Power and Brand Compatibility in Close Relationships: A Dyadic Investigation

Although consumers often evaluate, purchase, and consume brands in the presence of others, relatively little is known about the role that brand preferences play in close relationships. To fill this gap, we introduce the term Brand Compatibility, which refers to the extent to which two people in a romantic relationship have similar brand preferences. In this first investigation of brand compatibility, we propose that its effect on relationship and life satisfaction depends on one’s personal sense of power within the relationship. Being low in power leads one to take on close others’ emotions (Anderson et al. 2003), and to be more likely to incorporate close others’ intentions into their own intentions (VanderDrift et al. 2012). Given this, we suggest that brand compatibility reflects two different states for those high and low in relationship power: For those high in power, brand compatibility may indicate that their partner is accommodating their interests. For those low in power, brand compatibility may indicate that they are accommodating their partner’s interests. If so, brand compatibility may produce different effects on relationship and life outcomes for those who are high versus low in relationship power. It may lead those high in power to feel happier, and those low in power to feel less happy, with the relationship and their lives more broadly. In this paper, we examine these ideas dyadically, by measuring brand preferences from both members of a romantic relationship.