Ritualization: A Strategic Tool to Position Brands in International Markets

Abstract

Most brands today attempt to develop a self-brand connection with their customers. Multiple studies have proposed that a brand can achieve a sacred status through “rituals.” However, there is limited understanding of the mechanism through which rituals and customers’ ritualized behavior influence brand awareness. As firms in international markets face intense competition from local brands, understanding the impact of customers’ ritualization can help them enhance brand awareness. The authors develop a conceptual framework and provide theoretical understanding on the relationship between rituals and brand awareness for firms operating in international markets. Specifically, they propose that internal ritualization leads to brand recall and external ritualization leads to brand recognition. As customer-firm relationship can be affected by market, firm, and customer-specific factors, the authors argue that cultural orientation, competition, firms’ marketing spend, and customers’ personality moderate the proposed relationships. They provide several research propositions to help understand rituals as a strategic tool. The findings of this study indicate that managers must incorporate customers’ ritualized behavior when developing global branding strategies in international markets.