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Brand Identity Formation Model

Модель Идентичности Бренда

Marina B. Yanenko · Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University · 2016

Introduction
Kapferer's Prism as a Network, for Consumer and B2B Brands

Marina B. Yanenko, professor at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, presented the model in 2016 in the Russian journal Практический Маркетинг (Practical Marketing) (Yanenko, 2016, pp. 113–114). She treats brand identity as the planned image of the brand: an idea of what the brand should be and strive for, which sets the direction for all of a firm's marketing activities (Yanenko, 2016, p. 113). Identity is developed in the last step of an algorithm that runs from analyses of the market, the firm's economic situation and its marketing activity and strategy to the brand strategy and the brand's positioning (Yanenko, 2016, p. 114). She reviews six well-known identity models and finds that Kapferer's prism covers all key groups of identity attributes for individual consumers, while Coleman and de Chernatony give the interaction between customer and company a special role for B2B brands; combining the models, her model takes account of corporate and individual customers alike (Yanenko, 2016, p. 114). It differs from Kapferer's prism in two ways: all elements are drawn as a network, which stresses their continuous links, and a further element, marketing culture, is added (Yanenko, 2016, p. 114).

The Model

Brand Identity Formation Model: a hexagon whose corners are linked as a network by two triangles, a rectangle and two diagonals, with Physique and Personality at the top, Relationships plus Marketing Culture and Culture at the sides, Reflection and Self-Image at the bottom and Brand Essence at the centre, crossed by a vertical axis from the view of the message sender to the view of the message receiver and a horizontal band from inside out to outside in
Source: Yanenko (2016, p. 115, Figure), CC BY, labels in Russian; the redrawing translates them (for example Суть бренда, "Brand Essence"; Взгляд отправителя сообщения, "View of the Message Sender"). Below it, the same figure redrawn in the Atlas style.

Elements

Definitions follow Yanenko (2016, pp. 114–116), translated from Russian. Because business customers perceive the facets somewhat differently from individual consumers, she discusses the facets with both segments in mind and adds notes for B2B brands where they differ (Yanenko, 2016, pp. 114–116).

Facets

  • 01

    Physique

    Physique (физические данные, literally "physical data") covers both the physical attributes of each item in the range and the unity of the physical data of the brand as a whole. To gain an extra competitive advantage and extend the product's life cycle, sensory branding can be used, designing the attributes as the combination of visual, auditory, tactile and taste features that is best and most relevant for the consumer. For the most precise contact, a map of customer touchpoints should be drawn up; for a B2B brand, contacts with the different members of the buying centre are listed separately, with each member's behaviour in mind (Yanenko, 2016, p. 115).

  • 02

    Personality

    Personality (индивидуальность, literally "individuality") describes the brand's characteristic features in terms of personal traits. The product becomes a means of self-identification: consumers project their own wishes, experiences and preferences onto it. The personality can be a celebrity who embodies the brand, the head of the company, an invented character, an advertising hero or a stable set of associations. This part of the identity reflects the brand promise, which must later be confirmed and should ideally match consumers' expectations (Yanenko, 2016, p. 115). Yanenko cites Aaker's five types of brand personality and Domnin's description by the kind of relationship that dominates: values, feelings or character (Yanenko, 2016, p. 115).

  • 03

    Culture

    Culture (культура), like personality, belongs to the brand's content features. It can reflect the image of a country, the history of the company or product, traditions, corporate values (following Kapferer), national features and the like. To form this group of features, every aspect related to culture should be studied; Yanenko points to Kozeychuk's proposal to treat the product's perceived origin as a focal point of brand management (Yanenko, 2016, p. 115).

  • 04

    Relationships

    Relationships (взаимоотношения) are a particular type of relationship and interaction between consumer and brand, "a type of behaviour that for the most part identifies brands" (translated). The facet defines how the brand acts, how it delivers services and what its relations with consumers are like. Archetypes of consumer behaviour in the product category can help; for B2B brands, the whole system of relationships with each member of the buying centre and each member's behaviour must be considered (Yanenko, 2016, pp. 115–116). As a separate trait, the facet includes marketing culture (культура маркетинга), the element Yanenko adds to Kapferer's prism, either as an extra facet or as part of relationships (Yanenko, 2016, pp. 114, 116).

  • 05

    Reflection

    Reflection (отражение) is how consumers would like to appear to others and what impression they would like to make when using the brand. Here the brand serves as a means of building relationships, fitting into a group or reaching shared goals. For B2B brands, this facet can take on a more professional, status-related tone (Yanenko, 2016, p. 116).

  • 06

    Self-Image

    In the self-image (самообраз), the brand serves as a means of self-identification. For B2B brands, as with reflection, the self-image may carry a sense of professionalism, status, modernity or conservatism (Yanenko, 2016, p. 116).

Centre

  • 07

    Brand Essence

    Brand essence (суть бренда) is "the most important thing about the brand in two or three words" (translated). This facet reflects the group of characteristic properties that express what the brand is, its main mission and idea (Yanenko, 2016, p. 116).

Source

  1. Яненко, М. Б. [Yanenko, M. B.]. (2016). Формирование Идентичности Бренда [Formation of Brand Identity]. Практический Маркетинг [Practical Marketing], (12-1), 113–116. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/formirovanie-identichnosti-brenda (CC BY)