Understanding the impact of cultural consumption on well-being has both economic and policy implications, offering valuable insights for theory and practice. Most researchers have identified linear relationships between these concepts, but few have explored the nonlinear relationship. This study utilizes household economic data and draws on the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) database from 2010, 2014, and 2018 to collect a valid sample of 47,949 individuals from 31 provinces. Our findings support the idea that cultural consumption has a significantly positive effect on subjective well-being and that internet use helps strengthen this relationship. Moreover, there is a “satiation point” where excessive cultural consumption may lead to a decrease in subjective well-being. In the case of excessive cultural consumption, cultural consumption leads to a more noticeable decrease in well-being. Our results hold after various robustness checks and after endogeneity concerns are addressed through instrumental variable methodology. Furthermore, heterogeneity analysis revealed that this effect is more pronounced in the elderly and female populations.

This study examines the impact of cultural involvement on brand enriching benefits and consumers’ willingness to pay a premium (WPP). Additionally, it explores the underlying mechanisms behind this impact. A partial least squares structural equation model was used to analyze the data collected from a pretest (N = 70) and an online survey (N = 1053) conducted in China. The moderating effect of brand type was examined using a multi-group analysis. The results indicate that cultural involvement has a significant and positive impact on brand enriching benefits, consequently enhancing consumers’ WPP. Additionally, brand happiness mediates the relationship between brand enriching benefits and WPP. Through a multi-group analysis, the impact of brand culture on brand equity is found to be more pronounced in functional brands compared with symbolic brands. Additionally, high perceived quality facilitates the transformation of brand enriching benefits into WPP. Managers value the ability of a brand culture to create brand equity and implement differentiation strategies based on different brand types. It is critical for managers to use a culture and its rich benefits wisely and to consider consumer happiness in the brand experience. Although brand culture and its impact on brands are crucial, previous studies have only focused on qualitative analyses, while empirical research on the direct link between brand culture and equity has been lacking. This study empirically tests a conceptual model that elucidates the relationship between brand cultural involvement, brand enriching benefits, brand happiness, WPP, brand type, and perceived quality. It extends previous research and offers suggestions for academics and brand managers interested in effectively leveraging brand culture for brand building.

Purpose: Historical figure avatars (HFAs) have emerged as compelling tools in cultural and tourism marketing to embody cultural heritage and engage tourists, yet limited research has examined how different HFA form styles influence tourists’ evaluation. This study aims to address this gap by clarifying how HFA form styles (human-like vs. anime-like) are most effective for different types of involvement with historical figures (situational vs. enduring), and how these HFA form styles align with distinct nostalgia advertising appeals (personal vs. historical). Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on constructive authenticity theory, we conducted four studies to systematically examine how HFAs influence tourist evaluations. Findings: The results reveal that human-like HFAs lead to higher tourist evaluations than anime-like HFAs, with constructive authenticity serving as a key mediator. Additionally, historical figure involvement (enduring vs. situational) and nostalgia advertising type (historical vs. personal) moderate this effect. Specifically, anime-like HFAs generate higher evaluations among tourists with enduring involvement, whereas human-like HFAs generate higher evaluations among tourists with situational involvement. Meanwhile, human-like HFAs paired with historical nostalgia appeals and anime-like HFAs paired with personal nostalgia appeals further enhance tourist evaluations. Originality/value: This study provides insights into how destination managers can leverage HFAs to develop effective advertising strategies.