My heritage matters: Building a strong brand, awareness and image

Purpose: This article aims to investigate the role of Ghanaian culture in building a strong footwear brand identity to enhance brand awareness and image within the Ghanaian footwear industry. The study also investigated how gender affects perceptions and acceptance of a new footwear brand that uses Ghanaian Adinkra symbols in its branding. Design/methodology/approach: Convenience and cluster sampling methods were used in a quantitative study design. A total of 400 shoe buyers were selected from Ghana’s Kumasi City, Accra City, and Achimota Malls. Three footwear brands, designated A, B, and C were given logos based on three culturally significant Adinkra symbols: Atumpan drums, Akofena, and Sankofa. Quantitative techniques were used to evaluate the correlations between the variables. Findings/results: The results revealed a weak correlation between logo A (Atumpan) and logo B (Akofena) with brand identity, while logo C (Sankofa) exhibited a strong correlation. Medium correlations were observed between culture symbols and all logos and brand identity. Logo C (Sankofa) was identified as the best logo for building brand identity, awareness, and image. Significant gender differences emerged, with logo C showing the largest statistically significant difference in both brand identity and brand awareness Practical implications: The study provides valuable insights into how cultural symbols can influence brand identity, awareness and image. Originality/value: This study is original in its exploration of integrating Ghanaian cultural symbols into brand identity using Adinkra symbols in logo design. This article contributes to the understanding of cultural branding within the Ghanaian context and its implications for brand strategy and consumer engagement. Keywords: brand identity; brand awareness; brand image; cultural and traditional symbols; Ghana.