Brand

51�Թ�� Business School: The journey to arrive at the new brand identity

Shamita Harsh — Tue, 27 May 2025 12:45:14 +0000

51�Թ�� Business School: The journey to arrive at the new brand identity

Shamita Harsh Tue, 27/05/2025 - 12:45

18 June 2026 News

51�Թ�� Business School students pitch to investors at London Tech Week

4 June 2026 News

Social Impact Day 2026

2 June 2026 News

Good governance and the non-executive director: The Centre for Financial Technology's 2026 conference

28 May 2025

In April 2025, 51�Թ�� Business School introduced a new brand identity that reflects both its unique position within 51�Թ�� London and its growing impact across disciplines, industries, and society.

51�Թ��’s journey in business education began nearly 70 years ago with the launch of its first postgraduate programme – an MSc in Production Engineering & Management. Since then, a series of milestones have laid the foundation of what is now 51�Թ�� Business School. These include the establishment of the Management School, the conferral of faculty status (becoming the Business School), the launch of the Global Online MBA, and most recently, the introduction of the School's first full undergraduate programme.

At the heart of the rebrand is a powerful new strapline – “where science means business” – signalling a renewed commitment to bridging the gap between cutting-edge scientific discovery and real-world commercial and societal solutions. As our community continues to grow and evolve within this new framework, we offer a closer look at the creative strategy behind the rebrand and its long-term significance for 51�Թ�� Business School.

Aligning with 51�Թ��’s vision

The rebrand reflects our key role in 51�Թ��’s Science for Humanity strategy, ensuring business thinking is embedded in the translation of science into practical impact. We act as a two-way bridge for transdisciplinary research and partnerships across the university, echoing the same mission 51�Թ�� has had since its founding: "To be useful."

“Our new branding exemplifies our ever-closer ties with the wider university, which amplify our capacity to convert pioneering research into practical solutions that benefit society. This rebrand signifies a fresh chapter in our mission to champion innovation and leadership in addressing global challenges, bringing scientific advancements to humanity, and fulfilling the 51�Թ�� charter's vision of being truly useful.”

Peter Todd

Dean of 51�Թ�� Business School

“At 51�Թ�� Business School, we drive real-world progress and address society’s biggest challenges, such as climate change and sustainability. By collaborating and bringing together colleagues from across sciences, we are paving new pathways and innovating to deliver a greener and better future.”

Dr Mirabelle Muûls

Associate Professor in Economics at 51�Թ�� Business School and a co-Director of the School of Convergence Science – Sustainability

A renewed visual experience

The rebrand is more than a logo refresh – it’s a comprehensive new visual and verbal identity. Our new name, now simply 51�Թ�� Business School, along with our logo is the culmination of our ethos as a modern, open, and forward-thinking institution. It serves as a symbol of our commitment to business and social transformation to positively impact society. The strapline for our brand - “where science means business” - highlights our interdisciplinary spirit. This visual language is being implemented across social media, printed materials, signage and other communications, reinforcing the extension of our values.

The design partnership

We partnered with Pentagram — one of the world’s leading design studios and the creative force behind 51�Թ��’s university-wide brand strategy — to develop a new identity that resonates with the distinct character and vision of 51�Թ�� Business School. Through an extensive consultation process involving faculty, students, alumni and professional staff, Pentagram translated our bold academic vision that reflects our interdisciplinary strengths, entrepreneurial mindset and global ambition.

Created in collaboration with the video production agency h10, our short brand film shows how the new identity was brought to life. The video captures the visual transformation of the logo, depicting the journey from the brand’s inception in scientific intellect to its convergence with business acumen.

Pathway to collaboration

The rebrand is about more than appearance – it’s grounded in how we collaborate across 51�Թ�� and beyond. Deeply embedded in 51�Թ��’s research ecosystem we continue to be a hub for academics, policymakers and entrepreneurs. From the Institute for Deep Tech Entrepreneurship to the Centre for Sectoral Economic Performance, the Business School strives to translate knowledge into innovation. The School continues to adapt to and solve complex real-world challenges in public health, emerging markets and climate change.

What’s next?

The new identity is already being rolled out across digital and physical platforms and will continue to be updated throughout the year. At 51�Թ�� Business School, we continue to pride ourselves for not just being a part of a world-leading university, but a world-changing one. This rebrand provides a clearer, bolder expression of who we are – and the impact we aim to have.

We are bringing science to humanity, to deliver value from scientific innovation and to create prosperity and well-being. Because at 51�Թ�� Business School, science means business – and business drives the future.

“I chose 51�Թ�� for my MSc so I could start a deep tech company and surround myself with the brightest minds in Europe. At the Business School, I joined entrepreneurial communities like the Grantham Institute and Enterprise Lab. Halfway through my programme, I met my co-founder and today, our startup is powered by 51�Թ�� engineers. Now based in White City, we benefit from labs, funding, world-class mentors, and specialised PhDs joining our mission.”

Antoinette Nothomb

MSc Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Management alumna and co-founder of Cyanoskin

“At 51�Թ��, the Climate Change, Management and Finance programme truly bridges climate science with business, finance, and real-world impact. Coming from a science background, I’ve loved seeing how research from the Grantham Institute and across the university shapes everything we do — from understanding climate risks and adaptation, to advancing climate finance, sustainable management, and corporate strategy. The programme doesn’t just teach science — it shows how scientific insight drives innovation, decision-making, and leadership. Science isn’t just in the background — it’s at the core of everything we do.”

Tatiana Chang

MSc Climate Change, Management & Finance and DSAC Deputy President

“51�Թ�� Business School plays a critical role in bridging science and business. Through the research and programming at the Institute for Deep Tech Entrepreneurship, we engage with venture capital investors, university inventors and policy makers to help transform high-potential science into impactful ventures, unlocking the potential of university-based deep tech innovation.”

Ramana Nanda

Professor of Entrepreneurial Finance and Academic Lead at the Institute for Deep Tech Entrepreneurship

Subscribe to the IB Knowledge newsletter

Brand

Dean

External

Off

51�Թ�� Business School's new identity signals a fresh chapter in its mission to connect science with business for global impact

Main image: Photograph by Marcus Ginns | Video: h10 agency | 51�Թ�� Business School

5 minute read

You’ve raised prices – now what?: Raconteur speaks to Dr Xinrong Zhu about companies passing rising costs onto consumers

Evie Burrows-Taylor — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 10:02:14 +0000

You’ve raised prices – now what?: Raconteur speaks to Dr Xinrong Zhu about companies passing rising costs onto consumers Evie Burrows-Taylor Mon, 03/02/2025 - 10:02

28 January 2025

How resilient brands keep customers in volatile markets

Andreas Eisingerich — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 12:14:02 +0000

How resilient brands keep customers in volatile markets

Andreas Eisingerich Wed, 15/01/2025 - 12:14

More blogs

9 June 2026 Knowledge

Left vs. Right: How polarised are our everyday lives?

26 May 2026 Knowledge

How resilient brands keep customers in volatile markets

11 May 2026 Knowledge

"No jobs are safe from AI, but some are safer than others": Professor of Practice David Shrier on the future of work

26 May 2026

Article at a glance:

Customer sentiment can shift overnight after negative news, amplified by social media
Traditional metrics such as brand love do not reliably predict who will stand by you in a crisis
The Integrated Brand Immunity Process outlines how to build brand immunity in four steps

Brand managers across industries face growing volatility. Socio-political shocks and the speed at which negative information spreads online mean that small triggers can escalate into reputational crises almost overnight.

In this environment, competitive advantage depends not only on generating customer affection, but on building relationships resilient enough to withstand sudden negative information.

The shift: from loyalty to resilience

Traditional metrics such as brand love capture how customers feel about brands, but not how they will react when things go wrong. Conversely, customers with the strongest brand connection often exhibit the most negative reactions.

This is where brand immunity becomes critical, first introduced by research at 51�Թ�� Business School in 2023.

Brand immunity refers to a customer’s resistance to changing their perception of a brand when confronted with negative information. Customers with high immunity process bad news more carefully, weighing it against prior experience. In doing so, brand immunity provides a more reliable indicator of how customers will behave under pressure.

Focusing on customers with high brand immunity in crises helps stabilise sentiment and limit the spread of negative narratives.

A four-step process to building brand immunity

The Integrated Brand Immunity Process translates this insight into action in four steps:

Step 1: Prioritising customers

Resources are finite, and brands cannot immunise every customer. The Customer Immunity Management Matrix helps managers prioritise by mapping customers across:

Value (the impact of losing them); and
Immunity (their resilience to negative information)

Immunity can be measured through simple survey questions. For example, by asking how customers would respond if they encountered negative information about the brand.

Customer value depends on industry context. It allows managers to focus on protecting revenue, as well as the underlying sources of competitive advantage:

Economic value (e.g. banking, telecommunications, reflecting stable revenue)
Psychological value (e.g. luxury, automotive, reflecting a strong brand attachment)
Social value (e.g. travel, entertainment, where customer advocacy drives growth)
Innovation value (e.g. technology, wellness, where customers co-create)

Step 2: Understanding the threat

While the Customer Immunity Management Matrix provides a structure for building resilience, its effectiveness depends on understanding the threat. Not all crises are equal. The matrix identifies who to prioritise, but the nature of the threat determines how to respond.

Managers must distinguish between:

Performance-based threats (e.g. price increases, service disruptions). These require transparency and explanation.
Value-based threats (e.g. ethical breaches, discrimination). These require accountability, corrective action, and cultural change.

Brand immunity helps buffer moderate negativity, but it cannot replace meaningful action in serious value-based crises.

Step 3: Act on four strategic priorities

Once customers are mapped and the threat is determined, four strategies emerge which should be applied through the filter of the threat.

Anchor: high value, high immunity customers
These are your most valuable and committed customers - high spenders and loyal advocates. They should be equipped to defend the brand. In performance-based crises, transparency and data are important. In value-based crises, brands should demonstrate shared values and accountability.
Fortify: high value, low immunity customers
This is the highest-risk group. These customers are strategically important but more vulnerable as they lack a strong brand-self connection. Brands should build emotional connection and communicate proactively. In performance-based situations, early warnings and clear explanations are key. In value-based crises, a sincere apology and visible corrective action are essential.
Leverage: low value, high immunity customers
These customers may not be high spenders, but they are supportive and stable, often active in reviews, communities, or social media. Brands should amplify their voices to stabilise sentiment and influence others. Their advocacy is particularly valuable when it reinforces credible information.
Minimise: low value, low immunity customers
These customers have limited strategic value and are more likely to react negatively or amplify criticism. The priority is to limit exposure and manage communication carefully to contain potential negative spillover.

Step 4: Continuously renew resilience

Customer relationships are dynamic, and immunity can fade over time. Regular reassessment is essential to ensure that the customers who matter most remain resilient.

Brands that succeed in volatile environments are not those that simply build loyalty, but those that prepare their customers before a crisis hits. By identifying and strengthening the customer relationships that matter most, brands can turn volatility into a source of resilience, and ultimately, competitive advantage.

Read insights from Dr Eisingerich's paper

Discover his latest findings

Knowledge Categories

Academic area

Analytics & Operations

A practical guide to building brand immunity across your customer base

Main image: Elena Zolotova / iStock via Getty Images

4 minute read

Off

Professor Sankalp Chaturvedi speaks to The Times on Allan Leighton's return to Asda

Evie Burrows-Taylor — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 09:50:11 +0000

Professor Sankalp Chaturvedi speaks to The Times on Allan Leighton's return to Asda Evie Burrows-Taylor Mon, 09/12/2024 - 09:50

29 November 2024

Brand

Leadership

The hidden benefits of releasing your product later than your rivals

Mushegh Harutyunyan — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 11:05:22 +0000

The hidden benefits of releasing your product later than your rivals

Mushegh Harutyunyan Mon, 04/11/2024 - 11:05

4 November 2024

The benefits of being first to market are well known. But new research from 51�Թ�� Business School shows that, in certain cases, biding your time could increase your profits.

Conventional wisdom warns against being late to market: a product that launches after its rivals risks losing potential customers and ceding market share to competitors.

And yet, we see some brands aren’t keen to rush to market, despite leaked reports and industry rumours suggesting their products are ready to go. Apple for instance didn’t release its smartwatch until 2015, later than predicted, and a year behind Samsung’s smartwatch.

These delays aren’t new. Back in the mid-1990s, Sony decided to wait four months to release its PlayStation in the US after Sega launched its Saturn gaming console – although Sony’s machine had already launched in some countries.

So, why delay? In the past, researchers have suggested that companies are making last minute improvements to their product or assessing an uncertain market – but consumer technology markets are fairly stable and enjoy healthy demand.

Staggered product release

Our work suggests that deliberate delays in launching can benefit both the early bird and the latecomer. We’ve created a mathematical model to compare two notional firms with shelf-ready products competing in the same market – and the results are surprising.

When a product is launched, some consumers will buy it immediately, but others will wait, safe in the knowledge that their favourite brand will launch a similar model down the line. And if two rival products aren’t competing simultaneously for the same group of consumers, this means they don’t need to compete on price so aggressively. Staggered product release dates mean both the early bird and latecomer can charge a premium for their products – it’s a win-win scenario (although not for the consumer).

Persuading consumers that this is a product worth waiting for is key

Even though a company may be missing out on customers, the higher prices it will charge due to diminished competitive pressure can more than make up for the lower sales, our model shows. We wanted to know if this theory held water across brands with different profiles. Would high-quality brands still benefit from a later launch than their lesser-known or lower quality rivals?

If the difference in quality and reputation between two companies is extreme, we found, both are better off releasing their products early. Delaying entry would significantly harm the low-quality brand because few consumers would be willing to wait. For the high-quality firm, given its huge advantage, the marginal benefit from delaying is again slim.

But for brands with a less pronounced difference in quality, the higher quality brand may have more incentives to delay the product launch. This is because consumers are more likely to wait for a higher quality brand than a low-quality one. The high-quality brand doesn’t lose too many customers by delaying, but gains substantially due to less intense price competition.

Know your market

To exploit these insights to their advantage, companies need to know their markets inside out – particularly if they want to time and price their products for maximum profits. They need to know whether their consumers are loyal, and they need to understand where their brand sits beside rivals in terms of differentiation: late product release can be profitable only when there is enough differentiation to convince some consumers to wait for the product. And they must gauge the size of the market and keep on top of consumer numbers.

We’ve found that the latest time to enter a market with a similar product is before roughly a third of consumers intend to buy an item in the product category – if they wait longer, businesses may lose out. There are tools and analyses available that can equip strategists to estimate the size of a market, and judge whether it will pay to delay the launch of a new product.

Communicate with your customers

And if a brand decides to delay the launch rather than rush to market, then it should make it a priority to communicate clearly to consumers that its own product is on its way, and what makes it superior.

Persuading consumers that this is a product worth waiting for is key. Here, companies can use marketing tactics such as releasing early samples for influencers, holding special events, working with media to highlight features that make this product stand out and flagging the release date.

Companies need to know their markets inside out – particularly if they want to time and price their products for maximum profits

While our findings highlight the strategic benefits of delaying product launches, several questions merit further investigation:

How do varying market conditions, such as rapid technological changes or evolving consumer preferences, affect the success of staggered releases?
What role do marketing strategies play in maintaining consumer interest during these delays?
How does the growing prevalence of second-hand markets influence the dynamics of new product launches and pricing strategies?

Understanding these complexities will help companies refine their strategies to remain competitive.

This article draws on findings from "Don’t Hurry, Be Happy! The Bright Side of Late Product Release" by Mushegh Harutyunyan (51�Թ��) and Chakravarthi Narasimhan (Washington University in St. Louis).

Monthly newsletter

Receive the latest insights from 51�Թ�� Business School

Do consumers really care about sustainability?

Consumers may care about sustainability in theory, but how much does it impact their spending habits? And what can policymakers do to encourage us all to make more eco-friendly choices?

Download PDF

Academic area

Marketing

Knowledge Categories

Marketing

Off

How to create more effective marketing strategies with data

Stephan Seiler — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 11:05:22 +0000

How to create more effective marketing strategies with data

Stephan Seiler Thu, 13/06/2024 - 11:05

14 June 2024

For a long time, academics and marketers have struggled to directly observe the consumer's "journey". But all that's changing, thanks to the availability of pre-purchase data.

Our understanding of pre-purchase behaviour changed almost overnight with the advent of the internet and the growth of online retailing. Since then, the search processes of consumers have become increasingly observable, from the virtual stores and review sites they visit to the products they browse, all in seconds from the comfort of their own homes.

Search data can even drill down into the detail of the clicks they made and the length of time they spent in making their purchase decision. This has opened the door to a far better understanding of consumer behaviour and targeted marketing strategies based on this data.

Our research takes stock of how pre-purchase data has been used by academics and marketers and highlights opportunities for its future use as the quality of data improves.

Why data matters

There are two important areas of marketing decision-making where search data is particularly useful. Firstly, it tells us a lot more about a consumer’s preferences than just observing the purchase. Most consumers compare at least a few products before making their decision and search data allows us to see specific pairings which are clearly viewed as similar products.

It also allows us to see the key product features that assume the most importance in the purchase decision and other aspects of the process, for example the outlets customers considered and to what extent price or other factors played a part. Search engine data can even show us when consumers visited review sites to aid their decision-making. This is important information for recommendation systems or pricing decisions.

We expect data quality in offline retail to increase soon, allowing managers and researchers to study offline pre-purchase behaviour

Secondly, the new data on search behaviour confirms that consumers search very few products before making a purchase, typically only two or three. This not only allows firms to shape which products consumers discover through marketing activity such as product rankings online or preferential shelf placement in a physical store, but it makes this activity crucial in bringing relevant products to a consumer's attention.

If consumers do less research before their purchase, product visibility assumes greater significance; if a firm's product isn't seen quickly, it may not be seen at all. This type of data allows marketers to put their products in front of those consumers most likely to buy them, and establishes how strongly individual marketing actions impact search behaviour, as well as purchases.

More recently, regulators have also taken an interest in such data and analysis because they worry that retailers will display their own products more prominently on their webpage. Pre-purchase data, and information on how consumers react to changes in product rankings, can show us how detrimental this type of retailer behaviour is to consumers.

Tracking consumer behaviour in physical stores

Off-line retailing presents more of a problem as it's far more challenging to track a customer's search and purchase journey through what could be a number of physical stores, reviewing comparable products, then checking their requirements are met, before making a final purchase. In the future, stores might be able to track consumers using their cell phones, but this does not yet provide accurate enough location data to see the route customers took through a store, where they stopped to browse products or which products caught their attention.

If consumers do less research before their purchase, product visibility assumes greater significance

Eye-tracking technology (both on- and off-line) can also provide important data for marketers, but this can only be done in a research environment where the customer is fully aware that their behaviour is being analysed, which in turn can skew results. However, we expect data quality in offline retail to increase soon, allowing managers and researchers to study offline pre-purchase behaviour in an equally comprehensive way as is currently possible online.

Pre-purchase behaviour has already become a key tool in the retailer's armoury and an important factor in building an effective marketing strategy. In the online world it's likely that this will become even more sophisticated as technology continues to evolve and the proportion of customers shopping online increases.

The same is true in the off-line world, as the tracking data on mobile phones improves – although it will always lag behind. Perhaps those retailers – supermarkets in particular – that straddle both worlds will benefit the most.

This article draws on findings from "Consumer search: What can we learn from pre-purchase data?", by Elisabeth Honka (UCLA), Stephan Seiler (51�Թ��) and Raluca Ursu (NYU Stern).

Brand

Consumers

Data

Digital Transformation

Marketing

Monthly newsletter

Receive the latest insights from 51�Թ�� Business School

Toxic customers and how to handle them

Slighted customers can do a disproportionate amount of damage to a business – particularly in the age of social media. So, what's the best way to respond to negative reviews?

Download PDF

Academic area

Marketing

Knowledge Categories

Marketing

Off

"Lessons from the Bud Light boycott": Harvard Business Review covers research by Dr Xinrong Zhu

Evie Burrows-Taylor — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 14:53:42 +0000

"Lessons from the Bud Light boycott": Harvard Business Review covers research by Dr Xinrong Zhu Evie Burrows-Taylor Tue, 26/03/2024 - 14:53

20 March 2024

Marketing

Brand

Consumers

Toxic customers and how to handle them

Barbara Duffek — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 08:26:43 +0000

Toxic customers and how to handle them

Barbara Duffek Mon, 09/10/2023 - 08:26

9 October 2023

Slighted customers can severely damage a business – particularly in the age of social media. So, what's the best way to respond to negative reviews?

When customers are driven to vent their fury, brands and businesses suffer. Five years ago, United Airlines dragged a passenger from an overbooked flight and the public outrage was so great the company had to pay dearly to repair its reputation.

This situation turned toxic after extreme provocation, and it’s well known that disgruntled customers can cause damage when they direct their wrath at companies. In our research, we combine insights from marketing and psychology to determine why, and how, individuals are driven to wreak revenge – and how companies can best soothe or distract clients and avert a public relations disaster.

If businesses can recognise a client’s mental state, and how far their frustration has developed, they’ll understand more precisely how to address a problem. Better still, they could succeed in pre-empting vindictive responses.

The angry customer

When something goes wrong, customers respond in different ways, depending on how serious the slight, how deeply they feel it and how often they’ve complained. Some just vote with their feet and their patronage may be lost forever, at a cost, since replacing lost customers can be more expensive than retaining them.

Most customers who leave tend to do so without complaining directly to the firm, which may have no chance to rectify the problem, or even learn from it. These customers may also go on to cause a lot of damage through negative word of mouth. That’s why it’s important for companies to think proactively about how to deal with toxic customers.

It's when customers go on to dwell on their bad experiences that real problems develop. Our research has analysed this process of rumination – when customers repeatedly go over a bad experience in their minds – and how it might translate into aggression. And this must be understood in today’s age of social media.

It’s well known that disgruntled customers can cause damage when they direct their wrath at companies

Customers now are spoilt for choice in where they can vent loudly and publicly – from social networks to discussion boards – bad press is amplified and travels far. Research shows that if a negative comment receives more than 6,600 likes on social media, the ensuing storm becomes impossible to contain. Companies that nip a complaint in the bud after just seven likes have a good chance of extinguishing the fire.

A corporate failure of some sort – a cancelled flight, a long wait in a restaurant, rude service, or perhaps an inadequate response to an initial complaint – can prompt individuals to stew on the slight, either focusing on the incident itself or how it made them feel. And the more deeply they think about it, the more likely they are to respond with aggression and seek revenge.

Incidentally, if they focus more on how they feel rather than what happened, then they are more likely to complain constructively, with a view for example to improving service or warning other customers. Although this reaction can be just as damaging to a company as fury because it can still lead to negative posts.

Responding to toxic complaints

With this in mind, what should firms do? First, they must be aware that customers can turn toxic if their initial complaint is ignored or they receive an automated response. Customers like to be heard. An acknowledgement of their pain, a personally-worded apology and a refund or compensation can help right wrongs and deflect anger.

Technology and trained staff can help flag the early signs of dissatisfaction by monitoring tweets, bad reviews and individual comments. Understanding whether a customer is revving up for a constructive complaint, or whether they are stewing over the event itself can determine the urgency and type of response required. When a customer turns toxic – dwelling intensely on whatever went wrong – then a company must respond by focusing on the root cause of the problem.

Dealing promptly and individually with complaints can mitigate customer frustration and defuse aggression towards a brand. Companies should give a timely explanation of what went wrong, although blaming an individual employee certainly doesn’t work.

Pre-emptive action

But by the time a complaint goes public, the damage has more or less been done. Pre-emptive action can be more effective, and here, companies have a few tricks up their sleeve. For instance, companies can deploy the "blemishing effect", which involves sharing a small amount of negative information to boost positive perceptions of the product or brand. There's also "performance transparency", which involves sharing balanced and objective information to set expectations.

Distraction can be a useful tool – for example, platforms such as Booking.com ask customers to rate various aspects of their experience before leaving a written review, diluting customer rage against a particular fault. Restaurants can deflect poor service by giving waiting customers perks such as free drinks and snacks. Companies can manage expectations – for example in the case of Ryanair, which doesn’t pretend to be anything other than "no frills".

Companies that nip a complaint in the bud after just seven likes have a good chance of extinguishing the fire

These insights reveal how the mental state of customers can determine their anger, but we need a better understanding of triggers and escalation – what circumstances and mental processes prompt frustrated customers to lash out.

Despite the risks posed by toxic customers, company complaint procedures are often astonishingly inadequate. Culprits can make it difficult for customers to complain directly, and corporate responses are often too slow or automated. This may save time and money in the short term, but if frustration intensifies, it will cost businesses far more dearly in the longer term.

This article draws on research explored in "Why so Toxic? A Framework for Exploring Customer Toxicity" by 51�Թ��'s Barbara Duffek, Andreas B. Eisingerich and Omar Merlo.

Brand

Consumers

Marketing

Monthly newsletter

Receive the latest insights from 51�Թ�� Business School

Lessons for leaders: successful brands have multiple personalities

Brand archetypes have been used to help companies connect with consumers for 20 years – and, when used correctly, they are still a vital tool for marketers.

Download PDF

Academic area

Marketing

Knowledge Categories

Marketing

"Better than the real thing?": The European publishes article by Dr Jan-Michael Ross on imitation

Evie Burrows-Taylor — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 15:16:22 +0000

"Better than the real thing?": The European publishes article by Dr Jan-Michael Ross on imitation Evie Burrows-Taylor Mon, 18/09/2023 - 15:16

30 July 2023

Lessons for leaders: successful brands have multiple personalities

Omar Merlo — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 14:08:09 +0000

Lessons for leaders: successful brands have multiple personalities

Omar Merlo Fri, 11/08/2023 - 14:08

14 August 2023

Brand archetypes have been used to help companies connect with consumers for 20 years – and, when used correctly, they are still a vital tool for marketers

Building on Carl Jung's work on the characters that exist within the human mind, the 12 brand archetypes such as the Creator, the Magician and the Sage, are used to present brand values and messages in a recognisable and relatable way to target audiences.

But the world in 2023 is very different to the one brand owners experienced in the Noughties when these brand archetypes first emerged. When the trend kicked off, it was perhaps appropriate that brands focused almost obsessively on a single archetype, to avoid dilution or brand schizophrenia. But consumers and communication channels have changed beyond all recognition. The advent of social media and the internet has led to the democratisation of brands, with consumers helping to create their own brand narratives.

Layering brand archetypes

As a component of marketing strategy, brand archetypes can be controversial, and we accept they are no panacea for today's complex challenges, but brands are fundamentally intangible assets and archetypes remain a useful tool for marketers.

While some consider brand archetypes to have had their day, the most successful and fastest-growing brands continue to leverage them, albeit in an increasingly sophisticated and colourful way. We now see brands layering multiple archetypes, revealing new aspects of their personality across the customer journey to respond to consumers' changing needs.

Multiple archetypes are used to drive brand stories, create tension, develop intrigue, and allow consumers to build their own unique and intimate relationship with the brand. They help brands behave more like people, developing a rich and varied conversation, which addresses the needs of a more diverse consumer population as they notice, engage with, and ultimately commit to, the brand. This creates a more enduring connection.

The world of consumers, communication channels and context has now changed beyond all recognition

Let's take Harley-Davidson and Barbour. Surely they can't have anything in common? American-owned Harley-Davidson is often believed to be heavily anchored solely on the Rebel archetype. Barbour feels quintessentially British, conjuring images of country estates and idyllic family scenes. Yet, our analysis reveals a Harley brand that is not monolithic, but instead crafts a complex and rather surprising story, weaving together several different and unexpected archetypes.

Surprisingly, its storytelling is not too dissimilar from Barbour’s, whose recent video campaigns are dominated by the Rebel archetype. Not only does a comparison of Barbour’s recent video marketing initiatives with Harley’s reveal similarities, but Harley’s videos have an unexpected warmth. The Companion archetype, for example, is present in both brands.

What we see when we map Harley and Barbour side by side serves to break the common myths about each brand, especially the notion that Harley is primarily a Rebel brand. In fact, both brands have more of the Patriarch about them. Although one Patriarch may be on a bike and the other walking on their estate, the feeling is similar. Both brands tell a story of a person seeking a close connection, a position of status within their community, while also having a sense of independence and exploration.

Brand harmony vs. brand tension

Just as Harley-Davidson and Barbour share similar archetypal patterns, we found pairings that cropped up time and again across brands and sectors – some that harmonised and others that created tension. Dove, for example, evokes various archetypes within one campaign to express different underlying tensions by leveraging two opposing sides of the archetypal map: the need for love and connection versus the need for significance. Women are shown both as strong individual leaders but also as powerful friends.

In the automotive sector, the Engineer–Shaman and the Engineer–Visionary are the two top archetypal combinations, with only a few brands breaking away from that: Land Rover with Explorer–Seeker, Jeep with Explorer–Entrepreneur, Jaguar with Ruler–Athlete and Alfa Romeo with Athlete–Lover.

The most successful and fastest-growing brands continue to leverage brand archetypes

Our findings suggest that marketers would benefit from assessing both their own brands and the competitive landscape in which they operate, using the tool at the centre of our research. Where there is overlap, this is likely to reflect sector needs.

Exploring the relevance of different archetypes against known data about consumers and the customer journey will inevitably highlight archetypes and pairings that fit, and can be used to reinforce the brand-consumer relationship. Anything that makes brands more personable, relatable, and captivating has to be a good thing.

This article draws on findings from "Exploring the Changing Role of Brand Archetypes in Customer-Brand Relationships: Why Try to Be a Hero When Your Brand Can Be More?" by Omar Merlo (51�Թ��), Andreas Eisingerich (51�Թ��), Richard Gillingwater (Founder of RADNB) and Jia Jocelyn Cao (University of Georgia).

Academic area

Knowledge Categories

Brand

51�Թ��� Business School: The journey to arrive at the new brand identity

51�Թ��� Business School: The journey to arrive at the new brand identity

51�Թ��� Business School students pitch to investors at London Tech Week

Social Impact Day 2026

Good governance and the non-executive director: The Centre for Financial Technology's 2026 conference

Aligning with 51�Թ���’s vision

A renewed visual experience

The design partnership

Pathway to collaboration

What’s next?

Subscribe to the IB Knowledge newsletter

Share

51�Թ��� Business School's new identity signals a fresh chapter in its mission to connect science with business for global impact

You’ve raised prices – now what?: Raconteur speaks to Dr Xinrong Zhu about companies passing rising costs onto consumers

Share

How resilient brands keep customers in volatile markets

How resilient brands keep customers in volatile markets

More blogs

Left vs. Right: How polarised are our everyday lives?

How resilient brands keep customers in volatile markets

"No jobs are safe from AI, but some are safer than others": Professor of Practice David Shrier on the future of work

Article at a glance:

Customer sentiment can shift overnight after negative news, amplified by social media

Traditional metrics such as brand love do not reliably predict who will stand by you in a crisis

The Integrated Brand Immunity Process outlines how to build brand immunity in four steps

The shift: from loyalty to resilience

A four-step process to building brand immunity

Step 1: Prioritising customers

Step 2: Understanding the threat

Step 3: Act on four strategic priorities

Step 4: Continuously renew resilience

Read insights from Dr Eisingerich's paper

Share

A practical guide to building brand immunity across your customer base

Professor Sankalp Chaturvedi speaks to The Times on Allan Leighton's return to Asda

Share

The hidden benefits of releasing your product later than your rivals

The benefits of being first to market are well known. But new research from 51�Թ��� Business School shows that, in certain cases, biding your time could increase your profits.

Staggered product release

Know your market

Communicate with your customers

Monthly newsletter

Do consumers really care about sustainability?

How to create more effective marketing strategies with data

For a long time, academics and marketers have struggled to directly observe the consumer's "journey". But all that's changing, thanks to the availability of pre-purchase data.

Why data matters

Tracking consumer behaviour in physical stores

Monthly newsletter

Toxic customers and how to handle them

"Lessons from the Bud Light boycott": Harvard Business Review covers research by Dr Xinrong Zhu

Share

Toxic customers and how to handle them

Slighted customers can severely damage a business – particularly in the age of social media. So, what's the best way to respond to negative reviews?

The angry customer

Responding to toxic complaints

Pre-emptive action

Monthly newsletter

Lessons for leaders: successful brands have multiple personalities

"Better than the real thing?": The European publishes article by Dr Jan-Michael Ross on imitation

Share

Lessons for leaders: successful brands have multiple personalities

Brand archetypes have been used to help companies connect with consumers for 20 years – and, when used correctly, they are still a vital tool for marketers

Layering brand archetypes

Brand harmony vs. brand tension

Monthly newsletter

51�Թ�� Business School: The journey to arrive at the new brand identity

51�Թ�� Business School: The journey to arrive at the new brand identity

51�Թ�� Business School students pitch to investors at London Tech Week

Aligning with 51�Թ��’s vision

51�Թ�� Business School's new identity signals a fresh chapter in its mission to connect science with business for global impact

The benefits of being first to market are well known. But new research from 51�Թ�� Business School shows that, in certain cases, biding your time could increase your profits.