A mixed method approach to understanding brand personality
| Published date | 17 July 2009 |
| Date | 17 July 2009 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/10610420910972792 |
| Pages | 272-283 |
| Author | Raj Arora,Charles Stoner |
| Subject Matter | Marketing |
A mixed method approach to understanding
brand personality
Raj Arora
University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Kansas, USA, and
Charles Stoner
Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois, USA
Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to use a mixed method (qualitative and quantitative) approach to exploring product personality. It also aims to focus on the
personality dimensions of two retails stores (Target and Wal-Mart)and two athletic brands (Adidas and Nike). While personality has been investigated
in marketing settings, the focus has been limited to using quantitative scales. This approach has the potential of leaving out rich details of personality
not captured by the scale, thereby offering little helpful information for advertising copy writers. While qualitative approaches may lack the formal test
of hypotheses, they afford rich narrative that adds important insights about the products and practical help for advertising development.
Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on a concurrent, two-studies design where qualitative and quantitative data are both collected
and analyzed separately (concurrently or sequentially). A survey is used to measure the personality dimensions based on Aaker’s five personality
dimensions. In addition, various personality dimensions are explored using in-depth, one-to-one interviews; grounded theory framework; and QDA
software that is especially suitable for text analysis.
Findings – The findings reveal lack of convergence in personality dimensions. While full convergence is not expected due to method and sample
characteristics, the findings revealed important dimensions that appeared only in either the qualitative or quantitative analysis. For example, the
attributes of competence, sophistication, and ruggedness failed to emerge in the qualitative analyses.
Research limitations/ implications – Caution is advised in extrapolating the results beyond the issues investigated in the study.
Practical implications – The findings help marketers in formulating effective product design, positioning, and promotion strategies.
Originality/value – Most of the research on the subject of personality has been designed around Aaker’s five dimensions of personality. There has
been some variation to the instrument to capture dimensions such as nurturance, and integrity,ruggedness, and sophistication. However, there is a void
in qualitative research that is oriented towards discovering (rather than testing) the dimensions of personality. This paper uses qualitative research
methodology, specifically a grounded theory framework, to discover the personality of products, and to compare these outcomes with Aaker’s five-
dimensional scale.
Keywords Brand image, Brand identity, Qualitative research
Paper type Research paper
An executive summary for managers and executive
readers can be found at the end of this article.
Introduction
The scene is striking. It is dusk as a lone automobile
powerfully ascends a mountain, moving toward the stately
Prince of Wales Hotel, sitting atop a bluff, overlooking
picturesque Waterton Lake and the town of Waterton,
Alberta, Canada. Arriving at the hotel entrance, the door
opens and a black-tie attired couple emerges. The
advertisement drips with images of luxury, quality, and
elegance – the exact images, the exact sense of personality,
that Lexus hopes its audience will receive.
Drawing upon the pioneering work of Aaker (1997),
marketers have been intrigued by the conceptual implications
and pragmatic potential of the concept of brand personality.
Brand personality recognizes the symbolic and emotional
meaning that taps consumer appeal and affects purchase
decisions (Govers and Schoormans, 2005; McCracken, 1986;
Holman, 1981). Indeed, an ever-growing and diverse range of
entities has centered attention on brand personality as a
means to distinguish products and services (Smith et al.,
2006; Venable et al., 2005; d’Astous et al., 2006; Kumar et al.,
2006; Opoku et al., 2006; Wesley et al., 2006).
Although the significance of branding has been broadly
recognized and well- documented, the expanding role of
branding serves to underscore its topical importance.
Distinguishing brands based on physica l attributes and
functionality have been the traditional foci. However,
attention to the arena of brand personality has expanded in
recent years, in par t due to the difficul ty of product
differentiation based on functionality and quality (Veryzer,
1995).
Interestingly, as one would expect in any relatively new
arena of inquiry, the study of brand personality has spawned
both interest and criticism. At the heart of the research
reported here is recent concern about whether traditional
brand personality scales adequately capture the nuanced and
idiosyncratic nature of brand personality across varied
contexts. Accordingly, the purp ose of this study is to
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/1061-0421.htm
Journal of Product & Brand Management
18/4 (2009) 272–283
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited [ISSN 1061-0421]
[DOI 10.1108/10610420910972792]
272
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