A Review of Brand Anthropomorphism : Analysis of Trends and Research

Authors

  •   Pritha Nasery Ubgade Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Village Lavale, Taluka, Mulshi Rd, Pune - 412 115, Maharashtra
  •   Sujata Joshi Symbiosis Institute of Digital and Telecom Management, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Village Lavale, Taluka, Mulshi Rd, Pune - 412 115, Maharashtra

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2022/v15i10/172408

Keywords:

Brand Anthropomorphism

, Anthropomorphism, Advertising, Marketing, Bibliometric Analysis, Citation Analysis.

JEL Classification Codes

, M300, M310, M370

Paper Submission Date

, June 15, 2021, Paper sent back for Revision, May 31, 2022, Paper Acceptance Date, September 10, Paper Published Online, October 15, 2022

Abstract

In recent years, it could be observed that the anthropomorphism of products and brands offered a unique transformative opportunity for marketing managers. Researchers found that when products or brands were anthropomorphized (i.e., when human-like features were given to non-human entities), they acquired a positive consumer attitude, which ultimately increased purchase intentions. As a result, the available literature on brand anthropomorphism matured over the period. This study tried to map the research done in brand anthropomorphism across the globe from 2000 to 2021 in various Scopus-indexed journals, using tools such as Advanced Excel, VOS Viewer, and Biblioshiny—a bibliometric analysis tool. The results suggested that The Computers in Human Behaviour was the leading journal that published the most articles related to brand anthropomorphism. Also, the study indicated that the authors and journals from the United States contributed the most in this area. The study was relevant from the managerial perspective as many companies were anthropomorphizing their products and brands, thus strengthening the consumer-brand relationship. In conclusion, this study intended to provide valuable insights to scholars and marketing managers about the present and future scope of research in this area.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Published

2022-10-01

How to Cite

Ubgade, P. N., & Joshi, S. (2022). A Review of Brand Anthropomorphism : Analysis of Trends and Research. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of Management, 15(10), 47–62. https://doi.org/10.17010/pijom/2022/v15i10/172408

Issue

Volume 15, Issue 10, October 2022

Section

Articles
Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC

References

Aggarwal, P., & McGill, A. L. (2007). Is that car smiling at me? Schema congruity as a basis for evaluating anthropomorphized products. Journal of Consumer Research, 34(4), 468–479. https://doi.org/10.1086/518544

Aggarwal, P., & McGill, A. L. (2012). When brands seem human, do humans act like brands? automatic behavioral priming effects of brand anthropomorphism. Journal of Consumer Research, 39(2), 307–323. https://doi.org/10.1086/662614

Aria, M., & Cuccurullo, C. (2017). Bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. Journal of Informetrics, 11(4), 959–975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2017.08.007

Burgoon, J. K., Bonito, J. A., Bengtsson, B., Cederberg, C., Lundeberg, M., & Allspach, L. (2000). Interactivity in human-computer interaction: A study of credibility, understanding, and influence. Computers in Human Behavior, 16(6), 553–574. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0747-5632(00)00029-7

Chandler, J., & Schwarz, N. (2010). Use does not wear ragged the fabric of friendship: Thinking of objects as alive makes people less willing to replace them. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 20(2), 138–145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2009.12.008

Delbaere, M., McQuarrie, E. F., & Phillips, B. J. (2011). Personification in advertising. Journal of Advertising, 40(1), 121–130. https://doi.org/10.2753/JOA0091-3367400108

Delgado-Ballester, E., Palazón, M., & Peláez, J. (2020). Anthropomorphized vs objectified brands: Which brand version is more loved? European Journal of Management and Business Economics, 29(2), 150–165. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJMBE-04-2019-0063

Ennaceur, A., Michalikova, S., & Chazot, P. L. (2006). Models of anxiety: Responses of rats to novelty in an open space and an enclosed space. Behavioural Brain Research, 171(1), 26–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2006.03.016

Epley, N., Waytz, A., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2007). On seeing human: A three-factor theory of anthropomorphism. Psychological Review, 114(4), 864–886. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.114.4.864

Epley, N., Waytz, A., Akalis, S., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2008). When we need a human: Motivational determinants of anthropomorphism. Social Cognition, 26(2), 143–155. https://doi.org/10.1521/soco.2008.26.2.143

Epley, N., Akalis, S., Waytz, A., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2008). Creating social connection through inferential reproduction: Loneliness and perceived agency in gadgets, gods, and greyhounds. Psychological Science, 19(2), 114–120. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02056.x

Farzanfar, R. (2006). When computers should remain computers: A qualitative look at the humanization of health care technology. Health Informatics Journal, 12(3), 239–254. https://doi.org/10.1177/1460458206066663

Fox, R. (2006). Animal behaviours, post-human lives: Everyday negotiations of the animal-human divide in pet-keeping. Social & Cultural Geography, 7(4), 525–537. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649360600825679

Golossenko, A., Pillai, K. G., & Aroean, L. (2020). Seeing brands as humans: Development and validation of a brand anthropomorphism scale. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 37(4), 737–755. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2020.02.007

Guido, G., & Peluso, A. M. (2015). Brand anthropomorphism: Conceptualization, measurement, and impact on brand personality and loyalty. Journal of Brand Management, 22, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1057/bm.2014.40

Gupta, R., & Jain, K. (2019). The impact of anthropomorphism on purchase intention of smartphones: A study of young Indian consumers. Indian Journal of Marketing, 49(5), 7–20. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2019/v49/i5/144021

Hart, P. M., Jones, S. R., & Royne, M. B. (2013). The human lens: How anthropomorphic reasoning varies by product complexity and enhances personal value. Journal of Marketing Management, 29(1–2), 105–121. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2012.759993

Hsieh, M.-H., Li, X. B., Jain, S. P., & Swaminathan, V. (2021). Self-construal drives preference for partner and servant brands. Journal of Business Research, 129, 183–192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.02.054

Huang, R., Zhou, X., Ye, W., & Guo, S. (2020). Think versus feel: Two dimensions of brand anthropomorphism. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 29(7), 955–969. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-11-2018-2125

Hudson, S., Huang, L., Roth, M. S., & Madden, T. J. (2016). The influence of social media interactions on consumer-brand relationships: A three-country study of brand perceptions and marketing behaviors. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 33(1), 27–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2015.06.004

Hur, J. D., Koo, M., & Hofmann, W. (2015). When temptations come alive: How anthropomorphism undermines self-control. Journal of Consumer Research, 42(2), 340–358. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucv017

Kim, S., & McGill, A. L. (2011). Gaming with Mr. Slot or gaming the slot machine? Power, anthropomorphism, and risk perception. Journal of Consumer Research, 38(1), 94–107. https://doi.org/10.1086/658148

Kim, H. C., & Kramer, T. (2015). Do materialists prefer the “brand-as-servant� The interactive effect of anthropomorphized brand roles and materialism on consumer responses. Journal of Consumer Research, 42(2), 284–299. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucv015

Kim, H.-Y., & McGill, A. L. (2018). Minions for the rich? Financial status changes how consumers see products with anthropomorphic features. Journal of Consumer Research, 45(2), 429–450. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucy006

Laksmidewi, D., Susianto, H., & Afiff, A. Z. (2017). The effect of hero archetype in advertising on perceived product efficacy. Indian Journal of Marketing, 47(5), 21–36. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2017/v47/i5/114234

Landwehr, J. R., McGill, A. L., & Herrmann, A. (2011). It's got the look: The effect of friendly and aggressive “facial†expressions on product liking and sales. Journal of Marketing, 75(3), 132–146. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.75.3.132

Letheren, K., Jetten, J., Roberts, J., & Donovan, J. (2021). Robots should be seen and not heard…sometimes: Anthropomorphism and AI service robot interactions. Psychology & Marketing, 38(12), 2393–2406. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21575

MacDorman, K. F., Green, R. D., Ho, C.-C., & Koch, C. T. (2009). Too real for comfort? Uncanny responses to computer generated faces. Computers in Human Behavior, 25(3), 695–710. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2008.12.026

MacInnis, D. J., & Folkes, V. S. (2017). Humanizing brands: When brands seem to be like me, part of me, and in a relationship with me. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 27(3), 355–374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2016.12.003

Mahadevan, K., & Joshi, S. (2021). Trends in electronic word of mouth research: A bibliometric review and analysis. Indian Journal of Marketing, 51(4), 8–26. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2021/v51/i4/158468

Mahajan, Y., & Gadekar, A. (2021). A bibliometric analysis of buzz marketing: Research areas, concerns, and suggestions for advancement. Indian Journal of Marketing, 51(2), 43–59. https://doi.org/10.17010/ijom/2021/v51/i2/157550

Mithen, S., & Boyer, P. (1996). Anthropomorphism and the evolution of cognition. The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 2(4), 717–721. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3034305

Nass, C., & Moon, Y. (2000). Machines and mindlessness: Social responses to computers. Journal of Social Issues, 56(1), 81–103. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00153

Ning, Z., Chunqun, L., Zelin, T., Nan, Z., & Yiting, H. (2020). The impact of incomplete faces of spokes-characters in mobile application icon designs on brand evaluations. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1495. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01495

Pelau, C., Dabija, D.-C., & Ene, I. (2021). What makes an AI device human-like? The role of interaction quality, empathy and perceived psychological anthropomorphic characteristics in the acceptance of artificial intelligence in the service industry. Computers in Human Behavior, 122, Article 106855. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106855

Pilkington, A., & Meredith, J. (2009). The evolution of the intellectual structure of operations management—1980–2006: A citation/co-citation analysis. Journal of Operations Management, 27(3), 185–202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jom.2008.08.001

Pritchard, A. (1969). Statistical bibliography or bibliometrics. Journal of Documentation, 25(4), 348–349. https://doi.org/10.4236/jsea.2010.39103

Puntoni, S., Reczek, R. W., Giesler, M., & Botti, S. (2021). Consumers and artificial intelligence: An experiential perspective. Journal of Marketing, 85(1), 131–151. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022242920953847

Puzakova, M., Kwak, H., & Rocereto, J. F. (2009). Pushing the envelope of brand and personality: Antecedents and moderators of anthropomorphized brands. In, A. L. McGill & S. Shavitt (eds.), Advances in consumer research (Vol. 36, pp. 413 – 420). Association for Consumer Research.

Puzakova, M., Kwak, H., & Rocereto, J. F. (2013). When humanizing brands goes wrong: The detrimental effect of brand anthropomorphization amid product wrongdoings. Journal of Marketing, 77(3), 81–100. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.11.0510

Roy, R., & Naidoo, V. (2021). Enhancing chatbot effectiveness: The role of anthropomorphic conversational styles and time orientation. Journal of Business Research, 126, 23–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.12.051

Singh, S., Olson, E. D., & Tsai, C.-H. K. (2021). Use of service robots in an event setting: Understanding the role of social presence, eeriness, and identity threat. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 49, 528–537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.10.014

Tam, K.-P. (2015). Are anthropomorphic persuasive appeals effective? The role of the recipient's motivations. British Journal of Social Psychology, 54(1), 187–200. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12076

Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., & Smart, P. (2003). Towards a methodology for developing evidence-informed management knowledge by means of systematic review. British Journal of Management, 14(3), 207–222. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.00375

Tsai, W.-H. S., Liu, Y., & Chuan, C.-H. (2021). How chatbots' social presence communication enhances consumer engagement: The mediating role of parasocial interaction and dialogue. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 15(3), 460–482. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-12-2019-0200

Van Esch, P., Arli, D., Gheshlaghi, M. H., Andonopoulos, V., Von der Heidt, T., & Northey, G. (2019). Anthropomorphism and augmented reality in the retail environment. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 49, 35–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.03.002

Vernuccio, M., Patrizi, M., & Pastore, A. (2021). Delving into brand anthropomorphisation strategies in the experiential context of name-brand voice assistants. Journal of Consumer Behaviour. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.1984

Waytz, A., Cacioppo, J., & Epley, N. (2010). Who sees human? The stability and importance of individual differences in anthropomorphism. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(3), 219–232. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691610369336

Waytz, A., Heafner, J., & Epley, N. (2014). The mind in the machine: Anthropomorphism increases trust in an autonomous vehicle. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 52, 113–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2014.01.005