Myth, Memory, and Market: Exploring Cultural Mythology in ‎Consumer Brand Perceptions

  • Authors

    • Dr. Nilesh Anute Associate Professor, Balaji Institute of Management & Human Resource Development, Sri Balaji University, ‎Pune
    • Dr. Mayank Tripathi Assistant Professor, Pranveer Singh Institute of Technology, Kanpur
    • Dr. Namita Chawla Assistant Professor, MCA, PCET's Pimpri Chinchwad University, Pune
    • Dr. Dhanashri S. Havale Associate Professor, International Institute of Management Studies, Pune
    • Dr. Prashant Kalshetti Professor & Head, Dept.of BBA, Dr. D Y Patil Vidyapeeth, Global Business School and Research Centre, Pune
    • Dr. Ganesh Pathak Associate Professor, Balaji Institute of Modern Management, Sri Balaji University, Pune (SBUP)‎
    • Dr. Shailesh Tripathi Professor, Balaji Institute of Management and Human Resource Development, Sri Balaji University, Pune
    https://doi.org/10.14419/b1kvja84

    Received date: August 11, 2025

    Accepted date: September 21, 2025

    Published date: October 3, 2025

  • Brand Mythology; Cultural Narrative; Consumer Perception; Archetypes; Brand ‎Symbolism; Memory Marketing; Emotional Branding; Cultural Identity.
  • Abstract

    In a competitive marketplace, consumer perceptions of brands encompass not only ‎functionality and quality but also important cultural narratives and mythologies. ‎This research examines the relationship among cultural mythology, collective ‎memory, and branding, highlighting the impact of traditional myths and symbolic ‎associations on consumer choices, loyalty, and perceptions of brand authenticity. ‎This study analyzes the utilization of mythological characteristics, including ‎archetypes, heroes, rituals, and nostalgia, by brands to shape consumer perceptions ‎and enhance market resonance, based on cultural semiotics and consumer ‎psychology.‎

    A standardized questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 180 respondents from ‎urban and semi-urban areas, encompassing various age groups, genders, and ‎educational backgrounds. A quantitative analysis was performed on demographic ‎data and responses to 21 closed-ended questions to identify trends and correlations ‎associated with mythology-infused branding. The findings indicate that consumers ‎unconsciously associate brand narratives with cultural myths, and brands that align ‎with established mythic frameworks generally improve emotional attachment and ‎brand recall.‎

    Generational memory and regional culture significantly influence brand ‎perceptions, indicating that effective branding strategies must incorporate cultural ‎context. This study contributes to marketing literature by clarifying the role of ‎symbolic communication and cultural storytelling in promoting consumer ‎engagement and preference‎.

  • References

    1. Ali, N., & Shabn, O. S. (2024). Customer lifetime value (CLV) insights for strategic marketing success and its impact on organizational financial per-formance. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2361321.
    2. Andreini, D., Pedeliento, G., Zarantonello, L., & Solerio, C. (2018). A renaissance of brand experience: Advancing the concept through a multi-perspective analysis. Journal of Business Research, 91(C), 123–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.05.046.
    3. Arnould, E. J., & Thompson, C. J. (2005). Consumer Culture Theory (CCT): Twenty years of research. Journal of Consumer Research, 31(4), 868–882. https://doi.org/10.1086/426626.
    4. Barnett‑White, T. (2011, August). Consumer fanboys confuse brand identity with their own [News article]. Journal of Consumer Psychology. Re-trieved from https://www.wired.com/2011/08/consumer-self-image/.
    5. Belk, R. W., & Costa, J. A. (1998). The mountain man myth: A contemporary consuming fantasy. Journal of Consumer Research, 25(3), 218–240. https://doi.org/10.1086/209536
    6. Bernard Cova, & Cova, V. (2002). Tribal marketing: The tribalisation of society and its impact on the conduct of marketing. European Journal of Mar-keting, 36(5–6), 595–620. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090560210423023.
    7. Brakus, J. J., Schmitt, B. H., & Zarantonello, L. (2009). Brand experience: What is it? How is it measured? Does it affect loyalty? Journal of Market-ing, 73(3), 52–68. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.73.3.052
    8. Brown, S., Kozinets, R. V., & Sherry, J. F. (2003). Teaching old brands new tricks: Retro branding and the revival of brand meaning. Journal of Mar-keting, 67(3), 19–33. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.67.3.19.18657
    9. Chatzidakis, A., Maclaran, P., & Varman, R. (2021). The regeneration of consumer movement solidarity. Journal of Consumer Research, 48(2), 289–308. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucab007
    10. Corzo, T., Hernán, R., & Pedrosa, G. (2024). Behavioral finance in a hundred keywords. Heliyon, 10 (16), e35979. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35979.
    11. Haddad, S. (2023). Global Financial Market Integration: A Literature Survey. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 16(12), 495. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm16120495
    12. Hirschman, E. C. (1985). Scientific style and the conduct of consumer research. Journal of Consumer Research, 12(2), 225–239. https://doi.org/10.1086/208511
    13. José Sanders, & van Krieken, K. (2018). Exploring narrative structure and hero enactment in brand stories. Frontiers in Psychology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01645
    14. Kozinets, R. V. (2001). Utopian enterprise: Articulating the meanings of Star Trek’s culture of consumption. Journal of Consumer Research, 28(1), 67–88. https://doi.org/10.1086/321948.
    15. Liao, Q., Yang, L., & Lim, E. J. (2023). A bibliometric and content analysis of marketing-finance interface research from 1986–2021. Journal of Busi-ness & Finance Librarianship, 28(4), 278–301. https://doi.org/10.1080/08963568.2023.2263984
    16. Luedicke, M. K., Thompson, C. J., & Giesler, M. (2010). Consumer identity work as moral protagonism: How myth and ideology animate a brand-mediated moral conflict. Journal of Consumer Research, 36(6), 1016–1032. https://doi.org/10.1086/644761
    17. Merlo, O., Eisingerich, A. B., Gillingwater, R., & Cao, J. J. (2023). Exploring the changing role of brand archetypes in customer-brand relationships: Why try to be a hero when your brand can be more? Business Horizons, 66(5), 615–629. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2022.11.001
    18. Morris, L. (2006). Consumer archetypes: A new approach to developing consumer understanding frameworks. Journal of Advertising Research. https://doi.org/10.2501/S0021849906060284.
    19. Muñiz Jr., A. M., & O’Guinn, T. C. (2001). Brand community. Journal of Consumer Research, 27(4), 412–432. https://doi.org/10.1086/319618
    20. Poon, S. T. F. (2016). Designing the brand archetype: Examining the role of Jungian collective unconscious in the creative customisation of brands. International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Invention, 3(6). https://valleyinternational.net/index.php/theijsshi/article/view/431. https://doi.org/10.18535/ijsshi/v3i6.06.
    21. Saura, J. R., & Bužinskienė, R. (2025). Behavioral economics, artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship: An updated framework for management. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal. 21, 67 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-025-01076-7.
    22. Saviolo, S., & Marazza, A. (2015). Lifestyle brands – A guide to inspirational marketing.
    23. Thompson, C. J., & Arsel, Z. (2004). The Starbucks brandscape and consumers’ (anticorporate) experiences of glocalization. Journal of Consumer Research, 31(3), 631–642. https://doi.org/10.1086/425098.
    24. Thompson, Craig and Kelly Tian (2008). Reconstructing the south: How commercial myths compete for identity value through the ideological shap-ing of popular memories and countermemories, Journal of Consumer Research, 34(5): 595-613. https://doi.org/10.1086/520076.
    25. Yasseri, T., Gildersleve, P., & David, L. (2022). Collective memory in the digital age. Progress in Brain Research, 274(1), 203–226. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.pbr.2022.07.001.
  • Downloads

  • How to Cite

    Anute, D. N. . ., Tripathi , D. M. ., Chawla , D. N. ., Havale, D. D. S. ., Kalshetti , D. P. ., Pathak , D. G. ., & Tripathi, D. S. . (2025). Myth, Memory, and Market: Exploring Cultural Mythology in ‎Consumer Brand Perceptions. International Journal of Accounting and Economics Studies, 12(6), 100-109. https://doi.org/10.14419/b1kvja84