Consumption Symbols as Carriers of Culture: A Study of Japanese and Spanish Brand Personality Constructs

This research argues that the meaning embedded in consumption symbols, such as commercial brands, can serve to represent and institutionalize the values and beliefs of a culture. Relying on a combined emic-etic approach, the authors conducted 4 studies to examine how symbolic and expressive attribut...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of personality and social psychology 2001-09, Vol.81 (3), p.492-508
Main Authors: Aaker, Jennifer Lynn, Benet-Martínez, Verónica, Garolera, Jordi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Biological and medical sciences
Brands
Consumption
Cross-Cultural Comparison
Culture
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Japan
Male
Personality
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Social attribution, perception and cognition
Social Conformity
Social Perception
Social psychology
Social Values
Spain
Stereotyping
Symbolism
Symbols
United States
Values
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Summary:This research argues that the meaning embedded in consumption symbols, such as commercial brands, can serve to represent and institutionalize the values and beliefs of a culture. Relying on a combined emic-etic approach, the authors conducted 4 studies to examine how symbolic and expressive attributes associated with commercial brands are structured and how this structure varies across 3 cultures. Studies 1 and 2 revealed a set of "brand personality" dimensions common to both Japan and the United States ( Sincerity, Excitement, Competence, and Sophistication ), as well as culture-specific Japanese ( Peacefulness ) and American ( Ruggedness ) dimensions. Studied 3 and 4, which extended this set of findings to Spain, yielded brand personality dimensions common to both Spain and the United States ( Sincerity, Excitement, and Sophistication ), plus nonshared Spanish ( Passion ) and American ( Competence and Ruggedness ) dimensions. The meaning of these brand personality dimensions is discussed in the context of cross-cultural research on values and affect, globalization issues, and cultural frame shifting.
ISSN:0022-3514
1939-1315
DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.81.3.492