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Brand as Promise

Author

Listed:
  • Vikram R. Bhargava

    (Santa Clara University)

  • Suneal Bedi

    (Indiana University)

Abstract

Brands are widely regarded as a constellation of shared associations surrounding a company and its offerings. On the traditional view of brands, these associations are regarded as perceptions and attitudes in consumers’ minds in relation to a company. We argue that this traditional framing of brands faces an explanatory problem: the inability to satisfactorily explain why certain branding activism initiatives elicit the moralized reactive attitudes that are paradigmatic responses to wrongdoing. In this paper, we argue for a reframing of brands that calls for viewing brands as a series of normatively binding expectations that are ethically akin to promises. Our promissory framing of brands avoids the explanatory problem, illuminates a number of ethical requirements on branding, and reconceptualizes the role of brand managers.

Suggested Citation

  • Vikram R. Bhargava & Suneal Bedi, 2022. "Brand as Promise," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 179(3), pages 919-936, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:179:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s10551-021-04834-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-021-04834-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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