Analysis of the Scientific Map of Brand Positioning Research Based on the Scopus Citation Database (1975-2023)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. student, Department of Business Management, Yazd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yazd, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Business Management, Yazd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yazd, Iran.

3 Professor, Department of Business Management, Yazd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yazd, Iran.

Abstract

Purpose: Considering the importance of brand positioning for any business and the growing trend of research in this field, the necessity of conducting scientific studies is fully felt. A review of the subject literature and domestic and international research shows that no comprehensive study has been done on this issue. Considering the extent and influence of the field of brand positioning in most business research, the need for clarification is evident to reveal the current situation and future trends based on scientific techniques. To fill this existing deficiency, the present research seeks to answer the question: What is the scientific map of published studies in the field of brand positioning in the Scopus database? Based on this mapping, the study aims to analyze the network of concepts in this field and identify the most valuable areas. It addresses the topics within this field and assists researchers in brand positioning to explain the study process and policy-making in this field based on the identified influential areas.
Methodology: The present research is a quantitative, applied, descriptive, and scientometric study based on the objective. The research employed co-word analysis and network analysis techniques. The statistical population comprised all scientific and specialized articles on brand positioning indexed in the Scopus citation database from 1975 to 2023. Initially, the term "brand positioning" was searched in the titles, abstracts, and keywords of the Scopus database. Subsequently, the search was refined to include only articles and reviews, followed by a selection of English language articles. Finally, 577 scientific and specialized articles on brand positioning were chosen for analysis. VOSviewer and Gephi software were utilized for visualizing and analyzing scientific maps of the 577 selected documents. The Scopus database was chosen due to its vast collection of 70 million reviewed research articles from over 5000 international publishers, ensuring relative uniformity.
Findings: The research findings reveal that marketing, branding, brand image, brand management, and consumer behavior are the most common topics and keywords in the realm of brand positioning. According to the generated maps and utilizing the closeness centrality index, branding, competition, marketing, brand image, product design, and brand management emerge as the most crucial topics in information dissemination within the network. In essence, they represent categories with an interdisciplinary perspective in the domain of brand positioning.
Conclusion: The present study is the first systematic quantitative analysis of brand positioning research in the Scopus citation database, which uses co-word analysis to map the scientific landscape of this field. This study addresses the gap in scientometric research in the literature, aiming to enhance the understanding of brand positioning research from its inception to the present. Research questions were formulated for this purpose and will be addressed in this article. This analysis can serve as a guide for future research in brand positioning. The results indicate an increasing trend in research over the years. The main topics identified in brand positioning research include branding, brand performance, brand social responsibility, destination branding, brand positioning, and brand origin. Through co-citation analysis, key authors in the brand positioning research community were identified, such as Keller, Aaker, Diamantopoulos, and Hayer. Given the significance of green branding (a primary keyword in the corporate social responsibility cluster), the rise in environmental risks, and the impact of green branding on brand sustainability, companies in our country should prioritize this area when establishing and implementing their brand.

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References

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