excerpts:
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four factors were distinguished that can influence product attachment: self-expression (can I distinguish myself from others with the product?), group affiliation (does ownership of the product connect me to a group?), memories (related to the product) and pleasure (provided by the product)
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designers can create a product with a certain personality that consumers can recognize. For example, a Volkswagen Beetle has a happy and friendly personality (see Figure 1). The findings of our research showed that consumers bond more strongly with products that have a ‘personality’ congruent to their own personality, because these products enable them to communicate their individuality
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By personalizing a product, an individual invests effort in the product. The outcome of the personalization process is that the consumer adds a personal touch to the product and, consequently, the product becomes more self-expressive of a person’s unique identity. Self-expression in turn has a positive effect on the degree of attachment to a product.
