Attachment theory was established through the work of John Bowlby and important contributions by Mary Ainsworth. This theory suggests that an infant’s social and emotional development is profoundly shaped by their relationship with their primary caregivers. Ainsworth designed “The Strange Situation Experiment”, which observed that infants and children develop basically three distinct styles of attachment with their caregivers: Secure, Anxious and Avoidant. In addition, attachment theory has revealed that adults rely on the attachment style they developed in childhood when perceiving and responding to intimacy in all their relationships. Briefly speaking, it has been observed that securely attached individuals are comfortable with closeness, mostly affectionate and loving; anxiously attached individuals are in constant need of closeness, overthink and worry about their relationships; and avoidantly attached individuals equate closeness with the loss of freedom and therefore try to keep closeness to a minimum.
Research shows that individuals form business relationships in ways similar to interpersonal relationships and that attachment types have an important role in understanding customer behavior and in the formation of trust and loyalty to a company.
Research investigating the effects of attachment styles on consumer behavior suggests that securely attached individuals are more likely to stay in long-term relationships with brands and companies and to trust and commit to them. Consumers with this attachment type have been observed to develop a more positive perception of satisfaction, trustworthiness and commitment to companies and company employees than insecurely attached (avoidant or anxious) consumers.
It has been observed that avoidantly attached individuals have less trust in companies, do not establish long-term relationships and do not prefer cooperation. Although many studies have shown that anxiously attached individuals trust companies less like avoidant individuals, some studies have found that anxious individuals trust companies more and establish long-term relationships with them due to their need to constantly seek closeness and maintain the relationship no matter what. It has been observed that insecurely attached consumers do not connect sufficiently with company employees and compensate for this inadequacy by connecting with the company, that is, with an abstract concept.
The research provides some recommendations for companies to implement based on consumers’ attachment types. It states that companies can approach securely attached customers through all available tools and channels as long as they treat them as equal partners without trying to gain the upper hand. Consumers with avoidant attachment style, on the other hand, should be presented with multiple options and should not be pressured to make an immediate decision. In addition, they should be reached through digital channels rather than personally, and should be exposed to less advertising and marketing. For anxiously attached consumers, companies should make intensive marketing contacts to persuade the consumer that their intentions are good and strive to build consumer trust and loyalty by demonstrating that they are interested in all the needs and problems of the consumer. Research emphasizes that companies must first establish trust for all attachment styles, and only then can they build a long-lasting relationship with the customer.
Neuromarketing uses scientific techniques and tools to understand consumer behavior and needs at a biological and psychological level. For this reason, it is thought that neuromarketing can help companies in measuring attachment types and investigating the effects of attachment types on consumer behavior. In this way, companies can better segment markets, manage customer relationships better and use resources more efficiently.
References
Neuroscientist Yağmur Başak Ören
Aaker, J., Fournier, S., & Brasel, S. A. (2004). When good brands do bad. Journal of Consumer Research, 31(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1086/383419
Frydman, S., & Tena, M. A. (2022). Attachment styles and customers’ long-term relationships in a service context. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 47(1), 267-284. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12834
Levine, A., & Heller, R. (2012). Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find – and Keep – Love. TarcherPerigee.
Mende, M., & Bolton, R. N. (2011). Why attachment security matters. Journal of Service Research, 14(3), 285-301. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670511411173
