AMTP Proceedings 2026
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
Spring 2026
Abstract
This conceptual paper reinterprets brand resonance as a mechanism for competitive acquisition rather than retention. While traditional frameworks position resonance as the outcome of loyalty and attachment, contemporary markets require strategies that convert consumers embedded in rival ecosystems. Drawing on symbolic interactionism, the model positions influencers as meaning intermediaries who reshape interpretations of identity, relevance, and social permission. Influencer–brand partnership strength initiates a sequential pathway in which effort expectancy and performance expectancy reduce perceived barriers, while a novel construct—switching legitimization—authorizes movement away from incumbent brands. Through repeated mediated encounters, attachment to the target brand develops prior to behavioral change. The framework further specifies boundary conditions, proposing nonlinear effects of prior brand investment and the moderating role of symbolic congruence. By repositioning resonance as an offensive strategy, this paper extends brand equity theory and clarifies how influencer ecosystems reorganize switching processes in digitally mediated markets.
Recommended Citation
Okono, Antoinette, "Reimagining Brand Resonance: A Symbolic Interactionist Framework for Influencer-Brand Relationships and Within-Category Switching" (2026). AMTP Proceedings 2026. 51.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/amtp-proceedings_2026/51
