Abstract:

This paper presents a forecast of how brands and branding can and will be used in the new converging marketplace of the 21st century. The authors suggest a new model for developing and managing brand relationships will be required. The initial theory and concepts for this new brand relationship model are presented and discussed. As support, the use of the proposed model is illustrated through a real-world example. Finally, a research methodology for developing the approaches required by this proposed new branding/relationship model are presented and illustrated through a best practices study recently completed in the United States.