Drew Martin

Theory and strategies of anthropomorphic brand characters from Peter Rabbit, Mickey Mouse, and Ronald McDonald, to Hello Kitty

Abstract Brand characters are ubiquitous in marketing. Previous studies establish their relevance in advertising. Surprisingly, little research exists on how to build and sustain brand characters. Adopting a case-study approach, this paper explores the brand management strategies of Sanrios iconic character Hello Kitty, a cat epitomising cuteness and innocence. Findings indicate that eight tactics help to build and sustain the Hello Kitty brand: keep it simple, character licensing, third-party collaboration, capitalising on nostalgia, product-line extensions, brand extensions, sustaining consumer interests, and harnessing technology. The paper also identifies some challenges facing Hello Kitty.

Advertiser acculturation in Japan: examples from foreign actors

Recent work on advertising acculturation suggests that ad agencies have changed their messages in order to appeal to immigrants. The following inquiry turns the tables and looks at how the role of foreign actors has been adapted in a country with a relatively homogeneous population. Specifically, how adaptive is the Japanese advertising industry? Has the behaviour of foreign actors been adapted to reflect Japanese culture? Using Duncan’s categories of the non verbal communication, the mannerisms of foreign actors are examined. The results suggest that acculturation is occurring at some level; however, the inclusion of stereo typical materials suggests some retention of foreign identity.

Our ads 'R US: an exploratory content analysis of American advertisements

Purpose – To describe contemporary US society based on the dominant themes featured in magazine advertisements.Design/methodology/approach – From eight general circulation magazines, 2,158 full‐page advertisements are examined using content analysis. The analysis includes the examination of ad characteristics, creative strategies and a critical literary analysis.Findings – The results show evidence that US cultural values are embedded in popular magazine advertisements. In particular, individualism, low context communication patterns and action/achievement values are most common.Research limitations/implications – This study represents a snapshot in time. Neither culture nor media options are static. As a result, future work in this area should examine these changes.Practical implications – Since only a few cultural dimensions are dominant in the sample, the results suggest that advertisers need not embed all social values in ads.Originality/value – This paper provides evidence that an adaptive advertisin...

Wearing community: why customers purchase a service firm's logo products

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to investigate customer purchase of a service organizations logo/branded merchandise as a type of customer voluntary performance behavior.Design/methodology/approach – The article employs three separate studies; two are conducted with customers of Curves, the worlds largest fitness franchise, and the other is conducted at a weight‐lifting gym. Two empirical studies test a proposed mediation model using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping techniques. The third study represents a humanistic inquiry that elucidates the social influences that encourage a customer to purchase a service firms logo products.Findings – The results show that a customers integration into a service‐based community encourages him or her to purchase the firms logo merchandise. In addition, a customers ability to identify with the firm mediates this relationship. The immersion of customers self‐ and social identities in a firm emerges as a critical factor to enhancing their ap...