Translating Brand Identity Across Cultural Contexts: A Case Study of Shaping New Tomorrow's Potential Expansion into Australia
Author
Nielsen, Jeppe Hjorth
Term
4. term
Publication year
2026
Submitted on
2026-05-01
Abstract
This thesis explores how a Scandinavian brand identity can be translated so that it resonates with consumers in the Australian market, using the Danish menswear brand Shaping New Tomorrow as a case study. The study is based on a social constructivist view of knowledge and uses a qualitative, single-case research design. The main material consists of brand-generated communication from Shaping New Tomorrow’s official website and Instagram profile. This is supplemented with contextual observations of two established Australian fashion brands, M.J. Bale and Country Road, to situate the case in its local competitive environment. The analysis is carried out in two stages. First, Kapferer’s Brand Identity Prism – a framework for describing brand identity – is used to identify the key elements in Shaping New Tomorrow’s communicated identity. Second, these elements are interpreted in an Australian cultural context using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions framework, which describes national cultures along dimensions such as individualism, indulgence, and uncertainty avoidance. The findings show that Shaping New Tomorrow communicates a clear and coherent brand identity focused on comfort, individual ambition, lifestyle flexibility, and Scandinavian-inspired minimalism. When these elements are viewed against Australian cultural tendencies, several areas of alignment appear, particularly in relation to Australia’s high individualism and indulgence scores and its moderate level of uncertainty avoidance. At the same time, a notable tension emerges around the brand’s masculine identity, which differs from the more rugged, outdoors-oriented masculinity that characterises many established Australian menswear brands. The discussion concludes that Shaping New Tomorrow’s core identity can largely be transferred to the Australian market without fundamental structural changes. However, selective adaptation is recommended in specific areas, including the visual expression of masculinity, the cultural tone of lifestyle communication, and the local anchoring of collaborations with athletes and influencers. The thesis argues that successful international brand expansion does not depend on extensive localisation, but on striking an effective balance between global brand consistency and local cultural resonance.
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan en skandinavisk brandidentitet kan oversættes, så den giver mening for forbrugere på det australske marked. Shaping New Tomorrow, et dansk herretøjsbrand, bruges som konkret eksempel. Undersøgelsen bygger på en socialkonstruktivistisk forståelse af viden og benytter et kvalitativt, dybdegående casestudie. Materialet består primært af Shaping New Tomorrows egen kommunikation fra brandets officielle hjemmeside og Instagram-profil. Dette suppleres med observationer af to etablerede australske herretøjsbrands, M.J. Bale og Country Road, for at sætte casen ind i en lokal kontekst. Analysen foregår i to trin. Først bruges Kapferers Brand Identity Prism – et værktøj til at beskrive branders identitet – til at identificere de vigtigste elementer i Shaping New Tomorrows kommunikation. Dernæst fortolkes disse elementer i lyset af australsk kultur ved hjælp af Hofstedes kulturdimensionsmodel, som beskriver forskelle mellem nationale kulturer, blandt andet i forhold til individualisme, nydelsesorientering og usikkerhedsundgåelse. Resultaterne viser, at Shaping New Tomorrow formidler en tydelig og sammenhængende identitet med fokus på komfort, individuel ambition, fleksibel livsstil og skandinavisk-inspireret minimalisme. Set i forhold til australske kulturelle tendenser er der flere klare overlap, særligt i forhold til Australiens høje grad af individualisme, høje nydelsesorientering og moderate niveau af usikkerhedsundgåelse. Samtidig opstår der en markant spænding omkring brandets maskuline udtryk, som adskiller sig fra den mere robuste, udendørsorienterede maskulinitet, der kendetegner mange etablerede australske herretøjsbrands. Diskussionen peger på, at Shaping New Tomorrows kerneidentitet i høj grad kan overføres til det australske marked uden grundlæggende ændringer. Dog anbefales det at tilpasse udvalgte elementer, blandt andet den visuelle fremstilling af maskulinitet, den kulturelle tone i livsstilskommunikationen samt den lokale forankring af samarbejder med atleter og influencere. Afhandlingen argumenterer for, at vellykket international brandudvidelse ikke kræver omfattende lokal tilpasning, men en velafbalanceret kombination af global konsistens og lokal kulturel relevans.
[This abstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]