BRAND ARCHETYPES AND MEANING-MAKING IN DIGITAL CONSUMPTION

Abstract

This article aims to analyze how brand archetypes contribute to the construction of meaning in digital consumption, considering social media as spaces of symbolic mediation and cultural co-production. It is a theoretical essay grounded in Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) and key authors in the field of culture and consumption, articulating concepts such as circulation of meanings, brand as a cultural construction, archetypes, and identity. The methodology consists of theoretical problematization and conceptual articulation, without the use of empirical evidence, following a reflective essay approach. The findings indicate that archetypes function as narrative structures that enhance the cultural intelligibility of brands, acting as symbolic repertoires that guide consumers’ identity construction. However, in digital environments, these meanings become unstable and subject to co-production and reinterpretation by consumers. It is concluded that archetypes should not be understood merely as strategic tools, but as dynamic cultural devices shaped by symbolic tensions and the fluidity of contemporary consumption.