The Impact Of Consumer Nostalgias And Self Concept On Brand Evaluations

Even though the uses of nostalgic appeals in marketing are seen on the rise, research on nostalgia marketing remains scarce and researchers and practitioners generally disagree on the best approaches to take with nostalgia marketing (Bussy 2008). Many marketers use nostalgic appeals in marketing as a fresh approach to grab consumer attention and emotionally connect advertised brands with consumers (Naughton and Vlasic 1998). The typical approach of nostalgia marketing has been simply juxtaposing nostalgic symbols (e.g., words, images, and music) with promoted products and counting on the positive nostalgic feelings aroused to benefit the advertised products. Indeed, research found that nostalgic cues in ads could trigger positive thoughts and result in positive attitude toward both the ads and the advertised brands (Muehling and Sprott 2004; Pascal, Sprott, and Muehling 2002).