Reconstructing Identity through Spice Route Narrative:: An Urgency for Nation Branding?

In line with Joko Widodo's vision to position Indonesia as the ‘Global Maritime Fulcrum’ by 2045, the Indonesian government through the Ministry of Education and Culture has initiated the proposal of nominating the Spice Route (Jalur Rempah) as World Heritage in 2017 to UNESCO. This article aims to show the dynamic process of redefining national identity through the Spice Route narrative, which is full of contestation between the state, society, and the market. Previous studies have shown that the process of reproduction of nationalism through the reconstruction of national history and national identity is now no longer always initiated by the elite. Democratization and globalization also provide space for civil society to reinterpret their ideal image of Indonesia. Methods used in this qualitative research included auto-ethnography through participant observation, in-depth interviews, literature studies, comparison, and visual communication design analysis of form-content-context, both descriptively and reflectively. In conclusion, instead of being a political-ideological narrative, the Spice Route narrative is reinterpreted in a new domain: the creative industry. It has become a source of inspiration for branding commercial products, feature films and documentaries, community activities, festivals, educational curricula, and at the same time included in the content of Indonesian cultural diplomacy through gastronomy, all of which require a contribution of design. This article examines the extent to which the Spice Route narrative, seemingly intended as a nation brand, is able to reconstruct and redefine the national identity of Indonesia.Sejalan dengan visi Joko Widodo untuk memposisikan Indonesia sebagai poros maritim dunia pada tahun 2045, pemerintah Indonesia melalui Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan telah menggagas pengusulan Jalur Rempah sebagai Warisan Dunia sejak 2017 ke UNESCO. Artikel ini bertujuan untuk menunjukkan dinamika dari proses redefinisi identitas melalui narasi Jalur Rempah yang sarat dengan kontestasi antara negara, masyarakat, dan pasar. Studi-studi sebelumnya menunjukkan bahwa proses reproduksi nasionalisme melalui rekonstruksi sejarah nasional dan identitas nasional kini tidak lagi selalu diprakarsai oleh elit. Demokratisasi dan globalisasi juga memberikan ruang bagi masyarakat untuk menafsirkan kembali gambaran ideal mereka tentang Indonesia. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian kualitatif ini adalah auto-etnografi melalui observasi partisipan, wawancara mendalam, studi literatur, perbandingan, dan analisis desain komunikasi visual. Studi ini menunjukkan, alih-alih menjadi narasi politik-ideologis, Jalur Rempah dimaknai kembali dalam ranah baru termasuk industri kreatif. Artikel ini mengkaji sejauh mana narasi Jalur Rempah yang mungkin dimaksudkan sebagai nation brand mampu merekonstruksi dan meredefinisi identitas

Investigating the effects of mythological motifs used by brands on key consumer-based brand constructs

Brands have become an integral asset of businesses and a key ‘point d'orientation’ for consumers. In previous eras the utilitarian ‘feature and benefit’ aspects of goods and services where predominant, it is now extended with the brand, the meaning it entails and the hedonistic experiences that it provides. The consumers’ Self is augmented and projected onto brands, and marketing and branding has taken diverse paths and modes to relate through various symbolic means, such as storytelling that incorporates ancient legends, tales, and mythological motifs, with the consumers. These mythologemes can instantly be found to be the house banner of many well-known brands’ logotype or name. However, if and how the use of mythological motifs by brands as their logotype or name might affect consumer behavior is limited. Based on a quantitative study in a quasi-experimental fashion, the results of the multigroup analysis show that the mythological motif used by Apple as their logo does not affect the direct relationships between the tested key consumer-behavior variables product involvement, brand experience, brand personality, consumer-based brand equity or purchase intention between the two groups. However, the results also demonstrate the central key strength of the positive influence of brand experience on brand personality, consumer-based brand equity, and purchase intention and show a significant difference between the indirect pathways over the variables for the group exposed to the articulated mythologeme.As marcas tornaram-se um ativo integral das empresas e um "ponto de orientação" fundamental para os consumidores. Anteriormente, predominavam os aspetos utilitários de "características e benefícios" dos bens e serviços, mas agora a marca, o significado que implica e as experiências hedonistas que proporciona, são ampliados. O Self dos consumidores é aumentado e projetado nas marcas, e o marketing e o branding tomaram diversos caminhos e meios para se relacionarem através de vários meios simbólicos, como a narração de histórias que incorporam lendas antigas, contos e motivos mitológicos, com os consumidores. Estes mitologemas podem ser encontrados no logotipo ou no nome de marcas bem conhecidas. No entanto, a questão de saber se e como a utilização de motivos mitológicos pelas marcas no logótipo ou nome pode afetar o comportamento do consumidor é limitada. Com base num estudo quantitativo de carácter quase experimental, os resultados da análise multigrupo mostram que o motivo mitológico utilizado pela Apple como logótipo não afeta as relações diretas entre as variáveis- chave do comportamento do consumidor, como o envolvimento com o produto, a experiência de marca, a personalidade da marca, o valor da marca baseado no consumidor ou a intenção de compra. No entanto, os resultados também demonstram a força central da influência positiva da experiência da marca sobre a personalidade da marca, o valor da marca baseado no consumidor e a intenção de compra, e mostram uma diferença significativa nas relações indiretas sobre as variáveis para o grupo exposto ao mitologema

Cultural investigation on typography in branding in the United States and in Brazil.

This cultural thesis is set to investigate the use of typography in branding, and how the same is influenced by cultural aspects, specifically in the United States and Brazil. The contrasting experience I have had as a student of graphic design in these two countries led me to discover the influence culture has in dictating the typography design use in branding. Typography, branding and cultural influences have been significantly researched in the past, but historically as three separate subjects, without focusing on the importance of their association and how they influence one another cross-culturally. Since the impact of graphic design and the power of typography is important to branding, global brands need to adapt and be relatable to multiple cultures. The aim of this thesis is to fill this existing gap between these three matters and show the importance of the connection between typography, branding, and culture, specifically across Brazil and the United States

Internationalisation of corporate visual identity strategies: a study of British multinational corporations and their Malaysian subsidiaries

Internationalisation of corporate visual identity strategies: a study of British multinational corporations and their Malaysian subsidiarie