Exploring the role of brand experience and co-creation in media brands
Authors: Gray, M.
Conference: European Media Management Conference - Development and Sustainability in Media Business
Dates: 27-29 May 2015
Abstract:One of the key challenges brands are facing is the increasingly fragmentation of media and emergence of a new media landscape (Keller et al 2012). As such, this has important ramifications on the media industry itself as the importance of branding to media firms is recognised by media management researchers (Picard, 2002; Doyle, 2006; Chan-Omlsted, 2011; and Forster, 2011) who have engaged in the theoretical development of this area by turning their attention to the importance of media brands as a strategic asset to ensure the long term sustainability of media firms This changing landscape has resulted in an altered view of audiences towards media brands, as they have become more informed and empowered (Fournier & Avery 2011) by the proliferation of social media and the web landscape. The dominant branding ideology that has placed companies in charge of creating media brand assets is also changing, and as a result, it is increasingly difficult for media firms to manage their brands (Keller et al 2012). This paper sets out the argument for media branding knowledge to be extended into the area of brand experience. Brand Experience is constructed from the sensations, feelings, cognitions and behavioural responses evoked by brand related stimuli (Brakus et al 2009). Ultimately it is about the blend of emotions provoked and the physical performance delivered to media audiences. This ‘experience’ then enables audience to differentiate one media brand from another (Aaker 1996), and in doing so, the brand acts as a strategic asset for sustaining the organization. Recent examples of ‘media brand experiences’ include the BBC programmes Top Gear Live, Dr Who Live and CBeebies Adventure World at Alton Towers Theme park. From a media management research perspective, there are a number of questions that arise from the activities of branded media experiences. Indeed, Malmelin and Moisander (2014) argued that the brand experience has largely been underdeveloped in literature, particularly in terms of identifying the impact that these experiences are having on the Media Brand and the consumers role within these experiences.
This conceptual paper will articulate the role of branded media experiences and draw on existing media brand literature to understand the impact that these experiences may have on a media brand. It will also look at the role of the empowered consumer within these brand experiences, and in particular, the concept of co-creation as a means for media firms to manage their brands and sustain their business (Prahalad & Ramaswamy 2004). Its aim is to provide focus for media organisations looking at how to manage their brands in order to provide a sustainable future.
Key words: Media Branding, Brand Experience, Sustainability, Co-creation.
REFERENCES: Aaker, David (1996), Building strong Brands. New York: The Free Press Brakus, J. Josko, Bernd H. Schmitt, and Lia Zarantonello (2009), Brand Experience: What Is It? How is it Measured? Does it Affect Loyalty? 73 (May), 52-68 Chan-Olmsted, S. (2011). Media Branding in a changing World: Challenges and Opportunities 2.0. The International Journal on Media Management, 13(1), 3-19 Doyle, G. (2006). Managing global Expansion of Media Products and Brands: a Case Study of For Him Magazine. The International Journal on Media Management, 8(3), 105-115 Forster, K. (2011). Key Success Factors in TV Brand Management: An international Case study Analysis. Journal of Media Business Studies, 8(4), 1-22.
Fournier, S., Avery, J., (2011). The Uninvited Brand. Business Horizons Special Issue: Social Media, 54(3), 193-207 Keller, K. L., Apéria, T., & Georgson, M. (2012). Strategic brand management : a European perspective Harlow : Financial Times Prentice Hall Malmelin, Nando, and Johanna Moisander. "Brands and Branding in Media Management—Toward a Research Agenda." International Journal on Media Management 16.1 (2014): 9-25.
Picard, R. (2011). The Economics and Financing of Media Companies. New York: Fordham University Press Prahalad, C.K. and Ramaswamy, V. (2004) Co-Creation Experiences: The Next Practice in Value Creation. Journal of Interactive Marketing 18(3), 5-14
Source: Manual