Variation and Continuity of Brand Personality in Japan

This study examines the continuity and variation of brand personality in cross-cultural context. Since Aaker et al. (2001), although the spatial aspects of brand personality have been extensively discussed, their temporal aspects have been ignored. Therefore, we present a stream of brand personality literature and the strength of the hybrid approach which provide comparability without ignoring specific or local elements. Using a hybrid approach, we illustrate the spatial and temporal continuity/variation of brand personality in Japan. We found that the “Excitement” and “Sophistication” dimensions are spatially and temporally stable, the “Competency” and “Peacefulness” dimensions should be re-labeled to “Sincerity” and “Imperfection” respectively and “Ruggedness” dimension have emerged in Japan. Lastly, we present the limitations of this study and the directions for future research.