Building brands for impact required readings summary
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Course
Building brands for impact (EBM073B05)
Institution
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (RuG)
This is a summary of almost all the articles from building brands for impact. The only missing articles are:
Lecture 3 reading 1
Lecture 6 reading 2
Lecture 7 reading 1
Lecture 7 reading 4
Lecture 1
Lecture 1 Article 1
Keller, K. L. (2021). The Future of Brands and Branding: An Essay on Multiplicity,
Heterogeneity, and Integration. Journal of Consumer Research
Introduction
In this essay, Kevin Lane Keller discusses the future of brands and branding in an increasingly
complex world. Keller argues that technology, changes in consumer behavior, and external
factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have significantly impacted how brands operate. He
emphasizes that successful brands in the future will need to address two major forces:
multiplicity (the diversity of marketing tools available) and heterogeneity (the diversity of
consumers). The success of brands will depend on their ability to integrate these forces into
their strategies.
Heterogeneity and Multiplicity
Keller explains that brands face two fundamental challenges:
● Multiplicity: The variety of marketing strategies and tools available to brands, such as
digital platforms, omnichannel strategies, and advanced data analytics.
● Heterogeneity: The increasing diversity among consumers. Consumers differ in their
needs, values, and expectations, forcing brands to adopt more personalized marketing
approaches.
In the future, successful brands will be those that manage to integrate both multiplicity and
heterogeneity into their branding strategies.
The Five Main Areas
Keller discusses five key areas where brands will experience change in the future. These areas
help address the challenges of multiplicity and heterogeneity:
1. Brand Elements: The building blocks of brands, such as logos, names, and symbols, will
become more dynamic.
2. Brand Drivers: Technology and innovation will play an increasingly crucial role in how
brands are managed and positioned.
3. Brand Meaning: Brands must create meaning by delivering both functional and
emotional value.
4. Consumer Heterogeneity: Brands must increasingly cater to the diversity of their
audiences.
5. Consumer Insights: Gathering detailed insights into consumer behavior and preferences
will be vital for successful brand strategies.
Definition of a Brand
Keller defines a brand as "a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination thereof,
intended to identify the goods and services of one seller and to differentiate them from those of
competitors." A strong brand must not only build awareness but also provide meaningful, unique
value to consumers. Brands come in many forms, from products and services to people and
places, and they play a vital role in the lives of consumers and organizations.
1
,Brand Elements
Brand elements such as names, logos, and symbols will become more dynamic and
multidimensional. Keller highlights that these elements need to be flexible in order to stand out
in an increasingly crowded market. Moreover, brands must be able to adapt these elements
effectively across various media, such as visual and audio components. A notable example is
Coca-Cola’s "Share a Coke" campaign, where the brand temporarily changed its logo to engage
more personally with consumers.
Brand Drivers
Technology is a significant driver of brand development. It enables brands to better understand
what consumers want and to offer more customized products and services. Brands need to
learn how to leverage new technologies like AI, data analytics, and social media to differentiate
themselves and stay relevant.
In addition, brands will increasingly adopt systems and platforms that provide consumers with
holistic solutions rather than just products or services. This requires close collaboration with
other brands and careful implementation of brand extension strategies.
Brand Meaning
In the future, brands must create meaning that goes beyond the functional benefits of their
products. Keller emphasizes that brands need to offer consumers emotional and symbolic value
by telling stories that resonate with their past, present, and future.
Brands that successfully integrate their past into their current identity and clearly communicate
their future vision will be perceived as more authentic and credible by consumers. These brands
will also create stronger emotional bonds, leading to increased loyalty and engagement.
Consumer Heterogeneity
The diversity among consumers continues to grow, pushing brands to personalize their
marketing approaches. Brands must adapt to individual differences in demographic factors,
cultural backgrounds, and personal preferences. This means marketers must focus more on
personalization and customization. Customer pyramids, a tool used to profile different levels of
consumer engagement, can help brands create more effective marketing programs. Keller
stresses that brands need to develop broad access points to accommodate the various forms of
heterogeneity within their customer base.
Consumer Insights
Gathering consumer insights will be essential for brands in the future. New methods, such as
neuroscience research and ethnographic studies, can help brands gain a deeper understanding
of how consumers perceive them. This allows marketers to create more personalized and
relevant brand experiences. Brands must not only understand how consumers make purchasing
decisions but also how different decision journeys (customer journeys) unfold. These insights
will help marketers develop effective strategies that address the specific needs of different
consumer groups.
2
,Conclusion
In a constantly changing world, brands must adapt to the challenges of multiplicity and
heterogeneity. The future of brands and branding will depend on marketers' ability to integrate
new technologies, flexible brand elements, and personalized consumer experiences. Successful
brands will be those that can balance these complex forces and create value for an increasingly
diverse consumer base.
Lecture 1 article 2
Park, J. K., & John, D. R. (2010). Got to get you into my life: Do brand personalities rub off
on consumers? Journal of Consumer Research
Introduction
This research explores how using brands with strong, appealing personalities can influence
consumers’ self-perception. The study specifically focuses on whether the personality traits
associated with a brand (e.g., sophistication, ruggedness, glamour) can "rub off" on consumers
who use the brand. In other words, do consumers perceive themselves as having the brand's
personality after they use the brand? The researchers examine this through the lens of implicit
self-theories, which suggest that consumers’ beliefs about the malleability of their personality
traits significantly determine the impact of brand experiences.
Implicit Self-Theories
There are two main implicit self-theories:
1. Entity Theorists believe that personal traits are fixed and unchangeable. These
individuals seek opportunities to signal positive qualities to themselves or others, such
as using a sophisticated brand to enhance their self-image.
2. Incremental Theorists believe that personal traits can be developed through effort and
growth. They focus on learning and self-improvement rather than signaling qualities
through brand use.
Research Findings
Four studies were conducted to test whether consumers' self-perceptions were influenced by
brand personalities:
1. Study 1: In a field experiment, women were given Victoria’s Secret shopping bags
(glamorous and feminine traits). Entity theorists saw themselves as more glamorous and
feminine after using the branded bag, whereas incremental theorists were unaffected.
2. Study 2: MBA students were given an MIT pen (associated with intelligence and
leadership). Again, only entity theorists saw themselves as more intelligent and
hardworking after using the pen.
3. Study 3: The researchers replicated the results by manipulating participants' beliefs
about self-theories, reinforcing that entity theorists perceive themselves in line with the
brand's personality after brand exposure.
4. Study 4: Undergraduates, after receiving negative feedback on their intelligence, used
an MIT pen. Only entity theorists improved their self-perception, recovering their
confidence through the brand's association with intelligence and leadership.
3
, Conclusion
The study concludes that brand personalities can indeed "rub off" on consumers, but this effect
is moderated by the individual's self-theory. Entity theorists, who see their traits as fixed, use
brands with desirable personalities to signal and enhance their self-image. Incremental
theorists, who focus on self-improvement, are less influenced by brand personalities.
This research contributes to our understanding of brand personality effects and self-theory in
consumer behavior, revealing that brand experiences can significantly affect how consumers
view themselves, particularly for entity theorists.
Lecture 1 article 3
Fitzsimons, G. M., Chartrand, T. L., & Fitzsimons, G. J. (2008). Automatic effects of brand
exposure on motivated behavior: how apple makes you “think different.” Journal of
Consumer Research
Introduction
This article looks at whether just seeing brand logos, like Apple or Disney, can automatically
change how people behave, even without them realizing it. The researchers wanted to know if
brands, like social cues (things in our environment that influence us), could make people act
differently. For example, if you see the Apple logo, will it make you think more creatively, or if
you see the Disney logo, will you act more honestly?
What is Social Priming?
Social priming is when exposure to something in your environment (like words, images, or
people) affects how you behave. For instance, in past studies, when people were subtly
reminded of the elderly, they walked more slowly. It’s a bit like your brain being influenced by
things around you, without you being aware of it. This can happen because certain traits or
ideas are linked in your mind to those cues, like the idea of "slow" being linked to "elderly."
What is Brand Priming?
Brand priming is a similar idea, but instead of people or social cues, it’s about brands. The
question the researchers wanted to answer was: Can seeing a brand, like Apple or Disney,
influence how you behave? For example, Apple is known for being creative and different, while
Disney is associated with honesty and fun. The researchers wondered if seeing these logos
could make people behave more creatively or honestly, just like social cues do.
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