Anthropomorphization happens whenever human characteristics are imputed to in-animate objects. This aptitude is observable in all cultures because it simplifies the interaction with nonliving objects (Fournier 1998, p.344). In search for ways to en-courage lasting costumer relationships the brand personality concept becomes a more prominent anthropomorphization in marketing. Brand personality is: “the set of hu-man characteristics associated with a brand” (Aaker 1997, p. 347).
Aaker’s brand personality scale was chosen for the purpose of this paper to create and analyze an online survey among Polish and German people in order to assess cultural differences in the perception of brand personalities.
Table of Contents
1 Theoretical Foundation
1.1 The Brand Personality Concept
1.2 Measuring Brand Personality
1.2.1 Evolution of Measurement Tools
1.2.2 The Five Dimensions of Brand Personality
1.2.3 Binary Free Choice Approach
1.3 Defining Culture
1.3.1 Approaches of Cultural Studies
1.3.2 Operationalizing Culture
1.3.3 Cultural Differences between Poland and Germany
2 Empirical Research
2.1 Data
2.1.1 Data Specification
2.1.2 Data Manipulation
2.2 First Survey
2.2.1 Descriptive Statistics of the Sample
2.2.2 Analysis
2.3 Second Survey
2.3.1 Descriptive Statistics of the Sample
2.3.2 Analysis
3 Discussion
3.1 Limitations
3.2 Comparison of Findings
3.3 Implications
4 Conclusion
4.1 Summary
4.2 Future Direction
Research Objectives and Core Themes
The primary objective of this thesis is to investigate cultural differences in the perception of brand personalities, utilizing Germany and Poland as comparative case studies. The study seeks to determine whether a common perception of brand personality exists across different cultures or if cultural backgrounds significantly influence how consumers attribute human characteristics to brands.
- The theoretical conceptualization of brand personality and its measurement.
- The operationalization of 'culture' within an international marketing context.
- An empirical analysis of brand perception using a two-stage online survey approach.
- A comparative evaluation of brand personality perceptions among German and Polish consumers.
- The development of strategic implications for marketers regarding cross-cultural brand communication.
Extract from the Book
1.1 The Brand Personality Concept
Relationship principles have replaced the paradigm of the market as a place of mere anonymous exchanges (Webster 1992). Customers’ loyalty becomes an increasingly important term and has been identified to make up for a considerable part of a successful firm’s equity (Aaker 1996). If today researchers talk about “brand loyalty” (Fournier 1998, p. 343), they imply that customers can enter into a lasting relationship with brands as far as developing emotional bonds and thus exhibit stronger consumer preference and higher usage for respective brands (Biel 1993; Sirgy 1982). Thus ever since marketers started to focus on how firms can build relationships with their customers, more attention was given to relationship theory.
Relationships between customers and their brands are suggested to refer to similar associated concepts as interpersonal relationships (Fournier 1998). This transference of concepts and cognitions from human interaction to inanimate objects by assigning human characteristics to them is called anthropomorphization. This inevitable and thus universal human propensity (Brown 1991) is performed to simplify human interaction with inanimate objects. Anthropomorphization simplifies interaction in so far as people can only interpret their observations along the rich collection of their own experience (Freling 2005). Due to these underlying paradigm changes and extension of relationship theory the brand personality concept became a more and more prominent anthropomorphization in marketing.
Summary of Chapters
1 Theoretical Foundation: This chapter establishes the theoretical framework by defining the brand personality concept and exploring methodologies for its measurement, as well as operationalizing the term 'culture' within a marketing research context.
2 Empirical Research: This section details the methodology and execution of a two-stage empirical study involving Polish and German subjects to compare their perception of various global brands.
3 Discussion: The findings are critically reviewed, addressing study limitations and comparing results across different survey stages to derive implications for international marketing.
4 Conclusion: This final chapter synthesizes the research outcomes and suggests future directions for investigating brand personality in cross-cultural environments.
Keywords
Brand Personality, Consumer Behavior, Culture, Cross-Cultural Research, Germany, Poland, Anthropomorphization, Brand Loyalty, Market Research, Online Survey, Aaker, Hofstede, Perception, Relationship Theory, International Marketing
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The thesis focuses on examining cultural differences in how brand personalities are perceived by consumers in Germany and Poland.
What are the central thematic fields covered in this study?
The study covers the intersection of marketing psychology and cross-cultural studies, specifically looking at brand equity, consumer relationship theory, and the application of standardized measurement scales in diverse cultural environments.
What is the primary research question?
The research asks: What are the cultural differences in the perception of brand personalities, specifically using Germany and Poland as examples?
What scientific methods were employed?
The study utilizes an empirical approach, conducting two separate online surveys and performing statistical analyses, including factor-based weighting and t-tests, to assess the significance of differences in perception between the two national subsamples.
What topics are addressed in the main body?
The main body covers the definition and evolution of brand personality measurement (specifically Aaker's model), the operationalization of culture using Hofstede's dimensions, and a detailed empirical assessment of 100 brands in an initial survey, followed by a deeper dive into 6 selected brands.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include brand personality, cross-cultural consumer behavior, anthropomorphization, and cultural variables within marketing.
How did the author handle the challenge of representative sampling?
The author utilized an online convenience sample, acknowledging its limitations regarding representativeness but justifying the approach by ensuring the sample reached participants beyond a simple student population, while also controlling for ethnic demographic homogeneity in both countries.
Why were Germany and Poland chosen as the specific case study countries?
They were chosen due to their shared historical and geographical proximity within the European Union while maintaining distinct cultural, economic, and linguistic differences, making them ideal for illustrating cultural influence on perception.
What role does the 'European University Viadrina' play in this research?
The university serves as a scientific gateway between the two nations, providing an advantageous environment for cross-cultural research due to its East-European focus and collaboration with the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan.
- Quote paper
- Martin Pydde (Author), 2008, Cultural Differences in the Perception of Brand Personalities, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/127663
