Conceptualising SME brand co‐creation

Abstract

Research on the branding of small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), known as SME branding, has garnered substantial interest over the past two decades. Although researchers acknowledge the importance of stakeholders and networks as co‐creators of SME brands, a comprehensive conceptualisation of SME brand co‐creation remains lacking. The current study addresses this gap by combining systematic literature searches with a cumulative narrative review. By analysing 136 journal articles using brand co‐creation and process theory lenses, the study identifies two SME brand co‐creation eras—the initiation era and the advanced era—and categorises the research across these eras into three principal streams and eight sub‐streams. Synthesising insights from across these eras and streams concludes in conceptualising SME brand co‐creation in terms of concepts, developmental processes and causal processes, as well as introducing a framework called the SME brand co‐creation research diamond. The framework visually illustrates the intertwined nature of authentic brand co‐creation culture, co‐creation types and outcomes from the viewpoints of concepts, developmental processes and causal processes, emphasising interactions with stakeholders and wider society. As the first to conceptualise SME brand co‐creation, this study lays the groundwork for advancing the field into the expansion era. The study advises researchers to comprehend their work in a wider context, position their own research and further examine SME brand co‐creation. It also assists SME owners, managers and entrepreneurs in recognising and developing aspects of brand co‐creation culture and stakeholder and societal activities, along with their broader implications.