Connecting the Past and the Present: How Narrative-Based Representations Affect Perceptions of Brand Heritage

Recent research shows that certain marketing strategies lead to increased perceptions of brand heritage. Yet while strategies to increase brand heritage have been identified, an empirical framework that explains how and why brand heritage perceptions are formed is needed. The present research focuses on comprehension processes and proposes that perceptions of brand heritage are formed through narrative processing—and that a key element to maintaining these perceptions is consumers’ ability to construct a single coherent mental representation of the brand’s story wherein the past can inform the present and continuity is maintained. Consistent with prior work on heritage branding, the current research shows disruptions in the brand’s life (e.g., ownership transfers or changes in product design) lead to corresponding reductions in brand heritage due to breaks in continuity. In line with theoretical models of narrative processing, this research suggests that certain types of cues might help counter narrative disruptions, whereas other cues might facilitate it.