Evoking belongingness: the impact of social exclusion on consumer preference for connected brand name typefaces

Purpose This study aims to examine the effect of social exclusion (vs nonexclusion) on consumers’ preferences for a connected brand name typeface (e.g. “milo.”) as opposed to an unconnected brand name typeface (e.g. “milo.”). Relatedly, this work also investigates whether a connected brand name typeface helps alleviate consumers’ feelings of social exclusion and lack of belongingness. Design/methodology/approach One pre-study and five experiments revealed that consumers who perceive themselves as socially excluded (vs nonexcluded) evaluate brands/products using a connected brand name typeface more favorably. The mechanism underlying the effect is also explored. Findings Based on the empirical studies, the authors reveal that consumers who perceive themselves as socially excluded evaluate brands/products with a connected brand name typeface more positively than their nonexcluded peers. This effect occurs because social exclusion triggers a feeling of lack of belongingness, and a connected brand name typeface can provide a sense of inclusion for the excluded individual. This effect is attenuated when consumers physically unite (vs separate) closely related objects. Research limitations/implications This paper sheds light on consumers’ socially influenced aesthetic preferences and opens new avenues for future exploration in this area. Practical implications This study sheds new light on branding strategy by demonstrating a technique that brand managers may use to make brands more appealing to consumers who suffer from perceptions of social exclusion. It also advances the field of visual marketing by addressing consumer preferences for connected brand name typefaces − an often overlooked aspect in existing literature. Social implications An important substantive social implication of the findings is that the research demonstrates the effectiveness of exposure to brands featuring a connected brand name typeface in relieving consumers’ feelings of lack of belongingness from social exclusion. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to uncover the novel effect of social exclusion on consumer responses to connected brand name typefaces, bridging the gap between the fields of social relationships and visual aesthetic design.