Consumer Perceptions of Brand Innovativeness

Consumer perceptions of brand innovativeness encompass the ways in which individuals evaluate a brand’s capacity to introduce novel products, services, processes and experiences. Such perceptions are shaped by multiple dimensions, including technological breakthroughs, marketing communication, social responsibility and experiential design. Consumers tend to equate innovativeness with enhanced functionality, social relevance and emotional resonance, leading to stronger brand equity, loyalty and willingness to pay premiums. Measurement approaches range from self-report scales to experimental designs, often integrating cognitive and affective components to capture the overall innovativeness appraisal. At a global level, digitalisation and sustainability concerns have amplified the salience of innovation signals, prompting brands to embed diversity, stakeholder engagement and co-creation opportunities into their core offerings. This evolving landscape underlines both theoretical progress in understanding how consumers integrate diverse innovation cues and practical imperatives for managers to craft consistent innovation narratives across channels and cultures.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A 2023 study in the context of dessert cafés explored how menu and experiential innovations foster perceived brand innovativeness, which in turn drives value co-creation behaviour. Consumers exposed to novel menu items and immersive service environments reported stronger positive emotions, higher perceived value and an enhanced social image. These affective and symbolic gains sparked proactive co-creation activities, such as providing feedback, sharing ideas and participating in design workshops. The research highlights the reciprocal link between perceived innovativeness and consumer engagement, suggesting that brands that prioritise both product novelty and customer experience can mobilise consumers as innovation partners.

Consumer Perceptions of Brand Innovativeness publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in consumer perceptions of brand innovativeness across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Perceived brand innovativeness: Consumer’s assessment of a brand’s ability to introduce new or improved offerings.

Value co-creation behaviour: Active participation by consumers in the design, development or enhancement of brand offerings.

Stakeholder orientation: The prioritisation of key groups—customers, employees and society—in shaping brand strategies and communications.

Commercial innovativeness: Innovations aimed at improving market performance, product functionality or competitive advantage.

Social innovativeness: Brand initiatives designed to address societal challenges and generate social value alongside commercial outcomes.

References

1. In search of a reciprocal relationship in dessert cafés: linking customer perceived innovativeness to value co-creation behavior. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2023).
2. From diversity to distinction: Exploring the role of diversity and inclusion related to consumer perceptions of company innovativeness and attractiveness. Journal of Business Research (2025).
3. How perceived stakeholder orientations affect consumers’ perceived firm innovativeness across nations. Journal of Business Research (2025).
4. Demystifying the Relationship between Restaurant Innovativeness, Customer Engagement, and Customer Willingness to Pay a Higher Price. Sustainability (2023).