Unlocking life satisfaction: the impact of self-image congruence on consumers’ life satisfaction through brand love and brand addiction

Purpose This study aims to explore how self-image congruence influences life satisfaction, focusing on understanding how brand love and brand addiction mediate these connections. Examining these complex relationships aims to contribute insights into the complex interplay between personal identity, consumer–brand relationships and overall life satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected from 798 US consumers. The relationships between the variables were evaluated using structural equation modeling. Findings The results indicate that ideal self-image congruence negatively affects consumers’ life satisfaction, while actual self-image, brand love and brand addiction positively contribute to life satisfaction. The study reveals partial mediation of brand addiction between actual/ideal self-image congruence and life satisfaction, but not brand love. In addition, brand love and brand addiction serve as positive serial mediators between actual self-image congruence and life satisfaction, as well as ideal self-image congruence and life satisfaction. Research limitations/implications This study offers several valuable contributions to the extant literature by showing how actual and ideal image congruence impact life satisfaction. It also enriches the self-image congruence literature by differentiating the effects of actual and self-image congruence on life satisfaction. This research offers a new understanding of the mechanism of self-image congruence’s effect on consumers’ life satisfaction through the mediation of consumer–brand relationships. Practical implications The study provides insights for researchers and marketing managers and ascertains the significant role self-image congruence may play in consumers’ well-being. It also provides managerial guidelines on humanizing consumer–brand relationships to enhance consumers’ life satisfaction. Originality/value These results provide a new outlook on the influence of self-image congruence on consumers’ life satisfaction. The study contributes to the existing literature by exploring the mediating role of consumers’ self-image congruence on life satisfaction through the lenses of consumer–brand relationships and addictive behavior, enriching our understanding of these complex dynamics.