Abstract
While service design is gaining growing traction in cultural contexts for its potential to activate cultural charm, existing research lacks clarity on what service design strategies can effectively enhance cultural authenticity in branding activities. This research aims to address the following questions: What service design strategies can effectively enhance consumers’ perception of cultural authenticity, and how? We conducted grounded theory to analyze semi-structured interview data collected from 11 interviewees. The findings identify four key strategies: embedding cultural stories in service experiences, constructing fields that present local attributes, using cultural narration to convey traits, and establishing visual identities for cultural cognition. These strategies systematically boost consumers’ perception of authenticity by integrating experiential, spatial, discursive, and symbolic dimensions. Our study reveals that service design operates as a systemic tool to translate cultural values into brand equity, extending beyond traditional visual or product-level branding approaches. This research offers a practical strategy framework for cultural brands to leverage service design in enhancing their authentic cultural appeal.
Keywords
Cultural Authenticity; Service Design; Consumption; Cultural Brand
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.511
Citation
Chen, Z.(2025) Designing for "Authentic" Brands: Exploring Service Design Strategies for Enhancing the Authenticity of Cultural Brands, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.511
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 11 - Culture and Craft Design for Regenerative Practices
Designing for "Authentic" Brands: Exploring Service Design Strategies for Enhancing the Authenticity of Cultural Brands
While service design is gaining growing traction in cultural contexts for its potential to activate cultural charm, existing research lacks clarity on what service design strategies can effectively enhance cultural authenticity in branding activities. This research aims to address the following questions: What service design strategies can effectively enhance consumers’ perception of cultural authenticity, and how? We conducted grounded theory to analyze semi-structured interview data collected from 11 interviewees. The findings identify four key strategies: embedding cultural stories in service experiences, constructing fields that present local attributes, using cultural narration to convey traits, and establishing visual identities for cultural cognition. These strategies systematically boost consumers’ perception of authenticity by integrating experiential, spatial, discursive, and symbolic dimensions. Our study reveals that service design operates as a systemic tool to translate cultural values into brand equity, extending beyond traditional visual or product-level branding approaches. This research offers a practical strategy framework for cultural brands to leverage service design in enhancing their authentic cultural appeal.