Tasteful Brands: Products of Brands Perceived to be Warm and Competent Taste Subjectively Better

The present research was supported by a grant from the BRIC (Bureau des Relations Internationales) of the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium, awarded to the first author. Using survey and experimental data, the present research examines the effect of brand perception on experienced taste. The content of brand perception can be organized along the two social perception dimensions of warmth and competence. We use these two dimensions to systematically investigate the influence of brand perception on experienced taste and consumer behavior toward food products. The brand’s perceived warmth and competence independently influenced taste, both when it was measured as a belief and as an embodied experience following consumption. Taste mediated the link between brand’s warmth and competence perceptions and three consumer behavioral tendencies crucial for the marketing success of brands: buying intentions, brand loyalty, and support for the brand. Publisher PDF