Abstract
This study investigates the effect of personalising a product's appearance on the emotional bond with a product. We present a conceptual model for the relationships between the effort invested during the process of product personalisation, the degree of self-expression, and the degree of emotional bonding. Data from a questionnaire study in which respondents (n=149) filled out questions concerning their (non-) personalised bicycle support our expectations. By personalising the product's appearance, a person invests effort in the product. Our findings show that the amount of effort invested has a direct effect (as a result of the extended period of time spent with the product) and an indirect effect (via the personalised product's self-expressive value) on the strength of the emotional bond with the product. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for product designers.
Notes
The measures for the control variables can be requested from the first author.