What does the associative network memory model suggest about brands?

The associative network memory model suggests that brands are best understood as networks of linked associations in a consumer's memory. This model illustrates how different pieces of information about a brand are interconnected, creating a web of relationships that consumers can access when they think about or encounter that brand.

When a brand is registered in a consumer’s memory, it does not stand alone; rather, it is tied to various attributes, feelings, and experiences that contribute to its overall perception. This interconnected web allows for greater complexity in brand associations, enabling consumers to form richer relationships with brands based on various stimuli, like advertising, personal experiences, and word-of-mouth.

This model significantly contrasts with the notion that brands might have fixed meanings over time or that they function linearly within memory. Fixed meanings would imply a rigidity that does not capture the dynamic and evolving nature of consumer perceptions where emotions, societal changes, and brand activities can alter associations. Similarly, thinking of brands as being limited to a single association or as linear pathways simplifies the multifaceted relationship that consumers have with brands in real-life marketing contexts.