Research on the branding of small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), known as SME branding, has garnered substantial interest over the past two decades. Although researchers acknowledge the importance of stakeholders and networks as co‐creators of SME brands, a comprehensive conceptualisation of SME brand co‐creation remains lacking. The current study addresses this gap by combining systematic literature searches with a cumulative narrative review. By analysing 136 journal articles using brand co‐creation and process theory lenses, the study identifies two SME brand co‐creation eras—the initiation era and the advanced era—and categorises the research across these eras into three principal streams and eight sub‐streams. Synthesising insights from across these eras and streams concludes in conceptualising SME brand co‐creation in terms of concepts, developmental processes and causal processes, as well as introducing a framework called the SME brand co‐creation research diamond. The framework visually illustrates the intertwined nature of authentic brand co‐creation culture, co‐creation types and outcomes from the viewpoints of concepts, developmental processes and causal processes, emphasising interactions with stakeholders and wider society. As the first to conceptualise SME brand co‐creation, this study lays the groundwork for advancing the field into the expansion era. The study advises researchers to comprehend their work in a wider context, position their own research and further examine SME brand co‐creation. It also assists SME owners, managers and entrepreneurs in recognising and developing aspects of brand co‐creation culture and stakeholder and societal activities, along with their broader implications.

中文翻译：

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构思中小企业品牌共创


在过去的二十年里，关于中小企业 （SME） 品牌的研究，被称为 SME 品牌，引起了人们的极大兴趣。尽管研究人员承认利益相关者和网络作为中小企业品牌的共同创造者的重要性，但仍然缺乏对中小企业品牌共同创造的全面概念化。目前的研究通过将系统文献检索与累积叙述性综述相结合来解决这一差距。通过使用品牌共创和过程论视角分析 136 篇期刊文章，该研究确定了两个中小企业品牌共创时代——创业时代和高级时代——并将这些时代的研究分为三个主要流和八个子流。综合了这些时代和流派的见解，总结了从概念、发展过程和因果过程的角度对中小企业品牌共创进行概念化，并引入了一个称为中小企业品牌共创研究钻石的框架。该框架从概念、发展过程和因果过程的角度直观地说明了真实的品牌共创文化、共创类型和结果的交织本质，强调与利益相关者和更广泛社会的互动。作为第一个概念化中小企业品牌共创的研究，本研究为推动该领域进入扩张时代奠定了基础。该研究建议研究人员在更广泛的背景下理解他们的工作，定位自己的研究，并进一步研究中小企业品牌共创。它还帮助中小企业所有者、管理者和企业家认识和发展品牌共创文化、利益相关者和社会活动的各个方面，以及它们更广泛的影响。