Cultural differences in brand designs and tagline appeals

Abstract

Purpose - The objective of this study is to explore general cross-cultural differences in corporate visual identity between the USA and Korea, and to apply Trompenaars' specific versus diffuse dimension to brand-logos and taglines in the two countries. Design/methodology/approach - A sample of the brand-logos and taglines from the top 100 companies in each country were content analysed for research objectives. Findings - The results indicate that Korean brands are generally more diffusive than those in the USA. Specifically, Korean brand-logos tend to use more abstract and symbolic creative designs than those of the US, and the contents of Korean brand taglines contain more additional values than those in the USA. Research limitations/implications - The findings suggest the explanation power of new cultural dimensions for academic researchers and the importance of localised corporate identity strategies for international marketers. Originality/value - Because little is known about the differences between company brand designs across cultures, this study fills a gap in the literature by examining company brand designs and taglines. In addition, this study proved the usability of the newly developed Trompenaars' specific versus diffuse dimension.