Self-Congruence and Emotional Brand Attachment: Experience of Young Sri Lankan Smartphone Consumers

Abstract

Having considered the significance of self-Congruence and Emotional Brand Attachment, this study aims to examine the impact of self-congruence on emotional brand attachment in Sri Lankan context by taking the smartphones consumers on board. The paper also examined the relative importance of actual self-congruence versus ideal self-congruence, on creating emotional attachment to brands. This is an explanatory research. Data were collected from 400 smartphone consumers who belong to the age category of 19 - 45 through a structured questionnaire. The study disclosed that self-congruence positively impacted on emotional brand attachment while utilitarian benefits were moderating the relationship between self-congruence and emotional brand attachment. The investigation of the moderating impact is an original contribution to the knowledge. The findings of the paper led to some important theoretical and managerial implications in the South Asian Context. Keywords