Showing papers on "Employer branding published in 2005"

Captivating company: dimensions of attractiveness in employer branding

Abstract: The internal marketing concept specifies that an organisation’s employees are its first market. Themes such as ‘internal advertising’ and ‘internal branding’ have recently entered the marketing lex...

Building brand commitment: A behavioural approach to internal brand management

Abstract: In this paper a holistic model for internal brand management is presented. It is based on the identity-based brand management approach according to which a brand—just like a person—needs to have a consistent and continuous identity in order to be trusted. Focusing on the role of employees in ensuring consistency of the brand identity, two new behavioural constructs are developed. The first construct—brand citizenship behaviour—outlines what it means for employees to ‘live the brand’. The second construct—brand commitment—explains the psychological processes that lead employees to show brand citizenship behaviour. Three key levers for generating brand commitment (brand-centred human resources management, brand communication and brand leadership) and four context factors (culture fit, structure fit, employee know-how and disposable resources) are illustrated as building blocks of internal brand management. The theoretical insights are complemented by many real-life examples extracted from in-depth interviews with brand managers and experts.

An exploration of the brand identity–brand image linkage: A communications perspective

Abstract: This paper discusses the concepts of brand identity and brand image from a communications perspective. Brand identity originates from the company, ie a company is responsible for creating a differentiated product with unique features. Brand image refers to consumer perceptions and encompasses a set of beliefs that consumers have about the brand. Brand identity and brand image are related but distinct concepts. Both are essential ingredients of strong brands. A firm can enhance brand loyalty by ensuring that there is congruence between brand identity and brand image. Key changes taking place in today's communications environment have been identified and suggestions are offered on how to strengthen the identity–image linkage.

The impact of marketing communication and price promotion on brand equity

Abstract: This paper establishes a theoretical and empirical basis that shows the impact of marketing communications and price promotion on brand equity. The theoretical review supports applying analysis techniques based on structural equations models to confirm empirically the relationship between marketing communication efforts and the dimensions of brand equity: perceived quality, brand loyalty, brand awareness and brand image. This measurement model is verified on a sample group of families which purchased durable goods — in this case a washing machine. The results indicate the positive effect of marketing communication on brand equity, and offer strong support for the measures of perceived quality, brand loyalty, brand awareness and brand image as antecedents of brand equity.

Finding sources of brand value: Developing a stakeholder model of brand equity

Abstract: Discussion of brands and brand equity have, up until now, been almost solely concerned with consumer markets.1,2 A number of recent publications have, however, begun to seriously look at the application of the brand concept and that of brand equity to business-to-business (B2B) markets.3–6 These works reflect the growing consensus that the branding concept is not only useful, but also powerful, in examining and explaining relationships and value creation in all business relationships.

The Employer Brand: Bringing the Best of Brand Management to People at Work

Abstract: List of Illustrations. Acknowledgements. Preface. PART I: THE RATIONALE FOR CHANGE. 1. Birth of an Idea. 2. Changing Needs and Aspirations of Employees. 3. Investors Awaken. 4. The People Management Challenge. 5. The role of leadership. PART II: THE HOW TO GUIDE. 6. Brand Fundamentals. Functional Benefits. Emotional Benefits. Higher Order Benefits, Brand Values and DNA . Brand Personality. Brand Positioning and Differentiation. Brand Hierarchy. Brand Vision and Brand Reality. Brand Management and Development. Brand Consistency and Continuity. Brand Development. Summary. 7. The Business Case. Major Benefits of Employer Branding. Lower Costs. Customer Satisfaction. Financial Results. Summary. Young, Fast Growing Companies: Attracting 'The Right Stuff.' Coming of Age: Capturing the Organisational Spirit. Going International: Translating the Employer Brand into New Contexts. Merger and Acquisition: Forging a Shared Sense of Identity and Purpose. Corporate Reinvention: refreshing the Self-Image. Revitalizing the Customer Brand Proposition: Living the Brand. Burning Platform: Re-instilling Fresh Belief. Benefits to the HR Function. Benefits to the Internal Communications Function. Benefits to the Marketing Function. Winning Support from the Top. Summary. 8. Employer Brand Insight. Employee Insights. Employee Engagement and Commitment. Benchmarking. Correlation Analysis. Continuous Research. Culture Mapping. Brand Roots. Projective and Enabling Techniques. Observation. Segmentation. Communication Audits. Additional Sources. Labour Market Insights. Clarifying the Target Market. Needs and Aspirations. Employer Brand Image. Summary. 9. Employer Brand Positioning. Brand Identity. Monolithic. Parent . Subsidiary. Brand Integration (Customer and Employer Brands). Corporate Brand Hierarchy (Parent and Subsidiary). The Key Components of the Positioning Model. The Brand Reality model. The Brand Vision Model. Target Employee Profiles. The Employer Brand Proposition. Values. Personality. Benefits. Employee Value Propositions. Reasons to believe. Summary. 10. Employer Brand Communication. Identity. Internal Launch. Rational Understanding. Emotional Engagement. Employee Commitment and Behaviour Change. Summary. 11. Employer Brand Management. Big Picture: Policy. External Reputation. Internal Communication. Senior Leadership. Corporate Social Responsibility. Internal Measurement Systems. Service Support. Local Picture: Practice. Recruitment and Induction. Team Management. Performance Appraisal. Learning and development. Reward and Recognition. Working Environment. The Key Responsibilities of Employer Brand Management. Summary. 12. The Durability of the Employer Brand Concept. PART III: APPENDICES. Appendix 1: Reuters Case Study. Appendix 2: Tesco Case Study. Appendix 3: Extract from Greggs Development Review. References. Index.

An examination of brand personality through methodological triangulation

Abstract: Because the brand now occupies a cornerstone position in marketing strategy, the concept of brand personality and its influence on consumer behaviour has emerged as a critically important research topic. Although a few initial explorations in this area document the effects of brand personality, questions about how and why it occurs remain. This paper attempts to replace this void with a cognitive theoretical perspective that borrows from associative memory formulations and anthropomorphism theory. A multi-method qualitative approach is used to triangulate the construct and explore this perspective in the consumer domain. Data provide support for the cognitive account of brand personality and suggest that: (1) brand personality is connected to many other brand associations in consumer memory and accessed through spreading activation; and (2) consumers embrace brands with strong, positive personalities because of a natural human tendency to anthropomorphise nonhuman objects. A discussion describes implications for brand managers generated by this research, and highlights additional complexities of brand personality that warrant further examination.

The brand loyalty life cycle: Implications for marketers

Abstract: Name brands remain fundamental to consumer life in the Western world. Consumers may not be as loyal to one brand as were their ancestors but they are loyal to brands [1]. This paper proposes a brand loyalty cycle and draws implications for marketers. The brand loyalty cycle is thought to comprise five eras of brand loyalty; 1) the birth of brand loyalty, 2) the Golden Era of brand loyalty, 3) latent brand loyalty, 4) the birth of multi-brand loyalty and the final era of 5) declining loyalty. This paper recommends that brand managers may need to update their understanding of the nature and role of brand loyalty. In the current era marketers must offer differentiated products whose brand meaning resonates with consumers to achieve brand loyalty.

The esteem of global brands

Abstract: Global brands are supposed to benefit from the scale and scope that having a presence in multiple markets brings. It has been suggested that the degree to which a brand is global affects positively the regard in which the brand is held. The study tests the proposed linkages between globality and esteem against data from eight countries. The results show that the reach of a brand is consistently associated with higher esteem, but only after familiarity is achieved. The globality of a brand has a clear role in building a sustainable competitive advantage.

The post-global brand

Abstract: In 1983, Theodore Levitt published ‘The globalization of markets’ in the Harvard Business Review. This article, based on only two cases, became the milestone of a wave of globalisation of brands by all multinational companies. One after another, these companies imposed brand globalisation at all costs. In 2005, it is possible to examine the costs and limitations of this phenomenon and recognise the need for a selective globalisation. Global brands should never forget that the business must also be local: this is the post-global brand.

E-branding strategies of internet companies: Some preliminary insights from the UK

Abstract: This study explores the e-brand building and communication strategies of a small sample of UK-based internet companies, including a few with significant international brand profiles. It contributes by providing rare empirical insights into the e-branding phenomenon, which complement the extant, mainly anecdotal, best practice literature. Analysis results suggest a widespread appreciation of the importance of e-branding, and a prevalence of collaborative and customer-centric e-brand building strategies, including co-branding and affiliating with established online and offline brands, distribution partnerships, content alliances and personalised e-mail contacts. The examined internet companies also seem to have employed a variety of traditional, offline methods and leading-edge online tools in communicating their key e-brand values and promoting their online platforms and offerings. These communication vehicles included newspapers, radio, magazines, television, public relations, trade events and promotions, personalised e-mail notifications, affiliate programmes with other websites and banner advertisements. It further emerged that a few of the study companies had taken major steps towards internationalising their e-brands, and had responded appropriately to the concomitant localisation/adaptation challenges. The managerial and future research issues raised by these preliminary findings are discussed.

Brands affect slogans affect brands? Competitive interference, brand equity and the brand-slogan link

Abstract: Brand slogans have been subject to much interest from both practitioners and researchers, the reason being that slogans may have positive effects on their brands. Previous research has mainly focus ...

Consumer personality and other factors in situational brand choice variation

Abstract: This paper examines drivers of intrapersonal variation in individual brand choice across consumption situations. Based on a consumer sample, it was established that individual choice of wine brands varied across three situations, depending on whether the wine was chosen for self-consumption, hosting friends or as a gift. Similarly, four of the six benefits desired by consumers in wine were found to vary. Quality and social benefits were more important in the ‘host’ and ‘gift’ situation, and value-for-money and emotional benefits were more important in the ‘self’ consumption scenario. While no situational variation was found for environmental and health benefits, these factors were found to influence brand choice as well. The results further point to drivers of differential brand choice particularly consumer personality (susceptibility to interpersonal influence and product-category involvement), consumer situational disposition (risk-taking, variety-seeking and curiosity), purchasing behaviour (spending per bottle and purchasing frequency) and demographics (age and gender). The findings will assist managers in tailoring brands to both consumers and consumption situations.

The ‘HUGO BOSS’ connection: Achieving global brand consistency across countries

Abstract: In the quest for globalisation, luxury brands are affected by brand image inconsistencies across countries. With greater regularity of consumer travel and increasing international media, consumers expect brands to deliver the same values on a worldwide basis. In other words, consumers are not disposed to tolerate inconsistencies in terms of the core concept of the brand. Hence, brand image inconsistencies harm the overall brand reputation and need to be corrected. This case study uses HUGO BOSS, one of the leading international fashion groups, as an exemplar in order to provide a simple and exploratory investigation of a brand suffering from a perception gap abroad. Australia constitutes the foreign country for this study. This case outlines the rising demand for global luxury products in Australia and the growth of HUGO BOSS as well as its future perspectives in the Australian market. This empirical investigation addresses the perception gap of the HUGO BOSS brand by examining customers' level of brand knowledge in terms of brand awareness and familiarity with the company's different brands and labels, their brand perceptions and associations as well as the brand personality that HUGO BOSS possesses in Australia. The case study proposes that HUGO BOSS has been successful in establishing a unique brand identity as an international fashion label for high-quality business wear for men, but that the company's other brand attributes are less apparent for consumers and that the depth and variety of the brand is often not fully understood by its customers.

Corporate visual identity: The re-branding of France Télécom

Abstract: Global companies are increasingly emphasising their corporate and brand identities in trying to project a favourable image and reputation. Ongoing trends such as globalisation, mergers and acquisitions, deregulation and privatisation have accelerated the need to coordinate and harmonise companies' disparate global identities and images. The purpose of this paper is to apply some of the academic theory related to corporate visual identity management in a concrete, working example. France Telecom unveiled its new visual identity in March 2000. This paper seeks to establish the rationale behind the creative product of France Telecom's identity programme, while looking at issues pertaining to its implementation and impact. The wide variety of literature relating to this area will be used to critique the process, mainly from a visual identity perspective. Before exploring France Telecom's visual re-branding programme, the corporate identity arena in general will be outlined, with specific reference to visual identity, in order to put the case in its wider academic context.

Capturing the essence of a brand from its history: The case of Scottish tourism marketing

Abstract: History has a habit of repeating itself but many people tend to forget this. This paper sets out to show how the history of Scottish tourism becomes a pattern for the future. In a climate of consumer trends, such as escapism, wellbeing and culture, the past becomes a retrospect of the future. By focusing on experience, cultural capital and authenticity, a marketing proposition is created through a brand essence that reinforces the philosophy that history is the future.

The brand-supportive firm: An exploration of organisational drivers of brand updating

Abstract: The maintenance of brand equity over the long term receives little attention in the brand management literature. This paper examines examples of evolutionary and revolutionary brand changes. A classification strategy is offered for brand-supportive versus non-brand-supportive firms. In addition, the combinations of capabilities of distinguishing firms that continually grow brand value are also examined through case studies of brand repositioning. Brand-supportive firms are characterised by brand-updating capabilities. That is, they are able constantly to keep their brands relevant through day-to-day adjustments in their marketing programmes. A brand-updating capability consists of a brand-supportive dominant logic, a market orientation and a generative learning style to allow firm members to reflect constantly on the effectiveness of current brand strategies. Longitudinal research identifying the tacit practices underpinning brand management is called for.

Brand extensions: A manager's perspective

Abstract: Brand extension research has focused on consumers' evaluations of potential brand extensions. Little attention has been paid to the mental models used by brand extension decision makers, that is, their interpretation of market preferences and successful brand extension strategies. Using conjoint analyses a study was made of what marketing managers consider to be the ideal brand extension. The results show that their mental model for successful brand extension is driven by variables such as the consumers' perceived fit between parent brand and extension, the positioning of the brand, and the level of added value of the extension product. Other variables, like the breadth of the product line of the parent brand and the number of brands in the company's portfolio, also play a significant but marginal role. The results suggest that managers use a non-compensatory model of decision making.

The new imperatives for global branding: Strategy, creativity and leadership

Abstract: This paper argues that the combination of strategy, creativity and leadership is going to be the key to the success of global brands in the coming decade. It also states that one needs to understand how these three disciplines interact, and specifically how this interaction may differ across the markets where the brand is active.

The complexity of media planning today

Abstract: Today, because of media fragmentation and diverse viewing habits across consumer groups, marketing has become increasingly complex. Firms have developed new strategies to deal with this changing environment. The first is the sophisticated use of information to allocate marketing spending. It has become increasingly common for experts to provide assistance in media buying. Unless firms understand the value that these experts provide and how best to make use of it, media fragmentation will significantly reduce the effectiveness of marketing. Secondly, major improvements in the quality and quantity of consumer information (due to information technology) and the growth of targeted media vehicles (due to media fragmentation and new communication channels) imply that firms now have the know-how and the means to target advertising precisely to segments of consumers within a market. This has critical implications for firms. How much should a firm pay to target advertising messages precisely? Will better targeting lead to higher or lower advertising expenditures? Are there ethical issues that need to be considered given the increased effectiveness of marketing communication? This paper considers these questions and suggests approaches that can be employed so that marketers realise high performance from money spent on communication.

Building brand community among ethnic diaspora in the USA: Strategic implications for marketers

Abstract: This exploratory study modifies two theoretical scales from consumer behaviour and social psychology and tests their psychometric properties through empirical data obtained from a sample of customers in an ethnic diaspora. Upon validation, the relationship between brand community integration and the Suinn-Lew ethnicity scale is examined. Preliminary results indicate the scales to be relatively robust in their modification. The results of this study contribute by introducing a respected scale from social psychology to the marketing literature, validating an existing scale of brand community in the ethnic marketing context, and suggesting implications for future research with larger samples and scope. Findings of the study are of interest to US firms employing marketing strategies to reach ethnic minorities in the country. In addition, firms in other countries would find the results of the study to be of interest as they employ marketing strategies targeting the ethnic diaspora in the USA.

Det följdriktiga flockbeteendet: : en studie om profilering på arbetsmarknaden

Abstract: Despite ample research showing the importance of corporate reputation in recruiting, knowledge about how companies work with employer branding is still limited. This first academic study in this to ...

Measuring brand equity for organising brand management in the energy sector - A research proposal and first empirical hints Part 2: Concept and results of an empirical study in the German energy market

Abstract: In the first part of this contribution the idea of measuring brand equity via brand associations was presented and elaborated for companies in the energy sector to organise their brand management in a promising way. Additionally, a causal model of brand associations was developed which could support the goal of customer retention in the energy market. In this part of the contribution an empirical study will be presented to give some first empirical hints to prove the derived model, its hypotheses and conjectures. The study deals with commercial enterprise customers (CECs) in the German energy market, but will be supported by some results from a study in the market of private household customers (PHCs). The results indicate that it might be possible to escape from the price pressure which emerged in the course of the liberalisation of the energy market, but only if a differentiated brand association network is implemented. In the case of German local utility companies, such a brand association network could especially centre on an integrated approach of local importance branding. Although a lot of research still will be necessary to verify the concept, and also for its broadening and deepening, this paper clearly shows that brand equity oriented planning of strategic brand management might make sense not only in the energy sector, but also in general.

Branding for survival in Asia

Abstract: Western brands have dominated the 'brandscape' over the last few decades. Global brands from Asia are few and far between. Even those we know well, such as Sony, are not doing too well. The challenge for CEOs of Asian companies is to adopt a mindset that places brand as the foremost weapon in the armoury of corporate strategy, and manage similar brand strategies with meticulous attention as that of Western brand managers. The bad news is that Asian brands are far behind their Western counterparts. The good news is that Asian CEOs have not only got the message, but are beginning to put Western branding techniques into practice.

On the development of brand and line extensions

Abstract: Although manufacturers of consumer non-durables rely on established brands when introducing new products, the implications for product development activities have not received much attention from academics. This paper seeks to increase an understanding of product development in those situations in which companies wish to extend brands to incorporate new products. Thus, drawing on a theory-building multiple case study (including 14 Danish companies and supplementary interviews with retailers and advertising agencies), this paper investigates how the focal companies actually manage development of brand-/line-extending new products. The empirical study suggests that although all of the companies rely on brand-/line-extending new products, they differ in their management of product development activities. Thus the study identifies three clusters of companies: clusters emerging on the basis of (1) whether companies ‘enact’ and ‘think’ brands in the course of product development or whether predominantly they think products, and (2) whether companies rely on the introduction of line extensions or whether they also engage in the development/launching of brand extensions. This paper discusses managerial implications for each cluster of companies and, especially, it suggests how top management and marketing managers should ‘enact’ their positioning within clusters. Although the study is qualitative and thus findings do not generalise across populations of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturers, it suggests that academics should acknowledge that some companies ‘think’ brands while others do not. The key contribution of the paper to extant knowledge is that it suggests actual management of line-/brand-extending product development neither corresponds well with new product development (NPD) theories nor with branding theories across all FMCG brand companies.

To dub or not to dub: Language adaptation of global television advertisements for a bilingual community

Abstract: Global brand management sometimes necessitates a decision as to whether to dub television advertisements, originally in English, into the first language of bilingual international markets. This research uses an experimental design to test the effectiveness of original English language and dubbed television advertisements among customers of a pharmaceutical company that is a global leader in the worldwide consumer healthcare market, and for which advertising represents one of the largest investments in its marketing budget. Results are provided, recommendations are made, limitations are noted and directions for future research are indicated.

Employer branding : likenesses and differences between external and internal employer brand images

Abstract: Most studies show that we are entering a longer period of lack of competence, and more people are showing interest in the matter. The demand for qualified working capacity is increasing faster ...

Validating across-class brand anchoring theory: Issues and implications

Abstract: One of the newest types of comparative advertising is across-class brand anchoring. Its intended purpose is to create a differential advantage for the sponsor's brand through the creation of a perception of good value. This study assesses the validity of this approach through a study of associational branding via alternative ad treatments. The results indicate that those ad-exposed respondents perceiving the brand to be of higher quality when contrasted to those perceiving it to be of lower quality show evidence of the effects of assimilation, or greater similarity between the referent brand and the exemplar brand, and an enhanced perception of good value. Overall, the findings suggest that across-class brand associations follow prescribed theory and warrant consideration as a strategic option in the creation of differential advantage.