Meaningful stories and attitudes toward the brand: The moderating role of consumers' implicit mindsets

Abstract Although the current trend is for marketers to focus on consumer happiness, in this research, we suggest that meaningful (vs. happy) stories can elicit more positive brand attitudes. Across two studies, we show that some consumer segments hold a more positive attitude toward the brand when the stories shared by the brand are meaningful, rather than happy––that is, when they are characterized by a sense of purpose and a mixed affective component. Particularly, this effect holds for individuals with a growth mindset. These consumers believe in the changeability of the world and, therefore, are more adept at accepting negative emotions in positive pursuits entailed in meaningful, but not happy, stories.