DOES THE COFFEE ON THIS DATE TASTE GOOD OR DO GOOD? BRAND SIGNALING AND ATTACHMENT INSECURITY DURING RELATIONSHIP INITIATION

Brands can be important relationship partners for consumers, but they cannot replace human connections. Instead, brands can influence how others perceive consumers by communicating their personalities. With loneliness being a global issue, a significant unanswered question is how our brand choices impact our ability to initiate relationships with others. Our research shows that it depends on the brand itself; whether its core associations align with creating superior offerings or promoting social responsibility. In human relationships, warmth more than competence, leads to satisfying interpersonal interactions. Accordingly, our research indicates that socially responsible brands, which convey warmth, have an advantage in seeking human connections, particularly when potential partners have adaptive relationship models. However, when individuals face relationship insecurity, the type of insecurity (attachment avoidance versus attachment insecurity) affects their response to potential blind dating scenarios. Keywords Brand relationships, Social responsibility, Relationship insecurity, Attachment