The role of brand personality on symbolic consumption: An application on fashion industry

In today?s world, consumption refers to the way individuals express themselves. Consumers focus on the products? aesthetics features and brand more than functional features. Individuals evaluate the personal characteristics of brand and make their choices according to these evaluations. At this point, consumers? buying behavior is being shaped and it is critical for companies to follow this change. It is essential for marketing to research into what symbolic and functional features of a brand that generates brand identity mean for consumers. The purpose of this research is to understand if there is a relationship between symbolic consumption and brand personality. Therefore the relation between perceived quality and symbolic functions of brand will be revealed. For this reason, a model which presents reasons of consumers? brand choices with paying with respect to brand?s symbolic and functional characteristics has been developed. An online survey was applied to test this model. From the results of survey it is observed that symbolic characteristics of brands in textile and apparel industry are also influential besides functional features of brands. It is also observed that symbolic characteristics alongside with functional characteristics are effective variables to increase the perceived quality of brand. Psychological and sociological needs became effective parameters of brand choice. Keywords: Brand, Brand Personality, Symbolic Consumption, Symbolic Characteristics, Brand Choice