Abstract

High margin of profit and long-term relationship with the customers can be yielded via the creation of associations and strong emotional links between the brand and the customers that create relationships beyond satisfaction and loyalty to a brand. The present study aims at identifying and investigating the emotional links and the relationship between the individuals’ personalities and the brand, self-expression, individual romanticism and brand associations. The study conceptual model was formed based on an extensive review of the literature. The present study makes use of a combinatorial approach. The study population examined in the first phase featuring a qualitative approach included the individuals and the university students who had not changed their intended brand for years with even having the chance to do so and described their brand with romantic expressions. In this stage, there was made use of acute and purposive sampling method. The study population of the second phase featuring a quantitative approach included was consisted of the universities, shopping centers and the customers who referred to brand representatives. The study sample volume was selected based on convenience sampling at this stage. The study data pertaining to the first phase were collected in interviews with a 50-people sample and the data pertaining to the second phase was gathered via questionnaires administered to a 137-individual sample. The acquired data were analyzed by taking advantage of structural equation technique. Based on the results obtained from the study, the associations influenced the brand self-expression. The entire personality types of the anagram had a significant effect on the brand associations; about half of the personality types were found influential on the brand self-expression. But, a great many of the anagram types were not found having a significant influence on the individual romanticism. Although the individual romanticism had a significant effect on the self-expression, it did not exert any influence on the brand associations. The emotional aspect of a brand was also effective on the associations and self-expression of the brand. The current research paper adopted a combinatorial approach in performing in-depth interviews so as to figure out the hidden layers of the consumer behavior hence acquire a better understanding of the internal level of the individual decision-making via emphasizing on the individuals’ associations and personalities.