Brand Community Research Articles

New mobile advertising formats targeting young audiences: an analysis of advertainment and influencers’ role in perception and understanding

Over the past twenty years, brand communication strategies have evolved, particularly for younger audiences, with formats that blend advertising and entertainment content, often featuring influencers. This style of advertising presents challenges, notably the difficulty minors face in recognizing the commercial intent of messages. This article explores minors’ awareness and understanding of these advertising techniques, along with their moral and evaluative responses. We conducted 35 in-depth online interviews with minors aged 10–14 years in Spain. The findings reveal that recognition and understanding of such advertising increase with age. Although minors are accustomed to these practices, their primary reaction is indifference. The study emphasizes the importance of enhancing minors’ critical capacities to better navigate hybrid messages on social networks.

Impact of value-consciousness and brand-self value congruity on sustainable luxury brands and commodities

ABSTRACT Drawing on Self-Congruity and Equity Theories, this research examines the distinct impacts of communicating uniform sustainability initiatives for luxury brands versus commodity brands. This paper introduces a conceptual model that highlights the moderated mediation effect of brand-self value congruity and the three-way moderating effect of value-consciousness on the adverse impact of sustainability on luxury versus commodity brands. The findings from two experimental studies demonstrate that communicating sustainability initiatives has distinct effects on different brands. Specifically, sustainability initiatives enhance the evaluations of commodity brands but diminish the evaluations of luxury brands. The negative impact of sustainability on luxury brands is mediated by brand-self congruity. Moreover, value-consciousness moderates the relationship between sustainability and luxury brands, such that low value-conscious consumers tend to value sustainable luxury brands less than their non-sustainable counterparts, unlike high value-conscious consumers. These findings offer valuable managerial and practical insights for brand managers and communication strategists considering adopting sustainability communication strategies.

The Resilient Agility of Brand Voice in Volatile Environments

Abstract In an era marked by rapid change, the role of brand voice within brand communication has become increasingly vital to protecting brand identity, moving beyond traditional marketing approaches. This research introduces the concept of “resilient agility” of brand voice and examines it in a variety of uncertain contexts. Aiming to investigate the potential influence of volatile environments on brand voice within the context of brand communication, the author based her research on the examination of various case studies and as a result introduced two new models of projecting brand identity through brand communication, including one tailored for volatile environments. The author identifies the resilient agility of brand voice in projecting the essence of brand identity, consistency in core messaging, and transparency in addressing issues as key success factors for brand communication. This research enhances the understanding of the projection model of brand identity through brand communication, especially in volatile environments, offering valuable insights for marketers aiming to maintain brand integrity and develop lasting customer relationships amidst uncertainty.

Too woke or not too woke, that is the question: Brand responses to culture wars

Culture wars are conflicts between two groups with polarized beliefs about politics and other cultural phenomena. Of late, culture wars have moved to brands, marketing, and corporate activism. In modern brand culture wars, opposing groups will assemble on social media with the express purpose of either damaging a brand’s value or defending brands. Brands are then left in the precarious situation of navigating between two powerful factions in determining strategy moving forward. This manuscript explores the relationship between brand communities and corporate brands, addressing culture wars on a variety of hot-button topics. We scraped data from X—formerly known as Twitter—to analyze the impact of culture wars on social media behavior and sentiment. Drawing from the analysis of the data from X, as well as an examination of extant literature, we then propose a typology and offer a decision tree to guide brands dealing with culture wars levied at their corporations.

Sustainable Business Strategies: Exploring the Role of Corporate Social Responsibility and Virtual Reality in Enhancing Brand Value

This study explores the intersection of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in developing sustainable business strategies that enhance brand value. Employing a qualitative research methodology through a comprehensive literature review and library research, the paper investigates how CSR initiatives, when integrated with immersive VR technologies, contribute to long-term brand equity and consumer engagement. The research highlights CSR's evolving role in aligning corporate activities with social and environmental goals, which not only strengthens stakeholder relationships but also increases brand loyalty. In parallel, VR technologies are gaining traction in marketing and brand communication, offering immersive experiences that create deeper emotional connections with consumers. The study analyzes recent case studies and academic discussions, illustrating how VR can enhance CSR's impact by making initiatives more accessible and engaging to a broader audience. This synergy between CSR and VR not only fosters a stronger brand identity but also provides a competitive advantage by differentiating brands in an increasingly socially conscious marketplace. The findings suggest that businesses leveraging CSR strategies alongside VR can cultivate a sustainable brand narrative that resonates with both customers and stakeholders, thereby improving overall brand value and driving sustainable growth. Future research is encouraged to further examine specific industries where these strategies can be most effectively implemented.

Enhancing Malaysia’s Halal Brand Identity: Insights and Strategies for Sustainable Global Halal Hub

Halal branding has become an essential strategy for businesses to cater to the needs of Muslim consumers and tap into a rapidly growing market. Malaysia has positioned itself as a global halal hub, attracting Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) food manufacturers and becoming a trusted source of halal products and services. However, developing a distinct Malaysia’s halal brand identity remains a challenge. This article explores the importance of developing a strong halal brand identity for the sustainability of Malaysia as a global halal hub. The study conducted in-depth interviews with eight identified respondents who were either chief executive officers, presidents of participating companies, or partners and directors of various government agencies at local and international branches. The study discusses successful halal brand identity campaigns undertaken by major global and regional brands, focusing on promoting halal values, ethical practices, and the benefits of halal products. To develop a strong halal brand identity, comprehensive marketing and communication strategies are recommended, utilising the effects theory to craft effective digital marketing strategies that resonate with Muslim consumers and promote ethical consumption.

How online social community participation affect product stickiness: a study on green energy technology product

PurposeThis study aims to develop a conceptual model for GET products that participate in brands’ online communities, based on social cognitive theory (SCT), with environmental factors, personal factors and behavioral factors being used to explore whether users of GET products participate in brand online communities as well as to determine whether participation in a community forum causes users to stick with GET products. In addition, expectancy confirmation is also considered in the research model.Design/methodology/approachThis research examines whether environmental and personal factors have a positive effect on the behavioral factors of Gogoro users, and then further effects on green energy technology (GET) product stickiness for users in online communities. A website was used to distribute links to two Facebook club sites: Gogoro Series 2 Fan Club and the Gogoro Fan Club. The respondents’ qualification criteria were restricted to people who had used Gogoro products and participated in a Gogoro online community. A total of 581 valid responses were collected for structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis, and expectancy confirmation was found to be moderate from a hierarchical regression.FindingsThe results of SEM show that virtual interactivity has a positive effect on product-related content, and social norms were found to have significant effects on creating product-related content. Brand community identification, perceived relative advantage and brand knowledge self-efficacy are found to be related to both creating and contributing product-related content. Also, creating product-related content and contributing user participation behaviors influence ET product stickiness.Practical implicationsOnline community managers can boost user participation by increasing interaction, and community identification by enhancing users’ perceptions of benefiting from participating in their communities. Companies can also encourage users to create product-related content to increase users’ stickiness to GET products. Further, GET companies can try to enhance users’ intrinsic connection with other community users to increase their brand community identification if they want to increase users’ willingness to participate.Originality/valueThis study adopted SCT to measure the GET product stickiness formation process in an attempt to determine what factors boost user participation based on triadic reciprocality. Also, expectancy confirmation plays an important role in the relationship between community users’ participation behaviors and GET product stickiness. The results indicated that it was appropriate to add virtual interactivity to environmental factors and perceived relative advantage to personal factors to measure users’ participation in an online social community. Actual product users’ online community participation behavior could be a very influential indicator of actual product stickiness formation.

Consumerbased conceptualisation of brand transparency: scope, characteristics and contextual determinants

Purpose Escalating uncertainty surrounding brand communications has intensified consumer demands for transparency. Many definitions link transparency to the quantity of shared information, yet more information might not alleviate consumer uncertainty. The purpose of this paper is to develop a consumer-based conceptualisation of brand transparency that recognises the subjectivity in how transparency manifests for consumers. Design/methodology/approach This research adopts a qualitative approach, leveraging 10 exploratory interviews with experts and 20 in-depth interviews with consumers. Findings Confronted with information asymmetry, consumers rely on cues (openness, clarity, timeliness, evidence-based, explanatory) to evaluate a brand’s intentions to provide accurate information about focal domains in a way that establishes brand transparency. Focal domains of brand transparency (pro-social values, processes and product and service offerings) evolve in line with changing consumer expectations. Both consumer relationships and brand experiences influence brand transparency perceptions. Research limitations/implications This study challenges an inherent assumption that access to more information informs brand transparency perceptions; instead, consumers require transparency about salient and focal topics. By delineating the observable signals consumers use to infer transparency and highlighting how consumers’ biases towards certain brands and product categories influence their perceptions of brand transparency, this study contributes to customer–brand relationship literature. Practical implications The authors identify challenges for evoking brand transparency perceptions when information is salient. The authors stress the importance of open dialogue across all touchpoints to address consumer queries. Originality/value By challenging some assumptions of brand transparency literature, which have evolved from accounting and governance disciplines, this research introduces a distinctive perspective on consumer-based brand transparency.

Literature Review: Definition of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) in Indonesian Journals (2019-2022)

After 30 years of development, Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) in Indonesia has been widely studied and published in scientific journals. From 2019 to 2022, 44 Indonesian scientific journals were identified through a Google search. This study aims to explore how IMC is defined in scientific journal articles from 2019-2022, considering the current context. The research employs a literature review method, using five definitions of IMC, which are then distilled into sixteen core ideas. The findings reveal that Indonesian scientific journals still adhere to two main definitional concepts: “IMC is comprehensive planning” and “IMC combines various communication elements.” The first concept suggests that IMC must be thoroughly planned, typically through its communication elements. The second concept emphasizes the combination of various communication elements. Additionally, the articles found that the communicated message is predominantly from the brand, although only partially. This indicates that IMC has expanded to include brand value. A few scientific journals have advanced further in defining IMC, though only in terms of managing various communication elements, without incorporating dialogue or database-driven development. Overall, this study reveals that the definition of IMC in 44 articles positions it as a strategic process in business and management, involving the planning, execution, and persuasion of brand communication programs. On the other hand, many definitions of IMC need to be considered as concepts, at the very least those drawn from IMC thought leaders, such as the five definitions used in this study.

The Relationship Between Institutional Pedagogy and the Brand Identity Formation of Higher Education Institutions

This study sought to facilitate insight into the potential role of pedagogy in the brand identity formation of higher education institutions (HEIs) through a study of selected HEIs in The Gambia. Specifically, the study sought to address the following research question: What role do pedagogical practices play in building the brand identity of selected universities in The Gambia? The intra-paradigm qualitative mixed method of data collection underpinned the research design. This research design facilitated a preliminary analysis of the contents of institutional documents and social media postings. This process was followed by telephonic and virtually mediated in-depth interviews through which this researcher explored the interactionist interpretations, recollections, experiences, and opinions of 54 participants (students and staff) on the themes of institutional brand management practices, institutional pedagogical practices, institutional brand identity, and the links between pedagogical practices and institutional brand identity. The study used the Corporate Brand Identity Matrix as a supporting analysis framework. The findings show a relationship between pedagogical practices and institutional brand identity formation. The evidence suggests that the selected HEIs use hardly differentiated production-style portfolios of academic courses to pursue largely unengaged students, prospective students, and other stakeholders. Further findings indicate that teaching and learning practice is dominated by academic staff's discretionary use of transmissive pedagogy. This insight emerged against the background of additional evidence, which shows a link between pedagogy policy and practices of HEIs and stakeholder impressions. A synthesis of these findings culminated in the emergence of the pedagogy-based higher education brand identity matrix (P-HEBIM), which this study proposes as a novel framework for the branding of HEIs. The study sets out a practitioner guide on how higher education managers can pursue the institutional brand management priorities of branding strategy development, competitor intelligence, and brand communication using the P-HEBIM as a framework.

Strategic Digital Marketing Innovations: The Role of Community Engagement in Lululemon’s Market Leadership

In the global sportswear market, Lululemon Athletica has emerged as an industry leader with its unique digital marketing strategy. This study explores how Lululemon has significantly increased brand awareness and customer engagement through an innovative digital strategy that combines search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) techniques. Lululemon actively utilizes social media platforms, such as Instagram, to create a strong brand community and enhance consumer loyalty and brand connection through marketing campaigns such as #TheSweatLife. This study analyzes how these strategies have helped Lululemon to gain a strong position in the market and effectively respond to challenges from competitors such as Nike and Adidas. The results show that digital marketing not only drives brand growth, but also creates sustainable customer relationships and improves competitiveness in the market. The findings of this paper provide important insights into the marketing strategies of other brands in the digital era, and despite the lack of comprehensive quantitative data support, Lululemon’s success provides lessons for exploring innovative market engagement models.

العلامة التجارية وتأثيرها على ولاء العملاء في الشركات

The aim of this research is to study the impact of brand strength on customer loyalty, with a focus on the factors that contribute to building this loyalty. This study emphasizes that a strong brand, high quality, and effective communication are critical factors in building customer loyalty. It also asserts that a brand is not just a name or a logo, but represents the identity and values that distinguish the company in the minds of customers. Customer loyalty is considered a vital element for the sustainability and growth of companies, as it reflects the level of customer commitment to the brand and their preference for it over competitors.

Sustainable Marketing Communication in the Digital Age of Advert Blocking: Implications for Telecommunication Service Providers in Nigeria

The advent of digital technologies has revolutionised marketing communication, offering unprecedented opportunities for brands to engage with their target audience. As consumers increasingly seek to control their online experiences and mitigate interruptions, the adoption of advert-blocking techniques has surged, posing significant challenges for organisations, thereby inhibiting their sustainable marketing communication plans. This paper explores the implications of advert blocking on sustainable marketing communication practices. It examines the factors driving the adoption of ad-blocking and the strategies organisations can employ to navigate this phenomenon for marketing communication sustainability. Anchored on the Selectivity Factor and the Uses and Gratification theories, the study deployed a mixed-method approach, incorporating qualitative analysis of service providers and consumer perceptions as well as quantitative data on advert-blocking trends from a sample size of 163 internet users in Southwest, Nigeria. Findings reveal the pervasive nature of intrusive advertising practices and the growing apprehensions surrounding privacy and data security, driving the widespread adoption of advert blocking. Moreover, analysis indicates a correlation between ad-blocking behaviour and heightened levels of brand scepticism and avoidance tendencies among consumers. Based on findings, organizations are advised to adopt sustainable brand communication strategies, Alternative approaches such as other below-the-line channels, native advertising, branded content, and influencer marketing emerge as promising avenues for engaging audiences while circumventing advert-blocking barriers. The research work accentuates the necessity of adjusting marketing communication strategies to align with evolving target audiences’ preferences, thereby promoting sustainability in the digital era's marketing landscape.

The effectiveness of social media communication of sustainable fashion brands: evidence from consumer engagement

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to identify how sustainable fashion brands communicate with consumers on social media, specifically, Instagram. By applying a data mining technique to analyze brand posts and consumer comments, we thoroughly examine how consumers engage with sustainable messages from each brand and how those engagements are associated with brand posts. A sample of six sustainable fashion brands was selected, including Eileen Fisher, Everlane, Girlfriend Collective, Patagonia, Reformation, and Stella McCartney. Public posts of the six brands and corresponding consumer comments on Instagram between November 1, 2019 and November 1, 2022 were collected. LDA (Latent Dirichlet Allocation) text mining technique was applied to extract topics from each brand’s posts and follower comments. A fixed effects linear panel model was then employed to examine if consumer comments are significantly associated with sustainable messages from each brand. Ten major sustainability-related themes were identified from brand posts, and four major sustainability-related themes were discovered from consumer comments. The linear panel results provide preliminary evidence that the sustainability-related themes from consumer comments are positively influenced by the sustainability-related themes from brand posts, indicating that brand posts indeed affect consumers’ opinions about sustainability.

Examining how consumers can love brands through internal storytelling

PurposeThis research aims to empirically test the boundary conditions under which the archetype-based narrative structure of storytelling brand advertisement through internal endorsement can generate brand love by making the consumers anthropomorphize the brand archetype.Design/methodology/approachTwo studies based on survey and experimentally designed stimuli were conducted to validate the conceptual framework. The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and process macro on SPSS.FindingsThe results support that when the brand is endorsed in the storytelling ad by an internal endorser or storyteller, the narrative structure of the storytelling ad impacts brand love via the anthropomorphization of the brand archetype. The congruence between the internal storyteller’s personality and the archetype’s personality moderates the effect of the narrative structure on the anthropomorphization of the brand archetype, leading to brand love. The psychological sense of brand community further conditions the moderating impact of congruence.Originality/valueThe research provides insights to the brand marketers that internally endorsed archetype-based storytelling brand ads can be effective when the personality of the internal endorser is congruent with the personality of the archetype and the target consumers have a strong psychological sense of brand community.

Exploring Consumer Participation in Brand Metaverse Communities, Focusing on the Metaverse Features—Fantasy Experiences and Self‐Expansion

ABSTRACTIn light of brands entering the metaverse, understanding consumer behavior in these virtual spaces becomes crucial. This study aims to explore how consumers' intentions to engage in building brand communities within the metaverse are influenced by their fantasy experiences in the brands' virtual stores where consumers are immersed in sensory‐rich, imaginative digital environments. By applying self‐expansion theory to brand–consumer relationships and the concept of temporarily expanding the boundary of the self through consumer metaverse experiences, this research examines the mediating role of self‐expansion in the relationship between fantasy experiences and brand community intentions. A total of 196 responses were collected among Zepeto users through consumer panels. Data were analyzed using AMOS 23.0 for confirmatory factor analysis and the Process macro in SPSS 23.0 for mediation and moderation analysis. Findings reveal direct positive effects of fantasy experiences on consumers' intentions to participate in metaverse brand communities. Users deeply engaged in the metaverse's fantasy experience could expand the sense of self, fostering active contributions to brand community activities. The study also investigates the influences of prior experiential activities in the metaverse, showing that prior engagement enhances the effects of fantasy experiences on self‐expansion. Among users with prior metaverse experiential activities, fantasy experiences exert more significant influences on self‐expansion, driving higher intentions to participate in brand communities.

Research on Brand Communication Methods of Public Cultural Institutions

This article explores the branding communication methods of public cultural institutions, analyzing the roles and impacts of traditional media, new media communication, event promotion, collaborative communication, and word-of-mouth marketing. Through case studies, the article illustrates how to enhance the social influence and cultural outreach of public cultural institutions. For small to medium-sized public cultural institutions, the article proposes communication strategies based on brand positioning, resource integration, and cross-industry collaboration, aiming to provide a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for improving brand communication effectiveness.

Virality in the fast lane: How businesses can succeed with integrity on TikTok and Instagram

In the quick-paced environment of social media, TikTok and Instagram have turned into crucial instruments for brands to attain digital popularity. This paper examines ways businesses can thrive in this setting while preserving their brand’s honesty. It dives into various plans like employing emotional narratives, gentle incorporation of the brand, collaborations with influencers and realizing each platform’s distinct algorithms’ importance. The algorithms particular to the users of TikTok and Instagram assist businesses in reaching specific audience groups, but they can be problematic when it comes to maintaining uniform brand communications. The research adds a case review of Coca-Cola’s “Happiness Factory” advertising scheme as an example; this shows how combining emotional connection with understated branding may bring about viral achievement which increases loyalty and recognition towards the brand. Further, it explores reputation hazards related to forceful marketing techniques within our paper and suggests ways on blending viral material effectively with ethical plus strategic management for brands. In the end, for success in the digital marketing field, companies must always adjust and create new ideas to remain important while maintaining their basic principles.

The dark side of brand community: the role of brand identification, community identification, brand passion and shopping motivation

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate whether consumers’ identification with a brand community makes them more likely to engage in compulsive buying behavior. Specifically, this research shows that consumers are more likely to experience obsessive passion for brands they identify with if they are also part of brand communities, which, in turn, makes them more likely to engage in compulsive buying behavior.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey (n = 533) among members of the Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth (ARMY) Bangtan Boys (BTS) brand community was conducted. A partial least squares approach was employed to test the validity and reliability of the measurement model as well as to assess the structural equation model.FindingsResults show that brand identification affects harmonious and obsessive passion and that both relationships are moderated by brand community identification. Harmonious passion, in turn, has a positive effect on impulsive buying, whereas obsessive passion has a positive effect on both impulsive and obsessive-compulsive buying. Furthermore, consumer hedonic motivations moderate the relationship between (i) harmonious passion and impulsive buying and (ii) obsessive passion and obsessive-compulsive buying.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is the first to examine the potential negative impacts brand community identification has on compulsive buying behavior. Besides contributing to research on the negative aspects of brand community identification, by employing a model that distinguishes between two types of passion and compulsive buying, the study provides clarification on relationships suggested by prior studies.

Effects of brand visual identity on consumer attitude ：A systematic literature review

Brand visual identity is a critical component of brand image and impacts consumers' brand perception and attitude. Although scholars and practitioners have increasingly researched brand visual identity, most focus on brand communication and corporate management perspectives, necessitating a systematic review of consumer attitudes based on brand visual identity elements. This study aims to review the impact of brand visual identity on consumer attitudes and provide directions for future research. We conducted a systematic search using PRISMA guidelines, reviewed relevant articles published in four databases (Web of Sciences, ProQuest, Scopus, and Elsevier) in the past two decades (2004-2024), and obtained 559 articles in May 2024. We conducted a thorough peer-review of both theoretical and empirical journal articles, followed by a scoping review. Thirty-four studies were eligible, analysing consumers' perceptions of various core elements of brand visual identity (BVI) (such as brand logo, colour, name, typography, and font), as well as the impact of brand visual identity on consumer attitudes and the practical implications of brand management. The results show that the consumption of visual identification elements affects consumers' perceived brand quality, brand personality, brand satisfaction, loyalty, favourability, and so on., as well as purchase intentions and social attitudes. In summary, the findings indicate that brand visual identity elements impact consumer perceptions and attitudes. However, despite some progress, further research is necessary to arrive at more definitive and robust conclusions.