Journal Article

Consumer-Company Identification: A Framework for Understanding Consumers' Relationships with Companies

Bhattacharya, C. B., Sen, Sankar

2003

Overview

In this article, the authors try to determine why and under what conditions consumers enter into strong, committed, and meaningful relationships with certain companies, becoming champions of these companies and their products. Drawing on theories of social identity and organizational identification, the authors propose that strong consumer-company relationships often result from consumers' identification with those companies, which helps them satisfy one or more important self-definitional needs. The authors elaborate on the nature of consumer-company identification, including the company identity, and articulate a consumer-level conceptual framework that offers propositions regarding the key determinants and consequences of such identification in the marketplace.

• Publisher: American Marketing Association,SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subject: Brands / College professors / Consumer attitudes / Consumer goods industries / Consumer psychology / Consumer research / Consumers / Corporate identity / Corporate image / Customer relations / Customer relationship management / Customers / Identification / Identity / Loyalty / Marketing / Nonprofit organizations / Organizational identity / Social identity / Studies