Corporate Heritage Brands in China. Consumer Engagement with China’s Most Celebrated Corporate Heritage Brand — Tong Ren Tang: 同仁堂

  • John M. T. Balmer
  • Weifeng Chen
Chapter
Part of the Journal of Brand Management: Advanced Collections book series (JBMAC)

Abstract

This study on the Tong Ren Tang (TRT) (同仁堂) traditional Chinese medicine corporate brand marks new ground. This is because, for the first time in the corporate heritage/corporate heritage brand canon, the focus is on a Chinese corporate heritage institution.

Keywords

Social Identity Theory Role Identity Corporate Identity Corporate Brand Brand Management 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Adler, J.A. (2002) Chinese Religions. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
  2. Albert, S. and Whetten, D.A. (1985) Organizational identity. In: L.L. Cummings and B.M. Staw (eds.) Research in Organizational Behavior. Vol. 7, Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, pp. 263–295.Google Scholar
  3. Ashforth, B. and Mael, F. (1989) Social identity theory and the organisation. Academy of Management Review 14(4): 20–39.Google Scholar
  4. Balmer, J.M.T. (2001) Corporate identity, corporate branding and corporate marketing: Seeing through the fog. European Journal of Marketing 35(3–4): 248–291.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. Balmer, J.M.T. (2004) The British Monarchy as a Corporate Brand: Heresy or Necessity? Bradford University School of Management Working Paper Series (04/2004).Google Scholar
  6. Balmer, J.M.T. (2009) Scrutinising the British monarchy: The corporate brand that was shaken, stirred and survived. Management Decision 47(4): 639–675.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Balmer, J.M.T. (2010) Explicating corporate brands and their management: Reflections and directions from 1995. Journal of Brand Management 18(3): 180–196.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. Balmer, J.M.T. (2011) Corporate heritage identities, corporate heritage brands and the multiple heritage identities of the British monarchy. European Journal of Marketing 45(9–10): 1380–1398.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. Balmer, J.M.T. (2013) Corporate heritage, corporate heritage marketing and total corporate heritage communications: What are they? What of them? Corporate Communications: An International Journal 18(3): 290–326.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  10. Balmer, J.M.T., Greyser, S.A. and Urde, M. (2006) The crown as a corporate brand: Insights frommonarchies. Journal of Brand Management 14(1–2): 137–161.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. Bhattachraya, C.B. and Sen, S. (2003) Consumer-customer identification: A framework for under standing consumers’ relationships with companies. Journal of Marketing 67(2): 76–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. Blombäck, A. and Brunninge, O. (2009) Corporate identity manifested through historical references. Corporate Communications: An International Journal 14(4): 404–419.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  13. Blombäck, A. and Brunninge, O. (2013) The dual opening to brand heritage in family businesses. Corporate Communications: An International Journal 18(3): 327–346.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  14. Bryman, A. (2008) Social Research Methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
  15. Burghausen, M. and Balmer, J.M.T. (2014a) Corporate heritage identity management and the multi-modal implementation of a corporate heritage identity. Journal of Business Research 67(11): 2311–2323.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  16. Burghausen, M. and Balmer, J.M.T. (2014b) Repertoires of the corporate past: Explanation and framework. Introducing an integrated and dynamic perspective. Corporate Communications: An International Journal 19(4): 384–402.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. Burghausen, M. and Balmer, J.M.T. (2015) Corporate heritage identity stewardship: A corporate marketing perspective. European Journal of Marketing 49(1–2): 22–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. Cohen, A.P. (2002) The best of British-with more the come. In: N. Rapport (ed.) British Subjects: An Anthropology of Britain. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
  19. Colin, M. (1981) The Performing Arts in Contemporary China. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.Google Scholar
  20. Foster, W.M., Suddaby, R., Minkus, A. and Wiebe, E. (2011) History as social memory assets: The example of Tim Hortons. Management and Organizational History 6(1): 101–120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. Gioa, D., Schultz, M. and Corley, K.G. (2000) Organizational identity, image and adaptive instability. Academy of Management Review 25(1): 63–81.Google Scholar
  22. Gu, H. and Ryan, C. (2008) Place attachment, identity and community impacts of tourism — The case of a Beijing hutong. Tourism Management 29(4): 637–647.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  23. Hakala, U., Lätti, S. and Sandberg, B. (2011) Operationalising brand heritage and cultural heritage. Journal of Product & Brand Management 20(6): 447–456.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  24. Hammersley, M. (1996) The relationship between qualitative and quantitative research: Paradigm loyalty versus methodological eclecticism. In: J.T.T. Richardson (ed.) Handbook of Research Methods for Psychology and the Social Sciences. Leicester, UK: BPS books.Google Scholar
  25. Hammond, C. (2005) The wider benefits of adult learning: An illustration of the advantages of multi-method research. International Journal of Social Research Methodology 8(3): 239–255.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  26. Heathcote, E. (2011) How to build heritage, The Financial Times 8–9 January, p. 8.Google Scholar
  27. Hudson, B.T. (2011) Brand heritage and the renaissance of Cunard. European Journal of Marketing 45(9–10): 1538–1556.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  28. Hudson, B.T. and Balmer, J.M.T. (2013) Corporate heritage brands: Mead’s theory of the past. Corporate Communications: An International Journal 18(3): 347–361.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  29. Larcon, J.P. and Reitter, R. (1979) Structures de Pouvoir et Identite de L’Enterprise. Paris, France: Nathan.Google Scholar
  30. Macdonald, S. (2006) Undesirable heritage: Fascist material culture and historical consciousness in Nuremberg. International Journal of Heritage Studies 12(1): 9–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  31. Melikan, S. (2012) A passion for the emperor’s seal, International Herald Tribune 3–4 November, pp. 16–17.Google Scholar
  32. Morgan, D.L. (1998) Practical strategies for combining qualitative and quantitative methods applications for health research. Qualitative Health Research 8(3): 362–376.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  33. Needham, J. (1954–2004) Science and Civilization in China. Vol. 24 Cambridge (England): Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
  34. Nye, S. (2004) Soft Power. Cambridge, MA: Public Affairs.Google Scholar
  35. Otnes, C.C. and Maclaren, P. (2007) The consumption of cultural heritage among a British royal family brand tribe. In: R. Kozinets, B. Cova and A. Shanker (eds.) Consumer Tribes: Theory, Practice, and Prospects. London: Elsevier/Butterworth-Heinemann.Google Scholar
  36. Rapport, N. (ed.) (2002) British Subjects: An Anthology of Britain. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
  37. Spence, J. (2008) China. In: Sir. M. Howard and W.R. Louis (eds.) The Oxford History of the Twentieth Century. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 216–226.Google Scholar
  38. Story, J. (2010) China Uncovered. London: Financial Times-Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
  39. Tajfel, H. and Turner, J.C. (1985) The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. In: S. Worchel and W.G. Austin (eds.) Psychology of Intergroup Relations. Vol. 2, Chicago, IL: Nelson-Hall, pp. 7–24.Google Scholar
  40. Tashakkori, A. and Teddlier, C. (2003) Handbook of Mixed Methods in Social and Behavioral Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
  41. Urde, M., Greyser, S.A. and Balmer, J.M.T. (2007) Corporate brands with a heritage. Journal of Brand Management 15(1): 4–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  42. Wiedmann, K.-P., Hennigs, N., Schmidt, S. and Wuestefeld, T. (2011a) The importance of brand heritage as a key performance driver in marketing mangement. Journal of Brand Management 19(3): 182–194.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  43. Wiedmann, K.-P., Hennigs, N., Schmidt, S. and Wuestefeld, T. (2011b) Drivers and outcomes of brand heritage: Consumers’ perception of heritage brands in the automotive industry. The Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice 19(2): 205–220.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  44. Yin, R.K. (1994) Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© The Editor(s) 2017

Authors and Affiliations

  • John M. T. Balmer
  • Weifeng Chen

There are no affiliations available

Personalised recommendations