IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v194y2025ics0148296325001821.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The evolution of modern branding: Historical origins, current perspectives, and future directions

Author

Listed:
  • Keller, Kevin Lane

Abstract

Brands and branding have become an essential component to our economy and society, growing in importance through the years. To provide some context to that evolution, the last seven decades of branding and branding research can be roughly divided into three main eras: 1) Roots of modern branding (1955–1979); 2) Growth of branding as a management priority (1980–1999); and 3) Personal, social, cultural and digital dimensions of branding (2000–2025). After briefly highlighting some noteworthy marketplace and research developments in each era, current trends and new directions in branding are discussed in detail. Specifically, five important branding topics in need of in-depth research investigation are reviewed: 1) AI and brands; 2) The role, function, and scope of branding; 3) Brand platforms; 4) Brand journeys; and 5) Brand value and attribution. For each topic, key theoretical and managerial issues are considered and promising future research opportunities are suggested.

Suggested Citation

  • Keller, Kevin Lane, 2025. "The evolution of modern branding: Historical origins, current perspectives, and future directions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:194:y:2025:i:c:s0148296325001821
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115359
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296325001821
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115359?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:194:y:2025:i:c:s0148296325001821. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.