Brand Identity in a Context of Cocreation: When Consumers Drive Brand Identity Changes (An Abstract)

Abstract

Existing literature has essentially approached brand identity as an internal and enduring concept, providing direction and stability for the brand. Yet the managerial context in which early definitions are based has changed as consumers become more participative and proactively involved in brand management. Brand identity ought to be flexible combining manager and consumer-determined influences. As a result, the notion of cocreation provides relevant insights into a further understanding of the brand identity context. This study analyses the implications of cocreation for brand identity management considering the consumer engagement with the brand. The study looks at identity adjustments over time suggesting brand issues (Gioia et al. 2010) that trigger brand identity development. The research design entailed a 4-year longitudinal case study, investigating the brand identity management of a leading brand in the postgraduate higher education sector. The data collection included multiple sources: 50 in-depth interviews with 30 informants (students, alumni and successful applicants), data related to the brand and the programmes’ overall management (e.g. reports), observation of meetings and other encounters and internal and external communications. Findings reveal that brand issues are events or developments that threaten the way the consumer believes the brand is perceived by external stakeholders. Most issues are originally identified by the consumers and then become issues for the managers, leading to brand identity adjustments. Within this perspective, the study suggests that brand identity development is determined by the consumers. Consumers develop brand identity in a way that primarily seeks to benefit themselves—through preserving and enhancing their (positive) individual identity—and secondarily the brand and the managers.

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