Getting Attention, Fostering Engagement: A Case Study on Corporate Brands

• In Event: Organizational Communication Research Escalator - Extended Session

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between different elements of a brand and its functions of getting attention and fostering engagement. We present an innovative framework for approaching branding, attention and engagement, applying Marshall McLuhan’s notions of hot and cool to ‘measure’ different elements of the brand.
Our empirical work focuses on 18 cases of corporate rebranding. The methods applied were a content analysis of variables related to shape and a semiotic analysis of variables related to content and interviews to organizations’ members. Our findings are: a) previous brands are hotter than new brands, consistently accompanying the environment variation; b) variables referring to shape present hot temperatures, thus correlating to getting attention, while variables referring to content present cool temperatures, thus correlating to fostering engagement; c) the temperature scale and the temperature matrix are theoretical developments that have potential for professional application, useful for aligning specific brand elements to strategic goals.

Author

• Patricia Dias, Research Center in Communication and Culture, Catholic U of Portugal & Research Center in Applied Communication, Culture and New Technologies, Lusófona U