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Understanding Role of Fonts in Linking Brand Identity to Brand Perception
Abstract
This study aimed to examine role of fonts as a vehicle in linking identity to perception of selected brands. Fonts are crucial constituent in the entire gamut of visual communication of brands. They communicate a brands’ identity through two means: explicit and implicit. Explicit aspect consists of physical dimensions such as weight, contrast, stress, x-height etc. Implicit aspect implies semiotics exuded by fonts formed at sub-conscious level and vary with change in identity a brand intends to communicate. The examination of symbiotic relationship connecting specific dimensions of font evaluated on basis of their ability to make text more readable and attractive with specific semiotics and how does such association vary with brand identity was the main focus of this study. This was achieved by conducting two experiments. Secondly, influence of explicit and implicit means of communication on linking identity with perception was examined through mediation analysis. Results showed direct effect of explicit aspect to be significantly reduced with inclusion of semiotic impact emphasizing importance of their congruency. Such inference is important in logo design, as it indicated that a brand communicating a message should use font with specific dimensions reflecting particular semiotics so as to influence customers’ perception of brand favourably.
Purpose
Over recent years, brand semiotics have been gaining the marketing practitioners' attention for designing their brand strategy. Hence, to address this gap, the current study investigates the effect of semiotic product packaging on brand experience dimensions, brand trust and purchase intent of reputed major brands of fast-moving consumer good (FMCG) products.
Design/methodology/approach
The data for this study were collected by administering a questionnaire-based survey from 254 respondents from the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) of India, using systematic sampling. Structural equation modeling has been used to test the conceptual model and examine the hypotheses developed in the study.
Findings
The results present evidence of the growing influence of semiotic product packaging upon consumer brand trust and purchase intentions. The study suggests that brand semiotics positively influence customer brand experience, brand trust and purchase intention of FMCG products.
Practical implications
The research findings will benefit FMCG companies to identify how to apply semiotics in packaging to improve consumers' brand experience and influence intent to purchase.
Originality/value
Research in brand semiotics on product packaging is limited, as most prior studies focus on brand semiotics in advertising, product design improvement and retail design. The present study has investigated the impact of semiotics on brand experience dimensions in product packaging, which is emerging as a critical concern for the FMCG sector particularly in the post-COVID period.
This edited collection presents state-of-the-art reviews of the latest developments in multisensory packaging design. Bringing together leading researchers and practitioners working in the field, the contributions consider how our growing understanding of the human senses, as well as new technologies, will transform the way in which we design, interact with, and experience food and beverage, home and personal care, and fast-moving consumer products packaging. Spanning all of the senses from colour meaning, imagery and font, touch and sonic packaging, a new framework for multisensory packaging analysis is outlined. The chapters also engage with increasingly important aspects of the packaging industry such as waste, product attention, and online environments. Including a number of case studies and examples, this book provides both practical application and theoretical discussion to appeal to students, researchers, and practitioners alike.
To date, research in advertising has focussed almost exclusively on metaphor, with linguists and marketing scholars paying very little attention to alternative types of figurative expression. Beyond the finding that metaphor leads to an increased appreciation of advertisements, there has been surprisingly little research into how consumer response is affected by metonymy, or by metaphor–metonymy interactions. In this article, we present findings from a study that investigated the depth to which participants (n = 90) from a range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds (the UK, Spain, and China) were found to process 30 real-world adverts featuring creative metaphor and metonymy in multimodal format. We focus on the cross-cultural variation in terms of time taken to process, appreciation and perceived effectiveness of adverts, and on individual differences explained by different levels of need for cognition. We found significant variation in the understanding of advertisements containing metaphor, metonymy, and combinations of the two, between subjects and across nationalities in terms of (i) processing time, (ii) overall appeal, and (iii) the way in which participants interpreted the advertisements.
This paper develops a multi-disciplinary measure of the brand signature construct by means of literature review and primary data analysis. This study explains that brand signature involves (i) endorsement of consistent consumer attitude toward diffusion of a brand name and brand logo (consists of typeface, design, and color); (ii) the expression and pursuit of a distinct message and the quality of the organization to consumers as well as consistency in communication; and (iii) the implementation, support, and maintenance of hotel brand signature systems based on the use of online/offline media. SEM is employed in order to test the proposed model. The results indicate that brand signature includes dissemination of its dimensions; brand attitude with two components (brand association and brand belief); brand awareness consists of brand familiarity, and brand recognisability; and consistency in brand reputation and prefaced by hotel brand performance implementation. Brand signature is recommended as a tool useful for the service industry to manage their global hotel brand reputation and performance.
Faced with the need to constantly find new growth drivers, luxury brands increasingly use cross-gender extensions (extension from the female to the male market and vice versa). Because of the lack of research on this topic, the aim of this article is to analyse the potential for cross-gender extension. We adopt a long-term perspective by analysing the discourse being directly produced by brands. We use a structural semiotic approach to define brand narratives and contracts and their level of openness. Seven luxury brands have been studied: Audemars Piguet, Cartier, Chanel, Dior, Hugo Boss, Montblanc and Rolex. The results show that they do not all have the same legitimacy for extension from the male to female market and vice versa. Specifically, in the context of cross-gender extensions, rather than brand extension potential (to new product categories), the narratives related to contracts of determination (linked to characters, gender and state) can determine the success or the failure of cross-gender extensions. We find that brands anchored in open determination contracts, i.e. those whose values are desired by both sexes (men and women), will be extended more easily from one market to another.
Although frequently altered by companies in logo redesign, upper and lowercase wordmarks have never been studied in marketing literature. This research investigates the influence of using a specific lettering case in a wordmark on consumer brand perceptions. Across two studies, the authors find that psychologically, consumers feel closer to lowercase wordmarks, which increase perceptions of brand friendliness compared with the uppercase wordmarks. On the other hand, compared with lowercase wordmarks, consumers perceive a higher level of strength from uppercase wordmarks, resulting in an increased perception of brand authority. Additionally, the authors find that this lettering case effect is mitigated when the wordmark design is complex versus when it is simple. Finally, the implications of these findings are discussed regarding brand visual stimuli and brand image communication.
Logos are identified as a useful tool within the complex strategy of brand communication. However, the focus on logos has concerned some researchers who attest that a logo is only a minor consideration in place branding where a policy-based approach is required. This article will argue that logos are critical in place branding in so much as they serve as a tool to help form the foundation of the visual strategy for a place-branding campaign. The power of the visual cannot be underestimated and maximizing the capacity of a logo through a flexible identity creates a visual repertoire to unite communication strategies and enhance branding. This article highlights the need to move away from the discussion of the single logo entity and instead focus debate on the integration of the entire suite of visual structures used to create meaning.
We examined how font sizes (18pt., 48 pt.) and font styles (regular, italic, bold) influenced younger and older adults' judgments of learning (JOLs) and recall. In Experiment 1 younger adults gave higher JOLs and obtained higher recall than older adults. However, JOLs and recall varied for both age groups as a function of font size and font style manipulations despite a tendency for both groups to predict higher recall for items in large and in regular and italic styles than for small and bold fonts and achieve higher recall for regular than italic or bold items. No age differences were found in relative accuracy, with near-perfect calibration in absolute accuracy for younger and older adults. Experiment 2 presented a description of Experiment 1 and asked participants to predict recall for the various font size/style combinations. Younger and older adults predicted higher recall for large than small font items, regardless of font style, and higher recall for bold than regular or italic styles, regardless of font size. Memory predictions did not align across experiments, suggesting that memory beliefs combine with processing fluency to affect JOLs and recall.
In this article, we attempt to distinguish between the properties of moderator and mediator variables at a number of levels. First, we seek to make theorists and researchers aware of the importance of not using the terms moderator and mediator interchangeably by carefully elaborating, both conceptually and strategically, the many ways in which moderators and mediators differ. We then go beyond this largely pedagogical function and delineate the conceptual and strategic implications of making use of such distinctions with regard to a wide range of phenomena, including control and stress, attitudes, and personality traits. We also provide a specific compendium of analytic procedures appropriate for making the most effective use of the moderator and mediator distinction, both separately and in terms of a broader causal system that includes both moderators and mediators. (46 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Although good logos are essential for creating brand awareness and brand equity, the effects of logo design features have not been tested empirically. Extending previous findings regarding the effects of design complexity and exposure in advertising to the field of brand logos, two experiments tested the effects of logo complexity and exposure on brand recognition and brand attitude. It was hypothesized that logo complexity moderates the effects of exposure on logo recognition and brand attitudes, such that exposure increases recognition and positively impacts brand attitudes in particular for complex logos. Experiment 1 (N = 68) tested the effects of six unfamiliar logos on recognition (in milliseconds) in a 2 (logo design complexity: simple vs complex) × 2 (logo exposure: one vs four) mixed design. Experiment 2 (N = 164) tested the effects of eight familiar logos on logo recognition and brand attitudes in a 2 (complexity: simple vs complex) × 2 (logo exposure: well-established vs recently established) within-subjects design. Findings showed that increases in exposure led to an increase in brand recognition and to more positive attitudes in particular for complex brand logos, suggesting short-term benefits for simple brand logos, and long-term benefits for complex logos.
This research explores whether the type font used to represent a brand name (such as in logos or packaging) influences consumers’ perceptions of the brand’s personality. Drawing on the semantic influence of type font framework, we conducted three experimental studies involving type fonts with a wide range of design characteristics: Study 1 shows that type font characteristics (naturalness, elaborate, harmony, flourish, and weight) influence brand personality perceptions (excitement, sincerity, sophistication, competence, and ruggedness). Type font naturalness, harmony, and flourish emerge as the most important type font characteristics evoking higher levels of most personality dimensions. Study 2 extends the research to new brand names and finds that the effect of naturalness in type font designs is a key driver to eliciting brand personality dimensions. Study 3 then explores whether type font characteristics and type font color interactively affect brand personality dimensions. Results show that the influence of type font color on brand personality perceptions is independent of the impact of the type font itself. These results provide initial guidelines for type font selection to achieve desired brand personality and raise questions for future research.
This article develops empirically based guidelines to help managers select typefaces that affect strategically valued impressions. The authors discuss the potential trade-offs among the impressions created by typeface (e.g., pleasing, engaging, reassuring, prominent). The selection of typeface can be simplified with the use of six underlying design dimensions: elaborate, harmony, natural, flourish, weight, and compressed.
Purpose
What customers associate with a brand is the result of what they have felt, learnt, seen and heard about the brand. This knowledge impacts the attitudinal and behavioral brand response of customers (and vice versa). This paper aims to identify how customer segments of one brand characterized by different levels of behavioral and attitudinal response intensity differ in terms of content and structure of brand associations..
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reports findings of two single‐brand studies, each comparing brand associations of customer groups with different brand response intensity levels: one in a business‐to‐customer (B2C) setting where knowledge is determined via brand‐to‐association retrieval, one in a business‐to‐business (B2B) setting with benefit‐to‐brand retrieval.
Findings
The findings show that consumer segments with differing behavioral and attitudinal brand response intensity show unique brand knowledge patterns. Consumers with high response intensity elicit more (favorable) brand associations, and elicit the brand more frequently when stimulated with the brand name. In addition, identical brand associations are rated differently favorable depending on the intensity of brand response.
Practical implications
To learn about the strength of a brand, organizations may complement frequently used comparisons with competing brands by investigating what distinguishes brand knowledge of various customer segments that differ with respect to their relationship with the focal brand. This allows targeting various segments more specifically.
Originality/value
This paper adds to our understanding of brand strength by comparing multiple intra‐brand segments and by understanding how their brand knowledge differs depending on their attitudinal and behavioral brand response. Such a perspective may provide more useful insights to fostering brand response than studying inter‐brand differences.
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the roles of three emotional factors (self‐concept connection, emotional attachment, and brand love) in the context of younger consumer‐luxury brand relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
The main data collection was done via a self‐selected online survey of a representative group of younger consumers. Data analysis was performed with structural equation modelling and multidimensional scaling.
Findings
Three emotional factors enhance younger consumers' brand loyalty, but the strength of the impact varies. Emotional attachment has the strongest impact on brand loyalty, followed by self‐concept connection and brand love. Self‐concept connection increases brand love as well as emotional attachment. The result of perceptual mapping shows different perceptions of the luxury brands in younger consumers' minds.
Research limitations/implications
Generalizability needs to be established with a wider range of younger consumer groups. The insights on younger consumers' brand relationships help brand managers devise effective brand management strategies.
Originality/value
This study is the first attempt to identify the importance of emotional aspects in younger consumer‐brand relationship. The current study extends branding literature by shedding lights on the roles of emotional factors in brand management, which also help brand managers.
A neglected issue in the literature on visual-word recognition is the careful examination of parameters such as font, size, or interletter/interword spacing on reading times. Here we analysed whether serifs (i.e., the small features at the end of strokes) play a role in lexical access. Traditionally, serif fonts have been considered easier to read than sans serif fonts, but prior empirical evidence is scarce and inconclusive. Here we conducted a lexical decision experiment (i.e., a word/nonword discrimination task) in which we compared words from the same family (Lucida) either with a serif font or with a sans serif font—in both a block list and a mixed list. Results showed a small, but significant advantage in response times for words written in a sans serif font. Thus, sans serif fonts should be the preferred choice for text in computer screens—as already is the case for guide signs on roads, trains, etc.
In this article, we attempt to distinguish between the properties of moderator and mediator variables at a number of levels. First, we seek to make theorists and researchers aware of the importance of not using the terms moderator and mediator interchangeably by carefully elaborating, both conceptually and strategically, the many ways in which moderators and mediators differ. We then go beyond this largely pedagogical function and delineate the conceptual and strategic implications of making use of such distinctions with regard to a wide range of phenomena, including control and stress, attitudes, and personality traits. We also provide a specific compendium of analytic procedures appropriate for making the most effective use of the moderator and mediator distinction, both separately and in terms of a broader causal system that includes both moderators and mediators.
This paper illustrates how font, viewed as a component of a brand's visual equity, can enhance a brand's identity and build its market share. In a two-alternative forced-choice task, brands, covering 10 different product categories, were chosen twice as frequently when they were in an appropriate font relative to when they were not. This finding was replicated with no diminution of the effect even when brand names were highly connotative. In a subsequent small field study, consumers chose chocolates from a box of chocolates having an appropriate font rather than one having an inappropriate font on 75% of occasions. Our study establishes the importance for marketers to adopt a coherent font policy to cover current and possible future brand extensions.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of semantic fluency on consumers' aesthetic evaluation in graphic designs with text and the mediating effect of visual complexity in this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
The hypotheses are examined in three experiments. Experiments 1 and 2 both verify that Chinese consumers rated the designs with low (vs high) semantic fluency words as more beautiful, and Experiment 3 further confirmed this effect in non-Chinese speakers.
Findings
Confirmed by Chinese and non-Chinese consumers, high fluency text leads to lower perceived visual complexity and less aesthetic perception of the entire design.
Research limitations/implications
Findings enrich the theory of beauty standards and put forward challenges to the positive relationship between processing fluency and aesthetic pleasure. Findings are limited to the decorative function of text, and lack discussions on how designers should balance when the informational function of text is equally important.
Originality/value
This study is the first to discuss how designs with text influence consumers' aesthetic perception and provides meaningful guidelines of transnational marketing for fashion designers and enterprises.
Retailers seek effective ways to communicate promotions to increase store traffic and drive purchases. We propose that right-slanted fonts which imply forward movement in their design may influence how consumers perceive and respond to advertised promotional events. Five controlled experiments demonstrate that promotions advertised with right-slanted fonts can increase consumers’ retailer visit and purchase intentions. A field experiment demonstrates that right-slanted fonts can increase consumers’ click through rate in email promotions. Right-slanted fonts are found to evoke dynamic mental imagery of the promotion moving forward in time and ending soon. Right-slanted fonts are shown to disproportionally influence the behavioral intentions of deal prone consumers who are more likely to experience anticipated inaction regret related to missing an advertised promotional offer. Relatedly, right-slanted fonts only appear to influence consumer behavioral intentions in the context of advertisements containing a promotional offer.
Visual identity systems allow a visual object to stand for, and provide suggestive expression of, a host. The primary graphic element in a visual identity system is the logo. In three sections, this article explores inportant semiotic mechanisms by which logos perform the work of identifying. The first section points to the difference between basic visual differentiation (boundary coherence) and affective/cognitive reference (semantic coherence). It makes a distinction between two kinds of reference that occur simultaneously in logos: (1) an immediate referencing of the host entity (the entity for which identification is sought), and (2), indirect, reference that is often metaphoric in character. The second section offers a four-part classification scheme for logos based upon a Peircean icon/index/symbol division with the addition of an axis of syntactical detail. A “hidden” class of logo is predicted by this Peircean framework; examples are identified and this class is named “gesturegraphs”. It is argued that this four-part classification scheme is both semiotically necessary and sufficient. Any further classes of logos can be considered subclasses within the four semiotic factors proposed. These classes are not judged to be discrete, but rather to afford blended and combinatorial situations. The rhetorical tropes of metonym and metaphor are discussed in terms of their value to the pictographic mode of logo design. Finally, in the third section of the article, genre is defined as the coherence of stylistic features in relation to the sector of the host’s activity. Two case studies are given as examples of how genre influences the semantical context of logos.
The importance of emotional branding (EB) strategy in building long-term and sustainable psychological links with consumers had been sufficiently highlighted in literature. However, very few research attempted to provide a structured tool for its measurement. This study proposed a 13-point four-factor multidimensional scale which could be used to measure EB formally. Dimensions measuring EB were derived from literature and then examined on three different brands in order to achieve a reliable and valid scale. Findings suggested brand loyalty, brand association, perceived quality and brand personality as constructs which would form the scale. The second part of the study was devoted to understand the role of these constructs in achieving ultimate goal of branding, that is, to infuse trust in consumers. A key finding suggested that emphasis on brand loyalty results in formation of trust and mitigates scepticism. Also, trust was positively and significantly impacted by brand loyalty and association, whereas a mismatch of brand personality with emotions reflected by brand could result in scepticism.
This study used Q methodology to uncover the different perspectives that exist regarding the factors that affect the favorability of organizational logos. Studies that have examined the factors that influence consumers’ attitudes toward logos have largely used traditional research methods based on measures that have been prespecified by the researcher(s). Q methodology takes a fundamentally different approach—it is a mixture of both qualitative and quantitative aspects of research that allows participants to speak for themselves. In this study, we used unstructured sampling of 50 logos and had 40 participants rank-order the logos from “most appealing” (+ 5) to “most unappealing” (− 5). Three different perspectives emerged from the correlation and factor analysis. The first group preferred logos with bright colors, the second group thought logos with living creatures were appealing, and the third group was attracted to logos evoking a sense of movement. The findings and implications of this Q methodology study can help managers develop more effective communication strategies using organizational logos.
Purpose
This study aims to understand the specific attributes of a brand’s color identity in an investigation of the relationship between color identity, brand association and other factors, including brand loyalty.
Design/methodology/approach
Focus group interviews and open-ended questions were used initially to create items for the survey. After excluding insincere responses, 781 responses to the questionnaire were used for the analysis. Structural equation modeling was performed to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The results reveal that sub-factors that comprise the color identity construct are closely related to the components of brand association. All components of brand association, including brand attribution, brand benefits and brand attitude, were shown to have a positive impact on brand self-identification. In turn, brand self-identification was shown to have a positive impact on brand loyalty.
Research limitations/implications
The generalizability of the study’s findings is limited insofar as only three components of the visual identity of the airline company under study – its logo, airplane exteriors and cabin attendants’ uniforms – were used for the color image analysis.
Practical implications
In marketing, color choices play a critical role in building brand identity as they positively affect a company’s brand association in consumers’ minds. Previous studies on airline brands have focused mainly on systematic factors related to service, prices and scheduling.
Originality/value
Regarding brand identity, color is an important factor in visual communication. Among the psychological functions of color, it has a communication function that can most directly and effectively deliver message and meaning of a company to consumers.
Choosing the appropriate typeface and font for use in product packaging is an important part of the design process (or at least it should be). Yet, at the same time, it is also an area that is often neglected in books on packaging. This is particularly surprising given that virtually all packaging incorporates some text (e.g., logotypes, slogans, product information). A growing body of empirical research, however, now demonstrates that typefaces can be used to convey/reinforce specific brand associations. Insights into which features of the typeface might be best suited to conveying (or priming) different meanings emerged from the older research on the semantic differential technique and from more recent research on the crossmodal correspondences. Choosing typeface and font for the packaging that is incongruent with what a product stands for can negatively impact the consumer’s perception/evaluation of a brand. Meanwhile, iconic typefaces may, over time, come to be attached with specific brands, given our repeated exposure to them on packaging in the marketplace. In this chapter, we review the emerging literature on the scientific approach to typeface design, stressing the key role it can play in creating the most persuasive packaging solutions.
Words presented in larger font size are considered more memorable and rated with higher judgments of learning (JOLs). One explanation for this phenomenon is that people believe that font size affects memory. However, it is not clear why people hold this belief. One alternative is that font size represents importance, with larger fonts implying more relevant information. More important information is judged as more memorable and is, in fact, better remembered. In Experiments 1 and 2 we presented words in small (18 points) and extra-large font (250 points) and found higher JOLs and higher judgments of importance with extra-large fonts. A mediation analysis showed that importance accounted for 21–23% of the effect of font size on JOLs. In Experiment 3, we tested whether processing fluency was higher with the extra-large font. In a lexical decision task, participants were slower at detecting words and non-words with extra-large than small font, which is the opposite of what the processing fluency hypothesis predicts. This result shows that the font-size effect persists even in conditions in which perceived fluency should be lower. In sum, this research explained the belief that font size affects memory because words in larger fonts are considered more important.
Previous research has started to show the importance of consumers’ stereotypes for companies and their brands. However, there has been little research into what predicts these consumers’ stereotypes. This study contributes to the literature by testing aesthetic and self-expressiveness benefits as potential antecedents of consumers’ stereotypes towards brands. We also investigate the role of brand stereotypes on relationship quality. Two studies (n = 714) were conducted in two different categories, product (athletic shoes) and service (university). The results support the proposed relationships between brand logo benefits and brand stereotypes. Interestingly, the importance of brand logo benefits on relationship quality differs between the two categories. Implications for marketers are discussed.
(Note: Free access to the article until August 23, 2018 clicking on the following link:
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The loss of a sense of humanness that stems from increasing mechanization, automation, and digitization gives firms an impetus to develop effective ways to humanize products. On the basis of knowledge activation theory, this article systematically investigates a novel humanization approach: the use of typefaces that appear to be handwritten. Across several laboratory and field studies, the authors provide evidence of the positive effect of handwritten typefaces, reveal the mechanisms that lead to these outcomes, and outline some boundary conditions. Specifically, the results show that handwritten typefaces create perceptions of human presence, which lead to more favorable product evaluations (and behavior) by enhancing the emotional attachment between the consumer and the product. However, these effects are mitigated for brands to which consumers already feel a sense of attachment. Finally, the effects reverse when the products are functionally positioned or functional in nature. The present article thus extends understanding of humanization processes and provides guidelines for how and when brands should use handwritten typefaces.
The marketing literature suggests that positioning a brand in terms of brand gender (i.e., brand masculinity and brand femininity) generates favorable consumer responses, yet there is little research on how brand gender perceptions arise. This research examines whether type font can be employed to create brand gender perceptions in the context of unfamiliar brands. Building on the theoretical framework of personality inferences based on static cues, three studies involving a range of type fonts, brand names, and product categories demonstrate that type font influences consumers’ perceptions of brand gender. Type font effects emerged for brand names presented in isolation (Study 1), brand names presented on signage (Study 2a), and brand names on product labels (Studies 2b and 3). Importantly, type font effects on brand gender persisted in the presence of a competing brand gender cue (i.e., brand name with gender associations), and type font and brand name influenced brand gender perceptions independently. A fourth study demonstrates that type fonts representing the brands influence consumers’ likelihood to recommend the brand. The article concludes with a discussion of theoretical and brand management implications.
A product is simply something that is material or substance of some kind. In order to be transformed into a brand with its own code of meanings and system of rhetorical allusions, it needs to be semiotized. And the marketing and advertising industries have become semioticians in this sense, semiotizing a product by assigning it a name, a visual sign (logo), a system of language forms (slogan, taglines, etc.), and then textualizing the brand by creating appropriate ads and commercials for it. This paper will show how this network of semiotizing events coheres into an overall macrotext to produce the brand as a sign system.
Brand identity definitions predominately take a unilateral and aspirational perspective—what managers want the brand to be—while emphasizing the need for stability over time. The increasingly dynamic environment and the rising role of consumers as co-contributors to brand construction and development demand rethinking this perspective. This paper seeks to advance the established conceptualization of brand identity by revising the definition and proposing brand identity as dynamic, constructed over time through mutually influencing inputs from managers and other social constituents (e.g., consumers). Drawing on a seminal definition from the field of sociology, underpinning the socially constructed nature of identity, the authors propose an innovative managerial framework that challenges established approaches of brand identity, within the new market context.
Although masculinity and femininity are personality traits relevant to brands, their measurement and contribution to branding theory and practice have not been examined. This article describes the development and validation of a two-dimensional scale measuring masculine and feminine brand personality that is discriminant with regard to existing brand personality dimensions and scales measuring masculinity and femininity as human personality traits. This scale is applied to show that (1) spokespeople in advertising shape masculine and feminine brand personality perceptions; (2) brand personality-self-concept congruence in terms of masculine and feminine brand personality and consumers' sex role identity positively influences affective, attitudinal, and behavioral brand-related consumer responses; and (3) masculine and feminine brand personality lends itself to the creation of brand fit in a brand extension context, which in turn leads to more positive brand extension evaluations and increased purchase intentions with regard to the extension.
In this research, a conceptual framework is developed that addresses the impact of typeface semantic cues within a marketing context. Visual properties of typefaces are conceptualized as communicating unique semantic associations to individuals distinct from the content of the written words they clothe. Typeface associations are investigated across varying levels of involvement in terms of their effect upon brand perceptions. These associations also influenced the memorability of advertised benefit claims. Memorability was enhanced as the degree of consistency among typeface semantic cues, advertisement visual cues, and advertisement copy claims increased. Extensions of this framework focus on obtaining a more complete understanding concerning the semantic pathways through which typefaces convey meaning.
Practitioners typically agree that typefaces have personas, and they often suggest specific personas for specific typefaces, but these guidelines rely on craftlore rather than on empirical evidence. Research on typography has focused primarily on readability and legibility issues; there have been few studies investigating the personas of typefaces. There is a clear gap in the research. With the increased flexibility in design that comes with more sophisticated desktop publishing technology, with an ongoing shift from printed to electronic documents, and with a growing emphasis on visual communication, this gap is becoming increasingly important to the field of technical communication. The studies discussed here provide strong empirical support for the notion that readers ascribe personality attributes both to typefaces and to text passages. The data provide a foundation for investigation of the interactions between typeface and text persona.
This paper discusses the concepts of brand identity and brand image from a communications perspective. Brand identity originates from the company, ie a company is responsible for creating a differentiated product with unique features. Brand image refers to consumer perceptions and encompasses a set of beliefs that consumers have about the brand. Brand identity and brand image are related but distinct concepts. Both are essential ingredients of strong brands. A firm can enhance brand loyalty by ensuring that there is congruence between brand identity and brand image. Key changes taking place in today's communications environment have been identified and suggestions are offered on how to strengthen the identity-image linkage.Journal of Brand Management (2005) 12, 264-278; doi:10.1057/palgrave.bm.2540222
An exploratory eye-tracking study was designed to compare the onscreen legibility of sans serif and serif typefaces. The typefaces selected for this study included the serif font Times New Roman and the sans serif font Arial—both originally designed for printing on paper—and the serif font Georgia and the sans serif font Verdana—both designed in recent years especially for reading onscreen. Six participants read four short news stories, each displayed in a different typeface, while their eye-movement behavior was recorded. Overall, Verdana performed best. Participants were able to read more quickly and experienced fewer regressions (backward movements) when the type was set in Verdana. They also expressed a strong preference for this font on the computer screen.
Advertisers are constantly seeking ways to increase the persuasive power of their ads. To that end, advertisers are encouraged to match their advertising's executional elements (e.g., spokespersons, visuals, etc.) with their consumer's motivation, opportunity, and ability (MOA) to process brand information from advertising. A less-considered approach is to select executional elements that will increase consumer motivation, opportunity, and ability. Following this approach, the current study examines typography, a potentially critical but relatively underinvestigated executional element. Typography is a major executional element of word-driven advertising (e.g., print and internet), and has the potential to significantly influence motivation, opportunity, and ability to process advertising messages. Given the potential importance of typography, it is surprising how little research has been conducted to examine its effects in a persuasion context. One reason for this paucity of research may be the lack of an organizing framework delineating the macrolevel relationships between typographic dimensions, typographic outcomes, and the effects of those outcomes on consumer MOA to process advertising. Therefore, the current study develops a general model of typographic effects in advertising-based persuasion and then tests select portions of that model empirically. The findings indicate that not only is typography capable of affecting consumer ability to process ad-based brand information, but that the effects of various typographic characteristics are highly interactive. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
This article explores from a multimodal perspective the extent to which the visual aspect of printed verbal language is meaning-making in its own right, and how it interacts with other modes of meaning in a complex process of semiosis. To this end, the article deploys and examines the approach to multimodal discourse proposed, for instance, by Kress and Van Leeuwen (2001) and Baldry and Thibault (2006), and, more specifically, the multimodal approach to typography suggested by Van Leeuwen (2005b; 2006), in order to sketch out a methodological framework applicable to the description and analysis of the semiotic potential of typography in literary texts.
What political candidates say during their campaign and when they say it are critical to their success. In three experiments, we show that abstract, "why"-laden appeals are more persuasive than concrete, "how"-laden appeals when voters' decision is temporally distant; the reverse is true when the decision is imminent, and these results are strongest among those who are politically uninformed. These effects seem to be driven by a match between temporal distance and the abstractness of the message that leads to perceptions of fluency, and the ensuing "feels right" experience yields enhanced evaluations of the focal stimulus. (c) 2008 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc..
Brand identity complements brand equity and it forms an important part of the strategic management of brands. Identity elements include a well-known brand name, logo, font type, symbols, colour, shape, as well as unique product and benefit descriptions. These different elements can contribute to distinct consumer perceptions of various brands in the marketplace and help to differentiate brands from competitors. Brand managers need to start with a vision of what they want their brand to represent and then use the appropriate identity elements to build the brand. Some brand identity components may be influential to choice at the subconscious level of consumers, and therefore the understanding of individual psychological processes of perception and social meaning is required by brand managers.
Word marks: a helpful tool to express your identity: an empirical study regarding fonts of word marks as a tool for transmitting an archetypal identity
- L Oosterhout
How Favourable Attitudes are Formed when the Semantic Associations of a Logotype are Congruent with Brand Personality (Doctoral dissertation
- E J Mikaere
Business statistics: for contemporary decision making
- Ken Black
Typography Essentials Revised and Updated: 100 Design Principles for Working with Type
- I Saltz