Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The progression of brand orientation literature in twenty years: A systematic literature review

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Brand Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study reviews the progress of brand orientation literature in twenty years. A systematic literature review approach has been applied in this study. Four major publication databases have been used to extract pertinent articles for the review purpose. Four major areas in the literature have been examined: publication activity, integration of brand orientation, research design, and contribution of empirical findings. Based on the synthesis of the current literature, ten future research recommendations are suggested for the advancement of literature on brand orientation. Thus, this study deepens our understanding of the current literature and recommends future research avenues on brand orientation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

* Indicates that the study was both part of the sample and cited in the text

  • *Ahmad, N. and Khan, D.G. (2014) The Role of Brand Orientation, Market Orientation on Strengthening Internal Brand Equity: Evidences from Banking Sector of Pakistan. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences 5(17): 83.

    Google Scholar 

  • *Ahn, Y.J., Hyun, S.S. and Kim, I. (2015) City Residents’ perception of MICE City Brand orientation and their brand citizenship behavior: A case study of Busan, South Korea. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research. doi: 10.1080/10941665.2015.1050422

  • *Anees-ur-Rehman, M. (2014) Clarifying the brand orientation construct for business-to-business sector. International Journal of Business and Management 9(12): 62–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Apaydin, F. (2011) A proposed model of antecedents and outcomes of brand orientation for nonprofit sector. Asian Social Science 7(9): 194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Atuahene-Gima, K. and Ko, A. (2001) An empirical investigation of the effect of market orientation and entrepreneurship orientation alignment on product innovation. Organization Science 12(1): 54–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Azizi, S., Ghytasivand, F. and Fakharmanesh, S. (2012) Impact of brand orientation, internal marketing and job satisfaction on the internal brand equity: The case of Iranian’s food and pharmaceutical companies. International Review of Management and Marketing 2(2):122–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • *Balmer, J. (2013) Corporate brand orientation: What is it? What of it?. Journal of Brand Management 20(9): 723–741

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Baumgarth, C. (2009) Brand orientation of museums: Model and empirical results. International Journal of Arts Management 11(3): 30–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • *Baumgarth, C. (2010) “Living the brand”: brand orientation in the business-to-business sector. European Journal of Marketing 44(5): 653–671.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Baumgarth, C. and Schmidt, M. (2010) How strong is the business-to-business brand in the workforce? An empirically-tested model of ‘internal brand equity in a business-to-business setting. Industrial Marketing Management 39(8): 1250–1260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baumgarth, C., Merrilees, B. and Urde, M. (2013) Brand orientation: Past, present, and future. Journal of Marketing Management 29(9–10): 973–980.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Baxter, J., Kerr, G. and Clarke, R.J. (2013) Brand orientation and the voices from within. Journal of Marketing Management 29(9–10): 1079–1098.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Benos, T., Kalogeras, N., Verhees, F.J.H.M., Sergaki, P. and Pennings, J. M. E. (2015) Cooperatives’ organizational restructuring, strategic attributes and performance: The case of agribusiness cooperatives in Greece. Agribusiness. doi: 10.1002/agr.21429

  • *Bridson, K. and Evans, J. (2004) The secret to a fashion advantage is brand orientation. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management 32(8): 403–411.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Bridson, K., Evans, J., Mavondo, F. and Minkiewicz, J. (2013) Retail brand orientation, positional advantage and organisational performance. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research 23(3): 245–264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Burmann, C. and König, V. (2011) Does internal brand management really drive brand commitment in shared-service call centers? Journal of Brand Management 18(6): 374–393.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Cant, M.C., Wiid, J.A. and Hung, Y.T. (2013) The importance of branding for South African SMES: An exploratory study. Corporate Ownership and Control 11(1): 735–744.

    Google Scholar 

  • *Casidy, R. (2013a) The role of brand orientation in the higher education sector: a student-perceived paradigm. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics 25(5): 803–820.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Casidy, R. (2013b) How great thy brand: The impact of church branding on perceived benefits. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing 18(3): 231–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Casidy, R. (2014a) Linking brand orientation with service quality, satisfaction, and positive word-of-mouth: Evidence from the higher education sector. Journal of Nonprofit and Public Sector Marketing 26(2): 142–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Casidy, R. (2014b) Brand orientation and service quality in online and offline environments: Empirical examination in higher education. Services Marketing Quarterly 35(3): 236–254.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Chen, R. and Cheng, I.T. (2013) Studying factors causing wordmark confusions to improve brand identity. International Journal of Information and Management Sciences 24(3): 265–277.

    Google Scholar 

  • *Chovancová, M., Osakwe, C.N. and Ogbonna, B.U. (2015) Building Strong Customer Relationships through Brand Orientation in Small Service Firms: An Empirical Investigation. Croatian Economic Survey 17(1): 111–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahlander, L. and Gann, D.M. (2010) How open is innovation?. Research Policy 39(6): 699–709.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Degeratu A.M., Rangaswamy, A. and Wu, J. (2000) Consumer choice behavior in online and traditional supermarkets: The effects of brand name, price, and other search attributes. International Journal of Research in Marketing 17 (1): 55–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deshpande, R., Farley, J.U. and Webster Jr, F.E. (1993) Corporate culture, customer orientation, and innovativeness in Japanese firms: A quadrad analysis. The Journal of Marketing 57: 23–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Evans, J., Bridson, K. and Rentschler, R. (2012) Drivers, impediments and manifestations of brand orientation: An international museum study. European Journal of Marketing 46(11/12): 1457–1475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Ewing, M.T. and Napoli, J. (2005) Developing and validating a multidimensional nonprofit brand orientation scale. Journal of Business Research 58(6): 841–853.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gavetti, G. (2012) Perspective—toward a behavioral theory of strategy. Organization Science 23(1): 267–285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Gisip, I.A. and Harun, A. (2013) Antecedents and outcomes of brand management from the perspective of resource based view (RBV) Theory. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences 4(10): 432.

    Google Scholar 

  • *Gromark, J. and Melin, F. (2011) The underlying dimensions of brand orientation and its impact on financial performance. Journal of Brand Management 18(6): 394–410.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Gromark, J. and Melin, F. (2013) From market orientation to brand orientation in the public sector. Journal of Marketing Management 29(9–10): 1099–1123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Gyrd-Jones, R.I., Helm, C. and Munk, J. (2013) Exploring the impact of silos in achieving brand orientation. Journal of Marketing Management 29(9–10): 1056–1078.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hakala, H. (2011) Strategic orientations in management literature: three approaches to understanding the interaction between market, technology, entrepreneurial and learning orientations. International Journal of Management Reviews 13(2): 199–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Hankinson, G. (2012) The measurement of brand orientation, its performance impact, and the role of leadership in the context of destination branding: An exploratory study. Journal of Marketing Management 28(7–8): 974–999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Hankinson, P. (2001a) Brand orientation in the charity sector: A framework for discussion and research. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing 6(3): 231–242.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Hankinson, P. (2001b) Brand orientation in the Top 500 fundraising charities in the UK. Journal of Product and Brand Management 10(6): 346–360.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Hankinson, P. (2002) The impact of brand orientation on managerial practice: A quantitative study of the UK’s top 500 fundraising managers. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing 7(1): 30–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Harrison-Walker, L.J. (2014a) Manifestations of a strategic brand orientation. Academy of Marketing Studies Journal 18(1) 203–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • *Harrison-Walker, L.J. (2014b) Strategic brand orientation and its antecedents. Academy of Marketing Studies Journal 18(2) 49–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • *Hirvonen, S. and Laukkanen, T. (2014) Brand orientation in small firms: an empirical test of the impact on brand performance. Journal of Strategic Marketing 22(1): 41–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Hirvonen, S., Laukkanen, T. and Reijonen, H. (2013) The brand orientation-performance relationship: An examination of moderation effects. Journal of Brand Management 20(8): 623–641.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hitt, M.A., Ireland, R.D. and Hoskisson, R.E. (2001). Strategic management: competitiveness and globalization (4th ed.). Cincinnati: South-Western College Publishing

    Google Scholar 

  • *Huang, Y.T. and Tsai, Y.T. (2013) Antecedents and consequences of brand-oriented companies. European Journal of Marketing 47(11/12): 2020–2041.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Huang, Y. and Huddleston, P. (2009) Retailer premium own-brands: Creating customer loyalty through own-brand products advantage. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management 37(11): 975–992.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, R. and Sarigoellue, E. (2014) Assessment of brand equity measures. International Journal of Market Research 56(6): 783–806.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Joshi, S., Chirputkar, A. and Jog, Y. (2015) Influence of brand oriented factors on customer loyalty of prepaid mobile services. Indian Journal of Science and Technology 8(S6): 43–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Keller, E.W., Dato-on, M.C. and Shaw, D. (2010) NPO branding: Preliminary lessons from major players. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing 15(2): 105–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keränen, J., Piirainen, K.A. and Salminen, R.T. (2012) Systematic review on B2B branding: Research issues and avenues for future research. Journal of Product and Brand Management 21(6): 404–417.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *King, C., So, K.K.F. and Grace, D. (2013) The influence of service brand orientation on hotel employees’ attitude and behaviors in China. International Journal of Hospitality Management 34:172–180.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kohli, A.K. and Jaworski, B.J. (1990) Market orientation: The construct, research propositions, and managerial implications. The Journal of Marketing 54(2):1–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lackman, C., Saban, K. and Lanasa, J. (2000) The contribution of market intelligence to tactical and strategic business decisions. Marketing Intelligence and Planning 18(1): 6–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Laukkanen, T., Nagy, G., Hirvonen, S., Reijonen, H. and Pasanen, M. (2013) The effect of strategic orientations on business performance in SMEs: A multigroup analysis comparing Hungary and Finland. International Marketing Review 30(6): 510–535.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Lee, Z. (2013) Rebranding in brand-oriented organisations: Exploring tensions in the nonprofit sector. Journal of Marketing Management 29(9–10): 1124–1142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levitt, T. (1986). The marketing imagination. The Free Press: New York

    Google Scholar 

  • *Liu, G., Chapleo, C., Ko, W.W. and Ngugi, I.K. (2015) the role of internal branding in nonprofit brand management an empirical investigation. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 44(2): 319–339.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Louro, M.J. and Cunha, P.V. (2001) Brand management paradigms. Journal of Marketing Management 17(7–8): 849–875.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mainela, T., Puhakka, V. and Servais, P. (2014) The concept of international opportunity in international entrepreneurship: a review and a research agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews 16(1): 105–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Matanda, M.J. and Ndubisi, N.O. (2013) Internal marketing, internal branding, and organisational outcomes: The moderating role of perceived goal congruence. Journal of Marketing Management 29(9–10): 1030–1055.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Merrilees, B. (2005) Radical brand evolution: a case-based framework. Journal of Advertising Research 45(2): 201–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Miller, D. (2014) Brand-building and the elements of success: Discoveries using historical analyses. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal 17(2): 92–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Mulyanegara, R.C. (2010) Market orientation and brand orientation from customer perspective: An empirical examination in the non-profit sector. International Journal of Business and Management 5(7):14–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Mulyanegara, R.C. (2011a) The role of brand orientation in church participation: An empirical examination. Journal of Nonprofit and Public Sector Marketing 23(3): 226–247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Mulyanegara, R.C. (2011b) The relationship between market orientation, brand orientation and perceived benefits in the non-profit sector: A customer-perceived paradigm. Journal of Strategic Marketing 19(5): 429–441.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *M’zungu, S.D., Merrilees, B. and Miller, D. (2010) Brand management to protect brand equity: A conceptual model. Journal of Brand management 17(8): 605–617.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M’zungu, S., Merrilees, B. and Miller, D. (2015) Strategic hybrid orientation between market orientation and brand orientation: Guiding principles. Journal of Strategic Marketing: 1–14. doi: 10.1080/0965254X.2015.1076880

    Google Scholar 

  • *Napoli, J. (2006) The impact of nonprofit brand orientation on organisational performance. Journal of Marketing Management 22(7–8): 673–694.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Narver, J.C. and Slater, S.F. (1990) The effect of a market orientation on business profitability. The Journal of Marketing 54(4): 20–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Nedergaard, N. and Gyrd-Jones, R. (2013) Sustainable brand-based innovation: The role of corporate brands in driving sustainable innovation. Journal of Brand Management 20(9): 762–778.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *O’Cass, A. and Voola, R. (2011) Explications of political market orientation and political brand orientation using the resource-based view of the political party. Journal of marketing management, 27(5–6): 627–645.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Otubanjo, O., Abimbola, T. and Amujo, O. (2010) Conceptualising the notion of corporate brand covenant. Journal of Product and Brand Management 19(6): 410–422.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Park, S.I. and Kim, M.J. (2013) Does brand orientation matter? An empirical study of Korean SMEs. Asia Marketing Journal 14(4): 117–142.

    Google Scholar 

  • Qiu, T. (2008) Scanning for competitive intelligence: a managerial perspective. European Journal of Marketing 42(7/8): 814–835.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Rahman, M., Hasan, M.R. and Floyd, D. (2013) Brand orientation as a strategy that influences the adoption of innovation in the bottom of the pyramid market. Strategic Change 22(3–4): 225–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramaseshan, B., Ishak, A. and Kingshott, R.P. (2013) Interactive effects of marketing strategy formulation and implementation upon firm performance. Journal of Marketing Management 29(11–12): 1224–1250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Reid, M., Luxton, S. and Mavondo, F. (2005) The relationship between integrated marketing communication, market orientation, and brand orientation. Journal of Advertising 34(4): 11–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Reijonen, H., Hirvonen, S., Nagy, G., Laukkanen, T. and Gabrielsson, M. (2015) The impact of entrepreneurial orientation on B2B branding and business growth in emerging markets. Industrial Marketing Management 51: 35–46

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Reijonen, H., Laukkanen, T., Komppula, R. and Tuominen, S. (2012) Are growing SMEs more market-oriented and brand-oriented?. Journal of Small Business Management 50(4): 699–716.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Reijonen, H., Párdányi, S., Tuominen, S., Laukkanen, T. and Komppula, R. (2014) Are growth-oriented SMEs more likely to adopt market and brand orientations?. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development 21(2): 250–264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Rentschler, R., Bridson, K. and Evans, J. (2011) Portrait of a star: National Gallery of Victoria. International Journal of Arts Management 13(2): 59–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • *Santos-Vijande, M.L., del Río-Lanza, A..B., Suárez-Álvarez, L. and Díaz-Martín, A.M. (2013) The brand management system and service firm competitiveness. Journal of Business Research 66(2): 148–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scammell, M. (1999) Political marketing: Lessons from political science. Political Studies 47: 718–739

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Schmidt, H. and Baumgarth, C. (2014) Introducing a conceptual model of brand orientation within the context of Social Entrepreneurial Businesses. International Journal of Strategic Innovative Marketing 1(1): 37–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt, B. (2012) The consumer psychology of brands. Journal of Consumer Psychology 22(1): 7–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shapiro, B.P. (1988). What the hell is market oriented? Harvard Business Review 66(6):119–125

    Google Scholar 

  • *Simoes, C. and Dibb, S. (2001) Rethinking the brand concept: new brand orientation. Corporate Communications: An International Journal 6(4): 217–224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Stride, H. and Lee, S. (2007) No Logo? No Way. Branding in the non-profit sector. Journal of Marketing Management 23(1–2): 107–122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teece, D., Pisano, G. and Shuen, A. (1997) Dynamic capabilities and strategic management. Strategic Management Journal 18(7): 509–533.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Urde, M. (1994) Brand orientation-a strategy for survival. Journal of Consumer Marketing 11(3): 18–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Urde, M. (1999) Brand orientation: a mindset for building brands into strategic resources. Journal of Marketing Management 15(1–3): 117–133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Urde, M. and Koch, C. (2014) Market and brand-oriented schools of positioning. Journal of Product and Brand Management 23(7): 478–490.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Urde, M., Baumgarth, C. and Merrilees, B. (2013) Brand orientation and market orientation—From alternatives to synergy. Journal of Business Research 66(1): 13–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Voola, R. and O’Cass, A. (2010) Implementing competitive strategies: the role of responsive and proactive market orientations. European Journal of Marketing 44(1/2): 245–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Wallace, E., Buil, I. and de Chernatony, L. (2013) Brand orientation and brand values in retail banking. Journal of Marketing Management 29(9–10): 1007–1029.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitney, J.O. (1995) Strategic renewal for business units. Harvard Business Review 74(4): 84–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilkes, R.E. and Valencia, H. (1986) Shopping-related characteristics of Mexican-Americans and blacks. Psychology and Marketing 3(4): 247–259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Wong, H.Y. and Merrilees, B. (2005) A brand orientation typology for SMEs: A case research approach. Journal of Product and Brand Management 14(3): 155–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Wong, H.Y. and Merrilees, B. (2007a) Multiple roles for branding in international marketing. International Marketing Review 24(4): 384–408

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Wong, H.Y. and Merrilees, B. (2007b) Closing the marketing strategy to performance gap: The role of brand orientation. Journal of Strategic Marketing 15(5): 387–402.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Wong, H.Y. and Merrilees, B. (2008) The performance benefits of being brand-orientated. Journal of Product and Brand Management 17(6): 372–383.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Wong, H.Y. and Merrilees, B. (2015) An empirical study of the antecedents and consequences of brand engagement. Marketing Intelligence and Planning 33(4): 575–591.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • *Wymer, W., Boenigk, S. and Möhlmann, M. (2015) The conceptualization of nonprofit marketing orientation: A critical reflection and contributions toward closing the practice–theory gap. Journal of Nonprofit and Public Sector Marketing 27(2): 117–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Muhammad Anees-ur-Rehman and Mokter Hossain are grateful to the Finnish Cultural Foundation for funding this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marketing, Oulu Business School, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 4600, 90014, Oulu, Finland

    Muhammad Anees-ur-Rehman

  2. Department of Marketing, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia

    Ho Yin Wong

  3. Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Institute of Strategy and Venturing, Aalto University, Otaniementie 17, 02150, Espoo, Finland

    Mokter Hossain

Authors
  1. Muhammad Anees-ur-Rehman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ho Yin Wong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mokter Hossain
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Muhammad Anees-ur-Rehman.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Anees-ur-Rehman, M., Wong, H.Y. & Hossain, M. The progression of brand orientation literature in twenty years: A systematic literature review. J Brand Manag 23, 612–630 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-016-0008-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-016-0008-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation