Metaphor's validity in marketing research

Abstract

Using metaphor is widespread in management and marketing because it provides creativity. However, metaphor's validity is seldom investigated. This article offers an analysis of the validity of metaphor using three steps: (1) analysis of the metaphor's source concept, (2) analysis of the metaphor's aptness, and (3) analysis of the process of metaphor generation. These three steps have been applied to investigate the validity of two very well-known metaphors in marketing: product life cycle and brand personality. Results show these two metaphors lack validity when analyzed using the three steps. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.