Self-Brand Connection Scale

What it measures

Measures the degree to which a consumer has incorporated a brand into his or her self-concept. A high SBC indicates the brand is used as part of self-definition and narrative identity. Based on Escalas & Bettman's narrative self-referencing theory and widely used in luxury, lifestyle, and identity-relevant brand research.

Response format

Likert (1–7, not at all characteristic to extremely characteristic)

Scale items

• This brand reflects who I am.
• I can identify with this brand.
• I feel a personal connection to this brand.
• I use this brand to communicate who I am to other people.
• I think this brand helps me become the type of person I want to be.
• I consider this brand to be 'me' (it reflects who I consider myself to be or the way that I want to present myself to others).
• This brand suits me well.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Score = mean of all items. Highly predictive of brand loyalty, brand advocacy, and willingness to pay premium prices. Particularly relevant for luxury brands, lifestyle brands, and identity-expressive product categories. Related to but distinct from brand identification (CBIS) — SBC emphasises personal narrative integration.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Escalas, J.E., & Bettman, J.R. (2003). You are what they eat: The influence of reference groups on consumers' connections to brands. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 13(3), 339–348.

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