Investigate the Impact of Emotional Loneliness on Brand Loyalty: Exploring the Mediating Roles of Nostalgia, Materialism, Self-Brand Connection, Brand Anthropomorphism, and Self-Gifting

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of emotional loneliness on brand loyalty, addressing a notable gap in the branding and consumer psychology literature. While brand loyalty has been widely explored in rational and behavioral contexts, the emotional antecedent’s particularly emotional loneliness have received limited empirical attention. The study examines how five psychological constructs—nostalgia, materialism, self-brand connection, brand anthropomorphism, and self-gifting—mediate this relationship. A conceptual framework was developed based on prior theoretical models in consumer behavior and emotional marketing. Primary data were collected from respondents using a structured questionnaire. The analysis employed SEM to test both direct and indirect effects of emotional loneliness on brand loyalty through the proposed mediators. Reliability and validity of the constructs were confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha and standard factor criteria. The total effect of emotional loneliness on brand loyalty was positive and significant; however, this relationship was fully mediated through psychological mechanisms. Self-brand connection and materialism emerged as significant mediators, highlighting how emotionally lonely individuals develop brand loyalty through identity alignment and symbolic consumption. In contrast, nostalgia, brand anthropomorphism, and self-gifting, while positively correlated with emotional loneliness, did not show significant mediating effects on brand loyalty. This research extends brand relationship theory by incorporating emotional loneliness as a psychological antecedent of loyalty. It contributes to a growing body of literature emphasizing emotional and identity-based mechanisms in consumer-brand relationships. Marketers can enhance brand loyalty by appealing to emotionally vulnerable consumers through identity-based branding, personalized experiences, and emotionally resonant messaging. Understanding loneliness as a driver of brand attachment offers opportunities for more targeted and empathetic brand strategies. This study is among the first to comprehensively explore emotional loneliness as a driver of brand loyalty in the context of multiple psychological mediators. It provides a nuanced understanding of emotional consumer behavior, offering both theoretical depth and practical value for brand managers.