“Show, then tell”: Creating Brand Equity through Performative Branding
(R2023-117159)

AUTHORS

Benjamin Klink, Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences

ABSTRACT

It is a common misconception that brand marketing requires costly large-scale image campaigns. This research uncovers, describes, and conceptualizes a novel brand management approach - performative branding - that is widely proliferated in practice and in stark contrast to this notion. Performative branding puts emphasis on the strong diagnostic quality of a brand’s behavior and consumer experience in brand equity formation. It hence focuses on “non-verbal” stimuli, in contrast to most conventional brand management approaches. Based on the preliminary evidence presented in this paper, performative branding offers a cost-efficient way of creating brand equity that may provide substantial benefits.