The Brand Meaning Transfer Model proposed by McCracken conceptualizes how cultural meaning is transferred from the socially constructed world to consumer goods, and ultimately to individual consumers, through a structured semiotic process (McCracken, 1986). Grounded in cultural anthropology and symbolic interactionism, the model challenges purely information-based or persuasion-oriented views of branding by emphasizing the role of shared cultural meanings in consumption. According to McCracken, goods do not possess intrinsic meaning; rather, meaning originates in culturally constituted categories and principles, such as status, gender, lifestyle, or age, and is continuously produced and reproduced within a given society.

The model specifies three distinct stages of meaning transfer. First, meaning resides in the culturally constituted world, where it is embedded in social roles, institutions, and symbolic systems. Second, this meaning is transferred to consumer goods through advertising and the fashion system. Advertising operates by explicitly linking products to culturally meaningful symbols, narratives, or endorsers, while fashion diffuses meaning through collective adoption and social visibility (McCracken, 1986). Third, meaning moves from goods to consumers through rituals of possession, exchange, grooming, and divestment, which allow individuals to appropriate, personalize, or discard the symbolic meanings attached to products (McCracken, 1988). Consumption is therefore understood as an active cultural practice through which individuals construct and negotiate identity.

Within this framework, celebrity endorsement plays a central role, as celebrities are viewed as carriers of dense, well-defined cultural meanings derived from their public roles, lifestyles, and media representations. Advertising functions as a conduit that transfers these meanings from the celebrity to the brand, and subsequently from the brand to the consumer (McCracken, 1989). The effectiveness of this process depends on the clarity, coherence, and cultural resonance of the meanings embodied by the endorser, as well as the perceived fit between the celebrity and the product.

In marketing and advertising, the Brand Meaning Transfer Model has been widely applied to explain how brands acquire symbolic value beyond functional attributes. It provides a theoretical foundation for celebrity endorsement strategies, influencer marketing, and lifestyle branding by clarifying how cultural meanings can enhance brand differentiation and emotional relevance (Erdogan, 1999). The model has also informed brand management practices by highlighting the risks of meaning dilution or inconsistency when endorsers change or cultural contexts shift. More broadly, it has contributed to consumer research by legitimizing cultural and symbolic analyses of branding, reinforcing the view that brands operate as meaning systems embedded in social life rather than as mere informational signals (Keller, 1993).

References

Erdogan, B. Z. (1999). Celebrity endorsement: A literature review. Journal of Marketing Management, 15(4), 291–314.

Keller, K. L. (1993). Conceptualizing, measuring, and managing customer-based brand equity. Journal of Marketing, 57(1), 1–22.

McCracken, G. (1986). Culture and consumption: A theoretical account of the structure and movement of the cultural meaning of consumer goods. Journal of Consumer Research, 13(1), 71–84.

McCracken, G. (1988). Culture and consumption: New approaches to the symbolic character of consumer goods and activities. Indiana University Press.

McCracken, G. (1989). Who is the celebrity endorser? Cultural foundations of the endorsement process. Journal of Consumer Research, 16(3), 310–321.