1. A ttention to Social Comparison Information and
Brand Avoidance Behaviors
Eunjin (Anna) Kim, Southern Methodist University, USA
S. (Ratti) Ratneshwar, University of Missouri, USA
Erin Roesler, Nestle Purina, USA
Tilottama Ghosh Chowdhury, Quinnipiac University, USA

2. I
ntroduction
Brand consumption often provides social or identity-based benefits to the consumer
Prior research has largely focused on approach motives
(e.g., Chan et al. 2012; Escalas & Bettman 2003, Park et al. 2010, Stokburger-Sauer et al. 2012)
Much less research on avoidance motives in socially-driven brand consumption behaviors
Reference group effects

3. R
earch Motivation
Prior research on consumer avoidance behaviors has focused on avoidance motivated by concern that a target product/brand has a specific negative association (e.g., White and Dahl, 2006)
Wooten and Reed’s (2004) research
Our focus: Brand avoidance behaviors created simply by uncertainty regarding the social acceptability of one’s choices

4. A
TSCI
ATSCI refers to a person’s sensitivity to social comparison cues (Bearden and Rose 1990; Lennox and Wolfe 1984)
Presumed to be motivated by factors such as a need for assimilation and approval from others
High ATSCI is associated with conformity to normative pressures (Bearden and Rose 1990)
The construct has been widely used in psychology but other than Bearden and Rose (1990), no research has been done with it in the context of brand-related behaviors

5. O
verarching Thesis
In general, high ATSCI consumers, being very assimilation-oriented, will play safe and avoid social risk/disapproval by:
- Buying well-known brands
- Avoiding brands and brand consumption behaviors that are overly unique or distinctive (Brewer 1991)
Low ATSCI consumers will be less brand conscious and much more comfortable with distinctive brand choices

6. T hree Studies Preliminary Study : ATSCI and Brand Consciousness
Study 1: ATSCI and Brand Distinctiveness vs. Brand Prestige
Study 2: ATSCI and Preference for Brand Logo Size

7. P reliminary study ATSCI and Brand Consciousness Objective:
- To demonstrate high (vs. low) ATSCI individuals are more brand conscious
Research Design
- Survey
- 218 undergraduate students
- Scales (1-7, agree-disagree) to assess:
Brand Consciousness: alpha=.71(adapted from Nan and Heo 2007),
then filler items,
then ATSCI (Lennox and Wolfe 1984)

8. P reliminary study ATSCI and Brand Consciousness
Verified positive relationship between ATSCI and Brand Consciousness
P<.001

9. S tudy 1 ATSCI and Brand Distinctiveness vs. Brand Prestige Hypothesis
For identity-relevant brands,
brand distinctiveness will be lower among high (vs. low) ATSCI individuals,
but brand prestige will not vary as a function of ATSCI

10. S tudy 1 Method Participants: 46 undergraduate students
A total of 103 cases qualified as identity-relevant brands (brands with a high “sense of oneness”; Stockburger-Sauer et al. 2012)
>=6 on 1-7 scale for brand identification
First, thought-listing task for target brands to activate brand schemas
Then, subjects provided (within-subjects) perceptions of brand distinctiveness and brand prestige for target brands (Stockburger-Sauer et al. 2012)

11. Brand Prestige and brand Distinctiveness as a function of ATSCI
tudy 1
Results
Brand Prestige and brand Distinctiveness as a function of ATSCI
ATSCI by brand factor, P <.001
-2SD SD SD SD

12. S tudy 2 ATSCI and Preference for Brand Logo Size Hypothesis
For highly prestigious brands, relative preference for less (vs. more) conspicuous brand logos will be higher among high (vs. low) ATSCI individuals.
However, in the case of less prestigious brands, relative preference for
less (vs. more) conspicuous brand logos will be uniformly high, regardless of ATSCI.

13. S tudy 2 Method Participants: 391 undergraduate students
Product category: T-shirts
Between-subjects variable: brand prestige (highly vs. less)
Separate brands were selected for males and females based on pretests
Males: Polo (highly prestigious), Old Navy (less prestigious)
Females: Pink (highly prestigious), Old Navy (less prestigious)
Images of T-shirts with less vs. more conspicuous brand logos were created by a professional graphic designer
After participants looked at pictures of the two t-shirts with different-sized logos side by side, they provided a constant sum (100) measure of relative preference

14. S tudy 2 Stimuli for Male Participants Polo (Highly Prestigious)
Old Navy
(Less Prestigious)

15. S tudy 2 Stimuli for Female Participants Pink (Highly Prestigious)
Old Navy
(Less Prestigious)

16. S
tudy 2
Results
Relative Preference for less vs. more conspicuous brand Logos as a Function of ATSCI and Brand Prestige
ATSCI by Brand Prestige Interaction, P<.001
-2SD SD SD SD

17. S
ummary
High ATSCI individuals are more brand conscious and more likely to buy branded products
High (vs. low) ATSCI individuals identify with brands that are equally prestigious but less distinctive
High (vs. low ATSCI individuals equally prefer less conspicuous brand logos for less prestigious brands. But
- Low ATSCI individuals do not mind relatively highly conspicuous logos
as long as the brands are highly prestigious
- High ATSCI individuals prefer less conspicuous logos even for
highly prestigious brands

18. T
hank you!