Brand Remixing: 3D Printing the Nokia Case

Abstract

Purpose

To identify, conceptualize, and analyze a newly emerging form of consumer-initiated, brand-altering activity that we term “brand remixing.”

Methodology

A content analysis of 92 remixes of the Nokia Lumia 820 smartphone case.

Findings

We find that nearly 40% of the remixed versions of Nokia’s case retained at least one element of its standard template. The remixed cases contained considerable congruency with the design elements in the standard template, a high degree of personalization, and no negative brand imagery.

Implications

Our research is the one of the first examinations of the role of 3D printing upon marketing activities. It has important implications for marketing scholarship by showing that 3D printing empowers consumers to physically alter the brands they consume. Our research also suggests that practitioners interested in using this technology to develop and enhance their brands should accept the notion that firms are no longer fully in control of their brand assets. Hence, we believe that brand managers should develop co-creation platforms that allow customers to easily modify, remix, and share various aspects of their brands with their peers.

Originality

We identify and label an important emerging branding practice (i.e., brand remixing). This practice has the potential to dramatically alter the branding landscape.

Citation

Rindfleisch, A. and O’Hern, M. (2015), "Brand Remixing: 3D Printing the Nokia Case", Brand Meaning Management (Review of Marketing Research, Vol. 12), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 53-81. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1548-643520150000012003