How do you feel when you find that your friend wears the same clothing as you do? As more consumers put stress on personality, they show sensitive responses to others'' possession. Some people may feel uncomfortable when they find that they put on the same clothing as others do, and some others may not. Where does the difference come from?
Based on proceeding researches, this study is assumed that possession mimicry can threaten personal distinctiveness. In other words, this study tried to investigate how one''s perception of others'' possession mimicry affects mimickee’s emotional responses and behavioral intention. In this case, it was predicted that psychological elements like social distance, and personal dispositions such as self-construal and need for uniqueness would serve as moderating roles.
According to the test, the moderating effect of social distance, self- construal, and need for uniqueness were significant. As a result, it was revealed that each moderating variables effects produced the difference in mimickee’s emotional responses and repurchase intention. In addition, the interaction between moderating variables was significant. The interaction effect was analyzed after samples were classified by group. According to the analysis, the group with interdependent self-construal and the group with low need for uniqueness had low effect. The hypothesis to verify the relationship between mimickee’s'' emotional responses and repurchase intention was statistically significant. Therefore, it was found that mimickee’s emotional responses positively affected their repurchase intention.
To sum it up, in the case of close social distance, in the case of mimickees with independent self-construal, and in the case of mimickees with high need for uniqueness, others'' possession of the same product made negative influence. However, in the case of far social distance, in the case of mimickees with interdependent self-construal, and in the case of mimickees with low need for uniqueness, it made relatively less negative influence.
It is not difficult to find possession mimicry in everyday life, and such a case will be able to happen at any time. According to this study, something like possession mimicry, unexpected by firms, can affect consumers'' behavioral intention. Therefore, marketing managers should always pay attention to consumers'' behavior. When they establishes a marketing strategy to provide an option for product uniqueness and create one''s uniqueness with various accessaries even though consumers use the same product, it will be helpful to alleviate one''s negative emotional reponses to possession mimicry.