Institutional theory is emerging as an influential perspective in marketing however the role of institutions in branding, and in particular brand meaning co-creation, is limited. This is problematic because brand-facing actors determine the legitimacy of brands and brand behaviors which are influential in shaping both meaning-making and institutions in their favor. This paper seeks to advance knowledge at the intersection of institutional theory and branding by exploring the nature of brand meaning co-creation. Three illustrative vignettes show how divergence between community and organizational institutions influences brand meaning co-creation. In doing so it is argued that brand meaning co-creation represents a meaningful mechanism for institutional (re)shaping which can be driven by brand-facing actors. This paper contributes to the limited research exploring the role of brand-facing actors in transforming organizational and broader socially constructed institutions through brand meaning co-creation and the reciprocal nature of this process.
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your Elgar Online account
-
Front Matter
-
Part I: THE ONTOLOGY AND EPISTEMOLOGY OF BRAND CO-CREATION
-
Part II: CO-CREATION OF INTANGIBLE BRAND ASSETS
-
Part III: CO-CREATION OF BRAND OFFERINGS
-
Part IV: ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS OF BRAND CO-CREATION
-
Part V: CRITICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE FUTURE OF BRAND CO-CREATION
-
Part VI: CASE STUDIES ON BRAND CO-CREATION
