The interplay between brand and business model architectures

Purpose: This conceptual paper studies how brand and business model architectures interact. Design/methodology/approach: Confronting the literature on brand and business model architectures, a “problematizing review” perspective is taken in this article. To develop the conceptual framework, a cyclical process of theory generation based on a literature review and empirical evidence is used. Various interaction options between a brand and business model architecture are discussed in detail and illustrated with practical examples. Findings: The conceptual grid allows positioning each brand and business model architectural move in a coherent way, emphasizing the alignment challenges of each positioning option. This study also sheds another light on “dynamic capabilities,” as companies not only need to mix, remix and orchestrate business model architecture decisions, but at the same time align these decisions with brand architecture decisions. Originality/value: By confronting and integrating two research domains, a novel higher-order theoretical perspective is obtained. In this sense it contributes to a management school of thought that is more integrative and deals better with today's more complex and dynamic reality, in which business model and brand decisions cannot be taken independently.