A research model of Ukrainian brand resilience under wartime conditions: consumer perceptions, preference, and behavioral manifestation

Abstract

The article proposes a research model of Ukrainian brand resilience under wartime conditions that integrates consumer perceptions, brand preference formation, and its behavioral manifestation in purchase behavior. The model is developed on a contextual conceptualization of brand resilience as perceived by consumers, taking into account the existing institutional environment and the historical context of the protracted crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. Unlike established approaches that interpret resilience primarily as a brand’s internal capacity to recover from a crisis, the authors’ approach emphasizes the consumer dimension of brands’ ability to maintain relevance under prolonged external shock and to translate emerging consumer perceptions into marketplace manifestations of actual brand choice. The post-positivist methodology, combining quantitative and interpretative research methods, enabled the following findings. Through an inductive–abductive analysis of consumer narratives from in-depth interviews and open-ended survey questions, two interrelated conceptual domains of perceived Ukrainian brand resilience emerged: functional-adaptive value and symbolic-societal value. The findings show that, under wartime conditions, consumers’ perception of national brand resilience is not limited to a brand’s ability to continue functioning under adverse conditions but also includes symbolic and societal meaning. The quantitative findings revealed a positive transformation in attitudes toward domestic brands during the war in Ukraine. The price–quality relationship emerged as a key conversion point through which positive attitudes toward Ukrainian brands translate into purchases: a positive assessment encourages choice, whereas a negative assessment constrains it. This provides grounds for arguing that symbolic solidarity creates the potential for supporting national brands but does not substitute for their functional and economic value. Statistical analysis confirmed that consumer preference for Ukrainian brands is associated with a higher share of these brands in the purchase structure. Thus, the findings allow us to specify the marketplace manifestation of perceived domestic brand resilience through the following sequence: value-based perception of resilience • positive transformation of attitudes • consumer preference • behavioral manifestation in the purchase structure. The findings have practical relevance and provide a theoretical and empirical foundation for further research and for developing marketing strategies for Ukrainian brands under wartime conditions. Keywords: marketing, consumer value, brand, resilience, consumer behavior.