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This article explores the relationship between design, branding, and marketing in the context of the complex and unpredictable landscape of contemporary businesses. It highlights the blending of boundaries between service sectors and the concept of the 'Experience Economy'. The article emphasizes the importance of customer value and its role in shaping business strategies. It also discusses the symbiotic relationship between marketing and design, noting that the successful synergy of these disciplines is crucial for organizations seeking to thrive in the competitive marketplace. The article includes several papers that delve into various aspects of theory and practice, such as brand hate, localized retail store designs, flexible brand visual identities, marketing assets in the hospitality and tourism sector, the visual appearance of product brand extensions, and the development of a tool for retail designers. Overall, these papers offer valuable insights into brand reputation, customer experience, and value creation in today's dynamic business environment. [Extracted from the article]

The aim of this paper is to explore the mediating role of corporate image between corporate social responsibility and marketing performance in the financial sector. Data were collected from 220 Ghanaian financial houses. Questionnaire for the data collection was based on measurement scale. Statistical values were derived to test the relationship between the three variables understudy. The effect of corporate image on marketing performance was found to be positive. Corporate image was also found to positively mediate the relationship between corporate social responsibility and marketing performance. Fostering corporate social responsibility and maintaining high corporate image will have a direct positive effect on marketing performance of financial houses. The paper thus contributes to marketing performance studies by extending the predictors of firm performance to test the mediating role of corporate image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the research papers included in the issue of the journal about airline industry. It was inferred that the papers that appeared in the issue were developed from those presented at the First International Annual Brand Colloquium which was held at the Birmingham Business School. Main issues highlighted in the journal include single and corporate brand, place, destination and national brand; brand choice and brand building in public services.

As firm stakeholders have become more engaged in social issues, they are developing expectations with regard to firm responses to these issues, beyond traditional Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This paper examines how firms' CSR engagement with social issues has evolved from traditional philanthropy to more significant and active actions. As such, corporate social identity is introduced as a new construct that explains the relationship of social issue alignment with the firm's broader mission. A model is presented that illustrates how a firm's corporate social identity alignment with a social issue influences stakeholder interpretations of if, when, and how a firm responds to the social issue. The firm's reputation, as determined by stakeholders, will be significantly influenced by stakeholder evaluation of the firm responses as they align with stakeholder response expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses empirically the relationship between corporate reputation and the financial performance of life insurers. First, it investigates the factors contributing to the corporate reputation of life insurers and finds that financial strength as well as underwriting service quality are crucial determinants. Second, this study shows that corporate reputation has a significantly positive impact on profitability because it helps to bring in new business and premiums for investment. Third, underwriting and investment constructs of insurance operations are linked to analyse the sources for profitability. Additionally, this paper finds that a sustained reputation may increase profitability over time, because reputation built previously can keep an insurer in a favourable position in future market competition. The empirical findings of this paper suggest that life insurers can improve their profitability through promoting corporate reputation, which highly relies on the service quality of underwriting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate reputation is widely acknowledged to contribute to business success by academics and business executives. Despite the importance of corporate reputation in all markets, we lack sufficient research into what reputation might mean in the context of companies in developing countries. This paper addresses this lingering gap in the literature by investigating the dimensions that make service organisations reputable from the perspective of four primary stakeholder groups of two large service organisations. The paper also sought to determine whether the same reputation dimensions apply to service organisations in general, or whether they differ according to the type of service organisation. Empirical data were sourced using the mixed-method approach, and analysis revealed 16 items across 6 dimensions that constitute the reputation of service organisations. The study also found that there is not much difference between the reputation dimensions of two organisations used in this study. However, it reveals major differences between the dimensions derived from the developing country context, and those derived from developed contexts. This illustrates that context-specific reputation measures can emerge which are important in understanding how reputation is created and can be managed. Consequently, it underscores the need for more scientific researches into reputation dimensions in different contexts (countries and organisations). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various reports published within the issue, including one by Ioanna Papasolomou and Demetris Vrontis about the internal marketing of corporate branding in the banking industry and another by Kevin Lane Keller and Keith Richey on the three core dimensions of corporate brand personality.

Despite the growing research on industrial branding, there is little focus on how strong corporate reputation and perceived value influence brand satisfaction. The study's purpose is to investigate the model with constituents of corporate reputations, perceived value, brand satisfaction, and switching costs (as a moderator). This empirical study employs the structural equation model (SEM) to examine the robustness of the model. The study demonstrates the role of brand associations of corporate reputation as a competitive advantage to get business sustainability through a direct effect on perceived value and indirect effect on brand satisfaction. Meanwhile, the perceived value has a relatively more substantial direct effect on brand satisfaction than corporate reputations. Switching costs play the role of pure moderator on the link of perceived value and brand satisfaction, which strengthens the relationship positively; on the contrary, switching costs weaken the link of corporate reputation and brand satisfaction. Therefore, this study is a base for mitigating the emotional factors of buyers' fear and anxiety towards opportunistic potency. The study provides a basis for practitioners to focus on the corporate reputation for value enhancement. The paper contributes to the industrial-branding theory about the positive moderating effect and the negative effect of switching costs on the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic review of the corporate reputation literature is conducted. The final sample of 54 articles (and one book) consists of well-cited papers, and papers in journals that have published high quality work in corporate reputation. The sample is then analyzed and the three fundamental problems in the reputation literature are addressed – the need for a comprehensive and well-accepted definition, the difficulty in operationalizing corporate reputation, and the ongoing need for more developed theory. Two main findings evolve from this analysis: (1) reputation may have different dimensions and is issue specific, and (2) different stakeholder groups may have different perceptions of corporate reputations. The implications for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior work suggests that employee views of corporate reputation can influence a firm's future financial performance and that previous financial performance can also influence employee views of reputation. What is not known is which is the greater effect, or whether the virtuous circle this implies might exist, particularly in smaller firms. The aim of this paper is to test the idea of a virtuous circle linking employee views of reputation (at two levels in the organization, senior managers and front-line employees) to firm performance. Data from a survey of employees in SME Spanish accounting audit firms were used to test a model derived from theory and prior work. We find that managers' and employees' views of reputation are each influenced by prior financial performance, employees more indirectly via the views of their managers. The influence of managers' views on those of employees was in turn significant. However, the influence of both on future performance was less significant, with the views of managers having the greater effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of marketing channels on the corporate reputation and profitability of life insurers based on the evidence of bancassurance in Taiwan. The empirical result indicates that marketing through bancassurance reduces underwriting service quality and thus negatively affects the insurer's reputation. On the other hand, bancassurance shows an advantage in that it cuts business expenses and consequently contributes to the insurer's profitability. This paper also finds a positive and sustained relationship between corporate reputation and profitability. Furthermore, the impact of bancassurance on service quality, corporate reputation and profitability increases with market maturity. The overall result suggests that life insurers must pay attention to service quality when marketing through bancassurance, as service quality has a sustained effect on corporate reputation and therefore profitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the use of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in various disciplines, including management information systems, marketing, and psychology. PLS-SEM allows researchers to analyze complex interrelationships between latent variables and their indicators, providing a better understanding of attitudinal and behavioral theories. The article highlights several studies published in the Journal of Marketing Analytics that have used PLS-SEM to assess the effects of COVID-19 on online shopping behavior, the influence of storytelling on the consumer-brand relationship, and the drivers of consumer trust in live streaming platforms. The article also discusses the use of necessary condition analysis (NCA) and artificial neural networks (ANN) in conjunction with PLS-SEM for more robust analysis and model validation. The special issue concludes with review articles on the latest version of SmartPLS software and a book on advanced issues in PLS-SEM. The authors suggest further research in conceptual distinctions between composite models and factor models, the development of necessity logic in PLS-SEM, and the extension of model assessment techniques for PLS path models. The article acknowledges the reviewers and editors for their contributions to the special issue. [Extracted from the article]

This paper extends the current knowledge of corporate website favourability (CWF) by developing a comprehensive conceptual model of its influence on corporate image, corporate reputation, loyalty and identification. The paper reviews previous studies on corporate websites from the perspectives of marketing, management, corporate identity and corporate visual identity in order to inform our understanding of the antecedents and consequences of CWF. The propositions and the conceptual framework present an approach by which a corporation can design and manage a favourable corporate website. A number of important contributions are offered: first, the paper adds to the understanding of CWF; second, it discusses the antecedents of CWF by drawing upon the existing literature; third, it is beneficial for practitioners in shaping CWF strategies and fourth, it offers possible consequences of CWF and provides a framework for future testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there are studies that have conceptually and empirically studied the impact of corporate reputation on the performance of alliances, none of them have tested the intermediate effects that explain the processes through which this phenomenon occurs. The aim of this paper is to empirically test the role of interorganizational trust as a mediating mechanism through which reputation affects the performance of alliances. To accomplish the empirical test proposed, primary data were collected on 145 strategic alliances in the Brazilian pharmaceutical sector. The resulting data was analysed using the structural equation modelling technique (SEM), based on the partial least squares method (PLS). The conclusion is that part of the impact of the corporate reputation on alliance performance is determined indirectly by its effect on the interorganizational trust. When a partner meets the positive expectations of the other party due to its corporate reputation, it reduces the relational risk perceived and generates trust that the partner will not act opportunistically. This results in the reduction of the alliance transaction cost related to the need for control of the partner, leading to an increase in alliances' performance. By the other side, we conclude that the direct effect is not clearly explained by the existing theory, leading to the need of future research that investigate this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper challenges three key contentions in current theory regarding the relationship between corporate trust and corporate reputation. The first contention being challenged is that corporate trust plays less of a critical role in the sustained success and survival of an organisation than corporate reputation does. The second contention challenged is that, when the role of corporate trust in relation to corporate reputation is recognised, it is regarded as an antecedent of corporate reputation. This latter contention suggests that much of the current understanding of the role of the corporate trust construct is superficial and that the use of and differentiation between the corporate trust and trustworthiness constructs in relation to corporate reputation are blurred and indistinct. The third contention this paper challenges relates to the more generally accepted antecedents of corporate reputation, where current theory either does not include corporate trustworthiness as an antecedent or where it incorrectly includes corporate trust (viz-à-viz trustworthiness) as an antecedent to corporate reputation. This paper introduces a conceptualisation of corporate trust, in relation to corporate reputation, within a broader framework of corporate sustainability. We propose a conceptual model illustrating the relationship between corporate trust and corporate reputation. Where trust is usually regarded as an attribute or antecedent of reputation, our model suggests an inverse direction to this relationship, namely that corporate trust is an outcome of corporate reputation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the ongoing quest to define corporate reputation in the literature. It shows that while some attempts to define this concept have been quite fruitful, they have failed to present a basis for further studies in this area. The paper argues that an additional investigation into the relationships between the three main concepts of identity, image, and reputation might help scholars evaluate and elaborate on the existing definitions. In doing so, it builds on a model introduced in the corporate reputation literature by Whetten (Corporate Reputation Review 1:26-34, 1997) to deal with these relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author shares the significant changes in his life when he was given the chance to contribute to research on corporate reputation. He chronicles the invitation he received for a call for papers to "A Conference on Corporate Reputation" hosted by the New York University in January 1997. The author also shares how the conference served as his stepping stone in establishing himself as a scholar and author.

Despite the global explosion of the business school rankings industry, the validity of current ranking systems and league tables as credible measures of business school reputation has been questioned by scholars, accreditation agencies and consumers worldwide. Critics have begun calling for more substantive assessments of educational quality and more meaningful, theory-driven strategies for studying reputation in the business school context. This paper responds to these critiques, introducing a conceptual model of business school reputation that applies recent advances in reputation theory and research to the specifics of the business school setting. The literature anchoring the model is reviewed, the variables in the model are introduced and theoretical propositions suggested. The paper concludes with discussion of the model's practical implications, an analysis of limitations and suggestions for future research.Corporate Reputation Review (2007) 10, 278–304. doi:10.1057/palgrave.crr.1550055 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among other reasons, corporate reputation (CR) has become a crucial management topic due to the last global financial and economic crisis and the increasing number of corporate scandals. Given its interdisciplinary character and intangible nature, CR has been a prominent issue in many disciplines, but its presence in the business ethics field has been considered scarce although it had not been measured properly, until now. With this paper, we measure the relevance of the corporate reputation construct in the business ethics field through a bibliometric analysis of the top business ethics journals over a recent 10-year period. The bibliometric analysis allowed us (a) to weigh exactly the prominence of the CR construct in the business ethics field, (b) to count the most referenced authors in the discipline, and (c) to rank the most influential papers and books dealing with the corporate reputation construct in this field. It also permitted us to conclude that the corporate social responsibility construct was the most repeated proxy of corporate reputation in business ethics, implying that for the business scholars the consequence of acting well should be and is supposed to be a good and positive evaluation by stakeholders. Other implications and comparisons with the treatment of the corporate reputation construct in the overall business literature are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this conceptual paper is to discuss the impact of CSR reporting on the CSR reputation in the light of signalling and stakeholder perception theories. The method used is a literature analysis on CSR and reputation, corporate signalling and signalling CSR. For a more complete picture, the review includes findings on CSR reporting and the perception and evaluation of CSR activities by stakeholders, first for stakeholders in general, but in greater detail for the two specific groups 'consumers' and 'employees'. The paper's main contribution is a conceptual framework for CSR reporting which explains how a CSR report is a CSR communication signal filtered by the signalling context and the stakeholders' perception. This includes a discussion of how CSR reporting can modify the outcome for the CSR reputation favourably or unfavourably - which also leads to a modified context for CSR reporting. The paper's originality lies in the analysis and discussion of both the impacts of signalling theory on CSR reporting and how the interpretation of the signal impacts the CSR reputation. The article thus contributes to the knowledge on CSR reporting and its impact on the formation of CSR reputation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although previous studies revealed the positive effect of CSR perceptions on customer behaviour, the relationship between CSR and perceived firm innovativeness (PFI) has been underexplored. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it attempts to propose and validate a model to comprehend the relationship between CSR and PFI. Second, it aims to investigate the mediating role of corporate image stemming from CSR and PFI in order to foster customer advocacy intentions. Data were collected from 360 customers of the retail banking industry in Pakistan, and the results indicate that customers' CSR perceptions directly and positively influence PFI. Interestingly, corporate image fully mediates the relationship between PFI and advocacy intentions, whereas it plays a partial mediation role in the CSR-advocacy intentions relationship. The findings of this research expand the corpus regarding the roles of CSR and PFI in creating advocacy intentions among customers through the corporate image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay provides the background story on the role that Corporate Reputation Review and its conference, Corporate Reputation, Identity, and Competitiveness played in my research and thinking on corporate reputation as a scholarly endeavor. In particular, this essay discusses the 3rd conference, (including access to the papers, presentations, and speakers), offline discussions with attendees, and the meeting of the minds between Fombrun, van Riel, and Max McCombs, one of the co-authors of the original study on agenda-setting theory. A brief description of the pivotal projects and outcomes of that meeting are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The focus of much of the crisis communication and reputation management research is on the impact of a crisis and how organizations immediately respond. There has been less work in the area of post-crisis responses and, in particular, how organizations can successfully recover from the damage of a scandal. Design/Methodology: As the Government Relations and Trade Advocacy Manager and then National Regulatory Affairs Manager, the author was a member of the new management team that successfully reformed the governance of Australian Wheat Board (AWB) Limited to rebuild credibility with key stakeholders so that AWB could continue trading and successfully reintegrate into the regulatory regime. Findings: After initially mismanaging its response, AWB was ultimately able to rebuild trust with the regulator and be accredited with a licence as an approved exporter, only 2 years after the damaging findings of a Royal Commission. This was because the company undertook genuine reform and successfully changed its culture, systems, structure and governance. Research: Building on the initial analysis of AWB and the United Nations 'Oil-for-food' scandal and the research on crisis communication, the paper examines the post-scandal response by the company and re-examines the steps taken to transform the company through change and reform. Practical implications: The AWB case study provides a useful example of how a company damaged by a scandal was able to regain lost credibility and rebuild its reputation to the extent that it was able to reintegrate itself with key stakeholders, including those who were themselves damaged by the AWB scandal. Original value of the paper: The AWB case has been researched as a clear example of governance failure but most of the literature covers the period up until the new wheat marketing arrangements were introduced and there has been little analysis of what the company was required to do in response to those changes, and the results of those actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility reputation (CSRR) both theoretically and empirically. The first part examines the literature on CSRR extensively in an attempt to develop both a qualitative and a quantitative interpretation to measure CSRR. The new aspect of this paper is the explicit modelling of the confrontation of CSR expectations and CSR performance. Crisp and Fuzzy models were subsequently explored. A sample of 2,447 firms covering approximately 176 survey questions on corporate social responsibility, obtained from 29 countries, was then implemented to measure CSRR per company, per country and per sector. On average, companies were found to comply with their expectations. In conclusion - as based on our model - Europe was found to be the best CSRR ranked continent, and the United Kingdom and Finland the top ranked countries. We also found the 'utilities' sector to be the best ranked sector, with 'health care' and 'financials' at the lowest end of the distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explore how signal generation capabilities (SGCs) and signal management capabilities (SMCs) affect corporate reputation management strategies, with respect to modern technologies of the digital world. Expanding upon signaling theory, and the notion of informational asymmetries, we draw attention to the complementary roles of current IT in creating and managing signals of productive and qualitative efficiency that may be converted into corporate reputation. We introduce a new typological classification for firms' strategic positioning that highlights how technologies lead firms to be signal amplifiers, signal squanderers, signal mollifiers, and signal diminishers with respect to reputation management. We discuss the theoretical contributions and practical implications of our research, alongside ethical and methodological considerations that could spawn interesting avenues of future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the importance of employees in the process of building customer experience. The paper states that internal investment is rewarded with consistent, quality customer exchanges. Emphasis is first placed on the positioning of brand management within an organisation, and its linkage to strategy. Secondly, the tools of identity and guiding principles are introduced. These tools are used to activate staff by inviting their engagement and by asking them to review the brand from a personal perspective. Identity encourages employees to interpret corporate identity and apply it to their unique situation and skill set. Guiding principles serve as a platform to nurture desired behaviours in the organisation. Together, these two tools better prepare staff to respond to customers. Brand values are presented as the currency to measure the worth of exchanges between organisations and their customers. The paper concludes by presenting a case study of the mobile operator, Orange, during the period 1994–2003.Journal of Brand Management (2007) 15, 102–114. doi:10.1057/palgrave.bm.2550123; published online 9 October 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the importance of corporate identity mix and unplanned (uncontrolled) communication elements in corporate image formation. It aims to define the scope of the communicators of corporate identity in the consumers’ context. It presents a literature review with highlights on corporate identity management and corporate communication fields. Subsequently, the paper posits several propositions for future empirical testing.Journal of Brand Management (2006) 14, 196–206. doi:10.1057/palgrave.bm.2550060 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the question of reputational risk from an insurance industry perspective. The paper discusses the sources of reputational risk in the insurance context and points to reputational concerns that arise at both the individual firm and industry level. The paper suggests that many reputational risks arise from economic and social factors outside the industry but still carry significant implications for the industry and for insurers operating within it. The paper finally discusses some of the implications of reputational risk for public policy issues facing the insurance industry today and offers thoughts on how those risks must be addressed. The paper concludes that reputational risk is a particularly important issue for the insurance industry, given the nature of the underlying transactions themselves and the public policy challenges the industry faces. The paper concludes that the industry must continue to build its capabilities for addressing this risk.The Geneva Papers (2006) 31, 382–394. doi:10.1057/palgrave.gpp.2510096 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reputation is an intangible asset that directly affects the market value of the firm. Although reputation evidences belief that the firm is on a sustainable course, it is built on the trust established with all stakeholders through past proper behaviour. It proves more resilient than one might think at first but even menial misconducts, if repeated, can lead to a downfall. The demise of a few can engulf a whole industry when the transactions are based on trust in the fulfilment of future promises. This is why reputation has become an object of research for several branches of management sciences. The key drivers are still in need of refinement. Nevertheless, they can be summarized in one word: authenticity.The Geneva Papers (2006) 31, 425–445. doi:10.1057/palgrave.gpp.2510090 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate brand management aims to establish a favourable disposition towards the organisation by its various stakeholders. This paper presents a new holistic perspective to integrating the areas of corporate branding, corporate identity management and corporate communication with the customer. Theory in these areas provides several yet unanswered questions. The aim is to bridge this gap and advance an understanding of the application of marketing and management theories in these three areas. The aim of this paper is to investigate the concepts and constructs that combine the corporate brand and the customer brand and to develop a conceptual framework. The conceptual framework suggests that aligning the company, the stakeholders and the customers is important as it is the entire corporation that is being branded. The context of the conceptual framework is looked upon in terms of the alignment between strategic vision, brand identity and brand knowledge. To get a balanced picture of corporate branding, the paper provides theoretically based knowledge on how the concepts and constructs of corporate and customer brands can be linked. The conceptual framework will form a basis for an auditing method. The limitation of this paper is that it is only the conceptual framework that is introduced here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the substantial difference for practice in the current models of organizational identity, which consider directly and indirectly the looking-glass process of organizational identity. The paper pinpoints that some models represent a first useful step for an analysis of external interpretations of organizations and that others represent an in-depth view of external images with consequences for the organization. Examples of the usefulness of the models are developed as they are re-read in the light of three different approaches to stakeholder theory which provide an understanding of the different levels of analysis of stakeholders' external interpretations of the organization: the broad, the narrow a priori and the narrow situational. An exploration of the interrelations between identity and stakeholder fields is therefore provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this contribution is to analyze the development of a corporate brand in the early phases of start-ups. In particular, this paper looks at processes that occur due to decisions regarding corporate culture, corporate behavior, corporate design and corporate communication. Start-ups or new business ventures provide a specific context to research corporate branding in its evolvement phases, as internal structures and processes do not yet exist. As empirically-based research in this area is very scant, the aim here is to close this gap by documenting results gathered from a qualitative research approach. The results show insights into how entrepreneurs develop their companies' corporate identity by crystallizing the major challenges that occurred due to the specific context of new ventures. The paper advances contemporary knowledge by pointing towards the crucial role of the entrepreneur during the initial phases of corporate brand development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in technology and communication have rendered corporate reputations more vulnerable than ever to criticism and attack from anti-corporate pressure groups, which now have the capacity to reach a global audience and mobilize their protests at a multinational level. This paper will discuss the increasing value of corporate reputation as a source of differential advantage in the global marketplace, and the threats that exist to even the most reputable organizations. Based on this analysis, the paper will investigate the role of reputation in crisis management, and the extent to which the actions of the increasingly influential anti-corporate movement can be managed successfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to demonstrate that a good corporate reputation in itself does not ensure the successful introduction of a new product or brand when it is a case of brand extension. In this paper, it is argued that good corporate reputation is not a decisive factor in the consumer's perception of a product, if the product does not match the company's identity. The paper introduces a concept of 'branch identity', which can be seen as a preliminary condition for building corporate identity. The findings presented in this paper are based upon the case study of a Slovenian oil company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the inter-relationship between organizational identity and intellectual capital (IC) statements and suggests the IC statement as a framework for developing a knowledge-based identity. The results are based on a case study of a Danish electricity transmission system company, which started the process of changing its public provider identity towards a knowledge-based identity in a changing market by applying the framework of an IC statement. The IC statement, as a new way of defining and working with strategic company resources, makes it possible for a company to communicate how it wishes to define its activities both externally and internally. The paper concludes that, by working with IC statements, a company can achieve a way of constructing a new identity. Furthermore, the process of creating an IC statement can legitimize the whole idea of changing towards a knowledge-based identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduces a series of articles about image, identity and reputation management in leisure and cultural organizations.

This paper is built on the hypothesis that good governance and reputation are inextricably linked. It raises the governance of performing arts organizations in Queensland, Australia as a case study, and focuses on the role of the nonprofit arts board and its practices of governance and measures of effectiveness. Because of the 5financial constraints under which arts companies operate, their sustainability relies on audiences and on government or corporate support. The reputation of the company flows from the board's capacity to manage finances, stakeholders and mission. In-depth interviews with board chairs and general managers revealed that strong management systems and rigorous financial reporting are the drivers of good governance. Innovation in product development and artistic excellence are secondary in reputation to these measures. The paper proposes a model of good governance for arts boards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, we have witnessed an explosion of emergent web technologies and platforms that have drawn the attention of the academic community, as well as of professionals in many sectors. This paper explores the concept of reputation-making with the aim of explaining how the rise of user-generated content websites has influenced organizational reputation-making practices in the travel sector. The findings are based upon a corpus of data including: a field study at the offices of the largest travel user-generated website, TripAdvisor and an adaptation of virtual ethnography called 'netnography'. In so doing, key insights are generated to inform organizational reputation-making. The paper concludes with the assertion that if we aim to understand the phenomenon of reputation-making, we have to develop a more nuanced and sophisticated way to conceptualize its formativeness. It is suggested that this extends beyond snap shot assessments or post hoc crisis management to an ongoing maintenance of the emergent and processual nature of reputation across the off-line and online spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the final reflections made at the seventeenth International Corporate Identity Group Symposium (2014) at Cape Town Business School, five trends emerged from the diverse papers delivered at the symposium: assimilation, bifurcation, contextualisation, definitions and ethics. These trends reflect the richness as well as the complexity of the broad corporate marketing and corporate brand fields. This commentary also provides short overviews of the six articles comprising this special edition of the Journal of Brand Management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate brand identity is becoming a strategic issue in the UK fashion industry, as it is complex and constantly under pressure to differentiate. Fashion brands are expanding through a range of channels and rapidly changing takeovers, and it is unclear whether internal stakeholders are aware of the possible consequences of these approaches. In particular, there appears to be no literature on how retail and wholesale brands develop and manage their corporate brand identities during these changes and whether they draw on any meaningful connections with their customers. To understand how brand architecture might support the development of brand strategies in the UK fashion industry, perceptions of corporate brand identities were explored in retail and wholesale brands. Fifteen qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with elite informants. The findings reveal that retail brand identities can become disconnected from their sub-brands; therefore, brand identity may be invisible to consumers, while wholesale brands maintain a strong visible brand identity dependent on the brand's values, historical legacy, innovation and positioning. A brand architecture model is developed that more accurately reflects the complex dimensions of UK fashion brands, particularly when channels expand and takeovers take place. These perspectives have not been reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging markets face unique challenges of issues and business practices that border in the grey areas of questionable ethical norms, inadequate transparency in reporting relating to funding, financial transactions and in the appointment of business associates and partners. Market realities in emerging markets such as India impose unique challenges for organisations striving to practice their intent. Issues of governance, regulatory frameworks and transparency pose considerable roadblocks. This paper measures the perceptions of principal stakeholders, that is, corporate executives, purposively selected from across varied business sectors spanning the technology, manufacturing, consulting, financial services, consumer goods, NGOs and the educational sectors in emerging market context to identify factors and attributes considered as significant for corporate reputation (CR) building though they are not part of the reputation models developed for the western and developed markets context. The role of ethical values and practices, active boardroom management, ethical branding and corporate communication, organisation's core values, innate culture and professed purpose and principles in CR and branding are found to be significant. The study shows that CR building is adversely affected by excessive focus on financial results and government regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reputation has many interpretations, but most agree that it is an intangible asset that can build competitive advantage for a firm. This paper takes a dynamic resource-based view of reputation and argues that the best way to understand how it contributes to competitive advantage is through a systems approach. The systems thinking approach is concerned with developing and testing operational explanations of organizational behavior. It differs from the traditional approach as it requires an understanding of the 'whole' through the relationships between 'organizational' pieces. The traditional approach is based on an understanding of the whole by understanding the individual pieces. This paper offers an explanation of the systems approach starting with a basic understanding of causal loop diagrams and stock and flow diagrams, progressing into the more complicated modeling of behavior and interactions. How reputation plays a role in a hypothetical example of the hiring process, often referred to as employer branding, is used to illustrate how the approach can be applied in reputation management. Systems thinking is recognized as a quality approach to organizations but one that is complicated and that has been slow to be adopted by organizations. Some insights into how to employ the approach are offered at the end of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reputation is a very valuable resource of a contemporary enterprise because it may create its long-term competitive advantage and market value. A strong, positive reputation must be built in many years, while it can be damaged relatively quickly. There are many threats to reputation that in the current digital era are multiplied by the development of the Internet and social media. Therefore, the importance and need for the effective reputation risk management is growing, which, however, is a very difficult challenge for managers. In this paper, it was demonstrated that the dilemmas of reputation risk management stem from the complex, emotional, and rational structure as well as from the qualitative character of reputation, which generates difficulties in identifying the causes and sources of its threats. The qualitative character of reputation risk, fuzzy responsibility for reputation, and its protection as well as a lack of proper methods and tools to measure the reputation risk—these are the main problems that hinder the formulation of the acceptable concepts of reputation risk management and their implementation into practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The management of corporate reputation (CR) and its integration in corporate culture are key aspects of the excellence and sustainability of companies over time. This paper presents a study of how the most reputable companies in the Spanish market manage their reputation. The corporate areas responsible for this management are analyzed, together with its competences, organizational structure, head of department and the tools used to measure its management. This paper contributes to the knowledge of all those companies that seek to improve their reputational positioning through an analysis of the implementation of specific organizational structures for the management of CR developed by the most reputable companies in the Spanish market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper provides a comprehensive and integrative review of academic literature analyzing identity in business. The literature review proposed by the authors helps clearing up theoretical and practical understanding of this concept. Design/methodology/approach - A review of existing literature in organizational behavior and marketing fields is proposed to clarify the meaning of organizational and corporate identity. On the basis of this review, the authors also identify an integrative perspective proposed for managers to identify and effectively manage all dimensions of their business identities. Findings - Literature on the identity of businesses is extensive and blurred, failing to provide useful guidance for practitioners to manage this concept. A new approach proposes understanding this kind of identity as a global concept that integrates proposals from diverse research fields in order to take advantage of cross-fertilization. Practical implications - This research allows identity and communication managers to understand dimensions of business identity for a more effective management of this concept in their organizations. Originality/value - The line of research that proposes an integrative multidisciplinary approach to the study of identity in business is quite new and, as so, it still needs further contributions to clarify this nascent domain. In this paper, the authors also classify previous studies on business identity according to the theoretical approach they assume just as no other research has done before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to the journal is presented in which the editor discusses, papers published within the issue including one related to a cross-national study investigating antecedents and impact of corporate responsibility (CR) stakeholder practices in China and the U.S. and one on the perceptions of non governmental organization (NGO)'s managers regarding effective organizational leadership.

While existing literature on brand heritage focuses on corporate perspectives, this paper investigates the gap between intended and perceived heritage. Two sequential qualitative studies were performed: the preliminary study is based on observation and enables the selection of 27 fast-moving consumer brands using historical references that are explicit for consumers; the main study is composed of 25 semi-structured interviews of consumers in order to analyse their interpretations. Results show that consumers know little about parent companies behind brands. However, they imagine that companies are seeking a compromise between an ideal tradition and a necessary modernity. Finally, they also distinguish different strategies in the management of temporality. Results outline the critical role of the consumers and enable to distinguish two types of brands—familiar and aristocratic ones—and to formulate two distinct sets of recommendations for them based on the use of historical references. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Issues and crises often have multiple frames constructed by organizations and the media. While organizations may try to shape the narrative to their benefit, their ability to do so is often limited. The #AskSeaWorld crisis illustrates this challenge as the online question-andanswer session gone awry generated competing frames from SeaWorld, PETA, and the media. Using a framework of issues management, crisis framing, and message convergence and drawing from organizational documents, media reports, and an interview with PETA, this paper examines the different frames that emerged from the crisis and the extent to which they converged. The findings position SeaWorld as an organization that "protests too much" (Ashforth and Gibbs, Org Sci 1(2):177-194, 1990) and invited a digital crisis by publicly responding to value challenges (Hirsch and Andrews, Leadership and organizational culture, University of Illinois Press, Urbana, 1984). This study also illustrates how a hashtag-based campaign attracts critical publics, such as activists, who can challenge organizational reputations using social media, which may be amplified by media reports. Because many of the media reports reflected content relayed by activists, rather than SeaWorld, this convergence lent legitimacy to activists' claims, heightening SeaWorld's legitimacy challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Articles from and inspired by the 13th International Corporate Identity Group (ICIG) Symposium theme 'Corporate brand management - a leadership perspective' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper undertakes a detailed review of the components of corporate identity (CI). This is necessitated by the recent emergence and focus upon CI and its frequent confusion with related issues such as corporate branding and reputation. We begin by defining the boundaries of CI, exploring its nature and meaning, and outlining theoretical perspectives in Part One. Part Two then focuses upon five theoretical frameworks. Amalgamating these into a model will assist researchers in knowing the area of CI they are focused upon and its interactions with contiguous domains. Each area can then develop its own usable repeatable scales which are capable of testing and of falsification. Interactions can be empirically analysed more robustly by the use of structured equation modelling. The outcomes of the model can be used by academics and practitioners to move the CI discipline forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]