Antecedents of organizational identification in consumer markets

Resumen

Today’s marketing managers are coming under increasing pressure to both measure and manage their company’s relationship with its consumers. Despite research that partially analyses the consumer-company identification and the potentially useful route to building stronger relationships with customers, there is little guidance available on identification in the consumer context. This study analyzes the antecedents of consumers’ identification with companies. Expected results will show that factors related to the consumer (need for affiliation), the company (identity attractiveness), and the context in which the consumer-company relationship occurs (personal connection) affect consumer´s identification with a particular company. Moreover, we expect that identity salience will significantly moderate the effects of both need for affiliation and identity attractiveness on consumer identification. This research contributes to the literature in relationship marketing and social psychology explaining how and when companies would match with their consumers in order to favor a sense of belongingness with the company as social group.