Essay: Brand, Branding, and Co-creative Consumer in Sociology

This essay explores the significance of brand, branding, and co-creative consumers from a sociological perspective. It begins by defining brand as a crucial element of consumer culture, influencing lifestyle and representing consumer image. The essay then discusses how branding shapes consumer culture and how co-creative consumers are influenced by brand engagement. It delves into the concept of brand as a social identity, impacting consumer perceptions and fulfilling psychological needs. The essay further examines the role of branding in establishing social identity, building trust, and fostering customer loyalty. Customer co-creation is presented as a strategy to enhance brand value and strengthen customer relationships. The conclusion emphasizes the significance of branding in sociology, highlighting the customer's ability to maintain social identity with recognized brands. The essay references several academic sources to support its arguments.

RUNNING HEAD: BRAND, BRANDING AND CO-CREATIVE CONSUMER IN SOCIOLOGY 0
2020
Brand, Branding and Co-creative Consumer in Sociology
Student’s Details-
Madhuri

BRAND, BRANDING AND CO-CREATIVE CONSUMER IN SOCIOLOGY 1
Significance of Brand, Branding and Co-Creative
Consumer in Sociology
Brand is considered as an important element of person’s culture. As brand is identified as the
identity of the product, it seeks to determine the consumer’s ability to demonstrate a lifestyle and
represent the image of the consumers (Pongsakornrungsilp and Schroeder 72-82). This is also
represented by the branding which influences the culture of the consumers and co-creative
customer being made by the brand engagement. Here, the essay will discuss the significance of
brand, branding and co-creative consumer from the sociological perspective.
Brand is regarded as the social identity that entails how the consumer perceives himself as the
top in the society. Moreover, brand is an important element of society in which the messages and
the symbolic meanings to be demonstrated by the brand are well-defined culture of consumer
which are the manuals of attractive customer lifestyle (Alnawas and Altarifi 111-128).
Subsequently, this lifestyle is the determines the sociological perspectives. Further, brand
satisfies the day to day psychological needs of the consumers. From the sociological
perspectives, the individualism theory is applicable to the brand as the consumers specifically
seek for their own identity into the society. Moreover, brand also plays an important role in the
society’s principles and other social factors. Also, there is a situation wherein brand is influenced
by the traditions, culture and other social factors which are freely expressed by the consumers by
the help of brand value (Kornberger). Further, brand as a social identity through the symbolic
identities and creates the social space. The individual values can be dynamic in the sense that
there can be differences in the personal culture, religion, rituals and imagination of the

BRAND, BRANDING AND CO-CREATIVE CONSUMER IN SOCIOLOGY 2
customers. These changes affect the social atmosphere of the customers which are the
determinant of brand and the purchase decision of consumers.
Branding is considered as the process of giving name to the product which later adds to the
social identity of the consumer. Not only social identity, branding is the basis of facilitation of
the quality assurance systems which are the needs of the customers. Also, it fulfills the social and
psychological needs which are the basis of the social upbringings. Depending upon the
sociological perspective branding is related with the choosing a particular brand having the
effective communicative message. Branding specifically makes the social identity and builds the
loyalty and trust which later helps in keeping the customers satisfied and happy with the brand.
Branding is treated as the recognition and the qualitative value to be provided to the consumer
which can rather be the basis of the social space (Brannan, Parsons and Priola). Moreover,
significance of branding can be seen from the fact that it gives meaning to the modern life
experience that represents the individual as part of the society. Further, branding provides the
patterns of trends into the market which are denoted by the unique qualities of the product that
often is a social identity for the customers.
Customer co-creation is related with the development of brand engagement through the increased
customer involvement. Moreover, brand experiences are the basic factors on the basis of which
the customer makes the buying decision (France , Merrilees and Miller 848–864). Customer co-
creation has huge significance in the sociology wherein the creation of the brand value adds to
the satisfaction of the customers which are social and psychological in the nature. Moreover, co-
creation shows the relationship between the brand identity and the relationships with the
customers through the loyalty and brand value which is considered as the new pillars of society.
This allows for the creative experiences of the customers and strengthening the relationship with

BRAND, BRANDING AND CO-CREATIVE CONSUMER IN SOCIOLOGY 3
the brand which is regarded as the social identity of the customer (Black and Veloutsou 416-
429). Specifically, customer co-creative is the new strategy to be adopted as it can help in the
building of strong social image. It can also be observed that the customer co-creation can be
improved by the hedonic and social experiences which are the basis of the societal point of view.
Overall brand management is to be ensured to see the forces which are based on the social
experiences of the customers.
Conclusively, it can be said that branding can is significant in the sociology in which the
customer resembles and maintains the social identity with the recognized brand. Here, the essay
has discussed the branding and the significance of brand and co-creation in which the brand is to
be stated into the sociological perspective.

BRAND, BRANDING AND CO-CREATIVE CONSUMER IN SOCIOLOGY 4
References
Alnawas, I. and S. Altarifi. "Exploring the role of brand identification and brand love in
generating higher levels of brand loyalty." Journal of Vacation Marketing 22.2 (2016):
111-128.
Black, I. and C. Veloutsou. "Working consumers: Co-creation of brand identity, consumer
identity and brand community identity." Journal of Business Research 70 (2017): 416-
429.
Brannan, M.J., E. Parsons and V. Priola. Branded lives: The production and consumption of
meaning at work. Edward Elgar Publishing, 2011.
France , C., B. Merrilees and D. Miller. "Customer brand co-creation: a conceptual model."
Marketing Intelligence & Planning 33.6 (2015): 848–864.
Kornberger, M. Brand society: How brands transform management and lifestyle. Cambridge
University Press, 2010.
Pongsakornrungsilp, S. and J.E. Schroeder. "Consumers and brands: How consumers co-create."
Routledge Handbook on Consumption. Routledge, 2017. 72-82.