El simbolismo cultural de las marcas de textiles y su relación con la conexión marca-yo en la provincia de Imbabura

Abstract

A brand transcends its commercial function and becomes a cultural symbol, reflecting the values, traditions, and identity of the community. In this sense, this article is part of the research project “Consumer-brand relations in Zone I of Ecuador” by the Carchi State Polytechnic University. Its objective is to analyze the cultural symbolism of brands in the textile sector and their relationship with the brand-self connection in the province of Imbabura, taking the brand “Andino Artesanías” as its object of study. The methodological approach applied was quantitative, exploratory, descriptive, and correlational. The research technique was a structured survey using a Likert scale, which was applied to 384 consumers of the brand. The results show a positive correlation of R=0.579, demonstrating that consumers identify with a brand when it connects with symbols representative of a locality, i.e., the brand goes beyond offering a simple product and becomes a cultural symbol that reinforces consumers' sense of belonging. It is concluded that, according to consumer perception, the textile brand “Andino Artesanías” moderately incorporates cultural symbols that strengthen ties with the values and traditions of the province of Imbabura, thereby promoting consumer loyalty.