Q methodology and the measurement of subjectivity in corporate brand perception

Abstract

This paper reviews Q methodology and its application in an area of business research in which subjectivity is of considerable importance – that of corporate brand perception. More specifically, it explores the dimension of corporate brand perception that is directly related to the consumption and utilisation of the brand. The consumption-specific dimension of corporate brand perception is conceptualised as the ‘solution meaning of the corporate brand’, and the process of identifying the solution meaning with the aid of Q methodology is described and applied in a case study.