Abstract

This research aims to explore a methodology for understanding the relationship between specific objects of interest (such as countries and geographical units/regions) and brands to facilitate the discussion of the meaning of specific brands for individuals situated in a determined context and culture. Using a cross-sectional quantitative design, we studied spontaneous brand associations with five geographical units of interest using an online questionnaire in Spanish, sent to a convenience sample of adult Internet users in Chile (n=78) through direct email invitations and personal contacts in professional social networks. Based on a correspondence analysis, the results show a clustering of brands into four main clusters, which allows us to demonstrate a correlation with the cultural, economic, and social transformations that Chile has endured. This study provides evidence that brands are not innocuous, but that behind them and their consumption, lie symbols and signs that evoke and promote, explicitly and implicitly, cultural and social associations and patterns.