Psychology of Brand and Advertising

For brand managers, brands are the basic tools of contemporary

marketing and for consumers they are the elements of their everyday

lives. The latter usually are not aware of how strong influence they have

on their decisions and behaviours. The course is designed to look at both

perspectives and focus on advertising as the most common tool for

communication between the brand and the consumer: what makes it

effective, how it is designed and created and what psychological

mechanisms of influence it utilizes.

Not only are the brands an inevitable tool of contemporary marketing,

but also an important element of our everyday reality. They simplify

consumer decisions, but can also be means of expressing one’s attitudes,

emotions, values, welfare, position in social structure – all the

communication that is much beyond consumer behaviour. The

mechanisms of brand influence are often below the level of

consciousness – are automatic and implicit but when it comes to brand

choice, consumers usually claim that it was based on product features

and its quality and not on trademark or advertisement. But brands in

reality can have a vast symbolic meaning and be used by consumers to

boost self-esteem, to communicate with others, to distinguish oneself

from others or to belong to a group. Advertisement as a key tool of

brands’ communication with the consumers will receive most of our

attention.

The course is designed to link psychological and sociological research

knowledge of human behaviour with the domain of branding and

advertising and its commercial practice. We will analyse a numerous of

consumer behavior research and link them to real brands (successful and

unsuccessful) to show the mechanisms of their communication.

Articles for reading:

(might be modified - the full and final list of articles to be announced on the first classes)

Bahn K. (1986), How and When Do Brand Perceptions and Preferences First Form? A Cognitive

Development Investigation, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 13.

Belk R., Mayer R., Driscoll A. (1984), Children’s Recognition of Consumption Symbolism in Children’s

Products, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 1o.

Cherrrier H., Murray J.B. (2004), The Sociology of Consumption: The Hidden Facet of Marketing,

Journal of Marketing Management, 20, 509-525.

Fennis B., M., Pruyn A., T., H., Maasland, M., (2005), Revisiting the Malleable Self: Brand Effects on

Consumer Self-Perceptions of Personality Traits, Advances in Consumer Research, Volume 32.

Ford G., Smith R.A. (1987), Inferential Beliefs in Consumer Evaluations: An Assessment of Alternative

Processing Strategies, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 14.

Klein, R.E., Kernan, J.B., Mundane consumption and the self: The Social Identity Perspective, Journal

of Consumer Psychology 2(3), 209-235.

Miniard P.W., Sirdeshmukh D., Innis D.E (1992), Peripheral Persuasion and Brand Choice, Journal of

Consumer Research, Vol. 19.

Muniz A.M., O’Guinn T. (2001), Brand Community, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 27.

Park C.W., Lawson R., Milberg S. (1989), Memory Structure of Brand Names, Advances in Consumer

Research, Vol. 16.

Richins M.L., Bloch P.H, An Investigation of Cognitive Structure In a Shopping Context.

Ruth J. (2001), Promoting a Brand’s Emotion Benefits: The influence of Emotion Categorization

Processes on Consumer Evaluations.

Sen S. (1999), The Effects of Brand Name Suggestiveness and Decision Goal on the Development of

Brand Knowledge, Journal of Consumer Psychology, 8(4).

Sengupta J., Dahl D.W., Gorn G.J (2002), Misrepresentation in the Consumer Context, Journal of

Consumer Psychology, 12(2).

Tan Tsu Wee T. (2004), Extending human personalities to brands: The stability factor., Brand

Management, Vol. 11, No. 4.

Tsai S., (2005), Impact of personal orientation on luxury-brand purchase value. An international

investigation, International Journal of Market Research, Vol. 47 Issue 4, 429-454.

Wilson T. D., Lindsey S., Schooler T. Y. (2000), A Model of Dual Attitudes, Psychological Review, Vol.

107, No. 1.

During the course, you will experience both academic and practitioner

contributions, and should acquire a firm understanding of basic terms and

issues related to brand management and advertising. You will be able to

define and assess brands’ positioning and communication strategies,

recognize the methods utilized by advertisers to influence consumers and

understands the psychological mechanism of their influence.

Students’ evaluation is based on two in-class group presentations:

and criteria analysis of a freely chosen public service announcement (1- 30%) and full

analysis of a brand and its advertising communication (2 – 70%).

Attendance rules

Attendance is obligatory, only one absence (one block) is possible during

the course without consequence.