The Self-Concept Life Cycle and Brand Perceptions: An Interdisciplinary Perspective

Consumer research has paid scant attention to the full spectrum of a consumer’s self-concept life cycle and its subsequent impact on brand attitude. This article presents a conceptual framework that provides the foundation for future research on how the self-concept, across its full life cycle, impacts brand attitude. The article considers the development of the self-concept from childhood to late adulthood, and integrates findings from various disciplines into a comprehensive framework. The factors in the framework affecting the self-concept are global culture, life events, as well as cognitive and desired age. The article offers six propositions to guide future research and encourage more interdisciplinary work, as well as guiding the application of a broader perspective in terms of the self-concept’s full life-span. Moreover, the article also presents methodological and managerial implications on how to use branding approaches that target specific consumer segments according to their self-concepts’ life cycle.