This research examines the development of brand identity strategies for RM. Laksana, a traditional Sundanese restaurant in Kuningan, West Java, that has been operating for more than 50 years. In the context of the food and beverage (F&B) industry that continues to grow in Indonesia, especially in West Java with a growth of 15.53% (y-o-y) in the third quarter of 2025, RM. Laksana faces challenges in building a strong brand identity in the midst of increasingly fierce competition. This research uses a qualitative approach with in-depth interview methods with restaurant owners and managers, direct observation, and document analysis. The findings of the study show that RM. Laksana has strategic assets in the form of a 50-year heritage of hereditary recipes, a commitment to quality raw materials (live fish and homemade spices), and strong family values. However, the restaurant faces the problem of using generic names that causes consumer confusion. The recommended strategy includes developing an authentic brand identity by positioning RM. Laksana as the "Guardian of Heritage", the implementation of a new visual identity that still respects historical heritage, and consistent communication about the restaurant's values and excellence. This research makes a practical contribution to culinary MSMEs in developing a strong and sustainable brand identity.

This study examines the challenges of Sentraloka Indonesia, a digital retail intermediary of MSME snack products, which is facing sales stagnation and weak brand awareness. Companies rely too heavily on short-term paid advertising, resulting in revenue volatility and a lack of organic demand. Fragmented digital communication limits the formation of a coherent brand identity. The research uses an integrated framework: Resource-Based View (RBV) and VRIO for internal analysis, Porter's Five Forces for external pressures, and SWOT and TOWS to generate strategic alternatives based on Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) in an omnichannel perspective. The main premise is that Sentraloka has valuable intangible resources—market reputation and relationships with MSME suppliers—that have the potential to generate Sustainable Competitive Advantage but are underutilized due to the weakness of the Organizational (O) dimension. The research design was a qualitative single case study with in-depth interviews of three internal stakeholders and ten external informants, analyzed using Braun and Clarke's reflective thematic analysis. The findings reveal that although Sentraloka's resources meet the criteria of Value, Scarcity, and partial Inadmissibility, the company falls short on the Organization dimension due to manual systems, inconsistent content, and the absence of a structured CRM. The proposed IMC strategy emphasizes three pillars: strengthening brand credibility, differentiating MSME storytelling, and CRM-based recurring engagement, implemented through a 12-month phased plan. Contributions include a managerial roadmap for the transition of MSMEs from promotion-based sales to sustainable growth, as well as a theoretical expansion of IMC's literature by demonstrating its role as a strategic organizational integrator to transform intangible resources into sustainable competitive advantages.

Bandung, Indonesia, known for its rich colonial and modern architectural heritage, offers a distinctive urban context where historical narratives and spatial memory can be embedded into contemporary commercial spaces. However, many shops operating within heritage buildings neglect conservation principles and disregard the historical significance of the structures they occupy. Commercial interests often override preservation concerns, resulting in unsympathetic renovations, visual pollution, and the erasure of original architectural elements. Regulatory frameworks are frequently ignored due to limited awareness, weak enforcement, or short-term business priorities. These practices undermine the authenticity of the built environment and represent missed opportunities for place-based branding and meaningful spatial storytelling. This study addresses these challenges through three objectives: (1) identifying cases in Bandung and abroad where shops have integrated historical memory into the retail experience; (2) analyzing strategies used to embed memory within commercial interior design; and (3) formulating implementation models aligned with conservation goals in Bandung. Utilizing a qualitative research design and a comparative approach with selected international cases, the study draws on spatial analysis, archival research, and stakeholder interviews. The findings underscore the importance of living narrative that is supported by community in enhancing both heritage preservation and brand identity. Therefore, further study can be focused on integrative approaches that balance commercial objectives with cultural continuity.

This study explores the strategic role of state-owned enterprise (SOE) branding in realizing digital sovereignty and strengthening global competitiveness through the AX–BX–CX–DX Integrated Experience Framework. It aims to conceptualize how audience perception (AX), brand identity (BX), customer loyalty (CX), and digital governance (DX) interact to form a sovereign and adaptive brand ecosystem. Employing a qualitative–descriptive design, the research integrates conceptual analysis with empirical case exploration of leading Indonesian SOEs such as Telkom Indonesia, Pertamina, and BRI. Data were collected through literature synthesis, document analysis, and social listening to examine public sentiment and digital narratives. The inductive–deductive analytical approach ensured coherence and interpretive depth. Findings reveal that the synergy among AX–BX–CX–DX dimensions fosters a data-driven, human-centered brand governance system that enhances national digital legitimacy. Practically, this study highlights the need for AI-driven branding, digital talent empowerment, and ESG-oriented brand storytelling to strengthen SOEs’ competitiveness and trust capital. Theoretically, it contributes to the intersection of nation branding, experience economy, and corporate diplomacy, positioning SOEs as sovereign digital ambassadors of national identity.

Purpose This study aims to examine the COO effect on potential consumers’ attitude toward smartphone brands in Brazil, focusing on cognitive (knowledge), affective (feeling) and conative (behavioral) components of attitude theory. Design/methodology/approach Two distinct between-subjects experimental designs were conducted with 206 participants from Generations Y and Z. In Experiment 1 (n = 103), attitudes were evaluated toward smartphone brands with disclosed COO (Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi). In Experiment 2 (n = 103), attitudes were assessed with only the COO indicated, excluding brand identification. Findings The results indicate that the disclosure of smartphone brands’ COO does not influence the attitudes of Brazilian potential consumers. Similarly, the COO effect, when isolated from brand identification, does not influence Brazilian potential consumers' attitudes toward smartphones. These findings suggest that the influence of COO on consumer preferences may be less decisive than traditionally assumed. Originality/value This study is innovative in not only investigating how COO impacts the formation of Brazilian potential consumers' attitudes toward smartphone brands, but also in analyzing this relationship more comprehensively by considering the interaction between COO, brand identity and the three components of attitude theory. By addressing this gap, the research provides valuable insights into consumer attitude in an emerging market.

The significance of visual brand identity for consumer choice has become one of the primary influences in marketing practice. The systematic review of the literature for this particular brand identity builds on 20 years (2004-2024) of research to analyze the effects of individual components of visual brand identity, such as the logo, color, and layout, on consumer behavior. Following the PRISMA guidelines, of the 577 articles obtained from Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar, 42 empirical studies were selected for final integration. It has been determined that the primary effect of the cited elements on consumers of the identified brand is the processing that stimulates consumers' cognition and affect. This, in turn, has a pronounced effect on the brand attitude, the intention to purchase, and the resulting loyalty toward the brand. It has been determined that consumers prefer logo designs that are simple and symmetrical, that complex logos suggest the brand is a higher-end offering, that color influences psychology, that cultures also affect how color is perceived, and that visual hierarchy organizes layout to shape focus and lower the user's brand-associated cognitive workload. The final proposed model integrates within a stimulus- organism-response (S-O-R) model the primary findings of the review and the suggested primary influences of culture, product involvement, and channel context as moderating influences. The recommendations for practitioners elaborate upon the key components of a visual brand strategy. This research identifies critical gaps in the literature and proposes a future research agenda focused on neuromarketing methods, omnichannel coherence, and the impact of AI-driven personalization on visual branding.

The global tourism landscape is witnessing a significant paradigm shift toward authentic, meaningful, and sustainable experiences. In response, Community-Based Tourism (CBT) has emerged as a vital strategic framework. Hanjeli Tourism Village, situated within the Ciletuh-Palabuhanratu UNESCO Global Geopark, offers a distinctive Unique Value Proposition (UVP) through the cultivation of Coix lacryma-jobi L. (Hanjeli)—a nutrient-dense functional food deeply embedded in local cultural heritage. Despite this potential, the destination faces critical branding and digital promotion deficits, resulting in a strategic misalignment between its intrinsic brand identity and its perceived image among prospective travelers. This study examines a strategic marketing intervention leveraging narrative marketing and visual storytelling via promotional videos. By transforming Hanjeli’s core tangible and intangible assets into a cohesive brand narrative, this approach aims to enhance brand awareness and stimulate visit intentions. Beyond marketing objectives, the intervention is designed to catalyze positive socio-economic and socio-cultural outcomes for the local community, fostering long-term resilience and sustainability.

This international collaborative community service program is designed to transform the entrepreneurial paradigm of students at Al-Amalul Khoir Islamic High School in Palembang by strengthening innovative promotional strategies for local culinary products, particularly pempek. This initiative was motivated by the low competitiveness of partner products due to the use of conventional packaging, minimal application of packaging technology, and the lack of a strong and marketable brand identity. These conditions impact the limited market reach and economic value of the students' products. The program's implementation method uses a Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) approach, which emphasizes active participation by partners in every stage of the activity. Program stages include the delivery of theoretical material on entrepreneurship and halal product marketing, a creative packaging design workshop focused on branding, and hands-on practice in the application of hygienic and food-standard vacuum packaging technology. This approach allows for contextual and applicable learning for participants. The results of the activity showed a significant increase in students' understanding of the legal and regulatory aspects of halal labeling, increasing from 34.5% to 89.7%. Furthermore, students' technical skills in designing innovative and distinctive packaging also significantly improved. The program concluded that integrating modern packaging technology with appropriate branding strategies can increase the competitiveness and economic value of local products in a sustainable manner.

Purpose As firms increasingly adopt experience-driven differentiation, the design of servicescapes becomes essential in shaping brand identity and consumer engagement. However, a persistent challenge remains: bridging the gap between intended experiences and their execution in physical environments. This study investigates how servicescapes are developed in retail and hospitality settings. Grounded in the assemblage theory, this study aims to propose a framework that traces the formation of expression intent and its translation into physical spaces. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative multimethod approach, the authors integrate nonparticipatory observations (n = 14), a photographic corpus (n = 86) and semistructured interviews (n = 11) with designers and managers. This methodological triangulation captures both strategic intent and its material realization. Findings The analysis conceptualizes expression intent along two analytical continua and identifies six interrelated design mechanisms through which servicescapes are assembled. It further examines component-to-assemblage and assemblage-to-assemblage relationships across micro-, meso- and macrolevels and develops an integrative framework that explains how expression intent guides successive design choices, thus leading to coherent servicescape configurations. Research limitations/implications The findings bridge the literature on servicescape design (Bitner, 1992; Rosenbaum and Massiah, 2011; Alexander and Cano, 2020) with assemblage theory (Deleuze and Guattari, 1980; DeLanda, 2016) to show that service environments are active and adaptive systems shaped by continuous negotiations between strategic vision and environmental constraints. This challenges the reductionist stimulus–response paradigm (Turley and Milliman, 2000; Kumar et al., 2020), which tends to isolate cues in a linear cause–effect logic, and it nuances holistic perspectives by proposing a more dynamic understanding of how elements are orchestrated to serve a narrative. Practical implications The framework enables the clarification of expression intent and translates it into coherent servicescape configurations through six interrelated mechanisms, while accounting for contextual constraints. It also emphasizes the need to situate servicescape design within a broader network of interconnected assemblages across levels. Social implications The findings suggest that the most successful servicescape implementations are those that maintain narrative coherence across all six dimensions – spatial-functional, sensory, immersive, educational, socio-interactive and offer-related. Each mechanism carries specific affordances and limitations, and their interaction shapes the overall experience. Therefore, managers should not only deploy them deliberately but also orchestrate their interdependencies to sustain emotional engagement and behavioral alignment. Originality/value This study introduces an assemblage-based reconceptualization of servicescape design, emphasizing the relational and processual nature of how service environments are intentionally assembled.

This study aims to analyze rebranding strategies and marketing communication in building the brand equity of Kopi Bawang Dayak as a regional flagship product. Kopi Bawang Dayak is a local product innovation based on the indigenous wisdom of Kalimantan that has functional and economic potential; however, it still faces challenges such as weak brand identity, unclear positioning, and ineffective marketing communication. This research adopts a qualitative approach using a descriptive method. Data collection techniques include interviews with business actors and consumers, observations of visual identity and promotional media, documentation, and literature review. The results indicate that rebranding strategies implemented through logo updates, packaging redesign, and the reinforcement of local values are able to enhance brand awareness and brand associations among consumers of Kopi Bawang Dayak. Furthermore, marketing communication that emphasizes storytelling, health benefits, and local cultural values through social media contributes to increasing perceived quality and building consumer trust. The synergy between rebranding strategies and marketing communication is proven to play a significant role in strengthening the brand equity of Kopi Bawang Dayak. This study concludes that integrating local identity with modern marketing approaches is a key factor in enhancing the competitiveness of regional flagship products in broader markets.

Purpose Virtual influencers (VIs) are increasingly used for brand endorsements. While consumer interaction with VIs is growing, little is known about the motivations behind these interactions and how they influence consumer behavior. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through an online survey of 298 users who interact with VIs. The model was tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings Consumers interact with VIs to satisfy their intellectual, novelty, entertainment and social needs. These needs positively influence self-expansion, which in turn enhances brand identification and purchase intention. Research limitations/implications This study is limited by its cross-sectional design, reliance on self-reported data, and focus on predominantly individualistic respondents in the UK. Future studies should examine cross-cultural samples, employ longitudinal or experimental designs to establish causality, and explore additional psychological mechanisms that might shape consumer-VI interactions. Practical implications The findings of this study can help marketers and VI developers understand how to use VIs to enhance consumer interaction and stimulate purchase intention. Social implications: VIs are shaping new forms of consumer-brand interaction and raising important questions about identity, technology and trust in AI-driven media. Social implications VIs are shaping new forms of consumer-brand interaction and raising important questions about identity, technology and trust in AI-driven media. Originality/value This study is the first to integrate uses and gratifications (U&G) theory with self-expansion theory to explain the psychological and behavioral effects of VI interaction, offering a novel framework for understanding digital consumer engagement.

Companies, especially local beauty companies operating inside micro, small, and medium businesses (MSMEs), are facing fiercer competition as the beauty market in Indonesia continues to develop. In light of this reality, it is critical for businesses to work on improving both the quality of their products and the equity their brands have with customers. Using Instagram as their primary platform for audience contact and engagement is a common social media marketing tactic used by beauty firms. As a local MSME-based beauty firm, Teratu Beauty uses Instagram for marketing purposes; nonetheless, it is still necessary to do empirical research to determine whether or not these efforts effectively develop firm Equity. The purpose of this research is to examine how Teratu Beauty's brand equity was affected by social media marketing using the Honeycomb Model. This model is operationalized into seven independent variables: identity, conversation, sharing, presence, reputation, relationship, and groups. To investigate their impact on Brand Equity, we consider these seven factors, which are generated from the Honeycomb Model's dimensions, as independent variables. The researchers in this study used a quantitative technique that was both descriptive and causal in nature. The data was examined using multiple linear regression analysis with the help of SPSS software. The data was acquired by distributing questionnaires to 300 Instagram followers of Teratu Beauty. The findings show that Teratu Beauty's Brand Equity is positively and significantly impacted by Honeycomb Model Social Media Marketing. It has been partially shown that all factors included in the Honeycomb Model significantly impact Brand Equity. The results show that local beauty brands' Brand Equity is boosted by the quality of their Instagram marketing, especially when it comes to creating brand identity, encouraging interaction, growing audience engagement, and producing brand reputation.

Micro culinary enterprises often struggle with limited capital, intense market competition, and rapidly changing consumer preferences, which hinder their ability to innovate and sustain business growth. This study addresses these core issues by examining how Pancong Lumer Nikmat, a micro-scale culinary venture, implements product innovation and digital marketing strategies despite financial constraints. The research aims to identify effective practices that enhance product appeal and increase market reach with minimal investment. A qualitative research approach was employed through direct observation, in-depth interviews with the business owner, and analysis of digital marketing content used on social media platforms. The findings reveal that product innovation focuses on developing unique flavor variations, adding contemporary toppings, and improving visual presentation to align with current food trends while maintaining affordable production costs. In terms of marketing, the strategic use of low-cost platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp Business effectively increases brand visibility, strengthens customer engagement, and encourages organic promotion through visually appealing content. The study concludes that simple, cost-efficient product innovations combined with accessible digital marketing efforts can significantly improve consumer interest, repeat purchases, and brand identity formation. These strategies provide practical, scalable solutions for micro culinary businesses operating with limited resources. Keywords : consumer engagement, digital marketing, micro culinary business, product innovation, social media

This research investigates the impact of beverage names on consumers' perceptions and decisions. For instance, names like "fruity loop" evoke specific feelings that may affect buying choices. Brand theory emphasizes the significance of menu names in defining a café's character, as such names play a crucial role in drawing in customers and enhancing their satisfaction. Culinary linguistics asserts that the names of products play a crucial role in the branding and communication of food and beverages. The names of drinks in cafés in Yogyakarta showcase naming trends that represent identity, values, and the customer experience, while also linking culinary language and marketing strategies.This study uses qualitative descriptive analysis to collect linguistic and cultural data through field observations. The study consists of four steps: collecting drink menus from well-known and diverse cafes in Yogyakarta, classifying drink names, taking photos and notes of the menus, and conducting in-depth data analysis. Key information includes beverage menu names called “culinaronyms,” which describe language, meaning, and culture. These names are important for products because unique names have the potential to attract consumers. This study highlights the linguistic features found in unique beverage menu titles, such as Vietnam Drip, Black Citrus, and Caramel Macchiato. These names were collected from cafes in Yogyakarta using Google Maps, Instagram, and YouTube. They combine narrative and imaginative language to build brand identity and express social and cultural values. The naming approach uses foreign vocabulary, figurative language, and unique linguistic creativity. This study analyzes the naming patterns of cafes in Yogyakarta, showing that beverage names reflect the personality and image of the cafe. These names are also classified based on meanings related to product identity, cultural connections, and emotional reactions.

Purpose In virtual brand communities, social presence enhances consumers’ participation willingness, but its underlying mechanism for continuous participation remains to be elucidated. This study aims to reveal the relationship between social presence and continuous participation intention and to identify the moderating effect of institutional trust on this relationship. Design/methodology/approach Using social presence and social identity theory, we constructed a chain mediating model with moderating effects. This paper tested the proposed hypothesis by using SPSS and AMOS software. Findings Social presence has a significant positive effect on consumers’ continuous participation intention. Brand identity and community identity play a chain-mediating role between social presence and consumers’ continuous participation intention. The safety and monitoring dimensions of institutional trust positively moderate the relationship between brand identity, community identity and continuous participation intention. The safety and monitoring dimensions of institutional trust enhance the mediating roles of brand identity and community identity, with a moderated mediating effect. Originality/value This study contributes novel insights into the relationship between social presence and continuous participation intention and enriches the social presence and social identity theories. This study offers managerial implications for managers to boost consumers’ continuous engagement.

ABSTRACT This study examines the impression of the congruence between celebrity and brand as well as their alignment with the target audience, and the likelihood of the Z Generation to purchase a product. The study also examines the moderation of gender of target audience. Using quota sampling, the study analyzed data through survey based empirical research from 384 responses. Path, mediation, and moderation analysis is done to assess the associations of constructs through SMART-PLS. The results specify that when a celebrity endorsement aligns with a brand, it has a positive impact on the Z Generation’s propensity to purchase in Pakistan. Furthermore, when the celebrity’s image is aligned with target audience, it increases the effectiveness of celebrity endorsements. Importantly, Gen Z consumers of all sexes seem to assess congruent marketing stimuli similarly, giving alignment and authenticity precedence over gendered viewpoints. It recommends that marketers switch from demographic targeting to congruence and psychographic-based tactics that appeal to Gen Zers of all genders equally. The study findings can be useful for firms aiming to optimize their marketing influence to meticulously choose celebrities whose image aligns with both their brand identity and the target consumers.

Visual recognition for automated cigarette inventory faces significant hurdles, including illumination changes, diverse box dimensions, and partial feature occlusion, which complicate brand verification and misplaced box detection. This article proposes an improved real-time detection model to deal with image recognition problems and improve accuracy. Firstly, an adaptive downsampling module is deployed to replace the downsampling convolution module in both the backbone and neck networks of YOLO series as the baseline or original detector, which effectively retains more feature details and realizes the lightweight of the model. Secondly, an inverted efficient multi-scale attention module is introduced to capture the spatial context information of different scales and generate a more accurate spatial attention map, which improves the prediction accuracy of the baseline model for complex features and occlusion targets. Finally, a dynamic detection head module replaces theoriginal detection head of the baseline model and performs multi-scale object detection on the feature map extracted from the backbone and neck networks to achieve accurate positioning and category division of the predicted target. To evaluate the performance of the improved model in the field, we constructed a visual dataset of the cigarette box brand. The dataset was augmented using region-specific copy-paste and traditional augmentation techniques, and the obtained dataset includes complex background, occlusion, and overlap, small target, and other factors. The experiment demonstrates that the improved model presented in this article effectively meets the requirements for real-time detection in the field. The proposed model achieves a mAP of 97.9%, with parameters and FLOPs of 1,849,679 and 5.1 G, respectively. Compared with the baseline model, the proposed model improves mAP by 0.9% while reducing parameters by 28.78% and floating-point operations by 1.4 G. Additionally, the model reaches an inference speed of 38.5 FPS, satisfying the requirements for real-time industrial detection.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing Brand identities in business, giving companies access to a variety of tools that enable them to better identify and engage their consumers. The implementation of better workflows, stronger marketing campaigns, and aggregating product eminence can give businesses a significant competitive advantage and lay the foundation for long-term growth. Through it, business transformation would be made probable, and the affiliation between technology and societies could be observed from novel perspectives.A brand identity conveys the ethics, characteristics, and assurances that a company provides to customers in an emotional and visual manner. Using data analysis, pattern identification, and insights, artificial intelligence can help expand brands. Having strong brand identification will increase the likelihood that customers will be positively inclined towards the Brand Extension. Hence, this paper describes how Artificial Intelligence is having an impact on Customer Brand Identification and how it fosters the Brand Extension.

This community service activity aims to implement and evaluate the role of digitalization and branding strategies in increasing competitiveness and developing the local economy of two Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Saribu Raja Janji Maria Village, Balige, namely Apotik Kasih Ibu and Herawati Cake. This activity uses a qualitative descriptive method involving three stages: 1) initial observation and assessment; 2) intervention (implementation of QRIS at Apotik Kasih Ibu and development of brand identity strengthening strategies at Herawati Cake); and 3) final evaluation through interviews and documentation. The results of the activity show a measurable impact of the intervention, where the implementation of QRIS at Apotik Kasih Ibu increases the efficiency of cashier transaction times by an average of 30%, and increases customer convenience. The branding strategy at Herawati Cake has succeeded in strengthening the business image as shown by a 45% increase in social media engagement and expansion of market reach outside the sub-district. These two interventions support SDG 8 and SDG 9. The synergy between digitalization and branding has proven effective as a model for accelerating modern and sustainable village economic development, and has the potential to be replicated as a best practice for strengthening the community-based digital economy.

Effects of sensory and environmental labelling of plant-based products on consumer acceptance: Context, energy density and framing factors.