Investigating the function of symbolism in corporate branding
Subject Areas :maboud abbaszade 1 , Seyed mohammad tabatabaeenasab 2 *
1 - University of Yazd
2 -
Keywords: Brand symbolism symbolism and brand meaning symbolic interactionism , symbolic consumption,
Abstract :
The aim of this study is to systematically study the research literature in the field of symbolism, identify research gaps and and use the relevant findings to design a corporate branding model. This research is among secondary studies based on systematic review and grounded theory method. 130 articles were investigated through examining the keywords in the related databases as Emerald, sciencedirect, Sage, etc and according to the predetermined criteria. Quick review of the abstracts of the target articles helped delete the irrelevant articles, and then the content of reviewed, and finally the fulltext of 56 articles were selected to be reviewed. According to grounded theory approach, three coding steps were used in the present study: open coding, axial coding and selective coding for data analysis. In addition, MAXQDA software was used to organize the findings.The research findings were adapted with corporate branding theories and gaps in this field were identified. The results of adaptation in this study show that there is a structural and substantive relationship between the core categories and theories of corporate branding, in a way that meaning, symbol and value as interconnected constructs form the corporate brand ecosystem. The brand ecosystem has three levels of fundamental ideology, organizing ideology and consumption ideology.
1. حسینی بامکان، سید مجتبی؛ طغرالجردی، عارف؛ مالکی نژاد، پوریا(1399) مرور نظاممند کاربردهای شبکه عصبی مصنوعی در مدیریت زنجیره تأمین. مدیریت فردا. 19(1).123-99
2. راضي، نسرين؛ مشبكي، اصغر؛ خداداد حسيني، سيد حميد؛ كردنائيج، اسداله ( 1399 ). هم گرايي در رويكردهاي چندبعدي بين بخشي و بين سازماني در پژوهش هاي ارزيابي عملكرد مرور نظام مند ادبيات: B2B فروش. مديريت بازرگاني.12(2).314 -285.
3. Aaker, J. (1997), “Dimensions of brand personality”, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 34 No. 3, pp. 347-356.
4. Aaker, J., Fournier, S. and Brasel, S.A. (2004), “When good brands do bad”, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 31, June, pp. 1-16.
5. Akaka, M, Hope.A, Schau,J.Vargo.S(2014)"The Co-Creation of Value-in-Cultural-Context" Consumer Culture Theory.PP 265-284.
6. Batra, R., Ahuvia, A. and Bagozzi, R.P. (2012), “Brand love”,Journal of Marketing, Vol. 76 No. 2, pp. 1-16.
7. Balmer, J.M.T. (2001), “Corporate identity, corporate branding and corporate marketing: seeing through the fog”, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 35 No. 3 and 4, pp. 248-91.
8. Balmer, J.M.T. and Gray, E.R. (2003), “Corporate brands: what are they? What of them?”, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 37 Nos 7/8, pp. 972-97.
9. Balmer, J.M.T. and Greyser, S.A. (2006), “Corporate marketing: Integrating corporate identity, corporate branding, corporate communications, corporate image and corporate reputation”, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 40 Nos 7/8, pp. 730-41.
10. Balmer, J.M.T. (2009), “Corporate marketing: apocalypse, advent and epiphany”, Management Decision, Vol. 47 No. 4, pp. 544-72.
11. Balmer, J.M.T. (2011), “Corporate marketing myopia and the inexorable rise of a corporate marketing logic: perspectives from identity-based views of the firm”, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 45 Nos 9/10, pp. 1329-1352.
12. Balmer, J.M.T. (2012) "Strategic corporate brand alignment: Perspectives from identity based views of corporate brands", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 46 Issue: 7/8, pp.1064-1092.
13. Balmer, J. (2013) Corporate brand orientation: What is it? What of it?. Journal of Brand Management 20(9): 723—741
14. Balmer, J.M.T., (2017) "Advances in corporate brand, corporate heritage, corporate identity and corporate marketing scholarship", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 51 Issue: 9/10, pp.1462-1471.
15. Belk, R.W. and Tumbat, G. (2005), “The cult of Macintosh: consumption, markets, and culture”, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 205-217.
16. Brexendorf, T. Keller,K (2017) "Leveraging the corporate brand: The importance of corporate brand innovativeness and brand architecture", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 51 Issue: 9/10, pp.1530-1551.
17. Chandler, J. D., & Vargo, S. L. (2011). Contextualization and value-in-context: How context frames exchange. Marketing Theory, 11(1), 3549.
18. Cova, B. and Pace, S. (2006), “Brand community of convenience products: new forms of customer empowerment – the case of ‘My Nutella the community’”, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 40 Nos 9/10, pp. 1087-1105.
19. Davcik.N,S..R.Hair.J(2015),"Towards a unified theory of brand equity: conceptualizations, taxonomy and avenues for future research", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 24 Iss 1 pp. 3 – 17.
20. De Chernatony, L. and Segal-Horn, S. (2003), “The criteria for successful services brands”, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 37 Nos 7/8, pp. 1095-118.
21. Diamond, N, Sherry.J,Muñiz.A, McGrath,M. Robert V.Kozinets, and Borghini.S( 2009) “American Girl and the Brand Gestalt: Closing the Loop on Sociocultural Branding Research.” Journal of Marketing 73(3): 118–134.
22. Dimofte, C. V., & Yalch, R. F. (2011). The mere association effect and brand evaluations. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 21, 24–37.
23. Ewing, M.T. and Napoli, J. (2005), “Developing and validating a multidimensional non-profit brand orientation scale”, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 58, pp. 841-53.
24. Evans.J and Bridson.K. Rentschler,R. (2012),"Drivers, impediments and manifestations of brand orientation", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 46 Iss 11/12 pp. 1457 – 1475.
25. Feldwick, Paul (2002), What is Brand Equity Anyway?, Oxfordshire: World Advertising Research Center.
26. Fournier, S & Solomon, M & Englis, B. (2008). When Brands Resonate. Handbook on Brand and Experience Management.
27. Gyrd-Jones, Richard I., and Niels Kornum. 2013. “Managing the Co-created Brand: Value and Cultural Complementarity in Online and Offline Multi‐stakeholder Ecosystems.” Journal of Business Research 66(9): 1484–1493.
28. Hałas. E"Social symbolism: forms and functions – a pragmatist perspective" In Studies in Symbolic Interaction. Published online: 08 Mar 2015; 131-149.
29. Hankinson, P. (2001), “Brand orientation in the charity sector: a framework for discussion and research”, International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, Vol. 6 No. 3, pp. 231-42.
30. Hankinson, P. (2002), “The impact of brand orientation on managerial practice: a quantitative study of the UK’s top 500 fundraising managers”, International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 30-44.
31. Harris, F. and de Chernatony, L. (2001), “Corporate branding and corporate brand performance”, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 35 Nos 3/4, pp. 441-56.
32. Hatch, M. J. and Schultz, M. (2003) ‘Bringing the Corporation into Corporate Branding’, European Journal of Marketing 37: 1041–64.
33. Hatch, M.J. and Schultz, M. (2010), “Toward a theory of brand co-creation with implications for brand governance”, Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 17 No. 8, pp.
34. Holt, Douglas B. (2002), “Why Do Brands Cause Trouble? A Dialectical Theory of Consumer Culture and Branding,” Journal of Consumer Research, 29 (1), 70–90.
35. Holt ,D.( 2004): How Brands Becomes Icons: The Principles of Cultural Branding. Cambridge, MA : Harvard Business Review.
36. Kapferer, Jean-Noe¨l (2012), The New Strategic Brand Management. Sterling, VA: Kogan Page
37. Karaosmanoglu, E., Bas, A.B.E. and Zhang, J. (2011), “The role of other customer effect in corporate marketing: its impact on corporate image and consumer-company identification”, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 45 Nos 9/10, pp. 1416-45.
38. Keller, K. and Lehmann, D. (2006), “Brands and Branding: research findings and future priorities”, Marketing Science, Vol. 25 No. 6, pp. 740-759.
39. Keller, K.L. (2014), “Designing and implementing brand architecture strategies”, Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 21 No. 9, pp. 702–715.
40. Kieran D. Tierney Ingo O. Karpen Kate Westberg , (2016),"Brand meaning cocreation: toward a conceptualization and research implications", Journal of Service Theory and Practice, Vol. 26 Iss 6 .pp. 911 – 932.
41. Kohli, A. K., & Jaworski, B. J. (1990). Market orientation: The construct, research propositions and managerial implications. Journal of Marketing, 54(2), 1–18.
42. Levy, S.J. (1959) ‘Symbols for Sale’, Harvard Business Review 37(July–August): 117–24.
43. Melewar, T.C. and Karaosmanoglu, E. (2006), “Seven dimensions of corporate identity: a categorization from the practitioners’ perspectives”, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 40 Nos 7/8, pp. 846-69.
44. Melewar T.C., Andriopoulos G. C, (2012),"Shaping the research agenda for corporate branding: avenues for future research", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 46 Iss 5 pp. 600 – 608.
45. Mick, D.G.(1986),“Consumer research and semiotics: exploring the morphology of signs,symbols and significance” Journal of Consumer Research, Vol.13 No.2, pp.196-213.
46. O’Guinn, Thomas C., Albert M. Mun˜ iz Jr., and Erika Paulson (2018), “A Sociological Critique and Reformulation of Brands,” in The Oxford Handbook of Consumption, Frederick F. Wherry and Ian Woodward, eds. New York: Oxford University Press, 127–50.
47. Ondřej .R,(2017) , SOCIOLOGY OF BRANDING: “JUST DO IT” IN THE “NO LIMITS” WORLD, Communication Today, 2017, Vol. 8, No. 1.
48. Park, C.W., MacInnis, D.J., Priester, J., Eisingerich, A.B. and Iacobbucci, D. (2010), “Brand attachment and brand attitude strength: conceptual and empirical differentiation of two critical brand equity drivers”, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 74 No. 6, pp. 1-17.
49. Rehman A, M., Wong, H.Y. & Hossain, M. J B. Manag (2016) The progression of brand orientation literature in twenty years: A systematic literature review Volume 23, Issue 6, pp 612–630.
50. Schroeder, J.E. and Salzer-Morling, M. (Eds) (2006), Brand Culture, Routledge, London.
51. Schroeder, J. E. (2009), “The cultural codes of branding”, Marketing Theory Vol. 9, pp. 123-26.
52. Schroeder, J. E. (2017) "Corporate branding in perspective: a typology", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 51 Issue: 9/10, pp.1522-1529.
53. Steenkamp, Jan-Benedict E.M. (2017), Global Brand Strategy: World-Wise Marketing in the Age of Branding. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
54. Strebinger, A. (2014), “Rethinking brand architecture: A study on industry, company-and product-level drivers of branding strategy”, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 48 No. 9/10 , pp. 1782–1804.
55. Swaminathan, V., Sorescu, A., Steenkamp, J.-B. E. M., O’Guinn, T. C. G., & Schmitt, B. (2020). Branding in a Hyperconnected World: Refocusing Theories and Rethinking Boundaries. Journal of Marketing, 84(2), 24–46.
56. Thompson, C. and Arnould.E (2005), “Consumer- Culture- Theory—20 Years of Research,” Journal of Consumer Research, 31 (4), 868–82.
57. Urde.M (1999) Brand Orientation: A Mindset for Building Brands into Strategic Resources, Journal of Marketing Management. 15(1):117-133.
58. Urde, M. (2003), “Core value-based corporate brand building”, European Journal of Marketing,Vol. 37 Nos 7/8, pp. 1017-40.
59. Urde.M , Koch ,C. (2014),"Market and brand-oriented schools of positioning", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 23 Iss 7 pp. 478 – 490
60. Van Riel, C.B.M., van den Ban, A. and Heijmans, E. (2001), “The added value of corporate logos: an empirical study”, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 35 Nos 3/4, pp. 428-40.
61. Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2008). Service-dominant logic: Continuing the evolution. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 36(1), 1–10.
62. Vargo, S. L.(2011). From Micro to Macro: Stakeholders and Institutions. Journal of Macromarketin .31(2) 125-128
63. Veloutsou .C, Guzmán,F. (2017) "The evolution of brand management thinking over the last 25 years, Journal of Product and Brand Management Vol. 26 Issue: 1, pp.2-12
64. Venkatesh A.Khanwalka.S. Lawrence.L. Chen.C, (2013),"Ethnoconsumerism and cultural branding: designing “Nano” car", Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, Vol. 16 Iss 1 pp. 108 – 119.