Moderators of the self-congruity effect on consumer decision-making: A meta-analysis

Value-expressive brands’ success stem largely from self-congruity between their brand personalities and targeted consumers’ self-concepts (Aaker, 1997). Over 100 conceptual and empirical articles highlight self-congruity's effect on consumer decision-making. The following meta-analysis identifies key theoretical and managerial issues of the self-congruity effect. Study results reinforce the self-congruity effect's robustness (r = .31). Moderation analysis sheds theoretical insights about self-congruity's motivational and cognitive underpinnings. The findings suggest self-congruity effects are a function of underlying self-motive “socialness,” degree of self-enhancement sought, the brand personality facet, the judgment object's abstraction level, cognitive elaboration, and the underlying impression formation process. These findings generate methodological and theoretical recommendations for future self-congruity research, as well as recommendations for marketing practitioners.

► The self-congruity effect produces favorable brand attitudes and purchase intentions.
► Meta-analysis reveals the robustness of the self-congruity effect (r=.31).
► Moderation analyses reveal self-congruity’s motivational and cognitive underpinnings.
► Self-congruity motivated by self-motive “socialness” and self-enhancement sought.
► Cognitive drivers: brand personality, abstraction, impression formation, elaboration.