When is our connection to brands like our connection to people?

While research on consumer–brand relationships has often used interpersonal relationships (e.g., attachment styles, relationship norms, etc.) as guides and metaphors for brand relationships, little time has been spent distinguishing between the interpersonal relationship and the brand relationship. In this chapter, we will: (1) review the use of interpersonal relationship theories in the consumer– brand relationship realm; (2) discuss some of the similarities between interpersonal relationships and brand relationships, and highlight some differences; and (3) outline topics in the consumer–brand relationship domain in need of future research based on our framework.