Measuring brand personality in the digital age: a review, theoretical reconceptualization, and research agenda

ABSTRACT

Research must advance both conceptually and methodologically in response to the changing dynamics of the environment. This paper conducts a systematic review and content analysis on the 25-year history of brand personality research since the publication of Aaker (1997) to identify six main research gaps in existing brand personality scales. We propose a brand personality-scale development approach model based on an interactive communication model to distinguish four facets of brand personality – intended, projected, perceived, and communicated – that reflects the cyclical process of brand personality co-creation. The proposed approach addresses the current limitations in brand personality-scale development research by acknowledging the conceptual and functional expansion of brand personality and the diversification of brand communication channels in the digital era.

KEYWORDS:

• Brand intention
• brand personality
• consumer perception
• digital age
• scale development

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Yonsei University [Yonsei University Research Grant of 2022].

Notes on contributors

Yesel Jun

Yesel Jun is a PhD candidate at the Department of Human Environment & Design, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. She earned her master’s degrees in Mathematics and Business Administration. Her research interests include brand communication and design, particularly the areas of multisensory communication and brand identity.

Hyunju Lee

Hyunju Lee is a professor at the Department of Human Environment & Design, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. She received her doctorate degree in Design from Tokyo University of the Arts. Her research interests include design aesthetics, communication design, and branding.