How online self-customization creates identification: Antecedents and consequences of consumer-customized product identification and the role of product involvement

Online self-customization (OSC) enables customers to design a product tailored to their preferences and needs via the online platform. This study mainly argues that a successful OSC experience goes beyond simply increasing a consumer's preference fit; it provides an opportunity to develop a meaningful relationship with customers by allowing them to embed their sense of self into the customized products and thus identify themselves with the products. Consumer-customized product identification (C-C identification) was proposed as central to our understanding of why and under what conditions OSC processes enable consumers articulate their identities. This study is theoretically based on internal motivations from social identity theory and identification literature to develop a model. The model was tested using a scenario-based survey with respondents collected from Amazon's Mechanical Turk. Structural equation modeling analyses showed that value congruence and distinctiveness of the customized products positively influenced C-C identification, which in turn positively influenced attitudinal responses. The results further showed that the relative impact of two antecedents on C-C identification varies with a consumer's product involvement. A similar pattern of results was obtained in two product categories. Theoretical and managerial implications for OSC marketers are also discussed.