A Qualitative Inquiry of Brand Pride Motives

What the paper says

This study investigates the motives underlying consumers’ experiences of brand pride, an underexplored positive emotion in consumer–brand relationships. While prior research highlights the role of brand pride in shaping loyalty, advocacy, and identity expression, limited work has examined the psychological and social mechanisms through which such brand pride develops. To address this gap, the study conducts 22 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with consumers and employs a rigorous thematic analysis, generating 143 initial codes that were consolidated into 18 sub-themes and subsequently synthesised into four overarching motive appraisals. These appraisals of self-esteem, social affiliation, actualisation, and transcendence represent distinct pathways through which consumers experience pride in brands. The findings demonstrate that brand pride is a multidimensional emotional experience grounded in consumers’ self-concept and identity-related processes. By uncovering how specific motivational appraisals give rise to pride, the study advances theoretical understanding of consumer emotions in branding and offers practical implications for brand strategists seeking to cultivate meaningful, identity-relevant consumer engagement.