Brand associations: the value of ability versus social responsibility depends on consumer goals

Prior research establishes that brand value is built through the development of brand associations, broadly categorized based on ability and social responsibility associations. Of the two associations, ability associations are generally considered more valuable; they provide direct evidence of product qualities, while social responsibility associations are not thought to. We argue that consumers’ consumption goals (attribute- vs. experience-related) can moderate the influence of ability versus social responsibility communications on consumers’ product appraisals. This effect occurs because ability and social responsibility associations, respectively, allude to person-to-person perceptions of competence and warmth, thereby altering the fit between brand associations and consumers’ consumption goals. Specifically, in person-to-person perceptions, competence aligns to capabilities and expertise while warmth aligns with social traits including kindness and helpfulness, which foster social cohesion—characteristics that, respectively, align more closely to product attributes versus experiences. Results from an experimental study (coffee was the context) indicated that consumers valued ability over social responsibility when considering product attributes, but valued social responsibility more than ability when considering consumption experiences. Hence, this research demonstrates a reversal of the dominant findings within the literature.