Tagline Appeals
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IMR 24,4
Cultural differences in brand designs and tagline appeals
Jong Woo Jun and Hyung-Seok Lee
Department of Advertising, College of Journalism and Communications, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
Abstract
Purpose – The objective of this study is to explore general cross-cultural differences in corporate visual identity between the USA and Korea, and to apply Trompenaars’ specific versus diffuse dimension to brand-logos and taglines in the two countries. Design/methodology/approach – A sample of the brand-logos and taglines from the top 100 companies in each country were content analysed for research objectives. Findings – The results indicate that Korean brands are generally more diffusive than those in the USA. Specifically, Korean brand-logos tend to use more abstract and symbolic creative designs than those of the US, and the contents of Korean brand taglines contain more additional values than those in the USA. Research limitations/implications – The findings suggest the explanation power of new cultural dimensions for academic researchers and the importance of localised corporate identity strategies for international marketers. Originality/value – Because little is known about the differences between company brand designs across cultures, this study fills a gap in the literature by examining company brand designs and taglines. In addition, this study proved the usability of the newly developed Trompenaars’ specific versus diffuse dimension. Keywords Culture, Corporate identity, Brands, United States of America, South Korea Paper type Research paper
474
International Marketing Review Vol. 24 No. 4, 2007 pp. 474-491 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0265-1335 DOI 10.1108/02651330710761035
Introduction As the code of international branding sheds light on marketing strategies, multinational companies focus on global
IMR 24,4
Cultural differences in brand designs and tagline appeals
Jong Woo Jun and Hyung-Seok Lee
Department of Advertising, College of Journalism and Communications, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
Abstract
Purpose – The objective of this study is to explore general cross-cultural differences in corporate visual identity between the USA and Korea, and to apply Trompenaars’ specific versus diffuse dimension to brand-logos and taglines in the two countries. Design/methodology/approach – A sample of the brand-logos and taglines from the top 100 companies in each country were content analysed for research objectives. Findings – The results indicate that Korean brands are generally more diffusive than those in the USA. Specifically, Korean brand-logos tend to use more abstract and symbolic creative designs than those of the US, and the contents of Korean brand taglines contain more additional values than those in the USA. Research limitations/implications – The findings suggest the explanation power of new cultural dimensions for academic researchers and the importance of localised corporate identity strategies for international marketers. Originality/value – Because little is known about the differences between company brand designs across cultures, this study fills a gap in the literature by examining company brand designs and taglines. In addition, this study proved the usability of the newly developed Trompenaars’ specific versus diffuse dimension. Keywords Culture, Corporate identity, Brands, United States of America, South Korea Paper type Research paper
474
International Marketing Review Vol. 24 No. 4, 2007 pp. 474-491 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0265-1335 DOI 10.1108/02651330710761035
Introduction As the code of international branding sheds light on marketing strategies, multinational companies focus on global
References: Aaker, J.L. (2000), “Accessibility or diagnosticity? Disentangling the influence of culture on persuasion processes and attitude”, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 28, pp. 340-71.