It takes time to tango: The relative importance of values versus traits in consumer brand relationships

Brand managers have several options in their quest to connect their brands with consumers. They may stress functional brand attributes and benefits, their brand's personality traits, or their brand's values (the human values attached to the brand). Which of these is most important to consumers is an open question, however. This article proposes that values may take on increased importance over time, as long‐term relationships (in general) require more than just getting the job done (functional aspect) or a sense of recognition (trait correspondence). What is required most of all is a correspondence between long‐term objectives and goals in life. Values are arguably the most relevant factor in longer relationships. An experiment was put together to determine if this is indeed the case. The results of our study suggest that values are indeed considered more important than traits in the case of longer relationships and that this is particularly true with decisions regarding prospective relationships and in the case of services.