Thematic Analysis Method Application in Recognizing Brand Agility

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Faculty member and Head of business administration department, Semnan university, Semnan, Iran

2 Faculty member and Associate Professor of business administration department, Semnan university, Semnan, Iran

3 Department of Business Management, Faculty of Economics, Management and Administrative Sciences, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

Abstract


Undoubtedly, the main function of a brand is to create and maintain an attractive and sustainable differentiation according to status quo and possibilities. Nowadays, with the increasing number of brands and the intensification of competition between them, those brands that do not have the knowledge of quick and right adaption to influential environmental changes, will soon be gotten out of consumers' preference and choices lists. This paper is a qualitative research on the meaning of agility in brand. In the first phase, after a comprehensive literature review on branding and all types of agility, with the aim of collecting qualitative data, a framework developed in order to formulate semi-structured interview questions with experts. Nine Iranian high-level academics and executives, who were expert in marketing and branding, were selected through purposive sampling (Snowball sampling). In the second phase, Transcribed interviews were coded with Nvivo and by the Clarke and Brown's six-step inductive semantic analysis method. There are no logically pre-defined themes in this method, and patterns are revealed during analysis via placing similar open codes or sub-themes in a bigger theme. In this research out of a total of 239 open codes and 24 sub-themes, three main themes were identified, named as the triggers, requirements and attributes of brand adaption, and the new concept of brand agility formed. According to the findings of the research, brand agility is the intelligent, continuous, identity driven and fast performance-communication adaptation of brand against meaningful and significant drivers. This can be reached through five basic capabilities named as relative flexibility, efficient responsiveness, intelligent sensing, power of prediction and brand learning.

Keywords

References

Aaker, D. (2016). Strategic Brand Agility. Retrieved September 6, 2017. from Prophet
         : https://www.prophet.com/thinking/2016/01/254-strategic-brand-agility/
Ahmadi, P., Jafarzadeh, M, & Bakhshizadeh, A. (2014). A glance at brand identity and Its impact on brand
         loyalty and brand equity (case study: kaleh dairy and meat products company). Iranian Journal of
         Trade Studies, 18 (71), 65-94. (In Persian)
American Marketing Association. (2018). https://www.ama.org/resources/Pages/ Dictionary.aspx?
         dLetter=B
Bastos, W. & Levy, S. (2012). A history of the concept of branding: practice and theory. Journal of
         Historical Research in Marketing, 4 (3), 347 – 368.
Bishop, M. (2015, June 30). Developing an agile brand architecture. Retrieved November 1, 2016. From
           Branding Strategy Insider: https://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/2015/06/developing-brand-
           architecture.html#.WrDIE5ehU2x.
Brown, S., Kozinets, R, & Sherry, J.F. (2003). Teaching Old Brands New Tricks. Journal of Marketing ,67
           (3), 19-33.
Clarke, V., & Braun, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology,
            3 (2),77-101.
Conejo, F. & Wooliscroft, B. (2015). The Times (and Brands) are a Changin’. Journal of Macromarketing,
          35 (3), 391-396.
Davcik, N.S., Da Silva, R, & Hair, J.F. (2015). Towards a unified theory of brand equity: conceptualizations,
          taxonomy and avenues for future research. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 24 (1),3-17.
Davis, S. (2000). The power of the brand. Strategy & Leadership, 28 (4),4 – 9.
De Chernatony, L. & Riley, F. D. (1998). Defining A "Brand": Beyond the Literature with Experts'
          Interpretations. Journal of Marketing Management, 14 (5), 417-443.
Despark. (2014, October 22). Increasing brand agility: Closing the digital talent gap through Global
            Talent Sourcing. Retrieved december 1, 2015. from Despark: http://despark.com/thoughts/increasing-brand-agility-despark-s-first-thought-leadership-paper.
Dinnie, K. (2008). Nation Branding: Concepts, Issues, Practice.Bretain: Elsevier.
Esmaeelpour, F., Heidarzadeh Hanzaee, K, Mansourian, Y, & Khoon Siavash, M. (2017). Children’s
          Experience of Overweight Promotional Characters in Marketing Activities: A Phenomenological
          Study. Iranian Business Management, 8 (4), 744-721. (In Persian)
Farquhar, P.H. (1989). Managing Brand Equity. Marketing Research,1(3),24-33.
Ghasemi P. & Darzian azizi A. (2013). An analysis the impact of brand orientation on brand performance
          and corporate’s financial performance (case study: active corporate’s in Ahwas’ industrial
          estates). Journal of Marketing Management, 8 (18),75-90. (In Persian)
Hampf, A. & Lindberg-Repo, K. (2011). Branding: The Past, Present, and Future: A Study of the Evolution
          and Future of Branding. Hanken School of Economics.
Jacobs, L. & Ordahl, T. (2014, October 7). The agile brand. Retrieved december 1, 2015. from Landor:
            http://landor.com/thinking/the-agile-brand.
Keller, K.L. (2001). Building customer-based brand equity: A blueprint for creating strong brands.
          Cambridge, Mass: Marketing Science Institute.
Landor (2015, November 4). The agility paradox. Retrieved december 1, 2015. from Landor:
            http://landor.com/thinking/the-agility-paradox.
McEleny, C. (2014, June 30). We need to be ready for shift to agile brands as P&G drops 'marketing' job
            titles. Retrieved december 1, 2015. from 12ahead: http://www.12ahead.com/we-need-be-ready-
            shift-agile-brands-pg-drops-marketing-job-titles.
Motameni, R. & Shahrokhi, M. (1998). Brand equity valuation: a global perspective. Journal of Product &
           Brand Management, 7, 275 – 290.
Niessing, J. (2015, March 26). what brands need o survive in a digital world. Retrieved September 3,
          2018. from https://knowledge.insead.edu/blog/insead-blog/what-brands-need-to-survive-in-a-
          digital-world-4050.
Niessing, J. & Aaker, D. (2015, October 8). Being Too Agile Could Kill Your Brand.Retrieved december 3,
          2015.from Inside Knowledge: http://knowledge.insead.edu/blog/insead-blog/being-too-agile-
            could-kill-your-brand-4299.
Rajagopal, S. (2008). Measuring brand performance through metrics application. Measuring Business
         Excellence, 12 (1), 29-38.
Rekom, J., Jacobs, G, & Verlegh, P. W. (2006). Measuring and managing the essence of a brand
         personality. Marketing Letters New York, 17 (3), 181-192.
Rogoll, C. (2015). Star brands: a brand manager's guide to build, manage & market brands. New York:
          Allworth Press.
Schallehn, M., Burmann, C, & Riley, N. (2014). Brand authenticity: model development and empirical
         testing. Journal of Product and Brand Management, 23 (3), 192-199.
Srivastava, R. K. (2011). Understanding brand identity confusion. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 29
         (4), 340-352.
Twyford, D. ( 2015, March 16),Brand consistency gives way to agility, Retrieved december 5, 2015, from
          Landor: http://landor.com/thinking/brand-consistency-gives-way-to-agility
Ward, S. (2015, October 02). How agile thinking leads to better branding. Retrieved december 5, 2015.
            from DigitalArts: http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/news/creative-business/how-agile-thinkin
            leads-better-branding/.
 
 
 
 
 

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics