Trends, Themes, and Collaborations in Digital Branding Research: A Scopus-Based Bibliometric Study
- Waqi Athar Malik
- malikwaqi2@gmail.com
- PhD Scholar Hailey College of Commerce, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
- Fouzia Hadi Ali
- fozia.hcc@pu.edu.pk
- Associate Professor Hailey College of Commerce, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
- Sabra Munir
- sabra_munir@hotmail.com
- Professor and Head of Research & Development (ACCA) PAC Group of Colleges, Lahore, Pakistan.
Submitted
November 22, 2023
Accepted
November 22, 2023
Accepted
November 22, 2023
- Received
- 16th January 2026
- Revised
- 20th April 2026
- Accepted
- 12th June 2026
Abstract
This study conducts a bibliometric analysis of digital branding-related articles published between 2015 and 2025 using data from the Scopus database. A total of 349 journal articles were analyzed to identify key bibliometric indicators, such as publication trends, top authors, most productive countries, collaboration networks, and the key thematic clusters of digital branding. The Scopus Analysis function was used to generate publication trends and top author graphs, and VOSviewer (version 1.6.20) was employed to visualize co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrences, and their relationships. The findings revealed a continuous increase in digital branding-related publications over the past decade. Findings also showed that developed economies contributed significantly to the field, while developing countries showed growing contributions. Keyword co-occurrence analysis identified six major thematic clusters that highlighted the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of digital branding research. This study identifies important research gaps in existing literature, including a lack of international collaboration, digital branding frameworks for developing economies, and integration of authenticity and technology. The findings contribute to a clearer understanding of the knowledge structure and thematic development of digital branding literature. They also provide future research directions based on these gaps.
Keywords
Digital branding
brand equity
digital marketing
authenticity
return and exchange
immersive technology
emerging markets
This work is licensed under LJB.
- Citation
Malik, W. A., Ali, F, H., & Munir, S. (2026). Trends, Themes, and Collaborations in Digital Branding Research: A Scopus-Based Bibliometric Study. The Lahore Journal of Business, 13(2), 27-56.
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