A Study on Brand Personality and Experience in Early Morning Delivery as a New Distribution Service

Abstract

Purpose: Early morning delivery markets have grown exponentially in the last few years. This study aims to verify the effects of brand experience factors and brand personality factors of Market Kurly, a representative early morning delivery brand, on brand attachment and brand loyalty. Research design, data, and methodology: For this purpose, 204 ordinary people in their 20s and 40s who have experience in using Market Kurly were surveyed. 7 hypotheses were verified by using hierarchical regression analysis. Results: Affective experience, intellectual experience, and behavioral experience among brand experience factors had a positive effect on brand attachment. Also, brand personality-self-image congruence and brand personality-human brand congruence as brand personality factors had a positive effect on brand attachment. The brand attachment was identified as an important preceding factor to explain the brand loyalty of Market Kurly. Conclusions: When applying brand experience factors to the early morning delivery service context, each brand experience factor affected brand attachment and brand loyalty. The scope of research on brand personality-self-image congruence was expanded in that it considered both brand personality-human brand congruence and brand personality-self-image congruence. This study provides academic and practical implications by revealing that brand experience factors and brand personality factors can positively affect brand attachment and brand loyalty.

1. Introduction

There has been an increase in interest in early morning delivery services as a strategic way to expand sales in the domestic distribution industry. A leading representative of this concept has been a company called Market Kurly, which is the first in the industry to introduce a full cold-chain system from receiving of goods to delivery. By identifying and executing on the needs of the consumers who that want fresh and fast product delivery, Market Kurly has been able to maneuver into the distribution market that was previously dominated by existing offline distributors, creating a catfish effect.

Besides, the number of one-person households has been steadily increasing, and there has been a shift in the lifestyles of the consumers as well. Not only that, another pivotal change has been COVID 19, which has swept the world by storm, and the consumer preferences for social distancing and no-contact is an increasing trend.

With the growing popularity and exponential success of Market Kurly’s early morning delivery services, other large retailers have also jumped on the bandwagon to the point that is becoming saturated. This environment in which many companies compete can be evaluated positively in that it provides consumers with a wider choice. However, a potential issue from this phenomenon is that it has become harder to differentiate between the brands, as most companies are imitating the early morning delivery strategies of Market Kurly.

In view of this, the current study has focused on brand experience. Brand experience is portrayed when the brand design or identity, communications, and packaging as well as other factors stimulate the consumer’s sensory, affective, intellectual and behavioral responses (Japutra & Molinillo, 2019). Many companies seek to utilize the brand experience strategy as it offers accumulation of positive experiences of the brand to consumers, and secure brand loyalty through brand differentiation (Brakus, Schmitt, & Zarantonello, 2009).

As interest in brand experience has gradually increased, the awareness of the need for studies in this area has increased as well (Holbrook & Hirschman 1982; Zarantonello, Schmitt, & Brakus, 2007). Based on several previous studies, it could be observed that successful brand experience served as a basis for an emotional connection and relationship between the consumer and the brand (Schmitt 1999, 2003). However, most studies related to the experience of the consumers have been focused on the triggering factors of the functional properties of the products or the services, and not on the various experiences connoted by the brand itself (Brakus et al. 2009, Zarantonello et al. 2007). As could be seen in several previous studies (Thomson, McInnis, & Park, 2005), if we consider the possibilities that not only the brand attributes but also the brand experience itself could elicit a positive response from the consumers, then this aspect will need to be examined in greater detail.

In addition to brand experience, brand personality has also been referred to as a powerful method for brand building. In particular, examining the influence of brand personality-self-image consistency has been one of the rising research trends in the field relating to brand personality. Brand personality-self-image correlation is a concept where there is a consistency between a brand’s personality and the consumer’s image. To this extent, consumers prefer brands that not only match with them but brands that they can identify with as well (Grubb & Hupp, 1968; Sirgy et al., 1997).

This study also considered both the influence of the brand personality-self-image consistency and brand personality-human brand consistency to be an important variable. A human brand can be thought of as a famous person who is differentiated from the public and is popular with the crowd (Thomson, 2006). Thus, the favorable image of the celebrity fused with the professionalism of the brand or product forms an overall positive image association of the brand for consumers. If the level of the celebrity reaches that of influencing the success of the brand, then they will have a positive effect as human brands (Maehle & Shneor, 2010).

As can be seen through numerous past studies, the consistency between brand personality and human brands have a positive correlation to the brand attitude or brand loyalty (Ilicic & Webster, 2013; Thomson, 2006). However, though several studies have been conducted on brand personality, self-image, and human brand consistency in various areas, research is scarce in the context of retailers.

In light of this, there is a growing expectation that the early morning delivery service will provide a new alternative to the stagnant retail industry in the era of low growth and high prices. Although several studies have attempted to reveal the factors that influence brand attachment and brand loyalty in terms of the distribution market, there has not been a substantial amount of study conducted which considered the brand experience factors and brand personality in a comprehensive fashion. Thus, this current study aims to delve into the influence of the brand experience, as well as the effect brand personality-self-image consistency and brand personality-human brand consistency have on brand attachment and brand loyalty in the context of the early morning delivery services. Through this research, the trends and implications will be discussed of the influence of the brand experience and brand personality factors in early morning delivery services.

2. Review of Literature

2.1. Brand experience and brand attachment

Consumer experience is a series of perceptions, emotions, and actions that they experience through the products, services, brands, spaces, and other marketing stimuli (Holbrook & Hirschman, 1982). Additionally, an experience is not made automatically but created and induced through marketing by many collective elements, offering the consumers a varied experience depending on the things they are exposed to (Schmitt, 1999). In other words, if a holistic experience can be presented to the consumers beyond the normal functional benefits of a product, then there is a higher possibility that stronger brand loyalty will be formed (Schmitt, 1999, 2003). The brand experience concepts by Schmitt (1999, 2003), who had also proposed the marketing experience, have undergone changes and to be developed into concepts of four dimensions through Brakus et al. (2009) and Zarantonello et al. (2007). This current study has also utilized these four brand experience dimensions to the research model.

First, sensory experience refers to the reactions of the sensory organs such as sight, hearing, and touch triggered by the brand (Bloch 1995; Hagtvedt & Patrick 2008). In contrast, an affective experience is an emotional response that consumers can feel from a brand. Long-term affective experiences mature into the formation of an emotional bond between the consumers and the brands (Schmitt 1999). Moreover, intellectual experience is the consumer's cognitive response to the brand. If the cognitive experience can proceed for a long time, then various associations with the brand are activated, which leads to a positive influence on building a relationship between the consumer and the brand (Brakus et al., 2009). Lastly, a behavioral experience refers to the behavioral and physical reactions consumers can experience through a brand (Schmitt 1999, 2003). This surpasses the sensory or affective experiences and appears through the interactions with the consumers. Therefore, when these four types are in harmony with each other and form a complete collective brand experience, then they can become the basis for a positive relationship between the brand and the consumer (Brakus et al. 2009; Schmitt 1999, 2003).

Upon examination of previous studies related to how brand experience influences brand attachment, it was found that brand experience is a variable that precedes brand attachment, and that long-term brand experience creates a positive attachment relationship between the consumers and brands (Brakus et al., 2009). In a study conducted by Lee, Jeon and Yoon (2010), when the effect of brand experience on brand attachment was observed in various areas (MP3 players, cellphones, take-out coffee, family restaurants, fashion items), it was found that several sub-dimensions of brand experience had a positive impact on brand attachment. Additionally, when the consumers were able to experience many elements of a brand, it was revealed that products were evaluated based on emotional and sensory reactions (Hoch, 2002). Consumers who had experienced a favorable brand experience were satisfied with the products, leading to brand loyalty (Brakus et al., 2009).

In summary of the previous studies conducted on the brand experience, it can be assumed that favorable brand experience is an emotional bond between the brand and the consumers, most likely developing into brand attachment. Thus, the current study has determined that a brand’s sensory, affective, intellectual, and behavioral experiences will have a positive effect on brand attachment and the following hypotheses were derived.

H1: Sensory experiences will have a positive effect on brand attachment.

H2: Affective experiences will have a positive effect on brand attachment.

H3: Intellectual experiences will have a positive effect on brand attachment.

H4: Behavioral experiences will have a positive effect on brand attachment.

2.2. Brand personality and brand attachment

Brand personality imparts human characteristics or personalities to a brand (Aaker, 1997). Brand personality can be said to be an important means of differentiating a company's brand image in the mind of consumers through a unique and favorable association of the consumers' brand (Freling & Forbes, 2005; Ramaseshan & Stein, 2014). Besides, for consumers who want to express themselves through a brand, the purchase of a specific product reflects upon the current appearance of the consumer, and the personality of the brand they purchase acts as a crucial factor in which they can differentiate themselves with their personality (Sung & Kim, 2010). Therefore, a strategically well-managed brand personality can increase a consumer’s preference for their brands and increase brand loyalty (Fournier, 1998).

Brand personality has two main trends in research. One trend is conceptualizing the important personality dimensions of a brand and examining the measurement or effect of each dimension. Aaker (1997) conceptualized the brand personality as ‘a set of human traits that were reminiscent of a specific brand', and organized it into five sub-dimensions: sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication, and ruggedness. In addition, a brand personality scale (BPS) scale was developed consisting of 42 metrics to measure each individuality dimension. After this, many attempts have been made to examine the effects on the sub-factors of brand experience in several research areas (Francisco-Maffezzolli, Semprebon, & Prado, 2014; Zarantonello & Schmitt, 2013).

Another research trend is examining the impact self-congruity has on the consumer’s response to a brand. The reason congruity between brand personality and self-image plays a pivotal role in understanding consumer behavior is because consumers express their self-image through products or brands (Sirgy et al., 1997). Past studies relating to consistency of the brand with consumer’s self-image have shown that consumers choose a brand based on not only the functional benefits of a product, but also the self-expressive benefits as well (Sirgy et al., 2008).

The motivation to express oneself has a strong influence on the consumers' purchase of a brand, because the higher the self-congruity matches with the product or brand, the more likely the consumer’s purchase will be (Aaker, 1997). Through several preceding studies, it was shown that high self-congruity had a positive impact on the consumer’s behavior towards the brands or brand loyalty, as well as purchase intention (Graeff, 1996; Sirgy et al., 2008). Besides, it was observed that in studies relating to the direct and indirect effects of self-congruity on brand attachment and brand loyalty, congruity between the brand and the consumer’s self-image resulted in a direct impact of the brand attachment and brand loyalty (Kressmann, et al., 2006; Malär, Krohmer, Hoyer, & Nyffenegger, 2011). Based on these observations, the following hypothesis was established.

H5: An increase between brand personality and self-image of consumers creates greater brand attachment.

Contrastively, famous entertainers, sports stars, and celebrities own intangible assets such as their name, fame, image, and trust. Human brands can be said to be socially recognized figures or celebrities well-known to the public in a specific field (McCracken, 1989). Recently, the researchers' interest in human brands is increasing as one of the strategies to build strong and favorable associations and strengthen lasting ties with consumers in marketing and consumer studies (Thomson, 2006).

Previous studies on the relationship between brands and human brands have frequently utilized the match-up hypothesis to explain the correlations of the study results. When the image of the human brand is compatible with the image of the brand, the fit between the two is considered to be high and therefore more effective (Ilicic & Webster, 2013). Keller (2008) conducted a study on the premise that a person could be one brand and extended the brand’s range to a person. The results showed that similar to brands, human brands could also confer clear favorable/unfavorable images to consumers. The underlying similarity between the previous studies conducted by various scholars is that the closer the congruity between the brand and the human brand is, the more likely consumers will be able to form an emotional brand attachment. Therefore, based on these discussions, it was assumed that congruity between the brand personality and human brand will positively impact brand attachment and the following hypothesis was established.

H6: Greater congruity between brand personality and human brands will increase brand attachment.

2.3. Brand attachment and brand loyalty

Brand attachment is a concept that is currently being actively studied in behavioral psychology and marketing. This concept has grown in part in an attempt to compensate for the fact that the brand attitude, which has been studied vigorously in the field of consumer research, focused more on short-term purchases. With the concept of brand attachment, it is hoped that it will be able to explain the long-term relationship between the consumers and the brands. Meanwhile, the brand loyalty that is set as the final variable in this study refers to the state of commitment of the consumer to repurchase a favorite product, service or become a regular customer, and is a tendency to repurchase the same brand (Dick & Basu, 1994; Oliver, 1999).

Recently, in the field of consumer behavior, studies have been conducted to explain brand loyalty by introducing the concept of brand attachment. Several past studies have shown that the stronger the attachment to a specific object, the more meaning the object has to a consumer (Malär et al., 2011; Thomson et al., 2005). In other words, if there is a strong emotional attachment between the brand and the consumer, this attachment has a positive effect on brand loyalty or makes the premium price seem to be worth it to the consumer (Yim et al., 2008).

As such, when examining the relationship between brand attachment and brand loyalty, it was determined that brand attachment was likely to act as a prerequisite for brand loyalty in the context of early morning delivery service. Therefore, the following hypothesis was established, and the final research model is as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Research model

H7: Brand attachment will have a positive effect on brand loyalty.

3. Methodology

3.1. Research subject and research design

To solve the research hypothesis established in this study, a representative early morning delivery company, Market Kurly, was selected as the research subject. Market Kurly is evaluated as having pioneered the early morning delivery service market, and also holds the current highest market share in the early morning delivery services, making them a suitable candidate for our study.

Accordingly, an online survey was conducted for about a week from June 22 to June 28, 2020, targeting adult men and women who have used the Market Kurly service. A total of 204 respondents were included in the final analysis, excluding questionnaires that were not filled out or had other inaccuracies out of a total of 212.

3.2. Definition and measurement of variables

In this study, the items that were used for measurement in the previous studies were modified to match the context of the early morning delivery services. Each measurement item used a 7-point Likert scale and utilized the brand experience factors as mentioned by Schmitt (1999) and Brakus et al. (2009) as the independent variables.

First, for the sensory experience, three items were used (α=.79), which included ‘I think that Market Kurly has a good style’, ‘Market Kurly leaves a strong impression on the senses’, and ‘I think Market Kurly is ahead on the latest trends’. For the affective experience, three items such as ‘Market Kurly makes me react emotionally’, ‘Market Kurly gives a different and special feeling compared to other early morning delivery services’, and ‘Market Kurly offers me new experiences’ were used (α=.82).

The intellectual experience consisted of three items such as ‘Market Kurly satisfies my intellectual curiosity’, ‘I learn new things while using Market Kurly’, and ‘I can easily obtain new information that I did not know about when I use Market Kurly’ and was measured (α=.80). For the behavioral experience, two items were used (α=.85), including ‘When I use Market Kurly, I want to try out the products that they recommend’ and ‘Market Kurly makes me want to participate in the events they offer’.

Next, as a factor of brand personality, brand personality-self-image congruity consisted of four items utilized from the studies of Sirgy et al. (1997) and Malär et al. (2011). It included four items such as, ‘I think Market Kurly fits me well’, ‘Market Kurly represents who I am’, ‘People who use Market Kurly will be similar to me’, and ‘Market Kurly reflects my image well (α=.81). Besides, brand personality and human brand consistency referred to the study of Lee, Jang, and Yoo (2017), including four items such as, ‘The mood of Market Kurly and Jeon Ji-Hyun (famous South Korean celebrity) is similar’, ‘Market Kurly and Jeon Ji-Hyun’s personality or characteristic is similar’, ‘Market Kurly and Jeon Ji-hyun’s image is similar’, and ‘There are many similar points to Market Kurly and Jeon Ji-Hyun’ (α=.74).

For brand attachment, the study conducted by Thomson et al. (2005) was referenced. This category included seven items such as, ‘I want to give Market Kurly advice when they do something wrong’, ‘I want to tell Market Kurly when I have a good idea’, ‘I am interested in other users of Market Kurly’, ‘I frequently visit the Market Kurly homepage’, ‘I can trust Market Kurly’, ‘I have an attachment for Market Kurly’, and ‘No other brand can come close to competing with Market Kurly in the early morning delivery market’ (α=.85).

In brand loyalty, the research of Baloglu (2002) and Sung & Kim (2010) were referenced, and included four items such as, ‘I feel a sense of unity in Market Kurly’, ‘I will be disappointed if I cannot use Market Kurly’, ‘I will recommend Market Kurly to those around me’, and ‘If other companies had similar conditions, I would choose to use Market Kurly’ (α=.76).

4. Results

Examining the demographic characteristics of the survey respondents, the proportion of women was somewhat higher, with 137 women (67.2%) and 67 men (32.8%). The age of the respondents was as follows: in the 20s were 10 (4.9%) people, in their 30s were 160 (78.4%) people, and in their 40s were 34 (16.7%) people. The average age of the respondents was 35.85 (SD=3.84). The monthly average frequency of online shopping use was 7.14 times (SD = 5.70), and the monthly average online shopping amount was 301,000 won (SD = 28.90).

In this study, a hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to verify the effect the brand experience and brand characteristics of Market Kurly had on brand attachment and brand loyalty. The control variables were set as the respondents' demographic characteristics (gender, age) and shopping use characteristics (monthly average shopping frequency count, monthly average shopping use amount). When examining the variance inflation factor (VIF) to determine whether there is multicollinearity between independent variables, the VIF of all variables was found to be less than the recommended standard of 10. Therefore, it was judged that the multicollinearity problem between independent variables was solved (Burton, Lichtenstein, Netemeyer, & Garretson, 1998).

The hierarchical regression analysis was carried out in a total of two stages. In the first stage, the demographic characteristics and shopping use characteristics of respondents were examined, and in the second stage, brand experience factors and brand personality factors (sensory experience, affective experience, intellectual experience, behavioral experience, brand personality-self-image congruity, and brand personality-human brand congruity) were set and put into the model. All of the regression models at each stage were found to be statistically significant (see Table 1).

Table 1: Results of hierarchical regression analysis on brand attachment

* p<.05, ** p<.01, *** p<.001

In observing the factors affecting brand attachment, it could be seen that from the brand experience point of view, affective experience (β=.16, p<.05), intellectual experience (β=.21, p<.01), and behavioral experience (β=.15, p<.05) had a positive effect, so hypothesis H2, hypothesis H3, and hypothesis H4 were supported.

This entails that compared to other competitive companies, the more that Market Kurly gives consumers a special feeling, the more that consumers learn new information and feel that they want to try the new things Market Kurly recommends them, the greater their brand attachment to Market Kurly. However, the sensory experience did not show a statistically significant difference, rejecting Hypothesis H1. This means that even if Market Kurly’s style is good, it does not automatically signify an attachment to the brand.

Besides, brand personality-self-image congruence (β=.16, p<.05) and brand personality-human brand congruence (β=.19, p<.01) in terms of brand personality factors are both positively correlated, supporting Hypothesis H5 and Hypothesis H6. This conveys that when the consumers believe Market Kurly’s brand characteristic and their self-image match, or when the brand characteristic and Jeon Ji-Hyun’s image match, then brand attachment increases as well.

After assessing the results of the relative influence of each independent variable, it was found that intellectual experience had the highest influence on brand attachment. The factor of intellectual experience was followed by brand personality-human brand congruence, then brand personality-self-image congruence, brand image-affective experience, affective experience, and behavioral experience.

Brand attachment (β=.32, p<.001) was found to have a positive effect on Market Kurly's brand loyalty, so hypothesis H7 was supported (see Table 2). This can be said to be a result of increased brand loyalty as faith and attachment to Market Kurly increases and other brands regard it as irreplaceable. The verification results of each research hypothesis are shown in Figure 2.

Table 2: Results of hierarchical regression analysis on brand loyalty

*** p<.001

Figure 2: Hypothesis test results

5. Implications and Conclusions

This present study aimed to examine the influence brand experience and personality factors had on brand attachment and brand loyalty in Market Kurly, which is a leading brand that has been growing explosively in the early morning delivery market. The main empirical analysis results of this study are as follows.

First, it was revealed that the diverse dimensions of brand experience had varying effects on brand attachment. Specifically, of the brand experience factors that were set as the independent variable, it was confirmed affective, intellectual and behavioral experiences excluding sensory experiences, had a positive effect on brand attachment. In the case of sensory experiences, the results of this study were contrary to some of the previous studies that had emphasized the sensory experience as an important factor in forming and maintaining the consumer-brand relationship (Bloch, 1995). However, the study by Lee et al. (2010) that delved into the effect of the brand experience on brand attachment for various product lines was examined and showed consistent results with this study.

Their research also showed that sensory experience did not affect brand attachment. In line with this, even if the various sensory organs of the consumer were stimulated, this would not always lead to a favorable emotional connection between the consumer and the brand. Thus, through Market Kurly it could be observed that even if consumers experience sensory sight or hearing stimulations, that might not be enough to lead to a brand attachment relationship between the brand and the consumer.

Second, it was observed that the factors of brand characteristics, such as brand personality-self-image congruity and brand personality-human brand congruity, both had a positive effect on brand attachment. To increase brand attachment, it was confirmed that not only brand experience but also brand personality was an important factor. This supports the results of the previous studies (Lee et al., 2017) that examined the effect the level of product brand-self-congruity, the human brand and the suitability between brands had on co-brand attitudes. In other words, even in the context of early morning delivery services such as Market Kurly, it can be seen that when the brand personality of Market Kurly matches the self-image of its consumers, or when the human brand matches the brand, then the brand attachment will also become higher accordingly.

Finally, it was confirmed that to increase the brand loyalty of the early morning delivery services, brand attachment, which is an emotional relationship between the brand and consumers, must precede. This is in correlation with the existing studies that argued for the relationship between brand attachment and brand loyalty (Lee et al., 2010). Thus, when interpreted in the context of early morning delivery services, consumers who feel attached to the Market Kurly brand gain emotional stability through a continuous relationship with the brand, making this a strong motivational factor for the consumer to maintain the relationship with the brand.

The academic implications presented in this study are as follows. First, when the brand experience factors are implemented into the early morning delivery services, it was revealed that each brand’s experience factors influenced the brand attachment. Brand experience factors have been studied in various areas but is unprecedented in the field of early morning delivery services. Therefore, this current research will be able to contribute to academic clues as to the relationship between brand experience, brand attachment, and brand loyalty.

Second, the scope of research related to brand personality-self-congruity was expanded in that it considered not only brand personality-self-image congruence but also the brand personality-human brand congruency as a brand personality factor as well. The fields of brand personality-self-image congruity and brand personality-human brand congruency have recently received a lot of attention but had only existed as individual research areas. To fill this academic gap, the current study has considered not only the brand personality-self-image congruity, but also the brand personality-human brand congruity, and contributed academic significance in this field.

Besides, the current study is also significant in that it combined the brand experience factors and the brand personality factors to observe its influence on brand attachment and brand loyalty. Except for a few studies, there has not been much research that have considered both brand experience and brand personality variables at the same time (Japutra & Molinillo, 2019). Accordingly, if in future studies of brand attachment and brand loyalty, the variables of brand experience factors or brand personality are considered, then it will be able to amass meaningful results.

The practical implications that can be derived from these academic implications are as follows. First, it will be imperative to consider the factors of brand loyalty to increase brand attachment or brand loyalty. In particular, in the present study it was confirmed that affective experience, intellectual experience, and behavioral experience influenced brand attachment, so it will be advantageous to utilize this strategically. However, it should be noted that just because the sensory experience did not affect brand attachment, it does not mean that it will not be necessary to consider it.

As noted by Lee et al. (2010), sensory experience is related to an aesthetic response, and can therefore affect enjoyment and satisfaction in consumers. Besides, these joyful and satisfactory elements can in turn affect positive brand emotion and brand loyalty (Chaudhuri & Holbrook, 2001). Although this study only delved into brand attachment as a prerequisite for brand loyalty, in future studies, it is highly likely that meaningful results will be obtained if the relationship between sensory experience leads to brand loyalty through positive emotions, satisfaction, and brand attitude.

Moreover, as pointed out by Lee et al. (2010), it is necessary to approach work to increase brand loyalty as a long-term performance, and the activities to increase purchase intention or brand attitude as a short-term performance, in different ways. According to a study by Jin, Yoon, & Lee (2019), there is an impact that brand color gives on brand association and brand loyalty to consumers. As with the case of Market Kurly, its main color is purple, which gives consumers the long-term perspective of it being a luxurious brand and plays a pivotal role in making the brand recognizable. This can be understood in the same context referring to the words of Market Kurly CEO Seul-ah Kim when she mentioned that she intended to make the luxurious purple color more vivid in the brand image.

Lastly, marketers and practitioners of companies need to consider the suitability of brand personality and human brand to enhance their brand attachment or loyalty to the consumers. If consumers show high congruence with product brands (Market Kurly) or human brands (Jeon Jihyun), marketing effects can be enhanced. For this, it will be wiser to select a human brand model whom many people can identify with their ideal selves, rather than using a unique model, for long term suitability and function as a human brand. It has been observed that strong human brands such as Market Kurly's model Jeon Ji-Hyun and coffee company KANU's model Gong Yoo, can be an effective marketing tool to increase brand attachment and brand loyalty.

Despite the academic and practical implications of this study, there are also some limitations. First, although this study focused on brand personality-self-image congruence and brand personality-human brand congruence, it did not examine the sub-factors of Market Kurly’s brand personality in detail. As pointed out in several studies of brand personality, when it is considered that there might be varying effects on for the sub-factors of brand personality, it will also be a meaningful study to examine the diverse ways in which the brand personality sub-factors affect brand attachment or brand loyalty (Aaker, 1997; Fournier, 1998).

Additionally, it may be important to analyze whether Market Kurly has representativeness for the early morning delivery service. Park (2018) observed the typicality of leading brands in a dominant position within a specific product line by comparing and evaluating the personality of the coffee beans product line and three coffee brands. The results showed that the personality of the leading coffee brand, KANU, was very similar to the personality of the coffee beans, but also showed a significant difference from the later brands (LOOKA, SUPREMO).

In other words, although many early morning delivery service companies are entering into the market, they may have vastly different personalities from Market Kurly and other leading brands in this field. Even if the same service is provided, the fact that the consumers view numerous companies as having different personalities has great implications. Therefore, it will be a meaningful study to conduct comparative research on the differentiating factors between other representative companies, such as Coupang’s ‘Rocket Fresh’ and Shinsegae’s ‘SSG’ brand.

Lastly, although the main consumers of Market Kurly are married women or women in their 20s to 40s, with the increasing trend in eating alone and having home replacement meals, the age group for the early delivery services is expanding as well. Thus, future studies will need to address this growing trend of increasing diversity in age groups and will hopefully be able to explain the early delivery services from a wider context.