Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Storytelling and Archetype Strategies Used to Construct a Chinese CEO Brand — Case Study of Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi

Yong, Jiarui LU and Luo, Yancheng (2025) SKOM12 20251
Department of Strategic Communication
Abstract
This study examines how Chinese CEOs construct culturally resonant brand personas through narrative strategies and archetypal roles across multiple digital platforms, using Lei Jun as a representative case. Grounded in a constructivist communication paradigm, the research integrates cultural branding theory, archetype theory, and narrative analysis to conceptualize branding as a process of meaning-making embedded within national ideology and collective memory. Based on a systematic analysis of Lei Jun’s content on Bilibili, Douyin, and RED, as well as semi-structured interviews with seven audience members, the study identifies four context-sensitive archetypes that play a central role in brand communication: the Creator, the Hero, the... (More)
This study examines how Chinese CEOs construct culturally resonant brand personas through narrative strategies and archetypal roles across multiple digital platforms, using Lei Jun as a representative case. Grounded in a constructivist communication paradigm, the research integrates cultural branding theory, archetype theory, and narrative analysis to conceptualize branding as a process of meaning-making embedded within national ideology and collective memory. Based on a systematic analysis of Lei Jun’s content on Bilibili, Douyin, and RED, as well as semi-structured interviews with seven audience members, the study identifies four context-sensitive archetypes that play a central role in brand communication: the Creator, the Hero, the Everyman (Neighbor), and the Moral Man. These archetypes work in tandem with high-context communication styles and collectivist values, forming a culturally situated brand personality model that aligns with national narratives and public emotional structures. The findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of CEO branding in high power distance societies and offer a localized framework for strategic communication research in the Chinese context. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Yong, Jiarui LU and Luo, Yancheng
supervisor
organization
course
SKOM12 20251
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
CEO Brand, Brand Storytelling, Brand Archetype, Chinese Communication Context
language
English
id
9203150
date added to LUP
2025-06-23 09:50:55
date last changed
2025-06-23 09:50:55
@misc{9203150,
  abstract     = {{This study examines how Chinese CEOs construct culturally resonant brand personas through narrative strategies and archetypal roles across multiple digital platforms, using Lei Jun as a representative case. Grounded in a constructivist communication paradigm, the research integrates cultural branding theory, archetype theory, and narrative analysis to conceptualize branding as a process of meaning-making embedded within national ideology and collective memory. Based on a systematic analysis of Lei Jun’s content on Bilibili, Douyin, and RED, as well as semi-structured interviews with seven audience members, the study identifies four context-sensitive archetypes that play a central role in brand communication: the Creator, the Hero, the Everyman (Neighbor), and the Moral Man. These archetypes work in tandem with high-context communication styles and collectivist values, forming a culturally situated brand personality model that aligns with national narratives and public emotional structures. The findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of CEO branding in high power distance societies and offer a localized framework for strategic communication research in the Chinese context.}},
  author       = {{Yong, Jiarui and Luo, Yancheng}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Storytelling and Archetype Strategies Used to Construct a Chinese CEO Brand — Case Study of Lei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}