The non-profit sector is home to some of the most recognized and trustworthy brands, all competing for financial resources and volunteers. Akin to consumers, volunteers entertain relationships with non-profit brands. These relationships have recently become more diverse as individuals increasingly look for more ephemeral and distant forms of involvement. Drawing on an extensive qualitative dataset of the Vienna Red Cross comprising participant observation, archival data, and in-depth interviews, the authors conceptualize this non-escalating, episodic engagement as a neither-growing-nor-fading (NGNF) relationship. This theorization adds to the literature on consumer–brand relationships, which has predominantly focused on the cultivation of strong relationships. Informed by practice theory, the authors elaborate distinct brand relationship practices key to successfully maintaining NGNF relationships (acquiring and activating) while catering to volunteers following the traditional path of relationship intensification (building and cultivating). The analysis identifies constellations of practice elements conducive to managing both types of brand relationships in a symbiotic manner. The authors argue for the importance of moving beyond an exclusive focus on relationship growth and embracing non-escalating relationships. This study thus contributes to nascent theorizing on brand relationships that do not follow an axiology valuing growth and intensification.

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EXPRESS：管理多元化品牌关系：来自非营利部门的见解

非营利部门拥有一些最受认可和最值得信赖的品牌，它们都在争夺财政资源和志愿者。与消费者类似，志愿者与非营利品牌建立关系。随着人们越来越多地寻求更短暂和更遥远的参与形式，这些关系最近变得更加多样化。作者利用维也纳红十字会的广泛定性数据集（包括参与者观察、档案数据和深入访谈），将这种不升级、偶发的参与概念化为一种既不增长也不衰退 (NGNF) 的关系。这种理论补充了有关消费者与品牌关系的文献，这些文献主要关注于牢固关系的培养。在实践理论的指导下，作者阐述了成功维持 NGNF 关系（获取和激活）的关键的独特品牌关系实践，同时迎合志愿者遵循关系强化（建立和培养）的传统路径。该分析确定了有利于以共生方式管理两种类型品牌关系的实践要素群。作者认为超越仅仅关注关系发展并拥抱非升级关系的重要性。因此，这项研究有助于形成关于品牌关系的新生理论，该理论不遵循重视增长和强化的价值论。