Purpose - Present study investigates character identification and emotional response to character that may affect consumers' intention to purchase the character-attached products. And this study explores whether symbolic relevance and object relevance affect the character identification, and whether character attractiveness and character salience affect the emotional response to characters. Research design, data, and methodology - SNS characters, animated characters, game characters, and traditional characters were used as experimental characters. And stationery as experimental product was used. 250 college students participated in the empirical study, and structural equation model was used to verify hypotheses. Results - First, the character identification and emotional response to characters affected the intention to purchase the products positively, and the emotional response to characters also positively affected character identification; second, symbolic relevance had no positive impact upon character identification, while object relevance had positive influence on character identification; and third, character attractiveness and salience had a positive effect on the emotional response. Conclusions - Present study contributes to the progress of character theories. Marketers should find ways to increase consumers’ object relevance to characters and the level of characters' attractiveness and salience in order to promote the intent to purchase the products.

Abstract
 1. 서론
 2. 이론적 배경
  2.1. 제품 구매의도 형성에서 캐릭터의 효과
  2.2. 캐릭터 동일시
  2.3. 캐릭터에 대한 긍정감정반응
  2.4. 긍정감정반응과 동일시의 관계
  2.5. 캐릭터 동일시에 영향을 주는 요인
  2.6. 캐릭터 긍정감정반응에 영향을 주는 요인
 3. 실험설계
  3.1. 실험자극의 선정과 검토
  3.2. 구성개념의 측정
  3.3. 사전조사와 본 조사
  3.4 응답자 특성
  3.5 자료의 특성
 4. 가설검증
  4.1. 신뢰성과 타당성 평가
  4.2. 가설검증
 5. 결론
  5.1. 연구의 요약
  5.2. 연구의 시사점과 한계
 Reference

• Nak-Hwan Choi(Professor, Department of Business Administration, Chonbuk National University) | 최낙환
• Chao-Xu Wang(Master, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea) | 왕초욱
• Ah-Young Lim(Lecturer of Department of Business Administration, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea.) | 임아영