Coherent Brand Research Articles

Trajectories and Legacies of Outsider Party-Building: The Rise and Fall of Spain’s Podemos

Mass protests in Spain that challenged the long-standing two-party system and austerity policies associated with both major parties (PP and PSOE) were followed by the emergence of challenger party Podemos. In the current conjuncture, however, Podemos faces an existential crisis. Supported by data gathered during interviews with key figures from Podemos, leftist parties and activists, this article disentangles why and how the outsider-to-insider party-building process culminated in a de-legitimized Podemos. The article argues that the electoral strategy of Podemos leaders in conjunction with opposition pressures encouraged a moderation of the party’s brand. To pursue such moderation required insulating the leadership clique from radical voices via degenerative factionalism and oligarchization processes. Moreover, weak popular sector organizations were unable to counter the moderation–factionalism–oligarchization process. The culmination of the party-building process saw a Podemos that lacked a coherent brand or any societal connections, leaving it vulnerable to replacement by a new challenger.

Building Consumer Behaviourin E-commerce : A Case Study of Flipkart

ABSTRACT In the rapidly evolving landscape of e-commerce, consumer behaviourstands as a pivotal factor influencing purchasing decisions, brand loyalty, and overall business success. This case study delves into the strategies and practices adopted by Flipkart, a leading player in the Indian ecommerce sphere, to cultivate and sustain consumer trust. Through a meticulous examination backed by a sample size of 30+ respondents, this research employs statistical tools, specifically the Chi-Square test method, to scrutinize hypotheses pertaining to various dimensions of consumer trust. The study encompasses an extensive exploration of factors crucial to consumer behaviourin ecommerce, encompassing elements such as website security, product quality, customer service, and brand reputation. Utilizing a structured questionnaire, data is meticulously gathered from Flipkart customers, aiming to capture their perceptions and experiences with the platform. The application of the Chi-Square test method enables a thorough analysis of the interplay between different behaviourfactors and levels of customer satisfaction. Initial findings suggest that Flipkart's strategic emphasis on robust security measures, dependable product delivery mechanisms, responsive and empathetic customer support, and coherent brand messaging significantly contributes to fostering consumer trust. Moreover, the research identifies specific strengths within Flipkart's approach to building trust, alongside areas where further enhancements could be made. By illuminating the intricate mechanisms through which Flipkart nurtures consumer trust, this study offers valuable insights for e-commerce practitioners striving to fortify customer relationships and attain a competitive edge in the digital marketplace. These insights hold significance not only for Flipkart but also for businesses operating within the broader ecommerce ecosystem, providing actionable strategies to bolster behaviourand drive sustainable growth.

Building Consumer Trust in E-commerce : A Case Study of Flipkart

In the rapidly evolving landscape of e-commerce, consumer trust stands as a pivotal factor influencing purchasing decisions, brand loyalty, and overall business success. This case study delves into the strategies and practices adopted by Flipkart, a leading player in the Indian ecommerce sphere, to cultivate and sustain consumer trust. Through a meticulous examination backed by a sample size of 30+ respondents, this research employs statistical tools, specifically the Chi-Square test method, to scrutinize hypotheses pertaining to various dimensions of consumer trust. The study encompasses an extensive exploration of factors crucial to consumer trust in ecommerce, encompassing elements such as website security, product quality, customer service, and brand reputation. Utilizing a structured questionnaire, data is meticulously gathered from Flipkart customers, aiming to capture their perceptions and experiences with the platform. The application of the Chi-Square test method enables a thorough analysis of the interplay between different trust factors and levels of customer satisfaction. Initial findings suggest that Flipkart's strategic emphasis on robust security measures, dependable product delivery mechanisms, responsive and empathetic customer support, and coherent brand messaging significantly contributes to fostering consumer trust. Moreover, the research identifies specific strengths within Flipkart's approach to building trust, alongside areas where further enhancements could be made. By illuminating the intricate mechanisms through which Flipkart nurtures consumer trust, this study offers valuable insights for e-commerce practitioners striving to fortify customer relationships and attain a competitive edge in the digital marketplace. These insights hold significance not only for Flipkart but also for businesses operating within the broader ecommerce ecosystem, providing actionable strategies to bolster trust and drive sustainable growth.

Representing a Coherent Brand out of Incommensurate Goals

Abstract
 This paper analyses how the University of British Columbia (UBC) presents itself to prospective students on the ubc.ca homepage and its Facebook and Weibo pages. Across all three, we found UBC's high ranking was deployed as evidence of "being the best". However, there are differences across the three platforms in how UBC represents its role and response to colonialism and continued racism in Canadian society. The second part of the paper analyses UBC's discursive framing concerning its ranking and attractiveness as a school for international students and compares and contrasts this with its statements around solidarity with Indigenous and racialised peoples.

Identity-based brand differentiation : Brand Identity Prism application in South African banks

Background: Branding serves two (2) fundamental purposes - brand differentiation and identification. Firms need to differentiate their brands in the market while consumers identify brands to satisfy their needs. The basis of brand differentiation is the development of coherent brand identities. However, due to scant empirical information, extant brand identity models remain largely conceptual, hence their robustness is questionable. Purpose of study: The current study explored the applicability of the Brand Identity Prism (BIP) in selected South African banks. The study sought to construe brand identity dimensions that differentiate banks in the sector. Design/Methodology/Approach: An interpretivist qualitative research design was adopted. Accordingly, indepth interviews were conducted with banks’ marketing executives who are instrumental in brand strategy formulation, whereafter, banks’ brand identities, as contained on websites and in media releases, were analysed. Results/Findings: Findings revealed that the BIP’s physique, personality, and culture dimensions were used as bases for brand differentiation. Relationships were found important but did not serve differentiation purpose. Reflection and self-image were found to be inapplicable. Managerial implication: The study makes a unique contribution to brand management literature and practice in two ways; (i) it explored the applicability of an existing model in a new context (ii) and concurrently established the sources of brand differentiation in the South African banking sector.

Brand Management from Social Marketing and Happiness Management Binomial of in the Age of Industry 4.0

The relationship between brands and social marketing is not something new for brand managers; it is from the concept of happiness management (Ravina-Ripoll et al., 2020). Starting from a situation of social tension characterized by the anxieties and vital desires of a society, brand management based on the binomial of social marketing and happiness management allows building brands that manage to absorb and reflect the culture around them (Heding et al., 2009), becoming containers of identity myths that take advantage of advertising to develop attractive messages for their audiences. Based on this approach, devised by Holt (2004), it aims to work on the collective nature of the brand (Ollé & Riu, 2009) through its interaction with everyday situations and insights and its relationship with the surrounding environment. This communication aims to analyse the case of Santander Group, recognised by the Renowned Brands Forum as one of the most real and coherent brands among its consumers. Keywords: Advertising; brand; happiness; management; marketing; social.

National branding strategy and its effects on business and tourism

Abstract Branding is the process through which a products’ or a services’ brand image is changed or is being developed. Over time, the branding process was approached from many perspectives to serve different purposes, therefore the nation branding was introduced to create a recognizable image for a country, which started to grow year by year. The scope back then, was the same as now, meaning to consolidate a nation’s position in a competitive environment and to improve its reputation. A positive national image contributes to the economic growth by building up a touristic national brand, attracting foreign investors, building trust in the national companies and brands, it encourages exports, develops the public diplomacy and slows down emigration. A good national branding is advantageous for all parties involved, for the private and the public sector, as well as for all bodies and citizens, and these same parties play an important role in building it. While all parties involved are conscious about the need of a coherent brand and are willing to contribute to the branding process, it is actually a challenge to build functional models to implement it and facilitate a strategic communication. This article is using case studies and desk research to study suitable models and communication strategies, which can be applied in the national branding process. It is proposing good practices to bring together research, business, policy making actors and individuals.

Exploring How Employee Sense of Brand Community Affects Their Attitudes and Behavior

The success of hospitality brands relies heavily on employees, collectively, to transform the tacit brand promise and unique brand values into a coherent brand experience for their guests. Thus, employees are likely to develop a sense of community that coalesces around brand values. A sense of community contributes to members’ belongingness, social exchanges, and subjective well-being. However, the importance of an employee-based brand community has rarely been considered. This study proposes and examines the role of a volitional employee-based brand community in promoting employees’ brand-aligned performance. With 223 responses from U.S.-based hospitality employees, this study supports the positive role of employee sense of brand community, which emanates from the organization’s brand climate. In turn, such a community enhances employee belief in the brand as well as their subsequent brand-aligned performance.

The meaning of a brand? An archetypal approach

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze customers’ perceptions about brand personality in different cultural environments, checking if the archetypal framework of Mark and Pearson (2001) applies to different brands across countries. Design/methodology/approach The authors measured consumers’ perceptions in different cultural contexts through a survey, and received 537 valid questionnaires from Portugal, Brazil, Colombia and Peru, countries that have some similar indicators of cultural proximity. The authors wanted to verify if the words and sentences that respondents related to each brand were coherent with the archetype/brand, and the homogeneity of the results in different cultural contexts. Findings Empirical evidence shows that there is proximity between the literature review and the associations – words and sentences – that consumers from different countries make with those brands. This consistency of results is significantly higher for word associations. Originality/value Regardless of the results, the perceptions of consumers expressed through the selected words were often diverse and heterogeneous among countries. This could possibly indicate insufficient efforts from global brands toward a coherent brand personality/global-archetypal approach. Therefore, managing brand personality deserves more attention and marketers must understand consumer behavior patterns in different markets.

Brand choice and brand switching: a case study of relocated consumers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact on consumer behaviour/brand choice resulting in the relocation of communities from informal to formal settlements. Design/methodology/approach A survey conducted among a probability sample of 384 consumers comprising different “socio-income” groups, who were relocated from informal settlements as well as others who relocated voluntarily to Cosmo City, a state designed residential development, to explore their brand choice behaviour. Findings It was ascertained that households switch brands if the degree of social change is greater than the perceived strength of the current brand, and an improvement in the space or house size which impacted their lifestyle. There is also a significant relationship between the product format and brand switching; between brand choice and change in the place and type of residence. Research limitations/implications It is evident that residential location, changes in social positions, inclusive of place of residence, lifestyle changes, and functional benefits, are essential factors for consideration in the development of a coherent brand strategy that seeks to adequately address the toilet-care product brand needs of consumers in the new democratic South Africa. Practical implications Marketers have to move beyond simple demographics and use multifaceted approaches to understanding brand switching behaviour, because consumers adapt quickly to changes in the market. Marketers also need to be cognisant of the rapid changes in consumers’ perception of their lifestyle change, and how they (consumers) relate to these changes. Social implications The relocation was viewed as a “social disruption” which in this study was the “relocation” which changed the place of and type of dwelling/home ownership type. Marketers also need to be cognisant of the rapid changes in consumers’ perception of their lifestyle change, and how they (consumers) relate to these changes. Originality/value The concept of social disruption in the form or relocated customers has not been studied in South Africa, especially with respect to the impact on brand choice of toilet cleaning products.

Managing brand identity strategy: how professional football wins the game

PurposeWhile research on brand identity is abundant, an area that is less explored is whether an organisation’s communication about itself directly translates to key stakeholders’ perception of that organisation. The purpose of this study is to explore whether certain Web-based communication strategies are more effective in aligning organisations’ communicated identity (CI) with their perceived identity (PI).Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a mixed-methods design in the context of professional football league clubs. The CI was determined through an analysis of the clubs websites (n = 20), and PI was investigated through interviews with spectators (n = 244). Both CI and PI were operationalised using image categories.FindingsThree main strategies of identity communication are observed. The results show that the strategy focusing on product-related categories leads to discrepancy. WBC with non-product related categories and benefits shows better CI-PI alignment. The study also found that clubs emphasising their CI as local, engaged in community and family-friendly are more likely to achieve greater alignment.Practical implicationsThe quality of the brand identity depends on the discrepancy or congruence of brand image categories. Best practices are observed for brands having largely updated WBC of all categories, attitudes and engagement in the community.Originality/valueThe interrelated nature of brand identity communication and perception makes it necessary to empirically test how the two may be bridged with one. The developed concepts provide insight into which strategies better contribute to a consistent, coherent brand identity.

‘I read comics from a feministic point of view’: Conceptualizing the transmedia ethos of the Captain Marvel fan community

Abstract The contemporary media industries may be thinking transmedially so to engage their audiences across multiple platforms, but it is not enough to assume that the creation of a coherent brand, narrative or storyworld is enough to explain the specificities and the reasons for why audiences choose (or choose not) to engage in transmedia activities. This article argues for the need to analyse the behaviours and motivations of a media-crossing audience according to a more fluid, ephemeral and value-laden transmedia ethos. Specifically, this article uses Captain Marvel – alongside a wide-scale online survey made up of over 200 of the character’s fans – as a case study for examining the politics of transmediality, demonstrating how the migration of the Captain Marvel fan base across multiple platforms and iterations of the character is based not on the lure of interconnected storytelling or world building, but is rather built up of a much more layered transmedia ethos based on feminism, alternativism and a digi-gratis economy.

I Am Nel: Becoming (In)Coherent Scholars in Neoliberal Times

In the neoliberal academy, scholars must regularly create multiple texts (e.g., statements about research agendas, CVs, tenure-related research narratives) about themselves and their work to produce themselves as subjects whose research can be described, quantified, and slotted into commonly accepted categories (e.g., fundable, high impact, quality, data driven). In this article, we question what is lost when it becomes natural and desirable to be recognizable as a singular and coherent brand within neoliberalism. Specifically, we make coherence visible as a mechanism of neoliberal audit culture rather than a stable scholarly goal. To do that, we engage with various textual strategies and media that enable us to think of and enact coherence differently again and again. We hope working both within and against coherence as a mechanism of neoliberalism opens a perpetual sensitivity about authorship, ownership, and coherent scholarship and welcomes the unknown and unforeseen in our academic careers.

Critically Acclaimed and Cancelled

This article uses The Bridge (FX, 2013–2014), an adaptation of the Danish-Swedish series Broen/Bron (SVT1/DR1, 2011-), to explore the ways in which the brand identities of channels shape the adaptation process for scripted television formats. By situating The Bridge in the broader context of FX’s effort to maintain a coherent brand identity, the author argues that producers were not attempting to repurpose Broen/Bron’s narrative for the American audience. Rather, the network wanted to provide its traditionally young and masculine audience with another ‘muscular’ crime series while appealing to additional demographics in the hopes of expanding the channel’s overall viewership.

Defining Primary Brand Associations for the Strategic Positioning of Certified Organic Products

Defining a coherent brand positioning strategy requires conceptualizing, communicating and managing brand associations that are strong, unique and favorable. Defining primary brand associations is especially difficult for certified organic products due to the apparent lack of a theoretical framework that thorougly analyses consumer perceptions and behavior towards organic products. The purpose of this article is to identify primary brand associations specific to certified organic products that can serve as brand positioning bases. The authors identify how these elicited primary brand associations are correlated to consumers' attitude towards organic products and to specific socio-demographic variables. Based on these correlations, authors develop a strategic framework useful for selecting relevant brand associations in the positioning of certified organic products. The research was conducted on a sample of 763 respondents and is nationally representative for Romanian urban residents.

Critically Acclaimed and Cancelled: FX's The Bridge, Channel as Brand and the Adaptation of Scripted TV Formats

This article uses The Bridge (FX, 2013–2014), an adaptation of the Danish-Swedish series Broen/Bron (SVT1/DR1, 2011-), to explore the ways in which the brand identities of channels shape the adaptation process for scripted television formats. By situating The Bridge in the broader context of FX’s effort to maintain a coherent brand identity, the author argues that producers were not attempting to repurpose Broen/Bron’s narrative for the American audience. Rather, the network wanted to provide its traditionally young and masculine audience with another ‘muscular’ crime series while appealing to additional demographics in the hopes of expanding the channel’s overall viewership.

Navigating the Institutional Logics of Markets: Implications for Strategic Brand Management

Adopting an institutional theoretic framework, this article examines the evolution and competitive dynamics of markets composed of multiple practices, beliefs, and rule systems. The 30-year historical analysis of the U.S. yoga market illustrates the coexistence of spirituality, medical, fitness, and commercial logics. Using data gathered through archival sources, netnography, in-depth interviews, and participant observations, the authors link shifting emphases on institutional logics and their sustenance to institutional entrepreneurs’ accumulation and transmission of cultural capital, strategies to legitimize plural logics, distinct branding practices, and contestations among the pervading logics. The study offers a managerial framework for managing conflicting demands of logics, conveying brand legitimacy, and creating a coherent brand identity in plural logic markets; in addition, it develops a theoretical account of links between institutional logics, competitive dynamics, and market evolution.

Design Collaborations: The Good, the Bad, and the Unthinkable

This conceptual paper is a study of the impact of three drivers: collaboration, interdisciplinary practice, and co-operation, which we recognise as the new imperatives for future design practitioners. Contextually, seeing national and international shifts in design, we challenged the idea of single mono design courses and questioned our own validity. Subsequently, we undertook a fundamental re-think of what an art school is for. By taking the notion of interdisciplinary design education this resulted in new curricula, a re-branding as the Manchester School of Art, and a physical resource to match our ambition. This paper articulates the design process employed in engaging staff to reflect and re-focus on the essence of an art school, and through doing this, develop a collegiate approach to the re-design of our buildings, a coming together of our distinct departments under a coherent brand, and the embedding of pedagogical collaboration through curricula in the form of the experimental Unit X. “X” enabled us to reflect back upon and question what is a subject. Ultimately, we discussed what is innovation and the place of risk-taking in learning. These tensions and questions have become ongoing debates and drivers for future developments and research.

Toward a Conceptual Framework of Emotional Relationship Marketing: An Examination of Two UK Political Parties

The purpose of this paper is to review the notion of branding and evaluate its applicability to political parties. As ideological politics is in decline, branding may provide a consistent narrative where voters feel a sense of warmth and belonging. The paper aims to build an understanding of the complexity of building a political brand where a combination of image, logo, leadership, and values can all contribute to a compelling brand narrative. It investigates how competing positive and negative messages attempt to build and distort the brand identity. A critical review of branding, relationship marketing, and political science literature articulates the conceptual development of branding and its applicability to political parties. The success or failure of negative campaigning is due to the authenticity of a political party's brand values—creating a coherent brand story—if there is no distance between the brand values articulated by the political party and the values their community perceives then this creates an “authentic” brand. However, if there is a gap this paper illustrates how negative campaigning can be used to build a “doppelgänger brand,” which undermines the credibility of the authentic political brand. The paper argues that political parties need to understand how brand stories are developed but also how they can be used to protect against negative advertising. This has implications for political marketing strategists and political parties. This paper draws together branding theory and relationship marketing and incorporates them into a framework that makes a contribution to the political marketing literature.

Seriality and Transmediality in the Fan Multiverse: Flexible and Multiple Narrative Structures in Fan Fiction, Art, and Vids

This article explores new forms of serial structure found in transmedia story worlds, with particular attention to the innovations of amateur transmedia works. Although the term transmedia has most often been associated only with corporate media at the center, taking amateur works as the paradigmatic example produces new insights into the affordances of digital technology, beyond the industry’s limitations, namely how transmedia creativity can function in the absence of the need to remain marketable, to maintain a coherent brand, and to work within a corporate family of conglomerated media companies. This study thereby focuses on fan fiction, art, and “vids”, a form of remix video collage, to demonstrate how contemporary amateur production interacts with professional content, but also produces its own type of complex narration through unique forms, aesthetics, and story structures, likewise encouraging alternate reception practices as a result. This article identifies at least three types of transmedial seriality elucidated by studying amateur fan media. First, fan works emphasize the increasingly complex nature of seriality in all transmedia and the way in which serial effects do not vanish, but increasingly depend upon the viewer’s choices. Secondly, fan works create their own kind of flexible and multiple serial effects wherein meaning does not depend on consuming a specific sequence of narratives, but instead upon reading any collection of narratives within larger cycles or tropes to assemble a sense of flowing norms, genres, and preferences. Finally, fan works also uniquely analyze and reconfigure the serial effects of tropes found not only across the transmedia components of individual stories, but also across the breadth of popular culture. By remixing and reimagining repeated structures of representation, fan works often call attention to latent forms of seriality within popular culture as a collective whole.