Brands and Uniqueness in Marketing

In this article we want to emphasize the fact that in order to satisfy the desire to be part of a group, individuals tend to adapt their behaviors and protect themselves from social isolation. However, people strive to be different, perhaps even outstanding compared to other consumers. Such motivation is encouraged by the need for uniqueness in consumption assumed to be a personal, stable and universal trait. To maintain their identity, consumers tend to seek distinctiveness to avoid excessive similarities with others, which could be interpreted negatively. Thus consumers tend to adopt a moderate degree of uniqueness to achieve a positive outcome. Due to distinct perspectives on similarity or differentiation, the level of the need for uniqueness in consumption varies from person to person. A consumer driven by high uniqueness shows a higher intention to switch brands compared to those with a low level of uniqueness.