Brand Attachment and Brand Trust as Mediator on the Relationship between Affective Value Congruence and Purchase Intention: Evaluation from Omani Perfumer Market

The study contributes to the understanding of the role of affective value congruence in shaping consumer-brand relationships and purchase behaviour in the Omani perfume market. The relationship between brand affective value congruence (BAC), brand attachment (BA), brand trust (BT) and purchase intention (PI) in the Omani perfume market was investigated in this study. The study used a qualitative research design; data were collected from 350 young female consumers (19-40 years old) from higher education institutions in Muscat using structured questionnaire via physical and online demonstration of product and online survey. The study tested the proposed model using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The outcomes indicated that brand affective value congruence positively influences brand attachment and trust, with insignificant direct effect of BAC on purchase intention. A significant influence of brand attachment and brand trust shown on purchase intention. The outcomes confirm a full mediation role of brand attachment and brand trust.

The findings support the self-congruity theory, which suggests that consumers prefer brands that align with their self-concept and emotional preferences. The study extends affective value congruence into Omani fragrance market as emotionally driven consumption context; hence, it adds valuable insights into consumer-behaviour literature. The study's practical implications suggest that perfume brands should concentrate on emotional branding strategies, build up brand trust, and nurture emotional bonds with their target audience to enhance purchase intention.