Preferring different brands can affect relationship compatibility more than shared interests or personality traits, according to new research published in the Journal of Consumer Research.
The report, 'Coke vs. Pepsi: Brand Compatibility, Relationship Power, and Life Satisfaction', found that partners who had low power in their relationships tend to find themselves stuck with their partner's preferred brands.
"People think compatibility in relationships comes from having similar backgrounds, religion or education," said Gavan Fitzsimons, a marketing professor at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and one of the authors of this report.
"But we find those things don't explain how happy you are in life nearly as much as this notion of brand compatibility."
Brand Importance
The researchers studied the brand preferences of individuals and couples in the categories of soda, coffee, chocolate, beer and cars. These results were combined with findings on relationship power and happiness.
"If you like Coke and your partner likes Pepsi, you're probably not going to break up over it - but 11 years into a relationship, when he or she keeps coming home with Pepsi, day in and day out, it might start to cause a little conflict," said researcher Danielle Brick of the University of New Hampshire.
"Most couples won't break up over brand incompatibility, but it leads to the low power partner becoming less and less happy."
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
