Revitalising Brands through Cultural Branding: A Mini Review

Cultural branding has emerged as a strategic approach for promoting brands by integrating cultural identity, authentic storytelling, and consumer-centred branding practices to create meaningful and differentiated brand experiences. This mini review aims to synthesise current knowledge on the role of cultural branding in promoting brands, with particular emphasis on its theoretical foundations, cultural narratives, digital branding strategies, ethical considerations, and practical applications. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the Scopus database. Peer reviewed publications, including original research articles, systematic reviews, meta analyses, and case studies published in English, were reviewed. Studies that did not explicitly address cultural branding, as well as grey literature, were excluded to ensure the quality and relevance of the evidence. The findings indicate that successful brand promotion through cultural branding relies on the integration of authentic cultural narratives, visual identity, storytelling, digital media, and consumer engagement strategies to strengthen brand authenticity, emotional attachment, and long term brand loyalty. The review also highlights the growing role of digital platforms, including social media, digital storytelling, and interactive brand experiences, in enhancing the visibility and relevance of culturally inspired brands. However, existing research remains fragmented, with limited integration of theoretical perspectives, practical branding frameworks, and ethical considerations. Ongoing debates surrounding cultural authenticity, cultural appropriation, and the commercialisation of cultural heritage further underscore the need for more comprehensive branding approaches. Future research should develop interdisciplinary and integrated cultural branding frameworks while evaluating branding effectiveness across multiple communication channels and diverse cultural contexts. Such efforts will contribute to more authentic, ethical, and sustainable brand promotion strategies.

Cultural branding, Brand promotion, Brand authenticity, Digital branding, Storytelling

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