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document
The neuropeptide oxytocin modulates consumer brand relationships . Each year , companies invest billions of dollars into marketing activities to embellish brands as valuable relationship partners assuming that consumer brand relationships ( CBRs ) and interpersonal relationships rest upon the same neurobiological underpinnings . Given the crucial role of the neuropeptide oxytocin ( OXT ) in social bonding , this study tests whether OXT-based mechanisms also determine the bond between consumers and brands . We conducted a randomized , placebo-controlled study involving 101 subjects and analyzed the effect of intranasal OXT on consumers ' attribution of relationship qualities to brands , brands paired with human celebrity endorsers , and familiar persons . OXT indeed promoted the attribution of relationship qualities not only in the case of social and semi-social stimuli , but also brands . Intriguingly , for subjects scoring high on autistic-like traits , the effect of OXT was completely reversed , evident in even lower relationship qualities across all stimulus categories . The importance of OXT in a CBR context is further corroborated by a three-fold increase in endogenous release of OXT following exposure to one 's favorite brand and positive associations between baseline peripheral OXT concentrations and brand relationship qualities . Collectively , our findings indicate that OXT not only plays a fundamental role in developing interpersonal relationships , but also enables relationship formation with objects such as brands .
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Intervention_Pharmacological
neuropeptide oxytocin
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Intervention_Pharmacological
neuropeptide oxytocin ( OXT )
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Intervention_Pharmacological
intranasal OXT
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Intervention_Pharmacological
OXT
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Intervention_Pharmacological
OXT
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Intervention_Pharmacological
OXT
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Intervention_Pharmacological
OXT
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Intervention_Pharmacological
OXT
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Intervention_Pharmacological
OXT
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Outcome_Mental
consumers ' attribution of relationship qualities to brands
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Outcome_Mental
attribution of relationship qualities
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Outcome_Mental
relationship qualities
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Outcome_Mental
endogenous release of OXT
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Outcome_Mental
interpersonal relationships
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Participant_Sample-size
101
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Participant_Condition
autistic-like traits