How consumer-generated brand nicknames lead to higher willingness to purchase

Genevieve Silk

The use of brand nicknames in user-generated content (UGC) can lead to increases in willingness to purchase and information-sharing.

The nicknames that consumers ascribe to brands in user-generated content (UGC) often demonstrate a sense of “inferred attachment” and can lead to positive shifts in willingness to purchase and information-sharing. 

At the same time, marketers should tread carefully in using these affectionate monikers – be it “Mickey D’s” for fast-food giant McDonald’s, the French-inflected “Tarjay” for retailer Target, or “Chevy” for auto marque Chevrolet – in official communications, as that can undermine their bottom-up, organic appeal.

These were among the findings of a study, entitled Mickey D’s Has More Street Cred Than McDonald’s: Consumer Brand Nickname Use Signals Information...

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