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Self-congruity and brand personality are important concepts. Self-congruity may be as much a determinant of brand personality as it is a product of brand personality. Two new concepts, false congruity and real-ideal image discrepancy, are introduced as factors that could explain self-congruity's role in perceived brand personality. Before launching a brand, marketers should take steps to ensure probable early adopters of their product are indeed the marketers' target consumers. Existing brands should be monitored for brand personality changes due to false congruity, real-ideal image discrepancy, or innovative or creative consumer behavior. A healthy brand image may depend on it.
SELF-CONGRUITY
The relationship between self-congruity and brand personality is an extensively studied aspect of self-congruity theory and is an important concept for marketers to understand in order to get the most out of their brand. This paper will review the literature on self-congruity theory, include discussion of self-concept and brand personality, and explore how the theory has evolved since its inception in the 1950s. Most of the literature has focused on how brand personality affects self-congruity, but this paper will propose that the reverse can also happen; self-congruity may affect brand personality. Two new concepts, false congruity and real-ideal image discrepancy, will be introduced as factors that could explain self-congruity's role in perceived brand personality.
Self-congruity is the extent brand personality and self-concept are compatible. It is "the match between the product's value-expressive attributes (product-user image) and the audience's self-concept" (Johar & Sirgy, 1991, p. 24). Self-concept, according to self-congruity theory, influences consumer behavior in a way that results in the purchase of a product (Johar & Sirgy, 1989).
A crucial factor in market segmentation, self-congruity provides insight concerning positioning and advertising research for marketing managers (Sirgy, Grewal, Mangleburg, Park, Chon, Claiborne, Johar, Berkman, 1997). With deep psychological knowledge of target consumers rather than surface-based demographics, marketers can more accurately position their products in a way that appeals to their customers. Developing a congruence model for their specific target market enables marketers to choose the product image attributes (self, ideal, social, or ideal social) that create the greatest level of congruity (Johar & Sirgy, 1989).
SELF-CONCEPT
An understanding of self-congruity theory relies heavily on a grasp of the term self-concept, which is considered "a meaningful...