Brand Wonder

Affect has long been a central topic in marketing, particularly within branding. Despite the extensive research on affect, however, a significant lack of attention has been paid to the concept of wonder. This is surprising given that Adam Smith (1869), the father of modern capitalism, considered wonder to be the most important emotion, and Descartes (1649), known as the father of all passions, described wonder as the “first of all emotions.” The absence of understanding regarding the construct of wonder in marketing represents a significant gap in the literature. This research aims to address this gap by exploring the construct of brand wonder. By better understanding brand wonder, marketers may gain insights into how and why consumers connect with their brands and products. This study employs Hunt's indigenous theory development and inductive realist methodology to develop an initial theoretical framework, as this methodology is ideal for relatively new research areas. This theoretical foundation will likely accelerate future academic research on wonder and branding and facilitate the development of more effective branding strategies. This dissertation will also include an empirical analysis using a textual analytics methodology to support the theoretical framework. Finally, the dissertation concludes with directions for future research.