From "transaction" to "resonance": On the core role of value-based marketing in post-pandemic brand building
Han Lin
Faculty of Business, University of Macau City
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/bam.v7i4.12387
Keywords: value-based marketing; post-pandemic consumer behavior; brand-customer resonance; SME brand strategy; marketing authenticity
Abstract
Since the pandemic, how people shop has clearly changed, it's less about buying stuff, more about whether a brand's values feel right to them. Emotional connection matters more than ever. That's why old-school marketing, just pushing products or discounts, doesn't work like before. In this paper, I explore how valuebased marketing helps brands grow stronger ties with people by building real emotional links and bringing customers into the process. What I found? Brands have to really believe in their values, not just say them. It's about letting customers join the brand's story, and making sure every touchpoint, online, in-store, ads, all feel consistent. Some cases even show loyalty jumps up to 40%, and 30% more customers stick around. For small and medium businesses, this approach can really help. You don't need a big budget to stand out. In fact, some SMEs cut marketing costs by around 25% while still getting customers more engaged. I hope this research offers useful ideas for both scholars and marketers, on building brands in changing times. To do this, I mixed data on consumer behavior with real cases from retail and service sectors. Blending numbers and stories makes the results not just convincing, but practical for real use.
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