When identity marketing backfires: consumer agency in identity expression

five studies; messages that explicitly connect a brand to consumer identity reduce perceived agency in identity expression and reduce purchase likelihood compared with messages that merely reference identity.

Written from the abstract read 2026-10-14.

What our sources record

Reproduced as it was written when this source was checked, figures and all.

doi:10.1086/676125. Abstract read: five studies; messages that explicitly connect a brand to consumer identity reduce perceived agency in identity expression and reduce purchase likelihood compared with messages that merely reference identity.