Instrumentalizing Historical Epochs to Leverage Competitive Brand Advantage: The Case of Russian Heritage-Based Brands

The purpose of this study is to examine how Russian heritage brands instrumentalize historical epochs to leverage their competitive brand advantage. To address this research purpose, this study develops a strategic framework that blends brand nostalgia and historical authenticity research with Balmer’s (2013) institution trait constancy typology. Narrative sequence method in a case study research design setting was applied to analyze the secondary data. The study findings suggest that managing brand heritage successfully requires consistency in organizational adaptability and resilience along with a strong focus on history and societal traditions. Furthermore, consistency in terms of a product, process, quality focus, design, and sensory utilization along with consistency in terms of location, group associations and corporate advertising were found to be key attributes of the brands’ heritage-based strategy. The study’s principal contribution is that it demonstrates that by nurturing institution trait constancy over time, a competitive brand edge can be crafted, which further reinforces the importance of heritage-based branding.