Outcomes for self-expressive brands followed on social media: Identifying different paths for inner self-expressive and social self-expressive brands

摘要

Brands provide a means for consumers to present the self, expressing their inner selves (the 'real me'), or their social selves (how others see me). With the rise in social media use, academics and practitioners seek to understand how consumers' self-expression through following brands online leads to brand outcomes. This study investigates the inner and social self-expressiveness of brands as separate antecedents of two outcomes: intention to co-create value and willingness to pay a premium price. Insights from 332 followers of brands on social media reveal that the inner and social self-expressiveness of brands drive these outcomes differently, as online brand engagement and brand trust mediate the relationship between self-expressive brands and brand outcomes, but only when the brand has an ability to express the inner self. The findings have implications for the study of selfexpressive brands and their influence on brand outcomes.