Designing a Paradigmatic Model for Revitalizing Failed Brands through Entrepreneurs’ Personal Brands

Hasani Sabzevar, Hadi; Parhizgar, Mohammad Mehdi; Saeedi, Hamid; Abdolvand, Mohammad Ali

doi:10.22034/bs.2026.2090203.3253

Designing a Paradigmatic Model for Revitalizing Failed Brands through Entrepreneurs’ Personal Brands

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Hadi Hasani Sabzevar ¹

Mohammad Mehdi Parhizgar ²

Hamid Saeedi ³

Mohammad Ali Abdolvand ⁴

¹ Department of Entrepreneurship , SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

² Department of Business Management, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

³ Department of Business Management, YI.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

⁴ Department of Business Management, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22034/bs.2026.2090203.3253

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop a paradigmatic model for revitalizing failed brands through entrepreneurs’ personal brands. The study is applied-developmental in terms of purpose and adopts a qualitative approach based on Strauss and Corbin’s grounded theory. The participants consisted of 12 experts with practical experience, including branding experts, marketing and brand managers, branding consultants, and entrepreneurs with established personal brands, selected through purposive and theoretical sampling. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews until theoretical saturation was achieved and analyzed using MAXQDA through open, axial, and selective coding.The findings revealed that causal conditions, including brand revitalization planning, digital branding, mobilization of revitalization resources, and customer participation, influence the central phenomenon of failed brand revitalization. Contextual conditions, including entrepreneurs’ reputation and symbolic capital, as well as the intervening condition of brand equity erosion, shape the strategies and actions. The main strategy identified was leveraging entrepreneurs’ personal brands, which leads to outcomes such as improved brand identity, brand repositioning, and reconstruction of market legitimacy. The results demonstrate that failed brand revitalization is a dynamic and multidimensional process. Entrepreneurs’ symbolic capital and reputation provide the foundation for trust-building, while brand equity erosion increases the need for more intensive revitalization strategies. Strategic use of entrepreneurs’ personal brands reduces the trust gap and creates a renewed brand narrative. This study presents an integrated model to help brand managers and entrepreneurs facilitate failed brand revitalization through personal branding.

Keywords

Brand Revitalization

Failed Brands

Personal Brand

Entrepreneur's Brand

Subjects

‌Market Regulation and Pricing Policies‌

Ahaghaghi, N., Naghdi, S., Fazlzadeh, A., & Ahmadian, V. (2024). Pathology of Old Brands Revitalization Using Grounded Theory Approach. Journal of Brand Management, 11(38), 115-148. (in persian) https://doi.org/10.22051/bmr.2024.44439.2490

Amani-Bani, M., Nasr-Isfahani, A., Shaemi-Barzoki, A., & Taymouri, H. (2021). Designing a Model for the Formation of Entrepreneurs' Personal Brand in Isfahan City. Journal of Business Management, 12(4), 911-933. (in persian)https://doi.org/10.22059/jibm.2020.292787.3707

Barros, A., Rosenthal, B., Coelho, C., & Leandro, B. (2025). ‘Brazil must be a country for entrepreneurs and workers, not scoundrels’: Personal branding mechanisms underpinning CEO activism. human relations, 78(1), 32-58. https://doi.org/10.1177/00187267241229036

Cannas, R., Floris, L., & Pettinao, D. (2026). Brand revitalization through social media management in the music industry: the case of a country singer in the USA. Journal of Emerging Trends in Marketing and Management, 1(4), 61-75. https://ideas.repec.org/a/aes/jetimm/v1y2025i4p61-75.html

Chen, P. C., & Chou, H. Y. (2025). Blending the past and present: why and when brand revitalization and retro branding strategies are effective in heritage branding. European Journal of Marketing, 59(8), 2019-2053. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-03-2024-0169

Corbin, J. M., & Strauss, A. (1990). Grounded theory research: Procedures, canons, and evaluative criteria. Qualitative sociology, 13(1), 3-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00988593

Creswell, J. W. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.

daSilva, I., & Leandro, A. (2026). The power of personal branding in political marketing. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, (84), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.4185/rlcs-2026-2471

Diyarkarim, M., Sheikh-Ismaili, S., & Soltanpanah, H. (2025). Investigating the Pattern of Antecedents and Consequences of Brand Revitalization with a Meta-Synthesis Approach. Value Creation in Business Management, 5(1), 400-425. (in persian) https://doi.org/10.22034/jvcbm.2025.499477.1481

Gambetti, R. C., Biraghi, S., & Cova, B. (2024). Fangame Netnography: When Brand Hijack Fosters Brand Revitalization. Proceedings of The Global Netnography. , 19(4), 278-191. https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/series/aebmr

Glaser, B. G., Strauss, A. L., & Strutzel, E. (1968). The discovery of grounded theory; strategies for qualitative research. Nursing research, 17(4), 364.

Hadeshian, H., Rasekh, K., & Dastgheyb, S. A. (2025). Investigating the Impact of Instagram Social Network on Career Success and Personal Branding. Media, (138), 201-228. (in persian) https://doi.org/10.22034/bmsp.2024.419748.1937

Harisandi, P., Hurriyati, R., Gaffar, V., Wibowo, L. A., Yanti, P., Yusriani, S., & Purwanto, P. (2025). Personal branding of lecturers and word of mouth: Effective education strategy in increasing the attractiveness of entrepreneurship study program and reputation of pelita bangsa university. IJORER: International Journal of Recent Educational Research, 6(3), 758-774. https://doi.org/10.46245/ijorer.v6i3.813

Holsti, O. R. (1969). Content analysis for the social sciences and humanities, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Janipour, A. (2025). Brand Revitalization Strategies in the Digital Age. The 10th International Conference on Management, Humanities and Behavioral Sciences in Iran and the Islamic World, Tehran. (in persian)

Malazadeh Shirehpezi, E., Ammari, H., Mousavi, S., & Gharehbiglou, H. (2021). Performance Improvement Modeling in the Textile Industry Through Revitalizing Active Brands. Islamic Economics and Banking, 10(35), 311-333. (in persian) http://mieaoi.ir/article-1-1340-fa.html

Marefat, D., Farid Fathi, A., & Farid Fathi, M. (2024). Identification and Ranking of Factors Affecting the Promotion of Personal Brand Image. Applied Research in Sport Management, 12(4), 43-52. (in persian) https://doi.org/10.30473/arsm.2023.67006.3750

Mirza, M., Khan Elchi, A., Kharazi Mohammad-Vandi, A., & Majidi Ghahroudi, N. (2022). The Paradigm of Political Personal Branding in Iran. Media, 33(1), 99-126. (in persian) https://doi.org/10.22034/bmsp.2022.145445

Mousavi, S. N. (2022). Key Success Factors in Revitalizing Graveyard Brands. Journal of Brand Management, 9(32), 111-142. (in persian) https://doi.org/10.22051/bmr.2022.40700.2357

Mousavi, S. N. (2022). Key Success Factors in Revitalizing Graveyard Brands. (Duplicate entry) (in persian)

Pahlevan, A., Abdolvand, M. A., Saeednia, H. R., & Saeedi, H. (2025). Presenting a Model for Personal Branding of Entrepreneurial Individuals to Increase the Profitability of the Country's Automotive Industry Based on Grounded Theory. Financial Economics, (70), 331-354. (in persian) https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.71818/ecj.2025.1061809

Pasquinelli, C., Monteverde, G., Rovai, S., & Runfola, A. (2026). Female entrepreneur brand building: Leveraging gender in sustainable fashion. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 17(1), 55-74. https://doi.org/10.1080/20932685.2025.2571099

Peters, T. (1997). The brand called you. Fast company, 10(10), 83-90.

Pon, S. P. (2024). Brand Revitalization: An Outlook. In Business Resilience and Digital Technology in the Post-Pandemic Era: A Global Case (pp. 87-92). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. https://books.google.com/books/about/Business_Resilience_and_Digital_Technolo.html?id=gaug0QEACAAJ

Riffi, z. t., & Zori, A. (2024). The evolution of personal branding: A systematic review. Revue des Études Multidisciplinaires en Sciences Économiques et Sociales, 9(1), 167-183. https://doi.org/10.48375/IMIST.PRSM/remses-v9i1.46146

Sabia, L., Bell, R., & Bozward, D. (2025). Built-in: How entrepreneurs use their personal brands to build cognitive social capital to foster the venture growth. In Contemporary Marketing Solutions: Strategies for Growth in a Competitive Consumer Landscape, 18(3), 155-181. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-74657-4_7

Sadeghi, M., Fattahi, M., & Taghvaee Yazdi, M. (2023). Presenting a Personal Branding Model in Entrepreneurship Development of Small and Medium Businesses. Journal of Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Agricultural Development Studies, 10(1), 165-184. (in persian) https://doi.org/10.22069/jead.2022.20666.1655

Saeidi, E., Majidi Ghahroudi, N., & Farhangi, A. A. (2021). Presenting a Model for Entrepreneurs' Personal Branding in the Virtual Space of Instagram. Interdisciplinary Studies in Media and Culture, 11(1), 159-191. (in persian) https://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/articlepage/1774613

Shen, Q. (2025). Strategic Turnaround and Market Resurgence: A Case Study on Operational Optimization and Brand Revitalization. Advances in Economics and Management Research, 15(1), 426-426. http://www.atlantis-press.com/publications/proceedings/aebmr/

Wambua, S., & Njuguna, R. (2025). Brand revitalization strategies and organization performance of Brookside Dairy Limited in Kenya. International Academic Journal of Human Resource and Business Administration (IAJHRBA), 5(1), 486-502. https://iajournals.org/articles/iajhrba_v5_i1_486_502.pdf

Yang, L., Muangmee, C., & Meekaewkunchorn, N. (2024, May). The Impact of Entrepreneurial Personal Branding on Consumer Purchasing Behavior-Take Jack Ma for example. In 2024 3rd International Conference on Humanities, Wisdom Education and Service Management, 17(2), 188-195. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-253-8_23

Zandinasab, M., & Esfidani, M. R. (2024). Identifying and Prioritizing the Dimensions of Personal Brand from the Perspective of Instagram Users in Iran. Journal of Brand Management, 11(40), 109-140. (in persian) https://doi.org/10.22051/bmr.2024.46202.2544