The Effects of Nostalgia-based Advertising on a Toy Company’s Brand Equity: The Example of the LEGO Group
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15678/ZNUEK.2020.0990.0602Keywords:
LEGO, nostalgia, brand equity, brand management, toysAbstract
Objective: The paper aims to demonstrate whether or not nostalgia can be regarded as an antecedent of brand loyalty and, more importantly, how nostalgia might affect overall brand equity.
Research Design & Methods: A total of 255 Polish consumers (172 males and 83 females) participated in the study. The sample was obtained using computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI) technique in the period between June and September 2020, and the research procedure was designed so the subjects would engage online. The author chose a correlational approach (Spearman’s rho), given its frequent use in the literature on nostalgia.
Findings: It was found that previous experience with a brand, particularly during childhood, does influence a nostalgia-oriented purchase intention, t253 = 2.634, p = 0.009. In addition, the intensity of consumer nostalgia towards a brand positively affected the strength of LEGO® brand equity, which is conceptualised in the paper as consisting of four dimensions.
Implications / Recommendations: This paper offers insight to both managers and marketers looking for differential marketing techniques in building consumer loyalty whilst improving the effectiveness of the marketing message.
Contribution: The findings expand the literature by examining the influence of nostalgia-based advertising endeavours on consumer-based brand equity in an international context.
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