An Exploration of Brand Identities: Understanding Brands and the Importance of Adaptation
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Date
2016-06
Authors
Rohrich, Kate
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Brands provide a sense of identity for people, products, and companies.
The term "brand" itself has been used for centuries to denote property and form
associations; however, as the usage of the term widened, there is disagreement
as to its current meaning as well as what branding actually means in terms of
advertising and development. While the idea of branding today is less literal
than physically marking ownership, it still holds these associative powers and is
used as a form of communication and quick recognition.
The purpose of this thesis is to explore how brands come about their
identities in the eyes of the consumer and then determine how brands can and
have adapted to achieve further success. The findings from this thesis advances
understanding of how brands are formed both in an internal and consumer facing
sense, and additionally, how their meaning is a product of cultural reflection
rather than a definitive and static identity. In order to gain a more
comprehensive look at brand identities, several brand case studies will be
explored within multiple categories of branding, including commercial, political,
and personal. As a project component to reflect these findings creatively, I have
also created a book that reflects associations with personal branding.
Description
59 pages. A thesis presented to the Department of Journalism and Communication and the Clark Honors College of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for degree of Bachelor of Arts, Spring 2016.
Keywords
Advertising, Advertising, Branding, Communication, Media, Identity, Commercial