The use of (non)exotic leathers by (non)favourite luxury brands: An attachment theory perspective

The study explores the relationship between consumers’ emotional attachment and their apparent tendency to ignore or minimise negative conduct from their favourite companies. Contextualised in the luxury industry, we examine how the place occupied by a brand in the psychic and emotional balance of individuals should be conditional on their perceptions. Through two scenario-based experiments with 336 participants, these questions are addressed in different aspects of corporate reputation, with the constructs of corporate image and trust serving as dependent variables. The consideration of the luxury brand attachment construct complements the analyses. Results suggest that consumers are significantly more likely to forgive the misconduct of their favourite companies, penalising those with which they have a low emotional attachment. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the psychological dynamics between consumers and brands, favouring the application of attachment theory to marketing literature.