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Full Length Research Paper
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Women
satisfaction with cosmetic brands: The role of
dissatisfaction and hedonic brand benefits
Vanessa
Apaolaza-Ibáñez1*,
Patrick Hartmann1, Sandra Diehl2 and
Ralf Terlutter2
1University
of the Basque Country, Spain.
2Alpen-Adria-University
Klagenfurt, Austria.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
vanessa.apaolaza@gmail.com, vanessa.apaolaza@ehu.es.
Tel: +34 945 01 4489.
Accepted 24 September, 2010 |
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Abstract |
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Research suggests that the exposure to pictures of good-looking
and even slightly above-average-looking females lowers the
self-image of exposed women and increases dissatisfaction with
their own appearance. This study analyses the effect of
perceived instrumental/utilitarian and hedonic/emotional brand
benefits on women’s satisfaction with cosmetic brands, focusing
on relief from dissatisfaction with one’s self-image as one of
four identified emotional brand experiences. A survey of 355
women was carried out, assessing instrumental and hedonic brand
benefits of the brand used by each interviewed participant, as
well as the degree of satisfaction with the surveyed brand. The
collected data was modelled using structural equation analysis.
Results indicate that utilitarian and hedonic brand benefits
both contribute to satisfaction with cosmetic brands – with an
overall stronger influence of emotional consumption experiences.
The greatest influences were found for the feeling of relief
from dissatisfaction with one’s self-image. This research
reveals that one of the mechanisms through which cosmetics
advertising works is by lowering women’s self perception in the
first place and then delivering relief from this negative
feeling as an emotional benefit through the brand. However, from
an ethical point of view, such a strategy is questionable,
especially given the problems of eating disorders and body
dysmorphia.
Key words:
Brand associations, physical attractiveness, cosmetics
consumption, advertising, women’s psychology. |
