Literature Review

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a detailed review of the relevant literature and to introduce the literature gaps and research questions. Primarily, the literature is structured around four sections. In the first section, a thorough review of the conceptual understanding of the consumer–brand relationships is presented. Specifically, a cross-disciplinary framework of the conceptualization of the relationship construct is presented. In the second section, the examination of some recent development in the area of consumer–brand relationships, including the models of consumer–brand relationships are reviewed. In the third major section, the conceptualization and operationalization issues of the construct are discussed. It serves as the basis for conceptualizing consumer relationship’s exclusively branding, the central construct of this study, and provides the major rationale for conceptualizing consumer–brand relationships in branding paradigm. The final section of this chapter briefly reviews the research gaps and possible research questions, which guide research objectives of the study.