2013-Claudia Simoes
Managerial perspectives on B2B corporate brands: Empirical evidence from UK businesses
Cláudia Simões (Open University)
Jaywant Singh (Kingston University London)
Abstract
This collaborative study between researchers from the Open University and Kingston University examines the role of corporate branding in gaining competitive advantage. A corporate brand (CB) entails the expression of an organisation through aspects such as, name, logo, and values. Although previous research addresses aspects of CB management, its dimensions from a managerial perspective are not fully understood in B2B settings. In addition, it is widely accepted that developing and establishing a strong CB has important business implications (e.g., performance), yet existing literature is fragmented and lacks empirical evidence. The study aims to specify managerial dimensions of CB and to examine the implications of CBs for businesses. The fieldwork involves exploratory interviews, followed by a large-scale survey of managers from UK-based B2B companies. The study envisages the identification of CB dimensions and implications for businesses, along with the development of managerial tools for CB management. The outcomes will reach out to various audiences, such as, brand experts, managers and researchers. Findings will be disseminated via the universities’ websites, seminars/master classes and other academic and practitioner outlets.