Branding and Customer Experience as Vectors of Sustainable Differentiation in the Brazilian Barber Shop Segment: A Qualitative Analysis Based on Secondary Evidence
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66104/3gjecd57Keywords:
Keywords: Differentiation; Customer experience; Branding; CRM ; Brazilian barbershops.Abstract
This article examines how differentiation strategies grounded in customer experience and branding can generate sustainable competitive advantage in Brazilian barbershops. We conduct a qualitative, descriptive-analytical, theory-driven study based on secondary evidence (2019–2025) from industry reports (SEBRAE, ABF, Euromonitor, Statista), business media, and academic literature in services marketing, consumer behavior, and strategy. Findings show that in highly commoditized markets with low entry barriers, effective differentiation stems from a coherent and replicable system integrating a servicescape aligned with positioning, consultative service with scalable personalization, a consistent brand narrative, loyalty mechanisms supported by CRM, and extended services (subscriptions, clubs, retail). Sustainable advantage arises when these elements are institutionalized into routines, data, and dynamic capabilities (training, continuous improvement) and tracked via relationship metrics (30/60/90-day retention, LTV/CAC, attach rate, NPS). The study contributes by operationalizing a context-specific framework and advancing testable propositions, while offering managerial implications on experience protocols, recurring-revenue models, and brand/data governance.
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