From brand identity to polysemous brands: Commentary on “Performing identities: Processes of brand and stakeholder identity co-construction”

doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.06.022

Journal of Business Research

Volume 70, January 2017, Pages 453-455

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.06.022 Get rights and content

Abstract

The commentary endorses the view of brands as complex social relations that develop among a multitude of enacted stakeholder identities and discusses in what ways this perspective may lead to a novel paradigm of brand building – one that highlights the dynamic and fluid character of brand identity. The author underlines the importance of better understanding the many ways in which (internal and external) stakeholders can contribute to brand identity construction. Suggesting how this novel brand building paradigm can contribute to resolving confusions stemming from current misunderstandings within the branding literature, the commentary sees the opening of a new avenue of fascinating research questions that can lead to a better understanding of stakeholders' roles in the construction of polysemous brands identities.

Section snippets

Multiple stakeholders' co-creation of brand meaning

Von Wallpach, Hemetsberger and Espersen describe brand identity as an object supporting various meanings which may be dynamic, enacted and multiple. The authors consider brands as complex social relations that develop among a multitude of enacted identities. The paper hence assumes that a multitude of actors constantly develop, negotiate and enact brand identity and stakeholder identity. From the perspective of performativity theory, and based on 29 interviews around the Lego case study, the

From brand identity to brand meaning

Given the idea that several stakeholders can contribute to the construction of brand identity, there is a degree of confusion between brand identity, brand image and brand meaning. Mainstream marketing literature defines brand identity as a mere list of attributes describing the brand (Kapferer, 2012), strategically aligned and stable (Aaker, 1996, Kapferer, 2012). Brand representation devices such as Aaker's (1996) brand identity system or Kapferer's (2012) identity prism serve organizing the

From plurality of sense to polysemous brands

Based upon von Wallpach, Hemetsberger and Espersen's idea that a brand incorporates multiple meanings, a new paradigm for brand management emerges. Presenting the various performances of stakeholders in brand-identity construction, the paper connects with the idea that a powerful brand is not only enriched by stakeholders but is also able to give sense to them (Berger-Remy and Michel, 2015b, Brown et al., 2003) as well as to a broader audience (Fournier, 1998). Managers, however run into

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From brand identity to polysemous brands: Commentary on “Performing identities: Processes of brand and stakeholder identity co-construction”

Abstract

Section snippets

Multiple stakeholders' co-creation of brand meaning

From brand identity to brand meaning

From plurality of sense to polysemous brands

Journal of Retailing

Journal of Consumer Psychology

Journal of Consumer Psychology

Building strong brands

Dimensions of brand personality

Journal of Marketing Research

Brand meaning

The brand champion, a double-edged sword for brand building

How brand gives employees meaning: Towards an extended view of brand equity

Recherche et Applications en Marketing

Teaching old brands new tricks: Retro branding and the revival of brand meaning

Journal of Marketing

Rethinking identity in brand management

American girl and the brand gestalt: Closing the loop on sociocultural branding research

Journal of Marketing

Consumers and their brands: Developing relationship theory in consumer research

Journal of Consumer Research

Living the brand: How to transform every member of your organization into a brand champion

A coal in the heart: Self relevance as a post exit predictor of consumer anti-brand actions

Journal of Consumer Research

The new strategic brand management: Advanced insights and strategic thinking

The dynamics of brand legitimacy: An interpretive study in the gay men's community

Journal of Consumer Research