Wearing Community: Why Customers Purchase A Service Firm’S Logo Products

Mark S. Rosenbaum, Northern Illinois University
Drew Martin, University of Hawaii, Hilo

The purpose of this research is to investigate customer purchase of a service organization’s logo/ branded merchandise. The article employs three separate studies; two are conducted with customers of Curves, the world’s largest fitness franchise, and the other is conducted at a gym. Two empirical studies test a proposed mediation model. The third study shows the social influences that encourage customers to purchase a firm’s logo products. The results show that a customer’s integration into a service-based community encourages him or her to purchase the firm’s logo merchandise. In addition, a customer’s ability to identify with the firm mediates this relationship. The immersion of customers’ self- and social identities in a firm emerges as a factor to enhancing their appreciation of the firm by purchasing financially lucrative logo consumables. Managers should understand that a key to selling organizational logo/branded merchandise is to encourage customers to form relationships with other customers and employees.

 

Journal of Services Marketing (2012), Vol. 26 Iss: 5, pp.310 – 321