File(s) not publicly available
Reconciling the tension between consistency and relevance: design thinking as a mechanism for brand ambidexterity
Version 2 2023-06-12, 07:23
Version 1 2023-06-09, 14:18
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-12, 07:23 authored by Michael BeverlandMichael Beverland, Sarah Wilner, Pietro MicheliIn order to sustain and grow brand equity, brand managers are faced with balancing the preservation of existing brand identity through consistency with the need to maintain relevance, which requires change and innovation. In this paper we build upon the concept of organizational ambidexterity (March 1991), arguing that design thinking—the logics and practices associated with designers—can serve as a mechanism which promotes and enables the integration of brand consistency and relevance. Drawing on cases of innovation at firms across a range of industries, we show how design thinking can trigger brand ambidexterity across a three-stage process. We identify eight practices and examine how designers enable brand managers to address enduring consistency-relevance tensions in ways that ensure innovations renew or revitalize the brand without undermining its essence.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
Journal of the Academy of Marketing ScienceISSN
0092-0703Publisher
Springer VerlagExternal DOI
Issue
5Volume
43Page range
589-609Department affiliated with
- Business and Management Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes