Title: Implicit Self-Referencing: The Effect of Non-volitional Self-Association on Brand and Product Attitude (Fee or subscription required.)

Authors: Andrew W. Perkins (University of Western Ontario) and Mark R. Forehand (University of Washington)

Publisher: Journal of Consumer Research, vol. 39, no. 1

Date Published: September 2011 (online), June 2012 (print)

As marketers search for ways to exploit the rise in social networking and Web 2.0 usage by consumers, this paper finds that people closely identify with brands that promote themselves alongside the personal information on their Facebook page, even when they’re barely paying attention to the advertisement. But the same ad has less impact when viewed on a stranger’s or a generic Web page, suggesting that when brands are connected to consumers’ concepts of themselves, positive feelings can rub off on the brands — and even affect buying decisions.

The findings are important, the authors argue, because marketers work hard to get consumers to actively engage with and consciously relate to their brand — even though most consumers are exposed to ad campaigns online when they aren’t paying much attention. Advertisers already spend more than US$3 billion a year to reach Facebook’s 845 million users, according to the company’s recent high-profile filing for an initial public offering. This study suggests that the mere positioning of ads next to consumers’ personal information — such as a list of the hobbies they enjoy or information about their friends, work, and education — has enough emotional resonance to link brands to people’s identity and subconscious.

The authors call the concept “implicit self-referencing,” which holds that consumers don’t need to own, use, or endorse a brand to identify with it. But their research suggests that should a link form, a “positive attitude toward the product or brand would be the result.”