Showing papers on "Employer branding published in 2003"

The relation of instrumental and symbolic attributes to a company's attractiveness as an employer.

Abstract: This study adds a new marketing-based angle to the study of the attractiveness of organizations in the early stages of the recruitment process. Drawing on the instrumental-symbolic framework from the marketing literature, we expected that the meanings (in terms of inferred traits) that prospective applicants associate with employing organizations would play an important role in applicants' attractiveness to these organizations. Two groups of prospective applicants (275 final-year students and 124 bank employees) were drawn from the applicant population targeted by the bank industry. These applicants were asked to rate a randomly assigned bank in terms of job/organizational factors and to ascribe traits to this bank. In both samples, trait inferences about organizations accounted for incremental variance over job and organizational attributes in predicting an organization's perceived attractiveness as an employer. Moreover, it was easier to differentiate among organizations on the basis of trait inferences versus traditional job and organizational attributes. Practical implications for image audit and image management are discussed.

Do brand personality scales really measure brand personality

Abstract: Since 1997, literature and research on the concept of brand personality have been flourishing, and specific scales have gone into widespread use in academic circles, unchallenged on their validity. Brand personality is certainly a key facet of a brand identity. As this paper will demonstrate, however, the current scales of brand personality do not in fact measure brand personality, but merge a number of dimensions of brand identity — personality being only one of them — which need to be kept separate both on theoretical grounds and for practical use. Brand research and theorising, as well as managerial practice, have nothing to gain from the present state of unchallenged conceptual confusion.

2+2=5? A framework for using co-branding to leverage a brand

Abstract: Co-branding involves combining two or more well-known brands into a single product. Used properly, it is an effective way to leverage strong brands. In this paper, co-branding is defined and differentiated from other types of branding alliance. The literature on co-branding is reviewed and a framework proposed to help managers identify co-branding opportunities to enhance the success of their products. The advantages and shortcomings of each of the proposed strategies are also discussed.

Corporate social responsibility: A brand explanation

Abstract: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has only recently risen to prominence as a serious discipline, and its future remains desperately uncertain. Too narrow in its aims to engage management attention, too broad and unquantifiable to be taken seriously by the financial community, and just woolly enough to be exploited by charlatans and opportunists. In this chaotic state, CSR's heyday may yet prove to be exceedingly brief. Yet, is not the notion of a financially motivated organisation being responsible to all its dependent communities rather a powerful and enduring thought — if rather an obvious one? This paper will argue that CSR will only take hold if the language of CSR itself can be fine tuned to permit collaboration and clarity between companies and their beneficiary communities. To that end, this paper proposes a fresh taxonomy of CSR, which should help to create greater rationality and, in turn, lend greater credibility to CSR activities — both within companies and among their communities. It is undeniable that companies have responsibilities towards the communities that surround them. The most pressing need now is to start delineating the context and nature of those responsibilities, and to be able to align them more closely to each business's core purpose. Achieving this clarity will require a recognition that responsibilities are primarily a function of relationships and, therefore, a function of brand. It is brands that mediate the promises of the organisation, and brands that contextualise relationships. If CSR is to have meaning it is brands that must learn to change. True CSR is ultimately a process of business and brand adaptation. With greater honesty about the aims and limitations of CSR, the corporate perception of CSR as extrinsic image management may yet be successfully shifted to CSR as an intrinsic brand-centric process of sustainability.

Inside out: How employees build value

Abstract: Typical approaches to brand building tend to focus on marketing communications. Yet it is employees, through their understanding of a company's ideology, who truly build an image of the organisation in the minds of customers and other stakeholders. This paper uses research undertaken for the book ‘Living the Brand’ among such organisations as Nike, H&M, Baxter International, Patagonia, Adobe and Unicef. It argues that the focus should be more on bringing the ideology to life internally as a means of enhancing brand value. The method of evaluating performance is outlined in brief here, but will be dealt with in more detail in a subsequent paper.

Authentic not cosmetic: CSR as brand enhancement

Abstract: With question marks hanging over the reputational value of the chief executive officer (CEO) after several high-profile governance failures — such as Worldcom and Enron — and with financial success depressed by the global downturn, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is taking centre stage to provide a more sustainable, long-term brand value. Corporate responsibility has become a differentiator and licence to operate, not only for industries with conventionally higher risk exposure — energy, utilities, heavy manufacturing — but for all sectors. This paper draws on findings from the Giving Back study. These findings include the extent to which CSR is rising in prominence in terms of world events with CSR implications, the impact on perceptions of CSR from the external news events, and the status of ethical investment funds given the continued downward spiral of equities and stock markets in 2002. This paper describes elements in the successful implementation of CSR as perceived by interviewees, among them championship from senior management, achieving company-wide ownership, and synergy with core business activities. Aspects of CSR relating to communications are at the heart of the Giving Back research. The importance of having a credible programme in place is emphasised, as are credible public relations and reputation management approaches. The views of corporate decision makers on the media's role in CSR are discussed, including the media's roles and responsibilities.

Brand councils that care: Towards the convergence of branding and corporate social responsibility

Abstract: One may be living ‘in a material world’, as Madonna once put it, but the capacity of intangibles to add wealth to that world is increasingly well-recognised by the corporate sector. In a relatively short time, branding has gone from a simple image-production scheme to a massive organisational alignment tool, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) is rapidly catching up. Based on in-depth research, including interviews with corporate and consultative brand practitioners, this paper describes a recognised but still emergent best practice, the brand council. It then imagines how CSR can be integrated into the council to yield a synergy that is greater that the sum of its parts. The expert views of the brand council are described, and a detailed rationale for synthesising the brand council with CSR is presented.

Leveraging on symbolic values and meanings in branding

Abstract: In the hyper-competitive markets of today, brand equity based on symbolic values and meanings is becoming more important In the absence of a true one-on-one relationship, marketers are engineering brand symbolism and personality that becomes part of the consumers' lives and creates in the consumers' minds a continuous relationship between the brand and themselves This paper explores the importance of symbolism in consumers' self-concepts and personalities, and discusses the various brand life cycle stages at which various types of brand symbols are added, using Goodyear's model as a reference A small empirical study was undertaken to find out whether consumers perceive symbolic values and meanings to be important, to confirm that most-favourite possessions describe ‘who I am now’ while least-favourite possessions describe ‘who I used to be’ and that some possessions are more central to self than others This paper further reveals the implications that brand communications have taken on a new form and can no longer be just a simple communication of a name or benefit Brand communications have to evolve into the communication of an entire concept about living based on symbolic values and meanings

How to generate sustainable brand value from responsibility

Abstract: This paper takes a detailed look at one aspect of the business case for responsibility — brand advantage. It argues that by virtue of the current socio-political and economic climate companies will increasingly be judged on more than just their financial performance. They will be judged on their perceived performance. To enhance their perceived performance it is suggested that companies should generate transparency through dialogue with stakeholders. It is through this transparency that trust is born.

Citizen brands: Corporate citizenship, trust and branding

Abstract: As consumerism develops, so the consumer demands on companies grow. In an era when customers expect more and more from companies (and certainly more than just basic product delivery), they are also becoming more cynical about the corporate sector as a whole, and multinationals in particular. Companies need to understand this, and understand the apprehensions and concerns of consumers. They need to engage in a much more proactive way with society and its citizens, and they need to do so not just for ethical reasons but because it makes good business sense. They need to become ‘citizen brands’. Post-Enron, this has become even more important. This paper describes the citizen brand thesis and the evidence supporting it, and considers the implications for branding. It argues that brands are becoming dislocated from consumers, and brand owners need to address this by embracing more social values into their companies and their brands.

Global corporate brand building: Guidelines and case studies

Abstract: Corporate brands are important in an international context, but only if they are managed in a manner that adds value to the international corporate offering, and are a continuum of the overall corporate strategy. The objective of this paper is to investigate the factors affecting the success of corporate brands globally. Two case studies are used to ascertain the importance of cultural dynamics and British national identity in the context of successful brands. It appears that corporate brands are only important if they successfully translate the core value proposition of the corporate offering into new territories.

Managing the franchised brand: The franchisees' perspective

Abstract: Brands and their management have become a focal point of marketing practice and academic study in recent years. There has been a great deal of controversy and discussion regarding what brands are, what they do, how they can be valued and how they should be managed.1,2,3 As observers such as Tom Peters4 admonish one to ‘Brand, Brand, Brand!’, some corporations are questioning the wisdom of entrusting what may be their most critical assets to anyone but senior managers.5 The future of brands has been questioned by some authors,6,7 but others have sought to reaffirm their centrality,8–10 implicitly asking, ‘What is the point of marketing without brands?’ Managers are admonished in an astonishing range of articles and popular texts to manage brands, yet most of these exhortations focus on important, but relatively isolated, aspects of overall brand management.

Loyalty towards the country, the state and the service brands

Abstract: This study empirically investigates the notion of brand loyalty towards the country, the state and the service provider, and investigates the relationship between the strength of loyalty towards the three — country, state and service brands. In addition, contingency variables such as national origin, social class and educational level are examined. The results indicate that brand loyalty towards the country is strongest, followed by that towards the state and service provider. As regards the contingency variables, both social class and education were found to have significant impact on the brand loyalty towards the service provider. The results for national origin indicated that loyalty towards the country, the state and the service brands does differ by country. In summary, the authors conclude that brand loyalty towards the country and the state tends to be more stable than loyalty towards the service brand.

Ad spending on brand extensions: Does similarity matter?

Abstract: This research explores the effects of information about ad spending on brand extension evaluations over different levels of similarity. Brand extension similarity is proposed as a moderator of the effects of perceived ad spending on the perceived quality of brand extensions and on purchase intentions. Results of a field study show that positive ad spending inference effects were more likely to occur for similar than dissimilar extensions. Additionally, though, results show that respondents were more likely to question the veracity of high ad spending levels for a dissimilar extension than a similar extension, possibly resulting in lower product evaluations. Consequently, results of this research are probably most useful to manufacturers attempting to leverage brand equity by introducing brand extensions which are supported at introduction with large ad spending.

Additive versus inclusive approaches to measuring brand equity: Practical and ethical implications

Abstract: To date, there has been little consideration of the ethical dimensions of specific brand management practices. This paper examines different approaches to measuring brand equity and argues that the choice of measurement approach has ethical implications. It contrasts what have been previously defined as additive and inclusive approaches to brand equity definition and measurement. It then argues that inclusive approaches to brand equity measurement are preferable to additive ones because they enable us to work with a much broader concept of brand, and because additive approaches can predispose marketers towards unethical activity.

Corporate social investment and branding in the new South Africa

Abstract: South African brand managers are discovering that the savvy use of corporate social investment (CSI) policies is making them more competitive and giving their brands high local profile. Savvy CSI programmes on the part of banks, game lodges, small businesses and even multi-nationals like Anglo American and De Beers have already proven to be an excellent means of promoting brand loyalty in a country where increasingly more consumers are looking to businesses to help solve the myriad economic and social inequalities the country has been bequeathed by the previous government. The author contends that businesses that hope to flourish in South Africa have learned that it is in their interests for their brands to stand for these values and beliefs with regard to society's transformation and to embrace a policy of transparency in their corporate dealings and social upliftment programmes. Brands that have successfully melded corporate social responsiblity (CSR) initiatives with traditional brand management have created what the author refers to as a policy of values-led branding that is catching on across the country and becoming de rigueur for modern South African brand management. The initiatives that South African companies have promoted in this politically and culturally hypersensitive microcosm of first and third world branding concerns may became emblematic for companies across the world which hope to utilise CSI and CSR programmes to build their brand image against powerful competitors struggling against the brunt of global activism.

Processes and methodologies for creating a global business-to-business brand

Abstract: This paper aims to detail the steps and decisions one industrial company faced when creating a new global brand, and the processes and methodologies involved to put the developed strategy into practice The paper describes the application of business-to-business (B2B) market segmentation and product life cycle analysis to inform brand strategy Also described is a comprehensive framework and process for creating a new global B2B brand, including details on naming, legal screening, identity development, Web architecture and deployment to internal and external stakeholders

Branding and the international community

Abstract: The international community has come up for analysis in the last few years. It was probably less prompted by 9/11 than by the growing concern over globalisation. Now, the very idea of the international community, the American national image, globalisation and the war on terrorism seem to be converging. The solution, or at least the framework in which to make sense of some of this, can again be found in branding. Nation branding could promote a sense of the international community and prevent countries from following a course of realpolitik at the expense of global harmony.

Branding strategies in a changing marketing environment (Indian context)

Abstract: Indian markets from low-involvement to high-involvement product categories have been experiencing sweeping changes in the past decade. Changing lifestyles, fragmented market segments and consumer preferences, and intense competition from the brands of multinational corporations (MNCs) have made branding strategies a prerequisite for marketing success. This paper attempts to analyse the various dimensions associated with branding strategies in the changing Indian marketing context.

How brands can change the world

Abstract: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the buzz-word of the business elite — but it is too often prompted by a defensive, reactive approach: responding to criticism rather than celebrating and harnessing what is good about business for social ends. So while it is important for brands to behave responsibly, they should not expect much commercial return — or social impact — from traditional CSR activity. Instead, brands need to apply to social and environmental issues the same approaches that make them successful in the purely commercial sphere — creativity, innovation and ambition — in a phrase, 'corporate social leadership'. This paper describes three specific ways in which brands can move from responsibility to leadership. First, by harnessing the cultural power of brands to inspire positive social change; secondly, using the innovation process to develop new products and services that turn social and environmental needs into market opportunities; and thirdly, to use their corporate resources to tackle the source of most of the world's social and environmental problems: the division between the formal and informal economies. The message of the paper is a simple one: 'If you want to change the world, do it through business. If you want to help your business, help change the world.'

Whither global branding? The case of food manufacturing

Abstract: This paper is a discussion of global branding and its future in food manufacturing What defines a global food brand? Why are global brands attractive to food manufacturers? How are global food brands achieved?

Editorial: Can brand leadership recover local trust and global responsibility?

Abstract: Great storytelling is not enough, however. To serve the promise of brand leadership, people need empowering through organisational transparency so that they can see the system change they and their communities want, and in particular they need help in facilitating connections to others who will join in making this happen. A modern term for this, promoted by the European Union’s Knowledge Angel movement (http://www.knowledgeboard.com/ community/zones/sig/angels.html), is ‘networking of trust-flows’. At the time of writing, leaders at the World Economic Forum of 2003 are ruing how far the world’s biggest organisations — both global companies and governments — have lost this human touch, as evidenced by specially commissioned surveys around the world. Mathematically we can deduce that the accountant’s measurement monopoly has got performance and This editorial has been written by Chris Macrae, Ian Ryder, Jack Yan, John Caswell and Tim Kitchin, Thomas Power and Malcolm McQuarrie, and Simon Anholt. A full listing of all the contributors to this special issue concludes this editorial.