TY - BOOK

T1 - Advancing brand anthropomorphism

T2 - clarifying the concept, exploring logo anthropomorphism and understanding cultural influence

AU - Kartika, Gilang

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - Although brand anthropomorphism has been present in branding literature for nearly two decades, it remains conceptually fluid and in need of further theoretical and empirical development. Ongoing ambiguities around its definition, application, and implications highlight the need for greater clarity. This thesis addresses this gap by integrating theoretical and empirical approaches across three interrelated studies. The first study offers a systematic literature review that critically examines how brand anthropomorphism has been defined and applied, revealing key inconsistencies. The second introduces a novel cultural perspective, proposing the icon familiarity hypothesis, which explains how brands can humanise themselves by drawing on culturally iconic figures in logo design. The third investigates how logo anthropomorphism influences consumer responses during brand failures, focusing on emotional outcomes such as brand disappointment and brand betrayal. These three contributions are developed across three standalone yet interrelated papers, each offering a distinct but complementary perspective that deepens, expands, and refines the understanding of brand anthropomorphism within contemporary branding theory. Paper 1: This paper undertakes a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis of 157 peerreviewed articles published between 1998 and 2023 to address inconsistencies in how brand anthropomorphism is defined, measured, and applied. It examines conceptual variations in the use of the term, identifies overlaps with related constructs such as brand humanisation and personification, and highlights the diversity of measurement approaches and outcome variables. The paper also explores emerging applications of brand anthropomorphism in digital contexts, including AI and virtual brand personas. It contributes by proposing a unified framework to clarify the construct, standardise its use, and guide future research.Paper 2: This paper investigates the effect of logo anthropomorphism on perceived brand value by introducing the role of iconic familiarity in shaping consumer responses. Drawing on the stereotype content model, the study tests the mediating roles of perceived warmth and competence to explain how consumers respond to logos designed with culturally iconic human-like figures. Using a survey-based experiment, the findings show that iconic familiarity strengthens logo association, and that perceived competence—rather than warmth—drives perceived brand value. This paper contributes by proposing and empirically testing a novel cultural mechanism in brand anthropomorphism and offers practical guidance for brands in leveraging iconic figures in logo design to enhance brand evaluation. Paper 3: This paper explores how logo anthropomorphism influences consumer responses in the context of brand failure, with a focus on emotional outcomes such as brand disappointment and brand betrayal. Building on the concept of icon familiarity, the study examines whether brand logos inspired by culturally familiar characters shape consumers’ emotional reactions when a brand violates expectations. Using structural equation modelling with UK-based data, the study finds that while logo association does not directly predict brand betrayal, it indirectly influences it through the mediating role of brand disappointment. This paper contributes by extending brand anthropomorphism research into negative brand events, highlighting how anthropomorphic logos can elevate consumer expectations— and intensify emotional fallout—when brands fail.

AB - Although brand anthropomorphism has been present in branding literature for nearly two decades, it remains conceptually fluid and in need of further theoretical and empirical development. Ongoing ambiguities around its definition, application, and implications highlight the need for greater clarity. This thesis addresses this gap by integrating theoretical and empirical approaches across three interrelated studies. The first study offers a systematic literature review that critically examines how brand anthropomorphism has been defined and applied, revealing key inconsistencies. The second introduces a novel cultural perspective, proposing the icon familiarity hypothesis, which explains how brands can humanise themselves by drawing on culturally iconic figures in logo design. The third investigates how logo anthropomorphism influences consumer responses during brand failures, focusing on emotional outcomes such as brand disappointment and brand betrayal. These three contributions are developed across three standalone yet interrelated papers, each offering a distinct but complementary perspective that deepens, expands, and refines the understanding of brand anthropomorphism within contemporary branding theory. Paper 1: This paper undertakes a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis of 157 peerreviewed articles published between 1998 and 2023 to address inconsistencies in how brand anthropomorphism is defined, measured, and applied. It examines conceptual variations in the use of the term, identifies overlaps with related constructs such as brand humanisation and personification, and highlights the diversity of measurement approaches and outcome variables. The paper also explores emerging applications of brand anthropomorphism in digital contexts, including AI and virtual brand personas. It contributes by proposing a unified framework to clarify the construct, standardise its use, and guide future research.Paper 2: This paper investigates the effect of logo anthropomorphism on perceived brand value by introducing the role of iconic familiarity in shaping consumer responses. Drawing on the stereotype content model, the study tests the mediating roles of perceived warmth and competence to explain how consumers respond to logos designed with culturally iconic human-like figures. Using a survey-based experiment, the findings show that iconic familiarity strengthens logo association, and that perceived competence—rather than warmth—drives perceived brand value. This paper contributes by proposing and empirically testing a novel cultural mechanism in brand anthropomorphism and offers practical guidance for brands in leveraging iconic figures in logo design to enhance brand evaluation. Paper 3: This paper explores how logo anthropomorphism influences consumer responses in the context of brand failure, with a focus on emotional outcomes such as brand disappointment and brand betrayal. Building on the concept of icon familiarity, the study examines whether brand logos inspired by culturally familiar characters shape consumers’ emotional reactions when a brand violates expectations. Using structural equation modelling with UK-based data, the study finds that while logo association does not directly predict brand betrayal, it indirectly influences it through the mediating role of brand disappointment. This paper contributes by extending brand anthropomorphism research into negative brand events, highlighting how anthropomorphic logos can elevate consumer expectations— and intensify emotional fallout—when brands fail.

U2 - 10.17635/lancaster/thesis/2882

DO - 10.17635/lancaster/thesis/2882

M3 - Doctoral Thesis

PB - Lancaster University

ER -