Is it just coincidence that Fabian decided to become a farmer, married Franziska, lives in Frankfurt, prefers Ferrero Küsschen and holds shares of his favourite chocolate producer or was he influenced by the shared name letter (NL)? Although the latter sounds indeed bizarre, prior research has given proof of the fact that people’s liking for their own name can affect major life decisions as well as consumption choices (Pelham, Mirenberg, Jones, 2002; Brendl, Chattopadhyay, Pelham, Carvallo, 2005). In the field of consumer behavior it is therefore of high interest to understand the customer’s motives for consumption including the influence of specific conditions and moderating factors. The reason for this concern is the overall ambition of marketers to predict consumer preferences in advance and to tailor offers and goods ac-cordingly. While the importance of the marketing tool “brand name” has been recognized in terms of eliciting meanings and forming brand equity for a long time (Wänke, Herrmann, Schaffner 2007), shared letters of consumer and brand name as a trigger for decisions are a comparatively new insight. In this regard two possibile directions of outcomes are conceiv-able. On the one hand consumers might have the tendency to favour brand names including their own name letters, an effect called name letter branding (NLB) (Brendl et al., 2005). On the other hand the reversed effect name letter repulsion (NLR) which is the alientation from a brand name due to shared name letters might occur (Kachersky, 2008). Consequently this pa-per aims at sheding light on the following question: why and how can people’s preference for or repelling from brand names be generated by their own name?
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical conceptualization
2.1 Name letter effect
2.2 Implicit egotism and implicit distancing
2.3 Self-concept
3. Empirical Studies
3.1 Methods
3.2 Results
4. Discussion
5. Summary
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines how individuals' preferences for or avoidance of brand names are influenced by the letters contained in their own names. The primary research objective is to explore the psychological mechanisms behind the Name Letter Effect (NLB) and Name Letter Repulsion (NLR) in consumer behavior.
- Psychological foundations of the Name Letter Effect and implicit egotism.
- Self-concept maintenance as a driver for consumer choices.
- The impact of situational factors like risk, cognitive load, and product-relevant needs.
- Distinction between self-enhancement and self-protection motives in consumption.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Name letter effect
The phenomenon that human beings like letters belonging to their own name notably more than all other letters of the alphabet and also more than other individuals like these same letters is called name letter effect (Nuttin, 1985). The existence of this effect has been demonstrated over many countries, cultures and languages whereupon people were principally unaware of the foundation of their NL preference (Hoorens, Nuttin, Erdélyi-Herman, Pavakanun, 1990; Nuttin, 1987). Moreover, it has been found that it is especially robust for people’s first and last name initials as well as for self-defining names like relatively rare names (Jones, Pelham, Mirenberg, Hetts, 2001). The NL effect even appears for non-birth given names as user names in internet auctions (Kachersky, Kim, Sen, 2009). In addition, the effect is most pronounced for men’s last name initial and women’s first name initial (Pelham et al., 2002). This gender difference is anchored in women’s consciousness that their last name commonly changes with their marriage (Kitayama & Karasawa, 1997). In contrast to that, men’s preference for their last name initial stems from gaining a great deal of their self-identity from belonging to a group such as the family (Gabriel & Gardner, 1999).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Introduces the concept of how shared name letters influence consumer choices and establishes the research goal of understanding preference and repulsion mechanisms.
2. Theoretical conceptualization: Outlines the psychological framework, specifically the Name Letter Effect, implicit egotism, and the role of the self-concept in maintaining positive self-worth.
3. Empirical Studies: Provides an overview of various studies measuring NLB and NLR, detailing the methodologies used to manipulate self-esteem, cognitive load, and risk perception.
4. Discussion: Synthesizes the findings, arguing that consumer decision-making is heavily driven by self-concept maintenance motives like self-enhancement and self-protection.
5. Summary: Concludes by summarizing how the motivation to enhance or protect the self determines whether consumers favor or reject products sharing initials with their own names.
Keywords
Name Letter Effect, Name Letter Branding, Name Letter Repulsion, Implicit Egotism, Implicit Distancing, Self-concept, Consumer Behavior, Self-enhancement, Self-protection, Brand Preference, Cognitive Load, Product-relevant Needs, Consumer Psychology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this paper?
The paper explores the psychological influence of an individual's name initials on their consumption choices, specifically examining when and why consumers gravitate toward or away from brands sharing their name letters.
What are the central themes discussed?
The central themes include the Name Letter Effect (NLB), Name Letter Repulsion (NLR), the role of the self-concept in decision-making, and how situational variables like risk and cognitive resources moderate these effects.
What is the primary research question?
The paper asks why and how people's preference for, or repulsion from, brand names is generated by their own names.
Which scientific methods are analyzed?
The author analyzes a variety of empirical studies, including laboratory experiments involving self-esteem manipulation, cognitive load tasks, and real-world field experiments analyzing eBay transaction data and financial security choices.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers the theoretical underpinnings of implicit egotism and distancing, the empirical verification of these theories through various studies, and a discussion of the practical implications for marketing management.
How would you characterize this work using keywords?
Key terms include Name Letter Branding, Implicit Egotism, Self-concept, Consumer Psychology, and Self-protection mechanisms.
Why do women and men sometimes show different preferences for name letters?
Research suggests gender differences in self-identity; for instance, women’s preferences may be influenced by the cultural practice of changing last names upon marriage, while men often derive self-identity from group belonging.
How does cognitive load affect the Name Letter Effect?
High cognitive load can influence preferences by reducing the mental resources required to process complex information, often leading to more automatic, associative choices like favoring products that share the consumer's initials.
In what scenario might Name Letter Branding backfire?
It backfires when consumers perceive high risk or negative traits associated with a brand, leading to Name Letter Repulsion (NLR) as a self-protective mechanism to distance the self from potential negative outcomes.
- Quote paper
- Barbara Bilyk (Author), 2010, Name letter Branding, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/159207
