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The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic strongly influenced daily practices, and this manifested in social interactions, communications and consumption. This work addresses the relations between branding and cultural trends in strategic communication and advertising in different contexts of the pandemic. First, we reviewed the concepts of branding and cultural trends. From there, it was necessary to develop a methodological proposal to articulate a connotative semiotic analysis with the semiotic square and a cultural trend mapping. The analysis was carried out through an independent and comparative reading of two-time phases: confinement (2020) and end of constraints (2022). Three telecommunications brands in Portugal act as case studies in a random and probabilistic sample of two audiovisual texts from Christmas campaigns each. Finally, a theoretical-operational triangulation is obtained between branding, cultural trends and semiotic analysis in promoting local brands that redefine spaces, social relations, and identity expression during and after the COVID-19 pandemic confinements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firms from a variety of industries regularly partner with Formula One racing teams to achieve marketing objectives on an international scale. The sponsored properties offer signals of brand foreignness/localness, country of origin, and the potential for highly visible achievements. Firms enter and exit brand partnerships with some of the world's most famous athletes and iconic teams, yet the partnership decision-making process remains opaque, particularly concerning the impact of geographic origin and team performance among other criteria, including macroeconomic conditions and brand-related factors. This study contributes a quantitative model that analyzes 53 years of data encompassing more than 3,000 sponsorships across six continents. The findings improve understanding of brand partnership continuity/dissolution by explicating a shared nationality effect and a link with sponsored organizational performance that is robust across three distinct eras of Formula One. In doing so, the study contributes to theory by completing the sponsorship performance cycle and distilling partnership limits with regard to brand foreignness. The theory and quantitative analyses are buttressed by interviews with brand decision-makers, excerpts from which also shape the discussion of managerial applications. Implications include efficiencies in partner prospecting that enhance the likelihood of enduring brand relationships in sponsorship-linked international marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research examines how the knowledge that a product is made using a traditional method influences perceptions of its quality. We propose that consumers believe that a brand using traditional methods is beneficial for society because it is concerned about cultural preservation and this belief has a positive effect on perceived quality. Six experimental studies show that consumers evaluate products produced with a method described as traditional to be higher in quality than similar products that are not described as traditionally made and this effect is mediated by the belief that the brand is beneficial for society. Consistent with this theory, the positive effect of traditional production on perceived quality is attenuated when consumers view the brand to be unconcerned about cultural preservation, such as when the use of a traditional method is framed as a follower strategy (i.e. it imitates the actions of other brands) or when the brand is a multinational company. By showing that the mere mention of a traditional method can be another subtle way to position a brand as a moral actor, these findings contribute to the understanding of the link between perceived social responsibility and product evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research introduces behavioral labeling as the use of names or tags that reflect an associated activity, and it proposes that this can induce corresponding behavior. Contrary to the common intuition that descriptions of behaviors emerge as markings for popular actions (i.e., the label is a consequence of the behavior), the authors propose that a description itself might also induce the corresponding action (i.e., the label is an antecedent of the behavior). Building on linguistic relativity theory and based on five studies conducted in the lab and field, the authors show that merely attaching a fictitious name to a behavior can induce that very behavior. The authors also explore a potential explanation for this finding by showing that a behavioral label can evoke mental imagery regarding the associated behavior, which enhances the implementation of the behavior. The results contribute to marketing theory by introducing behavioral labeling and highlighting how language can shape behaviors. Marketers can use behavioral labels to promote their offerings based on the associated behaviors, while public policy makers can use behavioral labels to encourage prosocial and proenvironmental behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers differ in the extent to which brands drive their choices. The current research investigates the psychology underlying such decisions by using a cursor-tracking paradigm that captures consumers' decision-making processes in real time. Results indicate that while consumers typically process brand attributes relatively later than product attributes, the timing of this processing varies across individuals and affects choice. Specifically, when consumers trade off brand and product desirability (i.e., when deciding between a more [less] preferred product from a less [more] preferred brand), the earlier that brand attributes are considered, the more likely consumers are to choose the option from the preferred brand. Increasing the prominence of brand (vs. product) attributes leads to earlier brand attribute processing and a higher likelihood of choosing the preferred brand. These findings hold across a limited number of choice trials and for decisions involving three attributes (brand, product, and price). This research highlights the applicability of cursor tracking in revealing the psychological drivers of consumer choices in real time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the public's response to the digital brand launch of the Seattle Kraken. Informed by agenda-setting theory and through content and social media analyses, the study identified the initial digital sentiment around the brand and the reach of the virtual conversations. The Kraken were able to encourage favorable conversation about the team by setting the agenda and encouraging consumers to engage with content at specific times during launch. In the first hour after brand launch, consumers focused conversation on the team, the logo and color scheme, and the effectiveness of the launch video. In the following 24 hr, the conversation remained positive and focused on how the brand positively represented the city and region. Through agenda setting, the Seattle Kraken were able to effectively launch their new brand while also setting the stage for positive brand-association development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to advance the understanding of audio branding by investigating the effect of an understudied auditory attribute, timbre, in the context of brand audio logos. Specifically, the authors propose, and provide evidence in ten studies, that timbral sound quality in audio logos (i.e., roughness/smoothness) informs abstract judgments of brand personality (i.e., ruggedness/sophistication). Study 1 shows that the industry practice of altering instrumentation, and thus timbre, in audio logos can change personality perceptions of even well-known brands. This effect persists when the sound source is kept constant with various instruments (Studies 2a–2d), with a combination of instruments (Study 3), and in the absence of an identifiable sound source (Study 4). The authors test specific acoustic underpinnings of timbral sound quality perceptions (Study 4) and show that the effect on brand personality judgments is counteracted by incongruent sensory information from another modality (Study 5). The results of Study 6 suggest that the influence of timbral sound quality on brand personality perceptions is nonconscious, as consumers are unaware of the extent to which the stimulus affects their judgments. Study 7 shows downstream consequences for purchase intentions. Practical implications, theoretical contributions, and directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual marketing communications consist of two components: (1) semantic content (e.g., headings, images, copy) that communicates a brand's positioning, benefits, and personality and (2) visual design (e.g., font selection, image size, the organization of the content) that encourages inferences about brand claims. The authors investigate how visual design can be used to encourage inferences that support brand claims and improve brand performance. They find that brands with a utilitarian positioning perform better when the visual design of their marketing communications encourages structured perceptions, whereas brands with a hedonic positioning perform better when the visual design of their marketing communications encourages unstructured perceptions. In both cases, (un)structured perceptions encourage inferences that reinforce brand claims and, consequently, improve brand performance. This research offers actionable insights into how marketing communication specialists can coordinate logo design, product design, package design, visual merchandising, and retail environments to reinforce brand claims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brand acquisitions are a popular growth strategy. However, both anecdotal evidence and initial empirical evidence suggest that acquisitions can harm the acquired brand. This article proposes and tests a theoretical framework that aims to explain when and why consumers react negatively to acquired brands. Across ten studies using different methods, research designs, product categories, and brands, the authors demonstrate that these negative brand reactions can be explained by the perceived loss of a brand's unique values. Building on this values authenticity account, they document that the negative effect of acquisitions depends on the acquired brand's values, brand age, leadership continuity, and the alignment between acquiring and acquired brands. The findings offer important theoretical and managerial implications, helping managers predict and mitigate the negative effects of acquisitions for brands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the meanings of cheese production and consumption in the geographical branding of the Orkney Islands. Based on both traditional and innovative techniques, the making of cheese in the Orkney Islands is rooted in the historical farming role of its inhabitants but also in its strategic position in the North-Atlantic Ocean. This article explains the origins and evolution of the production of cheese on the islands and connects it to the contemporary consumption on the islands’ restaurants, that award tourism value to cheese people, places and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retro jerseys across many sports have grown increasingly popular in recent years and previous research has given credence to their use by sport organizations. Specifically, recent research has found the freshness and outdatedness of retro jerseys to impact consumer attitudes (Dwyer et al., 2020). Although nostalgia is at the core of literature on retro merchandise, scholars have yet to examine various types of nostalgia and their impact on retro merchandise. Therefore, the current study sought to assess the influence of nostalgia -- and specifically its three dimensions personal, historical, and collective -- on consumer attitudes and purchase intentions. An online sample of 434 participants were surveyed and results exhibited mixed findings, with the three dimensions of nostalgia varying in impact toward the outcomes of team attitude and purchase intentions. Also, examination of the role of age, income, and length of time as a fan were also explored with results exhibiting differences based upon consumer income and length of time as a fan. Although the results varied based on type of nostalgia and consumer outcome, it was clear that nostalgia plays a role in consumers' feelings toward their favorite team's merchandise. Further examination of these results are provided and suggestions for future research on the topic of sport retro apparel are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The propagandistic machine of the military dictatorship that ruled Greece between 1967 and 1974 has provided a focal point of scholarly inquiry in recent years. However, research has focused on the domestic front—the role of radio, television, and cinema—and has completely neglected the issue of public relations in the foreign policy arena. Nothing is known about how the dictatorship, which held an exceedingly weak reputational hand, strove to remake its image to the outside world. This article addresses this historiographical lacuna, exploring the Greek junta's attempts to improve its international reputation by enlisting the services of foreign public relations (PR) firms. By demonstrating the interplay of nation branding and foreign policy in this way, this article highlights the underappreciated role of transnational non-governmental actors such as PR firms in the 'nation branding' of authoritarian regimes. In the process, it reveals how the lobbying activities of a London-based PR firm enlisted by the junta vitiated UK–Greek relations during Harold Wilson's Labour government, and culminated in an important, and underexplored, flashpoint in political discourse concerning the outside interests of parliamentarians and standards of integrity in British public life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve a more sustainable agricultural production system, the focus should extend beyond solely promoting the adoption of organic farming to include an emphasis on extensification. A synergistic approach involving Branding/informal certification, price premiums for organic produce, and government subsidies holds the potential to drive higher levels of organic farming extensification among smallholder producers. This study encompassed 415 organic growers engaged in varying degrees of organic farming. These participants were drawn from the Southeast region of Nigeria. Employing a multi-endogenous instrumental variable regression, the research uncovered compelling insights. Notably, it revealed that providing premiums for organic products and utilizing Branding or informal certification significantly supported growers' inclination to expanding the land area under organic agriculture. Conversely, government subsidies exhibited a negative influence on extensification rates. In light of these findings, it becomes imperative to envision a more robust future for organic farming in Nigeria that hinges on strategic investments in formal certifications, thereby facilitating enhanced integration of organic producers into larger domestic and global markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research was to present a communication model of customer participation and competitive business with social media based on brand (case study: manufacturing and trading companies of Ahvaz). The statistical population of the research was formed by the experts of manufacturing and trading companies in Ahvaz city. In this research, the considered variables were identified by using interviews and examining the opinions of experts of the investigated companies. 10 experts have been selected using the saturation sampling method. This research, using the foundation’s data analysis method, is a type of cross-sectional research in which the data was collected for several weeks. In the quantitative part, the research community is the customers of food manufacturing and trading companies in the industrial towns of Ahvaz city which have been selected to fit the model. Due to the unlimitedness of the statistical population, 384 samples have been considered, and finally, 312 questionnaires have been analyzed. Using Maxqda software, interviews and Coding is done. Smart PLS 2.0 and SPSS 22 software were used in the validation section. In this research, to check the validity, the findings of the research were presented to the participants and the text of the theory was studied by them and their points of view were applied. The reliability of the model was evaluated using the Kappa index. Kappa index value equal to 0.788. Calculated and placed at the valid agreement level. 58 open codes have been identified among 256 concepts. 58 primary codes in the form of 18 categories, including company performance, electronic services, customer value, customer attitude, social responsibility, competitive advantage, customer loyalty, customer desire, advertising and marketing, brand awareness, customer trust, social media, validation, sharing Content, customer participation, service innovation, organizational factors, branding. Validation of the model showed that the overall index of fit (GOF) is equal to 0.661, which is a strong index and shows the overall high quality of the model. The identified factors have had a significant impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) have faced significant challenges, and as a result, had to adapt their marketing and management strategies to cope with rapid changes and uncertainty. The objective of this study is to draw from stakeholder management theory and connect it with the literature on agile management to investigate how DMOs have embraced an agile mindset that is more flexible as well as employee and customer-focused amidst these difficult times. In-depth interviews were conducted with senior management at executive levels in the European Travel Commission as well as other from national DMOs across different continents (e.g. Indonesia, Australia, Malta, and South Africa). Overall, this study contributes by presenting a 'Framework of Agile Destination Management and Marketing' to the tourism literature. From a practical perspective, this study provides insights to DMOs by integrating the roles of management, customers, and employees as they relate to the strategies of re-branding, re-segmentation, and re-allocation, respectively. It provides recommendations on how DMOs could adopt insights from this framework to address changes in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined how some metaphoric historical events, endowed with an important background in literature, culture, policy, and art, contribute to the brand value for hospitality companies, with special reference to an iconic heritage hotel in the heart of Istanbul, Turkiye. Face-to-face interviews were held with hotel managers at different levels, journalist-authors interested in the subject, two well-known crime authors, and academicians; additionally, participant observation was used. This study is a rare attempt on the space metaphor and brand relationship in the field of accommodation. Metaphoric patterns in the study were formed by the time-place-history and human relationships. Findings showed that historical events witnessed by the hotel contributed to establishing a special brand name through metaphoric connection. This study contributes to the conceptualization of the relationship between the space metaphor and brand relationship in the field of accommodation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines Knut Hamsun's reactions to the new uses of proper names at the end of the nineteenth century, including the commercial use of celebrity names and trademarks. The topic is studied on three interrelated levels: Hamsun's hostile reaction to the modern advertising industry; his attempts to create a famous name for himself; and finally, his literary representation of these themes in his early work. The advertised name points to a threatening distance between private individual and public persona that raises questions about the possibility to express or communicate authentic identity. This tension is studied in "På turné," which revolves around the launching of the author's name "Hamsun," and in Mysterier , where the meaning of names as well as the novel's modernist narrative form are intimately linked to Hamsun's experiences of the emerging practices of advertising and branding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study I try to reveal and analyse less known sources for the term Cultural Diplomacy. Most bibliographic resources dealing with Cultural Diplomacy are coming from an Anglo-American source. According with this bibliography, the term Cultural Diplomacy would have been used for the first time in 1954 in New York Times, and in official documents in 1959 in US. However, in Hungary, the term Cultural Diplomacy has been used as such since the mid-1930s. In 1937, so two decades before the mention in the New York Times, the book The Basics of Cultural Diplomacy was written by János Hankiss. Due to the fact that by tradition in the interwar Romania cultural propaganda was often articulate with reference to the Hungarian cultural propaganda, this study exposes the ideas of János Hankiss "in the mirror" with the ideas exposed by his contemporary Romanian counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The increased importance of sports and athlete brands highlights the need for athletes to pay attention to branding as it has positive impacts. As athletes, Muslim women have not succeeded in building their brands. This study aims to understand the branding challenges facing Muslim female athletes and how to overcome them. Design/methodology/approach: These branding obstacles and guidelines were explored using qualitative methods – specifically semi-structured interviews with Muslim female athletes and focus groups with experts. Data were analysed using open and axial coding to identify the codes. Findings: The study identifies three major obstacles to branding by Muslim female athletes. Self-related obstacles, such as knowledge of brand building, social media, personal pressure and a lack of role models, impact the brand-building decision. Social-related (family and society) and sport-related obstacles (participation as women and as Muslims) further complicate this task. Experts provide additional insights regarding these obstacles, suggesting strategies to overcome them. Research limitations/implications: The research focuses on athletes from one geographical area and has limitations associated with using qualitative methods. Practical implications: The study suggests how self-, social- and sport-related obstacles are faced by athletes. It provides suggestions for federations, sports codes and other stakeholders to support athletes to overcome these barriers. Originality/value: This study expands the understanding of the struggles Muslim women face in building their brands as part of an under-represented group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theming is a common tool in urban tourist destinations. It allows the recognition of some type of brand that makes a destination more competitive. In this work, the themings of Oaxaca, Mexico, and Malaga, Spain, are compared. Malaga offers an international and avantgarde cultural experience, while Oaxaca is known for the ancestral traditions that still prevail in the city. It is possible to define a highly touristified spatial core in both cities. Additionally, both cities have themed their historic centers, focusing on historical and intangible elements. We focus on how some tourist systems reproduce ethnocentric, colonial, or other forms of domination while branding their cities for consumption. Even within systems where such an asymmetry cannot be clearly defined, the selection of discourse might affect social self-attitude and identity on varying levels. Although Oaxaca looks firmly at its past, at the same time, such success magnifies tradition and hinders modernity. Meanwhile, Malaga looks to the future but loses some of its traditions at a very high cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study identifies factors affecting brand building for academic libraries affiliated with the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (MSRT) in Iran. Design/methodology/approach: This research applied the grounded theory method based on the three open, axial and selective coding steps (Strauss and Corbin, 1998). The research tool was interviews conducted with 20 experts in librarianship, marketing and branding. Findings: Library building architecture, library information resources and services, librarians' branding, marketing activities and library management are the causal conditions affecting brand building. The national economic situation, the digital publishing situation in the country and different characteristics of the new library community are the intervening conditions affecting brand building. The role of other libraries in society in the scientific education of the new generation provides contextual conditions for brand building. The higher education system and the library parent organization play a part in the operative actions/interactions for brand building. The consequences of brand building are brand image development, brand excellence and brand behavioral loyalty for libraries. Library brand identity is also a core category in brand building. Originality/value: Facing steep challenges by emergent services, academic libraries are ill-prepared to meet the needs of the new information society solely with traditional services and functions. Academic libraries are required to rebrand themselves to be more successful at delivering a strong performance within a changing information environment by enhancing their brand image and establishing a more effective relationship with users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2021, the Houston Cole Library (HCL) at Jacksonville State University (Jacksonville, AL) added a mascot to enhance social media posts, and the result has been successful. HCL’s simple low-cost mascot has consistently stimulated positive interactions between the library staff/faculty and students, community members and university officials. HCL’s library mascot has created a cult-like following that watches and comments on his adventures. This current discussion indicates how any library can create their own mascot regardless of budget restrictions and time commitments.

This article examines the production of musical nostalgia in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019–23), one of the first series created for Disney’s streaming platform. On one level, the series serves as a nostalgic extension of the High School Musical franchise in its setting and narrative construction, and a nostalgic continuation of the teen-musical genre in its idealised depiction of high-school life mediated through song. At the same time, this nostalgia is coupled with an emphasis on the show’s newness: the series transposes the original film to a new format—a self-referential, multi-episodic mockumentary—and occupies a different temporal world, in which nostalgia is technologically mediated and constructed as part of the diegesis. Focusing on music, as a primary sensory input for the evocation of nostalgia, this study explores how The Series capitalises upon this nostalgia/modernity dichotomy to structure its narrative and engender brand affinity. Drawing together textual analyses of audiovisual sequences and practitioner testimony from the show’s creatives, it demonstrates how The Series uses music to develop Disney’s brand, harnessing the technological and creative promise of the Company’s proprietary streaming service, whilst simultaneously employing nostalgic strategies to reaffirm the status quo in aspects of its narrative.

To determine how universities worldwide use TikTok, 7,880 TikTok posts from 118 institutional university profiles were reviewed and categorized through a systematic review. The results show an initial effort by universities to search for institutional content, although from 2021 onwards an increase in playful content focused on the university community is reported, making evident the need to exploit the platform with the corresponding narrative style, aesthetics, and particular times, thus connecting more efficiently with its target audience and betting on consolidating this community both in the real and digital terrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online platforms aggregating brands, such as Amazon and Alibaba's Tmall, have emerged as powerful intermediaries for brands. Although these platforms offer unprecedented access to consumers, the platform controls this access. Thus, concerns are raised about how these platforms interfere with the brand experience and, ultimately, performance. The question of how brands can govern their platform operations more effectively thus arises. There are essentially two types of governance models: a one-party (1P) marketplace (wholesaling to the platform) and a third-party (3P) marketplace (selling directly to the consumer on the platform). However, it is unclear how 1P or 3P operations affect brand performance. To that extent, the authors study the market share implications of operations on JD.com, a 1P platform, and Tmall, a 3P platform, for almost 2,000 brands. On average, 1P operations decrease shares, whereas 3P operations lift shares. These changes depend on different brand-specific moderators. For 1P operations, share drops are more substantial for brands that are unable to elicit a trustworthy consumer relationship, when alternative brands abound and rogue-seller activities are severe in the product category. The 3P share lifts, in contrast, are more substantial for premium-priced, nonleading brands with prior direct-to-consumer experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article substantiates the relevance of the formation and development of the university brand in the context of political branding of the front-line territory, using the example of the city of Kherson, in the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The role of brands is studied, the creation and promotion of which are urgent tasks for scientists of various fields, as well as for practitioners, since it is brands that are designed to ensure a high level of competitiveness of goods and services in modern markets, in particular - educational services. It has been established that a brand is a product of human imagination and creative activity - it is a kind of mental construct, a mental image, a symbolic model, the activation of which will serve to specify the orientation of the consumer of goods and/or services in the relevant market. The essence of the political brand of the territory, which primarily performs ideological, cultural, patriotic, political and other functions, is revealed. The role of territory branding (geobranding) is shown as a process of brand creation, which aims to promote local, regional and national projects, in particular - political ones, focused on the progressive development of a specific territory; under favorable socio-political conditions, a promising brand will provide an opportunity to effectively invest a regional resource in the political capital of society. Key positions of foreign and domestic researchers regarding the political brand and branding in their constructive connotation are highlighted. The role of unpredictable factors in the development of society is shown, in particular - military actions, which play the role of powerful activators of the process of forming the political branding of a territory or settlement. Emphasized: among the scientific and educational brands of the Kherson region and the regional center, Kherson State University (KSU) occupies a prominent place - a scientific, educational, cultural institution that forms the socio-spiritual and political-economic landscape of southern Ukraine. It is emphasized that during the full-scale invasion of the Russian army on the territory of Ukraine, the brand of Kherson State University acquired new qualitative features, the educational institution became a university of invincible patriots, forming a powerful and bright sub-brand of Kherson - a hero city. It was concluded that the brand of the university, simultaneously with the internal one, demonstrates an external effect aimed at the development of the political brand of a specific territory, actualizing and manifesting feelings of civic cohesion, justice, social responsibility and patriotism.

The article researches the theoretical aspects of brand- and PR-management of enterprises in the hotel and restaurant industry as one of the tools for increasing the competitiveness of tourist enterprises. The authors singled out such main characteristics of the brand as brand awareness, brand identity, brand penetration, brand associations, brand loyalty, and others; determined the theoretical aspects of the formation and functioning of branding, PR management and marketing communications in the hotel and tourism business in general. Research has shown that brand management and PR management are the most effective means of market promotion of services that contribute to increasing the profitability and volume of sales of goods or services, expanding the range and knowledge of consumers about their uniqueness and specialness. It has been proven that the effectiveness of branding management includes the formation, adjustment, strengthening and activation of the development of relationships between potential buyers of the product and the brand due to the creation and actualization of its individual, functional, social and communicative characteristics, as well as ensuring the recognition and identification of the trademark due to the management of its constituent components (graphics, colors, sounds, logo, advertising slogan and name). The concept of "brand" is identified as a system of combined elements that summarize the opinions, positions and perceptions of consumers about a certain product or service, organization or person. At the same time, the process of brand management is provided through the creation of a brand concept, its formation and promotion to the market thanks to branding. Five main stages (phases) within brand management are defined, the most important of which is the formation of a brand vision, because it is this stage that combines the development of the name and advertising slogan or slogan of a service or product, identification of the most basic means and tools of its promotion on the market, as well as the formation of a brand portrait, which is reproduced through the creation and strengthening of a positive image of the product in the perception of existing and potential customers and society in general. The components of the brand were determined, the factors of branding formation were considered, the "brand pyramid" was formed, and the brand management scheme was built. The task of PR is singled out as one of the functions of management.

The aim of this research is to assess the existence or absence of differences in brand perceptions of users of an esports mobile app according to gender. In addition, it intends to discover the explanatory capacity of brand variables for the prediction of user loyalty, to understand how these variables influence perceptions according to gender, and to contribute to the creation of strategies more aligned with the interests and needs of each target audience.

El artículo analiza la evolución del diseño posmoderno en España y su influencia en la construcción de la marca-país, popularmente conocida como el «sol de Miró». En los años del franquismo, España había ocupado una posición generalmente periférica respecto a la modernidad, pero la transición hacia la democracia trajo consigo un ambiente de libertad y marcó el inicio de una explosión creativa. Este periodo de transformación cultural se caracterizó por una actitud de protesta y la búsqueda constante de enfoques innovadores. Los argumentos a favor del «buen diseño» perdieron relevancia frente a una estética de «antidiseño» que rechazaba lo formal y lo conceptual, alejándose del Estilo Internacional que había dominado previamente. Los límites entre el diseño y el arte se fusionaron, considerando al diseñador como un artista en sí mismo. En este contexto, nace la imagen de España como destino turístico, convirtiéndose en un hito en el mundo del diseño gráfico y dejando una profunda huella en la promoción de destinos turísticos a nivel mundial. El objetivo principal de este artículo es explorar la relación entre el diseño posmoderno en España y la creación de su marca-país. Este estudio proporciona un análisis del movimiento posmoderno en el diseño, evalúa los elementos que contribuyeron a la formación de la imagen de marca de España e investiga la relevancia del «sol de Miró» y su influencia en el diseño de otras marcas.

Social media is a potent drive in the modern landscape of organizational dynamics, influencing cultural norms and communication styles. The purpose of this study is to investigate the complex effects of social media on organizational culture and communication. The paper explores how social media platforms have changed communication channels, interaction dynamics, and organizational culture, drawing on a mixture of previous research and pragmatic studies. A quantitative research paradigm was employed and a sample of 140 sample respondents was selected using simple random sampling. The sample respondents were employees at a selected South African Social Security Agency branch in South Africa. The results revealed that Facebook was the most used platform and that employees use social media for both work and non-work related purposes. The study concluded a positive and significant relationship between social media usage and social media enhancing the organizational culture (r = 0.227; p < 0.05). Moreover, the study found no relationship between social media usage influencing employee behavior and social media restrictions impacting employee morale negatively (r = 0.036; p > 0.05). The findings highlight valuable insights on the role of social media and its effect on organizational culture and communication. It is also evident from the results that social media usage presents opportunities and challenges for organizations. Hence, the paper concludes that organizations can use social media to create a communicative, flexible, and resilient organizational culture in digital time by recognizing the dynamics at work and taking proactive measures.

Branding stands as a major component of any business, regardless of its size or commercial drive. It encompasses all efforts leading to the perception of a product, service, or organization in the minds and eyes of the audience or customers. Essentially, branding aims to create and fulfill a promise about a brand. Real-time branding focuses on improving consumer communication by providing brand-relevant information that connects with consumers' lives. Social media serve as an effective tool for this type of branding. The purpose of this study is to develop a model for real-time branding within the context of social media. This research uses qualitative thematic analysis with MaxQDA software. Experts in branding, social networks, and university professors specializing in these fields make up the study's population. They were selected based on the method used to develop the research model. The analysis identifies eight categories and thirty-four criteria essential for real-time branding: (1) timely supply of customer needs, (2) brand image, (3) brand awareness, (4) brand identity based on authenticity, (5) timely response, (6) creating value for customers, (7) customer participation in branding, and (8) an appropriate branding strategy. These categories help to facilitate and to direct real-time branding in companies. Moreover, the study reveals that social media plays a critical role in real-time branding. Market feedback, information sharing, interaction, communication, choosing the right social network, content scheduling, sharing, and production are the dimensions and categories identified for social media in branding. These have also emerged as criteria influencing real-time branding in the proposed model. Aligning the message with the moments expected by the audience and enhancing responsiveness to customer needs are the most effective tasks a brand must undertake. These efforts are crucial for increasing customer satisfaction and promoting customer interaction with the brand, leading to more voluntary cooperation in real-time branding.

Wearable activity tracking (WAT) devices enable consumers to monitor their health and activity levels. Some of these devices can keep track of blood-oxygen levels, temperature, and heart-rate data and became increasingly important during and especially after the Covid-19 pandemic. The increase in popularity of these products led to a surge in competition among WAT brands that needs to find strategic approaches to stand out. Brand equity perceptions add extra value to the brand and is a key differentiating factor in a competitive environment. While the wearables market is expanding rapidly, there is little evidence of consumers’ perceived brand equity and its relation to their purchase of WAT device brands. This study aimed to investigate the effect of consumer-based brand equity dimensions on purchase intention of WAT brands, based on Aaker’s seminal conceptual framework. Data was collected from 487 South African consumers aged 18-56 using a computer-administered online survey guided by a descriptive research design. The path coefficients of the structural model suggest that quality perception, brand loyalty and brand association are significant drivers of WAT purchase intention, whereas brand awareness was not significant. The findings of this study have several theoretical and managerial implications. This study is among the first to investigate the influence of consumer-based brand equity in the context of wearable technology adoption. These results enable WAT brands to optimise their marketing strategy and identify areas of improvement to boost their sales and market share in South Africa and beyond.

UMKM are an important component in the economic structure in Indonesia, because of their significant presence in the economy and provide broad employment opportunities for enthusiasts. However, there are still many UMKM players who do not understand efforts to increase competitiveness, one of which is the need to have a halal certificate and also the importance of branding UMKM products. Therefore, this Student Work Lecture activity aims to be able to contribute to providing halal certification assistance and making banners for UMKM in Sukopuro Village, Jabung, Malang Regency. Assistance activities are carried out using the ABCD (Asset Base Community Developmenet) approach method. The results of this community service activity are assistance in registering halal certification and supporting banners for UMKM.

The purpose of this research is to analyze how digital Tourism on Branding the Mandalika Special Region in West Nusa Tenggara; this investigation uses a descriptive methodology combined with a qualitative approach, as well as previously published literature and online news sources as well as secondary data obtained from related agencies. Most importantly, take advantage of the Nvivo 12 plus program to analyze the data results. The findings of this study indicate that the use of information and communication technology to promote Special Economic Zones through digital tourism, utilizing platforms such as websites, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and the West Nusa Tenggara Tourism Office website, is a viable strategy for increasing tourism. Indonesian tourism industry. ITDC and National Council of Special Economic Zones websites. Government Regulation Number 52 of 2014 identifies two main focus topics, namely tourism areas and special economic areas, and prioritizes several initiatives. Development management in accordance with statutory regulations. PP Number 40 of 2021 discusses three important things: human resources and infrastructure, two facilities, and SEZ convenience for three commercial organizations. The finding of human resources and infrastructure is considered to be the main driver for branding the Mandalika Special Economic Zone in this policy.

A high volume of information can be provided to users regarding library services by branding Iranian medical libraries and information centers, and the position of libraries can be significantly improved. There is a minimal number of studies in this field in Iran. This study mainly aims to identify key branding components and create differentiation in the context of Iranian medical libraries and information centers (IMLICs). This study was conducted in two steps: (i) the literature on branding in libraries and information centers in reliable databases such as Scopus, Science Direct, Emerald, and Google Scholar was first reviewed, and finally, 33 studies were identified. Four components, such as librarians, services, building, and equipment, as well as technology, were found as important factors in the branding of public and academic libraries. (ii) A semi-structured interview was conducted with 14 managers and heads of libraries of Iranian medical sciences universities. The results showed the most important branding components in ILMIC as librarians, services, buildings and equipment, and technology. According to the results librarians' performance and personality characteristics, dynamization of specialized and general services, paying attention to the architecture of the library building and the installation and use of the equipment, and finally, the intelligent use of technologies and a strategic look at these components will lead to the formation of a positive mental image of Iranian medical libraries in the public mind, increase awareness of their services, and as a result, users' trust, loyalty, and satisfaction. Librarians play an important role in raising the users' awareness, trust, and loyalty toward library services and their branding. Hiring librarians with positive internal and external characteristics can have a positive image of libraries in the users' minds. Providing high-quality services required by users is essential in differentiating and branding libraries and building users' trust and loyalty. Providing virtual services in libraries is essential in promoting branding goals. A unique look at the libraries' architecture helps to create a positive image of libraries and information centers. Well-designing the interior and exterior of library facilities will create a positive mental image among users. Applying the technological equipment alongside the expert staff creates a brand and raises the users' awareness, trust, and loyalty. Empowering librarians in using emerging technologies is an obligation in this era. IMLICs have branding capabilities in the four main components of the library regarding librarians, services, building and equipment, and technology. Development of human resources, services, building and equipment, and technology should be planned so that its output is users' awareness about the library brand and the creation of a positive mental image towards the library function. It keeps the users' trust and loyalty towards the library and finally makes users the ambassadors and missionaries to promote the library via word-of-mouth marketing following their satisfaction.

In this blended ethnography, combining fieldwork with campus conservative organizations/figures and digital ethnography of their social media, we explore how capitalism, Christianity, and conservatism are brought together and branded for youth. We argue that campus conservative organizations like Turning Point USA are important sites for mainstreaming, branding, and circulating an assemblage of conservative, Christian, and racialized discourses aligned with Christian nationalism and against the left. We analyze how this 'friend enemy distinction' occurs through gendered social media practices, constructing female 'cuteservatives', influencers who sell friendship and t-shirts, and masculine heroes who battle a socialist enemy. We explore how these discourses are produced, marketed, and circulated. And finally, through Turning Point's celebration of Kyle Rittenhouse, we show the dangerous potential consequences of this violent rhetoric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore affective registers that characterise game-angling, particularly fly-fishing, through a critical engagement with the discursive and visual strategies employed in a key game-angling periodical, Trout and Salmon magazine, across a period of sixty years. We examine how angling brands and textual utterances evoke the affective and emotional states of becoming and being an angler, and in doing so bring the sport into a state of being and becoming in which traditional and modern values work with, and in tension to, each other. We focus on three interconnected themes. First, the extent to which the practice of angling is mediated by specific brands and technologies which blur the boundaries between the natural and the artificial. Second, the extent to which branded technologies and brand values foster angling practices that either adhere to or deviate from traditional understandings of what game-angling is and entails. Third, the ways in which dominant tropes conceptualise, frame, and canonise idealised game-angling spaces and spatial practices. We conclude with an exegesis that game-angling texts and brands tell us much about what it is to be human and animal in the choreographing and enactment of this ever-popular and ever-evolving, yet anchored, leisure world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses how newly-conceived soft spaces – typically with fuzzy boundaries and less formally organized institutional structures – are 'commodified' through visualizations in promoting practices. By discussing those practices, the article argues that promotion and branding are fundamentally processes where these soft spaces become hardened. This hardening is embedded in branding-related 'speech acts' and visual framings in particular. The article states that although new soft spaces are considered highly useful in competitivity-enhancing spatial policies where flexible spaces and fuzzy boundaries are typically emphasized, paradoxically their 'softness' gradually decreases as a result of branding process consisting of elements of expressing, mirroring, impressing and reflecting. It thus needs to be asked whether soft spaces can be branded without using framings and speech acts that harden them. The soft regions of the Bothnian Arc, a Swedish-Finnish coastal region around the Gulf of Bothnia, and the Region Foodvalley, an agrarian region in the middle of the Netherlands, are used here as examples to discuss how soft spaces transform in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By interviewing Swedish feminist activists who sell commodities to serve feminist purposes, this study focuses on how they articulate their engagement and make it intelligible. To untangle how articulations about feminist businesses may stabilise, reshape and challenge feminist values and engagement, we use theories of popular feminism alongside discourse theory to capture its contingencies. The analysis shows that, rather than enhancing sales by the use of feminism, the interviewees articulate an interest in spreading feminism through the sale of commodities. They understand their commodities to be 'authentic' and 'truly' feminist, thereby distancing themselves from corporations that use feminism to brand their products. However, this aligns precisely with the dominant contemporary corporate branding discourse of authenticity, understood as untainted by capitalism. The interviewees want to provide their customers with confidence, a dominant trait of popular feminism, through the display of feminist expression. A quest for visibility tends to absorb political aspects, which is further illustrated in the expressed wish to avoid an aggressive, provocative or explicitly political address. Understanding popular feminism as a discursive struggle, we conclude that the domination of a happy, confidence-building feminism will render more confrontational and radical versions of feminism less visible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Airports throughout the world are remodelling, expanding and upgrading to handle increasing travel demand and Salt Lake International Airport (SLC) is no exception. In 2020, SLC opened the first new hub airport built in the USA in the 21st century. There were many challenges along the way, such as a worldwide pandemic and an earthquake with an epicentre just miles away from the airport. Perhaps the most monumental task was to build a 4 million square foot airport adjacent to an operating one. But beyond navigating construction and operations, building support for a new airport — when the existing airport was so beloved in the community — created additional challenges. SLC's communication and marketing team was tasked with crafting messages to help the community navigate this change, while also educating, informing and engaging the public. This paper discusses how, in order to provide a roadmap for communicating through the massive construction project, a Strategic Communication and Marketing Plan was developed for The New SLC Redevelopment Program that outlined goals and audiences, messaging, branding, marketing, traditional and social media and video production. The paper presents how the campaign was rooted in research and continually adjusted based on feedback and other evaluation mechanisms. The first step in developing a comprehensive communication plan was to conduct research by surveying SLC's audiences prior to undertaking a branding programme. An important research component was to identify key audiences and stakeholders, including internal audiences — such as employees and tenants — to help spread the project's message through grass-roots efforts. Once feedback from the survey was compiled, a brand was developed that resonated with the intended audiences. Just as important was to develop strategic messaging to inform audiences, while also educating and engaging. Next, determining the most effect ways to deliver the message was key, and was done through a combination of advertising, events, press conferences and traditional and social media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyse the construction of new Nordicities, as in new and guiding discourses for urban development which engage with a Northern location. Spatial planning and place branding are proposed as mutually reinforcing instruments to support the strategic positioning of cities located in northern climes. Planning in such an environment must take on board urban and landscape design, not merely for esthetics but as necessary tools to integrate scales of spatial organization, and to relate discursive Nordicities to spaces and spatial interventions which embody that discourse. Empirically, we draw on the city of Edmonton, Alberta, notable for its cold climate, increased planning ambitions, as well as recent initiatives towards embracing both the North and the winter. Different qualitative methods allow us to reconstruct changes in the understanding of the winter, the North, as well as changes in ideas on the role of planning and design. We argue that the deliberate construction of strategy around new Nordicities, adapted to local conditions and aspirations, and selectively incorporating foreign examples and external expertise, is a worthwhile pursuit for any northern community rethinking its relation to a northern context, and hoping to go beyond adaptation to the less pleasant features of climate and geography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Destination marketing is a complex process that involves creating a unique identity for a location, which is essential for attracting visitors and promoting the destination. This identity is created through a comprehensive branding approach beyond just creating logos. Instead, it involves a 360-degree holistic approach that considers the destination's heritage, values, and other key elements that make it stand out from other locations. Once the destination's brand has been established, it forms the foundation of all marketing activities to promote the location and attract new visitors. All content and messages should be aligned with the destination's brand identity to ensure consistency and maximum impact. The brand of a destination is crucial to its success, and this is especially true for Romanian tourism. This is why we are highly motivated to develop a comprehensive branding model that will help establish a strong brand identity for Romanian tourism. This model will be based on careful research and analysis of the unique characteristics of Romanian tourism, including its heritage, values, and other key elements that make it a popular destination for visitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing attention to the everyday, nation-building literature has paid insufficient attention to the ways in which national identity is strengthened as a side effect of measures that are not initially conceived of as nation-building activities. This article examines contemporary examples of such non-traditional processes of nation-building by reviewing the unintended consequences of political measures not directly targeting identity construction. We focus on processes of identity construction in Kyrgyzstan and Estonia that have emerged as a side effect of nation branding. In both cases, the primary goal of the national government was not necessarily to boost national identity but rather to re-brand the country for international audiences. We argue, however, that these efforts at external image projection and change have also influenced the ways in which national identities are understood, perceived, and reproduced by domestic populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to be successful in today's competitive environment, brands must have well-established identities. Therefore, during the branding process it is necessary to attribute personality traits and visual elements that best represent the desired identity of the brand. With the recent advances in communication, scholars have analyzed how different visual elements (e.g., logo, typography, color) can visually represent the desired brand personality. However, these elements are typically analyzed separately, since few studies show the association of personality traits with the set of visual elements of the brand (the well-known "visual identity"). Therefore, this work aims to develop a methodological framework that allows the design of visual identity based on the Dimensions of Brand Personality, by assigning a set of visual elements (colors, typographies, and shapes) to each dimension (Sincerity, Excitement, Competence, Sophistication and Ruggedness) suggested by Aaker in 1997. Through a quanti-quali approach, the associations suggested in the proposed framework were duly tested through the application of a questionnaire to a sample of consumers, to gather information about their perceptions. Preliminary results suggest that the proposed framework can successfully generate the desired brand personality perception in consumers, according to the design elements used for the creation of the visual brand identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]