Employer branding

About: Employer branding is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1555 publications have been published within this topic receiving 54897 citations.

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.

The trouble with brand valuation

Abstract: Brand valuation is an important and rapidly growing tool for assessing marketing performance. Before considering some conceptual shortcomings, language needs to be carefully defined, notably ‘brand’ and ‘brand equity’. The lack of consistency in the literature has contributed to the confusion. The writers conclude that one or more valuations are useful components in a set of brand equity (the marketing asset) measures but they should be seen as a whole. Brand valuation methodologies are too flawed for brand valuation to be used on its own.

Probing Brand Luxury: A Multiple Lens Approach

Abstract: Research relevant to the creation and development of luxury brands is a growing area of interest and importance to branding practitioners and scholars. The issue here is that it is difficult to move forward when current brand luxury theory resembles a patchwork of definitions, methods and metrics. To add clarity, delineate brand luxury from other similar terms and concepts, and improve brand luxury knowledge, this chapter probes brand luxury through seven lenses. The findings enable brand luxury practice and theory to move forward on the basis of scientific merit. The results delineate brand luxury from competing terms such as brand status and prestigious brands – enabling practitioners and academics to precisely determine the extent to which luxury contributes to a brand, resolve whether or not a brand is a luxury brand, and establish with some accuracy the net worth of the brand luxury market.

Investigating consumer–brand relational authenticity

Abstract: This research furthers our understanding of brand authenticity by conceptualising and measuring relational authenticity as brands being true in their relationships with consumers. We develop a scale through two purification stages and then assess the scale’s predictive validity for various product and service brands. Sections of the Authenticity Inventory from psychology are adapted and subjected to exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to confirm the dimensionality of relational authenticity. Discriminant and convergent validity tests confirm the four-item unidimensional construct is distinct from brand attachment. Next, we demonstrate the predictive validity of relational authenticity by identifying it as a stronger predictor of brand attitudes and purchase intentions than brand attachment. Relational authenticity increases brand attitudes and purchase intentions for those consumers with weak brand attachment. Finally, the predictive power of relational authenticity is further examined relative to two relationship quality measures of trust and commitment. Relational authenticity is a stronger predictor of brand attitudes than commitment to the brand and a stronger predictor of purchase intentions than trust in the brand. Marketers and brand managers can use relational authenticity as a basis for positioning or developing brands.

Brand metrics: Gauging and linking brands with business performance

Abstract: For all the discussion that revolves around the importance of the brand as a driver of business value and success, surprisingly few businesses have instituted a systematic programme of analytics that allows them to gauge their brands' performance, adjust brand strategies and, more importantly, link them to business performance measures. This is as true for business-to-business (B2B) as it is for business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing, even though B2B organisations have a critical advantage: they have a better idea of who their customers are and can measure the dynamics of acquisition, retention and optimisation with considerable precision. This paper discusses the essential components of a brand metrics programme, how it can and should be linked to business performance, and how one technology company used brand metrics to help it adjust its brand and business strategy.