Consumer-brand relationships, such as brand engagement in self-concept (BESC), are essential in shaping firm-related outcomes. However, their psychological underpinnings remain insufficiently understood from a psychological perspective focused on the consumer. Grounded in social comparison and social exchange theories, we propose that BESC is associated with dispositional benign envy and greed. Notwithstanding this dark side, we suggest that BESC may also serve as a source of life meaning, particularly for individuals with lower self-esteem. To enhance the generalizability of these insights, we examined this model across two cultural contexts using samples from the U.S. (Study 1, N = 408) and Poland (Study 2, N = 653). Structural equation modeling provided robust empirical support for the proposed relationships. These findings contribute to the broader understanding of the role of BESC in human psychological functioning.
Razmus et al. (Wed,) studied this question.