Brand ageing : an analysis from a Latin American perspective

Purpose: Acknowledging that brands age over time, this paper aims to investigate the exogenous and endogenous factors that influence this phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach: The literature on brand ageing is scarce. Through a study of several Colombian organisations that have an international presence, the paper uses a grounded-theory qualitative methodology, including in-depth interviews and documentary brand reviews over a longitudinal time dimension, to perform an analysis of specific aspects that affect brand ageing processes. Findings: The results revealed that the factors that determine brand ageing can be classified into the following two subgroups: exogenous (conditions of the economic environment, category conditions, entrance of new competitors, ageing current consumers and entry of new consumers) and endogenous (organisational growth, upper management convictions, marketing structure, brand architecture, inappropriate naming and obsolete brand image) factors. Originality/value: This research provides substantial academic value and insights that allow a better understanding of specific aspects that influence the brand ageing process.