VIEWING BRANDS

IN MULTIPLE
DIMENSIONS
Pierre Berthon, Morris B. Holbrook, James M. Hulbert and Leyland F. Pitt
MIT Sloan Management Review (2007), 48 (2): 37-43

Background
GM tried to revive its Daewoo in UK by rebranding
it with Chevrolet in 2005;
Results:
-

Consumers had difficulties relating the two

A study by JD Power & Associates placed Chevy just ahead
of Fiat and below Hyundai;

Nestle extend the iconic of KitKat bar in multiple

flavors, such as Blood Orange, Lime Crush and
Christmas Pudding on April 2006.
Results:
-

Sales fell by 18% in two years

The Heart of the Problem

Branding myopia: the brand becomes an
end in itself.
The fact is perceptions of a brand can and
do change dramatically over time and
from one social or cultural setting to
another.
Thus, managers must redefine the brand
discourse in more flexible language.

Three-Worlds Hypothesis
Popper

Brand

World
1

The realm of physical objects,

states and systems

Manifest goods and

services;

World
2

The realm of subjective

experiences involving thoughts,
emotions
and perceptions;

Individual
thoughts, emotions,
needs, wants and
perceptions

World
3

The world of "culture"

rooted in objective knowledge,
science, language, literature,

Collective knowledge and

images concerning
brands.

The Relationship of Products,

Brands, and Cultures

Three-Worlds
Hypothesis of
Popper

Applications
What the brand means to the organization and its members
may differ from what it means to its target customers or to
other stakeholders
Dr. Martens shoes:
- World 1 (physical) : the ruggedly constructed, air-cushioned product
- World 2 (abstract): made by R. Griggs Ltd. became a brand
- World 3 (individuals): very different meanings to different stakeholders

The framework indicates that the role of a brand involves

overlaps among all three worlds. Thus, brands can never be
understood in and of themselves. They have a life and meaning
beyond and, to some extent, independent of that intended by
their initiators.

Brand Manifold
Brand manifold: brands have
multiple dimensions, meaning varies
overtime and according to a
multiplicity of constituencies.

Exploring the Brand

Manifold

A Typology of Exchange
Value