THE BRAND-INDIVIDUAL RELATIONSHIP: INFLUENCES FROM AND TO RELEVANT REFERENCE CONTEXTS

The present paper, through a conceptual framework, aims at improving the studies regarding consumption and the relation between brand and individual/consumer. The objective of the paper is to show that relations between the firm and the individual/consumer, created by the product/brand, are both cause/medium and effect of influences moving to and from the relevant reference contexts. It focuses on the literature gaps about social consumption and the network approach, and on Giddens's and Golinelli's theories. According to Giddens's and Golinelli's theories, relations between company/brand and individuals are influenced by and affect their reference contexts through a dual structural model cycle. This model features two isomorphic parts represented by the company/brand with its context and the individual with his/her context, bound by a mutual relationship. Using the components of the dimensions of the duality of structure model as a checklist, the framework helps researchers and practitioners to assess the impact of social elements and structural influences on marketing decisions. Contextual influence analysis can shape segmentation and positioning strategies and policies. The paper produces some useful considerations about the dynamic existing between the firm/brand and the individual and highlights some gaps in the studies regarding the network approach and the social consumption process.