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Related Experiment Videos

What becomes an icon most?

Douglas B Holt1

  • 1Harvard Business School, Boston, USA.

Harvard Business Review
|March 14, 2003
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Iconic brands forge deep cultural connections by offering compelling myths that resolve societal tensions. Mountain Dew exemplifies this by evolving its rebel myth to resonate with contemporary cultural contradictions.

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Area of Science:

  • Marketing Strategy
  • Cultural Studies
  • Sociology

Background:

  • Conventional marketing often focuses on product benefits, overlooking deeper cultural resonance.
  • Iconic brands achieve market dominance through cultural connection rather than solely product innovation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the marketing principles behind iconic brands.
  • To understand how brands create compelling myths to connect with consumers.
  • To explore the role of cultural contradictions in brand mythology.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of iconic brands, particularly Mountain Dew's advertising evolution.
  • Examination of the relationship between brand myths and societal tensions.
  • Case study approach focusing on cultural shifts and brand adaptation.

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Main Results:

  • Iconic brands succeed by offering myths that help consumers resolve societal tensions.
  • Mountain Dew successfully adapted its "rebel myth" across different eras (hillbilly, redneck, slacker).
  • Brand myth evolution is crucial for maintaining iconic status amidst changing cultural landscapes.

Conclusions:

  • Marketers can learn from iconic brands by targeting national contradictions and creating resonant myths.
  • Moving beyond conventional marketing requires understanding and leveraging cultural narratives.
  • Adopting a "rebel voice" can enhance a brand's connection with consumers and its iconic status.