The moderating role of level of involvement and the hedonic vs. utilitarian nature of the product on the relationship between core elements of Brand Love and the higher-order factor Brand Love

Abstract

This thesis investigates the moderating role of Level of Involvement and the Hedonic vs. Utilitarian Nature of the Product on the relationship between three core elements of Brand Love – Positive Emotional Connection, Attitude Valence and Self-Brand Integration – and the higher-order factor Brand Love. Building on the foundational work of Batra et al. (2012), the study aims to understand how these moderating variables may strengthen or weaken the previously identified positive relationships between the core elements and the higher-order factor Brand Love. To address the research questions, a quantitative study was conducted using an online survey designed on Qualtrics and shared on social media. The responses were analysed using exploratory factor analyses to empirically test the proposed hypotheses and complemented with linear regressions. The results showed that for utilitarian product categories, Attitude Valence has a greater influence on Brand Love compared to hedonic ones. Additionally, Level of Involvement was found to negatively moderate the relationship between Self-Brand Integration and Brand Love, contrary to the initial hypothesis. In line with expectations, Self-Brand Integration had a greater influence on Brand Love for hedonic products than for utilitarian ones. These findings contribute to a more complete understanding of consumer-brand relationships providing valuable insights to the marketing literature and brand managers. The study concludes by acknowledging its limitations and providing directions for future research.

Date of Award	15 Oct 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Peter Jarnebrant (Supervisor)