Brand Management Research Articles

Research on the protection of intangible cultural heritage and sustainable development of city brands—Taking Jingdezhen as an example

This research aims to examine the intricate connection between the preservation of intangible cultural assets and the promotion of city brands, using Jingdezhen, known as the “Porcelain Capital” of China, as a case study. Through an exploratory investigation, the study highlighted two distinct yet significant issues: the recognition of Jingdezhen’s intangible cultural assets, encompassing folklore, rituals, traditional ceramic skills, and artwork, and the economic effects resulting from cultural tourism. The research delineates the obstacles encountered by Jingdezhen in relation to urbanization, industrialization, and globalization subsequent to its establishment as the principal production hub for Chinese blue and white porcelain. Additionally, it highlights the decline of traditional ceramic skills and expertise, as community members who relied on handicrafts for their livelihoods were affected by the closure of companies. Subsequently, it elucidates the potential prospects arising from cultural tourism and the consequential economic influence of this progress on the local economy and the community’s quality of life. The report delineates community engagement initiatives and collaborative partnerships with local enterprises, colleges, government agencies, and Jingdezhen communities to use the city’s abundant cultural legacy. This research provides a comprehensive overview and assessment of the most effective methods, as identified by international studies, for incorporating the safeguarding of intangible cultural assets into sustainable urban development. Concisely, the paper offers guidance to stakeholders, the local administration, and its legislators. The statement emphasizes the necessity of implementing a comprehensive policy framework in Jingdezhen to safeguard its intangible cultural heritage and promote urban development. The objective is to achieve sustainable growth by leveraging the city’s cultural assets. The results serve as a benchmark for other cities and towns to use their cultural legacy in order to establish a sustainable city brand. Additionally, they make a valuable addition to the worldwide discourse on striking a balance between cultural preservation and economic development.

Investigating Brand Awareness, Brand Image, and Perceived Quality on Customer Loyalty

This study investigates the impact of brand awareness, brand image, and perceived quality on customer loyalty, with a focus on Telkomsel users within the Creative Business program at Universitas Indonesia. Employing a quantitative research methodology, data were collected from 50 respondents using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS 26. The findings reveal that all three factors—brand awareness, brand image, and perceived quality—positively influence customer satisfaction, which in turn significantly enhances customer loyalty. Specifically, perceived quality emerged as the most influential factor driving customer satisfaction, followed by brand image and brand awareness. The study underscores the critical role of perceived quality in fostering customer loyalty, suggesting that Telkomsel’s success in retaining customers is largely attributed to its high service standards. This research contributes to the literature on brand management in the telecommunications sector and offers practical insights for enhancing customer loyalty through strategic improvements in brand perception and service quality.

Apartheid in the digital outdoors? An analysis of the Instagram content of outdoor brands in the US, UK and Scandinavia

The outdoors offers widely understood health and wellbeing benefits and provides an unparalleled resource for the realization and projection of identity, from the personal to the national. Yet access to the outdoors in the countries of the global North is manifestly unequal, with BIPOC communities typically much less likely than their white counterparts to participate in outdoor leisure activities such as hiking, trail running, cycling, climbing, etc. This study revisits the hypothesis that outdoors media plays a central role in perpetuating what Martin (2004) terms “apartheid in the Great Outdoors” by performing a content analysis of the Instagram posts of the top 10 outdoor brands in the US, Scandinavia and UK between the spring and summer seasons of 2020 – a period when the global pandemic restricted access to the outdoors at the same time as the Black Lives Matter movement raised awareness of systemic racial inequalities. The analysis reveals that whilst there is a purposeful response to calls to diversify the outdoors in the representational strategies of US outdoor brands, this is not the case in the UK and Scandinavia. In these locations the digital outdoors and its associated leisure identities remain overwhelmingly white, young, straight, and able-bodied.

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.

The Influence of Social Media Communication Towards Customer-Based Brand Equity on Netflix

This study aims to analyze how social media communication seen from user-generated content, firm-generated content, and distribution intensity affects customer-based brand equity on Netflix. Respondents in the study were 321 Netflix subscribers. This study uses a lower-order construct as a research model. Based on the results of research that has been conducted, show that firm-generated content (FGC), user-generated content (UGC), and distribution intensity (DI) affect customer-based brand equity (CBBE) at different levels. Although UGC has a smaller effect size compared to FGC, it still has significant relevance. Distribution intensity is important for increasing brand awareness and loyalty, although it has no direct impact on perceived quality. This in-depth understanding can guide marketing and brand management decisions to effectively utilize these components.

A strategic brand development framework for expanding cardiovascular and endocrinology treatments in emerging markets

This paper introduces a conceptual framework for strategic brand development in the pharmaceutical industry, specifically targeting the cardiovascular and endocrinology treatment sectors in emerging markets. The framework explores how stakeholder engagement, market segmentation, and brand positioning can enhance access to critical treatments, addressing growing public health challenges in these regions. Cardiovascular and endocrinological disorders, such as heart disease and diabetes, are rising rapidly in emerging markets due to lifestyle changes, urbanization, and increased life expectancy. Pharmaceutical companies face unique challenges in expanding their market presence in these regions, including varying healthcare infrastructure, economic disparities, and regulatory environments. The proposed framework emphasizes the importance of engaging key stakeholders—such as healthcare professionals, policymakers, and patients—through targeted educational campaigns, partnerships, and advocacy. Effective stakeholder engagement fosters trust and collaboration, which is essential for expanding access to life-saving treatments. In addition, market segmentation is a critical component of this strategy, allowing companies to tailor their marketing efforts to specific demographic groups, economic conditions, and healthcare needs in each region. By identifying the most relevant segments and understanding their unique needs, companies can ensure that their treatments reach the populations most at risk for cardiovascular and endocrinological diseases. Brand positioning is another cornerstone of this framework. By clearly defining and communicating the value of their treatments in terms of efficacy, affordability, and accessibility, pharmaceutical companies can differentiate themselves in increasingly competitive markets. Strategic positioning not only enhances brand visibility but also builds long-term customer loyalty, which is crucial for sustaining market growth in emerging economies. Overall, this conceptual framework provides a roadmap for pharmaceutical companies to strategically develop their brands in the cardiovascular and endocrinology sectors, ultimately contributing to improved public health outcomes in emerging markets.

A Study on the Development of the Tesla Brand and Its Societal Impact

This study explores the development of the Tesla brand and its profound societal impact. As a pioneer in the global electric vehicle industry, Tesla has achieved remarkable advancements in technological innovation while attracting widespread social attention through its unique business model and marketing strategies. The study first analyzes the background and evolution of the Tesla brand and then discusses its societal impact from the perspectives of environmental protection, technological progress, industrial chain influence, and social responsibility. The results indicate that Tesla has expanded the global electric vehicle market, promoted the adoption of green energy, and shifted public perceptions of the automotive industry. Additionally, Tesla’s branding strategies have inspired innovation and marketing approaches in other companies. Despite its success in sustainability and technological breakthroughs, Tesla faces challenges in labor management and financial sustainability. This study provides valuable insights into the future development of the electric vehicle industry and calls for companies to balance technological advancements with the fulfillment of social responsibilities.

Brand Distinction and Uniqueness: A Comparative Analysis of Louis Vuitton and Dior

Louis Vuitton (LV) and Dior are two of the most iconic luxury brands in the world. While both share a commitment to quality and prestige, they differ in their design philosophies, brand evolution, and market strategies. This paper seeks to compare these brands by examining their logos, design principles, historical context, and their influence in the fashion industry. By analyzing the similarities and differences in their branding strategies, this article will highlight the unique attributes that distinguish LV from Dior. Particular attention is paid to the logos, their symbolic meanings, and how these contribute to each brand’s positioning within the luxury market.

L’Oréal’s Market Strategy: How Business Activities Shape Brand Performance

This paper examines the market strategy of L’Oréal, one of the world’s leading cosmetics groups, and the impact of its business activities on brand performance. The research focuses on the multifaceted approach of L’Oréal in leveraging its global presence and diverse brand portfolio to enhance market performance. By analyzing L’Oréal’s strategic initiatives, including product innovation, digital marketing, sustainability efforts, and regional market adaptation, the study explores how these activities contribute to the company’s competitive advantage and financial success. The paper draws upon a comprehensive analysis of L’Oréal’s business activities review to understand the correlation between strategic and brand performance. It also considers the role of L’Oréal’s marketing mix and the application of SWOT analysis to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats faced by the company. The findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge on corporate strategy and brand management, offering valuable insights for both academicians and practitioners in the field of marketing and business management. The study concludes with recommendations for L’Oréal to sustain its market leadership and further enhance brand performance through strategic business activities.

Collaborating with external partners for student success at small institutions

AbstractSmall institutions must be agile and creative in successfully sustaining and expanding in today's higher education climate. Collaborating with external partners is an excellent choice for small institutions whose funding and staffing are limited. Our intention with this article is to focus on collaboration with external partners including parents/family, alumni, businesses, and others, sharing best practices, impact on student success, and additional information to help a wide variety of colleagues who work at small institutions. Our hope is that this article will give readers some practical ideas for implementing and expanding partnerships to benefit the small institution. Benefits may include marketing reach, brand management, revenue generation, and expanded opportunities for students, enhanced services, and more.

Business analysis and investment recommendation of Nike Corp

With the development of the economy, people’s demand for their health and leisure activities is constantly increasing, which provides many opportunities for Nike’s international development. However, the fierce competition of competitors and the turbulence of the financial market have caused a certain negative impact on it. The study aims to focus on the brand’s competitiveness in the market, business model and development strategy to evaluate whether it has the potential for sustainable development in today’s market. The method mainly comes from some Nike stocks and analyses the revenue data. The data sources are mainly financial data, market data and consumer data. After this preliminary analysis and data collection, this research will write out the performance of the company, which will be reflected by brand influence, brand management and product innovation. Finally, some relevant investment suggestions will be given in the later paragraph of the article, which are generally divided into long-term, short-term and diversified investments.

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.

A Comprehensive Review of Evolving Brand Image Strategies: From Universal Appeal to Targeted Resonance in Modern Marketing

In today’s fierce market competition, brand image building has become the object of attention of major corporations, more and more enterprises take brand image building as the key work of marketing, such as Amazon, and Disney. Therefore being fully aware of the model and internal mechanism of brand image sharping in enhancing brand market competitiveness, it can provide an effective reference for enterprises to improve the efficiency of brand image building. This paper is devoted to reviewing the history route of brand image building, and summarizing the typical cases, then summarize the business strategies of several different brands. Finally, we summarize the effective business strategy for brand image building, the first is high-quality products, good quality and cheap products always can attract more customers; the second is precise brand positioning, targeting customers to gain competitive advantages; the third is high-quality corporate culture, good cultural atmosphere can enrich the connotation of enterprises and the external competitiveness, to stand out from the homogenized products; the forth is great ethical image, enterprises though attend public welfare activities and other ways to create a positive brand image, then enhance customer’s loyalty.

Marketing Strategies for Chinese Smartphone Brands to Compete with iPhone

Chinese cell phone brands face increasing competition at home and abroad, especially from the dominance of the foreign brand iPhone. The competitive pressure on these brands has intensified against the backdrop of U.S. sanctions on Chinese mobile chips. This study examines the marketing strategies of leading Chinese brands such as Huawei, Xiaomi, and OPPO to cope with this competitive landscape. The study examines how these brands have successfully entered and expanded into overseas markets through case studies and data analysis. The findings show that these brands have adopted strategies such as catering to specific consumer needs, utilizing low prices to attract consumers with limited budgets, increasing brand awareness, and exploring new international markets. Notably, Huawei’s patriotic marketing strategy brings both benefits and risks, while OPPO’s use of brand partnerships is also a noteworthy marketing approach. The study concludes that while the iPhone maintains a stable market share and loyal fan base in China, Chinese brands must adopt a differentiation strategy to avoid direct competition with Apple. This requires focusing on unique value propositions, such as superior affordability, innovative features, or tailored marketing approaches, to secure a more diverse and resilient market position.

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.

Strategic Communication and Socio-Ecological Imperatives for Re-Marketing the Nigerian Brand

The thrust of this paper is to examine select factors within the social and ecological realms that are attributed to the image crises of Nigeria and to proffer sustainable strategic communication solutions to re-marketing the nation as a brand. The de-marketing process of the brand Nigeria is a function of some obvious factors like corruption, bribery, ethnicity, communal and ethno-religious clashes. Consequently, almost everything ‘Nigerian’, whether human beings or products, is questioned or received with greater comparative scepticism, especially within the international community. Nigeria is no doubt in dire need of a corporate reformation and a review of the nation’s socio-ecological posture and experience will offer a headway for the re-marketing of the brand. This paper adopts the analytical methods for the review of strategic communication and the Socio-Ecological Model, using selected scenarios in Nigeria as units of analysis. Findings reveal that Nigeria’s albatross as an unattractive brand is the moral decadence of her citizens occasioned by a lack of adequate information of citizens, absence of motivation and ability to act, and the inherent norms that the people live with. This has thwarted the nation’s (re)branding management efforts. This paper recommends that the Federal government of Nigeria should re-orient her citizens from the now youngest generation and re-order her communication architecture to communicate a renewed Nigerian brand that will help the nation’s image to be attractive for a convincing patronage within the international market.

Building loyalty in the fast fashion market: The key role of customer brand identification

ABSTRACT This research proposes a novel conceptual model based on the Social Identity Theory (SIT) to identify the customer’s path to brand loyalty in the fast fashion industry. For this purpose, the following constructs are considered: customer brand identification (CBI), customer brand satisfaction (CBS), active brand word of mouth (ABWOM), passive brand word of mouth (PBWOM) and behavioural brand loyalty (BBL). To accomplish this research goal, a sample of 368 customer surveys was collected in Spain, and the data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results show that the main influences are, in this order: CBI on PBWOM, CBS on ABWOM and CBI on CBS. This study represents a pioneering effort in delving into the unexplored path leading from CBI to BBL in the dynamic fast fashion landscape. What is more, this research also introduces a highly novel perspective by differentiating between the active and passive components of customer word of mouth, a perspective that has thus far been under-researched. Several management guidelines are offered to improve the brand management strategies of operators in the industry through a deeper understanding of consumer behaviour.

Should Global Brands Engage in Brand Activism?

Brand activism, taking a stance on current and divisive sociopolitical issues, has emerged as a novel means of expressing a brand's values and engaging with the firm's customer base. Yet, globally, companies lack conclusive guidance on the consequences of taking a stance. This research asks a novel question: Should global brands engage in activism? Using varying activism manipulations (e.g., statements and actions), five studies reveal consumer preference for activist global brands. More importantly, guided by schema change theory, the authors find that the positive brand activism effect is particularly strong for global brands associated with negative brand origin, irrespective of consumers’ prior attitude valence. However, brands with positive origin associations benefit from activism only when consumers’ prior attitude valence is in alignment. The authors also identify the mediating effects of self–brand connection, which has downstream consequences for behavioral intentions. Taken together, this work sheds new light on consumer perceptions of brand activism across cultures, elucidates why consumers prefer global brands that engage in activism, and offers actionable insights for global brand managers.

Understanding the formation process of positive customer engagement behaviors: a quantitative and qualitative interpretation

PurposeTo investigate the impact of cognition, emotion and other factors on positive customer engagement behaviors and to identify the differential formation processes and dynamic changes in these behaviors.Design/methodology/approachWe used cognitive appraisals and coping theory as well as justice theory, to analyze comment data from the Xiaomi Community with natural language processing and binary logistic regression.FindingsOur results indicate that cognition and emotion are unnecessary for positive customer engagement. Users expressing different cognitions and emotions exhibit varied positive engagement behaviors. The behavioral dimension was the most frequently combined, followed by the affective and cognitive dimensions. Managers should adopt material or spiritual incentives to encourage users with positive emotions and cognition to become loyal. Additionally, addressing comments with distributive justice cognition can promote positive customer engagement.Originality/valueThis study clarifies the complex interplay between cognition, emotion and customer engagement behaviors, providing actionable insights for brand managers to foster customer loyalty and positive customer engagement.

Anti-feminist branding: a case study of #JusticeForJohnnyDepp on Instagram

ABSTRACT Scholars have examined misogynistic and anti-feminist media. Since misogyny manifests in platform-specific ways, we add to this scholarship by discussing Instagram. Using the Depp-Heard trial on Instagram as a case study, we ask: How do misogyny and anti-feminism manifest through the specific branding culture and affordances of Instagram in the context of #JusticeForJohnnyDepp? What can this case study tell scholars about misogynistic and anti-feminist strategies more broadly? We outline five themes that characterized anti-feminist discourse on Instagram. Beyond Instagram, this work contributes by demonstrating how branding, which is often discussed as gendered labor that puts women at disproportionate risk, is also used by anti-feminist and misogynistic collectives. However, anti-feminists are rarely subject to those same risks.