Keywords

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

Existing literature posits that brand heritage engages with the past, present, and future, but it only considers one way of emphasizing that dimension in the positioning. In contrast, this paper considers two distinct positioning strategies based on brand heritage depending on how companies manage temporality. Twenty-five semi-structured interviews are conducted with consumers of brands emphasizing brand heritage. Results show that brand heritage can be based on a worshiped or updated representation of the past. The latter leads to a positioning based on three characteristics: consumer orientation, pioneer spirit, and flexibility. The former leads to a positioning based on five facets: safeguard product orientation, passion over profit, year to year improvement and special occasions. These results contribute to strategic marketing by suggesting two marketing strategies to innovate in manner consistent with tradition. The distinction between two positioning based on brand heritage paves the way for further research on the consequences of its activation. Results also suggest that under certain conditions, market orientation neither leads to innovation nor to incremental developments but rather to a perception of mere status quo.

References Available Upon Request