Brand Management Strategy for Korean ... - Brunel University

membership of that group (Hogg et al., 1995). In this regard, Stets and Burke (2000)
argue that the social groups are a set of individuals who come together founded on their
shared sense of social identification, while social identity founded on membership of a
specific group does not need the members of that group to ever meet or interact.
Individuals sharing a common social identification classify themselves into being
similar to or different from members of a contrasting social group through the process
of comparing themselves with others (Deaux and Martin, 2003; Stets and Burke, 2000;
Tajfel and Turner, 1986). Puddifoot (1997, p.344) stresses that “A critical aspect of
social identity theory is…individuals will characteristically categorise people in such a
way as to favour member of the group which they themselves feel they belong…that
effectively maximises intragroup similarities and intergroup differences”. Stets and
Burke (2000) additionally propose that, once a person becomes a member of a specific
social group, he or she will tend to attach positive evaluations to that group. The extent
to which an individual identifies with a group is also influenced by the way in which
outsiders perceive the group, or the way in which the member of the group believes that
outsiders perceive the group to which he or she belongs (Fink, Trail, and Anderson,
2002). A person may focus on the difference between members and non-members of the
group by boasting of the group‟s social status and its previous successes (Ashforth and
Mael, 1989).
It is critical for brands to ensure their identity since it boosts support and loyalty from
customers (Ashforth and Mael, 1989). Brands should convey a positive image, as
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