{"id":{"repo_id":"alabama","oai_identifier":"oai:ir.ua.edu:123456789/17618"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/alabama/oai:ir.ua.edu:123456789/17618","repository":{"repo_id":"alabama","name":"University of Alabama","base_url":"https://ir-api.ua.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Centennial Brand Heritage: Exploring How the Dynamic of Nostalgia Drives Trust, Satisfaction, Commitment, and Control Mutuality in Gen Z's Consumer Brand Relationships","abstract":"Centennial brands, with a history spanning over a hundred years, continue to foster strong consumer-brand relationships despite evolving consumer behaviors and technological advancements. This dissertation explores the critical role of nostalgia in shaping and sustaining consumer-brand relationships (CBRs) between Generation Z (Gen Z) and centennial brands, specifically Disney, Coca-Cola, and Target. By applying the Relationship Management Theory (RMT), this work examines the role of nostalgia in fostering trust, satisfaction, commitment, and mutuality of control, key relational outcomes of the Organization-Public Relationship (OPR), which are essential for building lasting relationships between, in this case, brands and consumers. A qualitative methodology was employed, as the research aims to explore this topic from an exploratory, consumer-centric perspective. Semi-structured interviews investigated how Gen Z perceives and interacts with centennial brands through nostalgic elements, including brand heritage, storytelling, and engagement strategies. The findings reveal that nostalgia functions not only as an emotional anchor but also as a strategic lens for evaluating brand authenticity, consistency, and alignment with Gen Z's values. This research contributes to academic discourse by integrating OPR dimensions with nostalgia theory. It offers practical guidance for legacy brands seeking to foster long-term, emotionally resonant relationships in an era of cultural flux and digital saturation.","abstract_html":"Centennial brands, with a history spanning over a hundred years, continue to foster strong consumer-brand relationships despite evolving consumer behaviors and technological advancements. This dissertation explores the critical role of nostalgia in shaping and sustaining consumer-brand relationships (CBRs) between Generation Z (Gen Z) and centennial brands, specifically Disney, Coca-Cola, and Target. By applying the Relationship Management Theory (RMT), this work examines the role of nostalgia in fostering trust, satisfaction, commitment, and mutuality of control, key relational outcomes of the Organization-Public Relationship (OPR), which are essential for building lasting relationships between, in this case, brands and consumers. A qualitative methodology was employed, as the research aims to explore this topic from an exploratory, consumer-centric perspective. Semi-structured interviews investigated how Gen Z perceives and interacts with centennial brands through nostalgic elements, including brand heritage, storytelling, and engagement strategies. The findings reveal that nostalgia functions not only as an emotional anchor but also as a strategic lens for evaluating brand authenticity, consistency, and alignment with Gen Z's values. This research contributes to academic discourse by integrating OPR dimensions with nostalgia theory. It offers practical guidance for legacy brands seeking to foster long-term, emotionally resonant relationships in an era of cultural flux and digital saturation.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Dempsey, Jennifer Darlene Brown"],"institution":"University of Alabama Libraries","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Morgan, Rob","Brinson, Nancy","Allaway, Arthur"],"advisors":["Brown, Kenon","Kanthawala, Shaheen"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025","date_published":"2025","updated_at":"2026-07-27T18:44:16Z","subjects":["Centennial Brands","Consumer Brand Relationship","Gen Z","Nostaliga","Relationship Management- OPR"],"languages":["en_US","English"],"rights":["All rights reserved by the author unless otherwise indicated."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["1203913"],"render_values":[{"text":"1203913","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://ir.ua.edu/handle/123456789/17618","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Morgan, Rob","Brinson, Nancy","Allaway, Arthur"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Brown, Kenon","Kanthawala, Shaheen"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Dempsey, Jennifer Darlene Brown"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2026-02-09T22:56:32Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2026-02-09T22:56:32Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["University of Alabama Libraries"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["thesis","text"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Centennial Brands","Consumer Brand Relationship","Gen Z","Nostaliga","Relationship Management- OPR"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en_US"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["All rights reserved by the author unless otherwise indicated."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["1203913"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://ir.ua.edu/handle/123456789/17618"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Centennial brands, with a history spanning over a hundred years, continue to foster strong consumer-brand relationships despite evolving consumer behaviors and technological advancements. This dissertation explores the critical role of nostalgia in shaping and sustaining consumer-brand relationships (CBRs) between Generation Z (Gen Z) and centennial brands, specifically Disney, Coca-Cola, and Target. By applying the Relationship Management Theory (RMT), this work examines the role of nostalgia in fostering trust, satisfaction, commitment, and mutuality of control, key relational outcomes of the Organization-Public Relationship (OPR), which are essential for building lasting relationships between, in this case, brands and consumers. A qualitative methodology was employed, as the research aims to explore this topic from an exploratory, consumer-centric perspective. Semi-structured interviews investigated how Gen Z perceives and interacts with centennial brands through nostalgic elements, including brand heritage, storytelling, and engagement strategies. The findings reveal that nostalgia functions not only as an emotional anchor but also as a strategic lens for evaluating brand authenticity, consistency, and alignment with Gen Z's values. This research contributes to academic discourse by integrating OPR dimensions with nostalgia theory. It offers practical guidance for legacy brands seeking to foster long-term, emotionally resonant relationships in an era of cultural flux and digital saturation."]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["electronic"]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Centennial Brand Heritage: Exploring How the Dynamic of Nostalgia Drives Trust, Satisfaction, Commitment, and Control Mutuality in Gen Z's Consumer Brand Relationships"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Morgan, Rob","Brinson, Nancy","Allaway, Arthur"],"dc:contributor.advisor":["Brown, Kenon","Kanthawala, Shaheen"],"dc:creator":["Dempsey, Jennifer Darlene Brown"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-02-09T22:56:32Z"],"dc:date.available":["2026-02-09T22:56:32Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025"],"dc:description":["Electronic Thesis or Dissertation"],"dc:description.abstract":["Centennial brands, with a history spanning over a hundred years, continue to foster strong consumer-brand relationships despite evolving consumer behaviors and technological advancements. This dissertation explores the critical role of nostalgia in shaping and sustaining consumer-brand relationships (CBRs) between Generation Z (Gen Z) and centennial brands, specifically Disney, Coca-Cola, and Target. By applying the Relationship Management Theory (RMT), this work examines the role of nostalgia in fostering trust, satisfaction, commitment, and mutuality of control, key relational outcomes of the Organization-Public Relationship (OPR), which are essential for building lasting relationships between, in this case, brands and consumers. A qualitative methodology was employed, as the research aims to explore this topic from an exploratory, consumer-centric perspective. Semi-structured interviews investigated how Gen Z perceives and interacts with centennial brands through nostalgic elements, including brand heritage, storytelling, and engagement strategies. The findings reveal that nostalgia functions not only as an emotional anchor but also as a strategic lens for evaluating brand authenticity, consistency, and alignment with Gen Z's values. This research contributes to academic discourse by integrating OPR dimensions with nostalgia theory. 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