Brands and multinational firms’ brand strategies are facing new challenges and opportunities in light of numerous trends and disruptions that are changing the landscape of marketing in an international context. The climate crisis, a global pandemic, and deglobalization winds—marked by China–West trade tensions, Brexit, and other trade-related disruptions, to name a few—are challenging multinational firms in their efforts to enter, expand, or partner with other firms across countries. In addition, many argue that there is a convergence of cultures, suggesting that, in many cases, we are becoming more alike in terms of not only cultural norms but also economic, political, and social conditions across nations.
In addition to these challenges, the rise of the middle class from emerging markets and the continued focus on customers in bottom-of-the-pyramid contexts present both unique opportunities and the need to adjust brand strategies. Furthermore, the unstructured nature of mobile, social media, and other sources of “big data” can be particularly challenging in international contexts in which consumers differ not only in terms of language and culture but also in terms of their access to or use of technology or particular digital platforms. As such, firms must contend with these issues in gathering critical customer insights across countries as input to their global branding strategies.
Considering these issues, it is time for a fresh look at brands and branding in an international context to generate new research that documents what does and does not work in the “new normal.” The Journal of International Marketing (JIM) is pleased to announce a special issue on this topic.
The focus of the special issue is on empirical and theoretical work that assesses brands and branding in a global context. Review and meta-analysis papers are also encouraged. Specific topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Glocal and hybridized branding strategies
- The future of global brands in a more nationalistic postglobal world
- Challenges and strategies for global brands not from the “West”
- Cultural convergence and global branding
- The potential for local brands in a global world
- Brand purpose and activism in an international context
- Global branding in times of disruption
- Branding for the bottom of the pyramid
- Reaching local pockets of demand in emerging markets
- Brand strategies for the growing middle class in emerging markets
- Social and digital branding and brand ecosystems across borders
- Global market segmentation and brand positioning based on factors other than geographic boundaries
- Developing crisis-resilient global relationships (e.g., with suppliers and other key partners) to support brand strategies
- Conducting branding research in emerging or bottom-of-the-pyramid markets
- Gathering and analyzing unstructured brand-relevant data across countries
- Innovating to support international brand strategies
- Global, local, glocal and/or hybridized branding empirical generalizations
- Organizational structures for managing global, glocal and hybridized brands
- Brand extension strategies for global, glocal and hybridized brands
To be considered for inclusion into the special issue of JIM, a complete version of the paper must be submitted through our ScholarOne peer review site by January 31, 2023. It will then go through the regular JIM review process.
Rajeev Batra is Sebastian S. Kresge Professor of Marketing, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan.
Kelly Hewett is Associate Professor of Marketing, Reagan Professor of Business, and Haslam Family Faculty Research Fellow, Marketing Department, Haslam College of Business, University of Tennessee, USA.
Ayşegül Özsomer is Professor of Marketing, Koç University.
Jan-Benedict E.M. Steenkamp is C. Knox Massey Distinguished Professor of Marketing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.