas G. Paparoidamis, IESEG School of Management, Anne-Laure Bartier, Louvain School of Management Summary In this study, the authors make an effort to empirically test for the first time a buying intentions model of nostalgia and authenticity in the automotive industry. In this model, nostalgia is conceptualized as an antecedent of authenticity. Furthermore, the mediating role of brand attachment is explored together with the moderating effects of age and gender. More specifically, we will try to shed light on the moderating effects of age and gender on the relationship between nostalgia felt and perceived authenticity. In the case of the French automotive market, authenticity is based on the retro look of a model, its colors, its general line, its name, material and some mechanical parts. In this study we explore the mediating effects of attachment in the relationships between nostalgia and buying intentions. Keywords: Nostalgic value; authenticity; brand attachment; buying intentions. JEL Classification: M31.
Corresponding author: Anne-Laure Bartier Center for Excellence CCMS Louvain School of Management / Campus Louvain-la-Neuve Université catholique de Louvain 1 Place des Doyens B-1348 LOUVAIN-LA-NEUVE, BELGIUM
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MODELING BUYING INTENTIONS: THE ROLE OF NOSTALGIC VALUE, AUTHENTICITY AND BRAND ATTACHMENT * RUBEN CHUMPITAZ IESEG School of Management, Catholic University of Lille, 3 rue de la Digue, F-59000 Lille, FRANCE
[email protected] VALERIE SWAEN Louvain School of Management, Université catholique de Louvain, 1 place des doyens, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, BELGIUM Center of Excellence on Consumers and Marketing Strategy
[email protected] NICHOLAS G. PAPAROIDAMIS IESEG School of Management, Catholic University of Lille, 3 rue de la Digue, F-59000 Lille, FRANCE
[email protected] ANNE-LAURE BARTIER† Louvain School of Management, Université catholique de Louvain, 1 place des doyens, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, BELGIUM Center of Excellence on Consumers and Marketing Strategy
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Abstract: In this study, the authors make an effort to empirically test for the first time a buying intentions model of nostalgia and authenticity in the automotive industry. In this model, nostalgia is conceptualized as an antecedent of authenticity. Furthermore, the mediating role of brand attachment is explored together with the moderating effects of age and gender. More specifically, we will try to shed light on the moderating effects of age and gender on the relationship between nostalgia felt and perceived authenticity. In the case of the French automotive market, authenticity is based on the retro look of a model, its colors, its general line, its name, material and some mechanical parts. In this study we
†
Corresponding author
explore the mediating effects of attachment in the relationships between nostalgia and buying intentions. Keywords: Nostalgic value; authenticity; brand attachment; buying intentions.
1. The conceptual framework The conceptual framework highlights the direct, mediated and moderated relationships between the different constructs included in this study. More specifically, our research model is based on the concept that nostalgic value enhances a consumer's intention to purchase an authentic car model through the dimensions of authenticity. Thus, authenticity that consumers associate with a car model should play a mediating role between nostalgic value and purchase intention. Hemetsberger and Pirker (2006) showed that authenticity, considered alone has no significant effect on assessments of visual images, however this effect becomes significant if nostalgia is integrated. Finally, Camus (2004) showed that the higher a consumer’s perceived authenticity of a brand, the higher his/her purchasing intention will be. 2. Methodology Our sample consists of a higher proportion of men holders of a driver's license that were questioned but this is one of the characteristics of this market. We submitted our questionnaires in the French market, to 1000 people by email (clients with a file at a car dealership the last 3 years). After eliminating incomplete questionnaires, the final sample used for analysis comprised of 433 usable questionnaires. We chose to create 3 versions of our questionnaire by selecting three models with different perceived authenticity: a perceived pattern as very authentic, another medium authentic, and a third not causing any reaction as to its authenticity. For this, we have performed a pre-test of 16 vehicles in the same segment of the automotive market (the urban vehicles segment). We asked a sample of 54 people to evaluate the authenticity received for each of these models assigning a score of 1 to 5, where 1 is indicated as "not authentic "and 5 as" very authentic ". In the following table we show the mean (moyenne) perceived authenticity for each urban vehicle:
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Execution of t-tests was necessary to verify the existence of any differences between low, medium and high perceived authenticity models. For this reason three of the models were chosen: clio, mini and Hyundai. The results confirm the existence of significant differences between the 3 models.
The questionnaire used was constructed based on items found in the literature. Nostalgic value was measured using the scale developed by Gargouri R.B and Akrout F. (2008) and Holbrook (1993). Authenticity was measured using the scale developed by Camus S. (2004). Brand attachment was measured using the scale developed by Cristau (2001), Heilbrunn B. (2001), Part et al. (2010) and Lacoeuilhe J. (2000). Buying intentions was measured using items adapted from Baker, Gilbert and Churchill, Jr. (1977).
3. Results The structural model confirms the majority of hypothesized relationships. Nostalgia value has a direct and positive impact on all authenticity dimensions. Only two of the three authenticity variables affect directly brand attachment and buying intentions. The mediating role of brand attachment was verified in the authenticity – buying intentions relationship. Brand attachment affects directly and positively buying intentions. No direct effect of Nostalgia value to buying intentions was verified. The Baron and Kenney (1996) mediating test was followed to explore the mediating roles of age, gender and model. Age has an impact on the relationship between nostalgic value and projection.
4. Conclusion The present study is a first effort to test a model of buying intentions incorporating the variables of nostalgic value, authenticity and brand attachment. The results confirm the impact of nostalgic value on authenticity perceptions with fruitful implications for the automotive industry. Furthermore authenticity seems to play a key role in affecting directly brand attachment and buying intentions. This means that the automotive industry needs to pay attention on identifying the messages communicated to prospects that will enhance authenticity expecting positive impact on both brand attachment and buying intentions. This means that the image automotive companies create for each of their models needs to reflect the personality of the consumers. The most important authenticity dimension appears to be ‘projection’. Clients search in their car models for identification cues concerning their life-style, personality and character. The second more important is ‘singularity’ meaning that clients search for models that are unique. This conclusion holds for models that do not pertain to the luxury products segment. ‘Origin’ seems to have no impact and this may be explained due to the fact that many companies decide to build their models everywhere in the world but also at the design level it is rare that a characteristic points out to the origin of the product.
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References 1. 2. 3. 4.
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Baker S.M. and Kennedy P.F. (1994), “Death by Nostalgia: a Diagnostic of ContextSpecific-Cases”, Advances in Consumer Research, Vol.21, N°1, pp.169-174. Ball A.D. and Tasaki L.H. (1992), “The Role and Measurement of Attachment in Consumer Behavior”, Journal of Consumer Psychology, 1, 2, 155-172. Camus S. (2004), « Proposition d’échelle de mesure de l’authenticité perçue d’un produit alimentaire ». Recherche et Applications en Marketing, 19, 4: 39-63. Heckler S. E. and Childers T. L. (1992), “The role of expectancy and relevancy in memory for verbal and visual information: what is incongruency?”, Journal of Consumer Research, 18, March, 475-492. Hemetsberger A. and Pirker C. (2006), "Images of Nostalgia - Effects of authenticity and nostalgia on the evaluation of visual images" Proceedings of the Society for Consumer Psychology (SCP) conference, Miami 2006. Park, C.W., MacInnis, Deborah J., Priester, Joseph R., Eisingerich, Andreas B. and Iacobucci, Dawn (2010), Brand Attachment and Brand Attitude Strength: Conceptual and Empirical Differentiation of Two Critical Brand Equity Drivers Journal of Marketing, Forthcoming; Marshall School of Business Working Paper No. MKT 16-10. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1605782 Full list of references available upon request.
