随着商品经济的发展和市场竞争的日益激烈,品牌文化的建设已经成为一个品牌成功的关键。本研究基于扎根理论对品牌文化的概念模型进行了探索性研究。通过文献分析和质的研究(32个深度访谈、四组焦点团体访谈)相结合的方法,本研究认为品牌文化包括企业文化、产品与服务、品牌个性和理念以及品牌归属四个维度。品牌文化以企业文化为基础,以产品和服务为载体,通过理念、个性、声誉等品牌精神的塑造,最终使得用户对品牌产生归属感。在这一过程中,品牌文化的形成受到企业营销手段、社会潮流和消费者的共同影响。本研究为品牌文化的定量研究打下了坚实的基础,对品牌研究和营销实践都具有重要意义。
Brand culture has increasingly been discussed both by researchers and marketing managers, and the importance of the symbolic meaning of a brand has been widely recognized. Yet little is known about the contents of brand culture, and its theoretical framework has been yet to be established. The authors use a grounded theory approach to conduct an exploratory study, and eventually develop a pyramid model of brand culture after iterative applications of both in-depth and focus group interviews. The conceptual model demonstrates that brand culture consists of four main components: corporate culture, product attributes, brand image, and attachment. Corporate culture is regarded as the foundation of brand culture by Chinese customers, and historical reputation, social responsibility and the values of a firm are the most important elements. Product attributes (including product quality, service, design, style, etc) can embody a brand. Brand image pertains to the values a brand suggests to customers and anchors the self-conception of consumers. Attachment refers to the emotionladen relationship between a brand and its users, and, consequently, is the end objective of branding strategy. Marketing practice, social trends, and consumers are found to work together on the development of brand culture. Though advertising and promotion are still popular tools in forming brand culture, marketing managers can exert far less direct control over brands than is commonly supposed in the brand management literature. Consumers may have their own values and beliefs, and social norms may change beyond the control of a firm. Therefore, especially at the levels of brand brand culture must be adaptive, image and attachment. This research adds to the literature of brand management by identifying the core components of brand culture and the influential forces on them. The findings contribute to brand management practices and can serve as a starting point for further quantitative research of brand culture.