Ethical branding and corporate reputation

This paper explores the concept of ethical branding and its link to corporate reputation. Brands have traditionally been studied only as an economic construct. Brands, as a social construct, have not yet been fully understood due to the lack of research. A corporate brand is a vital part of the corporate reputation management. An ethical brand enhances the firm’s reputation; such a reputation reinforces the brand in turn. On the other hand, any unethical behaviour will severely damage or even destroy the total intangible asset as evidenced by the recent high profile corporate scandals. Ethical branding could provide the company with a differential advantage as a growing number of consumers become more ethically conscious

The Appeal of Protest Rhetoric: How Moral Entrepreneurs Recruit the Media into Moral Struggles

Whenever the news media feature brand-related moral struggles over issues such as ethicality, fairness, or sustainability, brands often find themselves in the position of the culprit. However, brands may also take the opposite position, that of a moral entrepreneur that proactively raises and addresses moral issues that matter to society. In this chapter, we present a case study of the Austrian shoe manufacturer Waldviertler, which staged a protest campaign against Austria’s financial market authorities (FMA) in the wake of the authorities demanding that the company closes its alternative (and illegal) consumer investment model after 10 years of operation. In response to this demand, the company organized protest marches, online petitions, and press conferences to reclaim the moral high ground for its financing model as a way out of the crunch following the global credit crisis and as a way to fight unfair administrative burdens. We present an interpretive analysis of brand communication material and media coverage that reveals how this brand used protest rhetoric on three levels – logos, ethos, and pathos – to reverse moral standards, to embody a rebel ethos, and to cultivate moral indignation. We also show how the media responded to protest rhetoric both with thematic coverage of context, trends, and general evidence, and with episodic coverage focusing on dramatic actions and the company owner’s charisma. We close with a discussion of how protestainment, the stylization of a leader figure, and marketplace sentiments can ensure sustained media coverage of moral struggles

Scrutinising the British Monarchy: The corporate brand that was shaken, stirred and survived

Purpose – The principal purposes of this article are to provide normative advice in terms of managing the British Monarchy as a Corporate Heritage Brand and to reveal the efficacy of examining a brand’s history for corporate heritage brands generally. Design/methodology/approach – Taking a case history approach, this article examines critical events in the Crown’s history. This article is also informed by the diverse literatures on the British Monarchy and also marshals the identity literatures and the nascent literature relating to corporate brands. Six critical incidents that have shaped the monarchy over the last millennium provide the principal data source for this article. Findings - In scrutinising key events from the institution’s historiography it was found that the management and maintenance of the Crown as a corporate brand entail concern with issues relating to (1) continuity (maintaining heritage and symbolism), (2) visibility (having a meaningful and prominent public profile), (3) strategy (anticipating and enacting change), (4) sensitivity (rapid response to crises), (5) respectability (retaining public favour), and (6) empathy (acknowledging that brand ownership resides with the public). Taking an integrationist perspective, the efficacy of adopting a corporate marketing approach/philosophy is also highlighted. Research limitations – The insights derived from this article are based on the extant literatures on the Monarchy: richer insights would, of course, be derived from undertaking research within the institution. However, the difficulty in gaining access to the Royal Household in undertaking empirical/publishable research renders most methodologies currently used within management research virtually unavailable. Practical implications – There are two. In terms of the Crown a new tripartite dictum is offered which is broader in scope than Bagehot’s and takes account of the Monarchy’s constitutional, societal and symbolic obligations. As such, the Crown should be Dutiful to the tenets of a constitutional monarchy; Devoted to the peoples of the realm and Dedicated to maintaining royal symbolism. In terms of the management of corporate brands/heritage brands a five- faceted approach/modus operandi is introduced which is called: ‚Chronicling the Corporate Brand.‛ These are: (a) chronicling the brand’s history; (b) assembling a cross-section of individuals to set down the corporate brand narrative; (c) documenting and communicating the insights from the aforementioned (d) marshalling the narrative vis a vis corporate brand management/crisis management; (e) revisiting the brand’s history for new insights. Originality/value – This is one of the first articles to examine the British Monarchy through a corporate branding lens. It confirms that the Crown is analogous to a corporate brand and, therefore, ought to be managed as such

From governance to meta-governance in tourism?: Re-incorporating politics,interests and values in the analysis of tourism governance

Despite its theorization in the political and policy sciences in the early 1990s, the concept of metagovernance has gained relatively little recognition in tourism studies. Nevertheless, its significance in the political sciences and policy literature, especially as a result of the perceived failure of governance systems following the recent global financial crisis, has only served to reinforce its relevance. Metagovernance addresses some of the perceived failures of traditional governance approaches and associated interventions, and has enabled the understanding of central-state led regimes of shadowed hierarchical authorities and local-level micro-practices of social innovation and self-government. In contrast, tourism studies have tended to restrict study of the political dimension of tourism governance and the role of the state under the traditional parallelism between government and governance. Examination of how governance is itself governed enables a better understanding of the practices of planning and policy making affecting tourism and destinations. In particular, the applications of concepts of governance are inextricably linked to a given set of value assumptions which predetermine the range of its application. A short example of the application of the metagovernance paradigm is provided from the New Zealand context. It is concluded that governance mechanisms are not value-neutral and instead serve to highlight the allocation of power in a destination and the dominance of particular values and interests

CSR marketing outcomes and branch managers' perceptions of CSR

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of bank branch managers’ perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in CSR marketing outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The paper proposes a causal model establishing that managers’ perceptions of CSR influence the perception of CSR held by the branch’s customers, which in turn directly affects customer satisfaction, customer trust, customer engagement and customer loyalty. The unit of analysis in this quantitative study is the bank branch. Two questionnaires were administered: one to branch managers and another to five customers in each branch. Findings Branch managers’ perceptions of CSR have a marked influence on customers’ perceptions of CSR, which again have a notable impact on the relationship variables studied: customer satisfaction, customer trust, customer engagement and customer loyalty. Research limitations/implications The sample was taken from two banks in the same country (Spain) and only five customers were interviewed in each branch. The type of customers analyzed should be taken into account since a growing number of customers now carry out all of their banking online and are less likely to visit their branch. Practical implications The results highlight the importance of adopting socially responsible actions not only in the bank as a whole, but also in individual branches. It would, therefore, seem crucial for high level bank executives not only to involve branch managers in the bank’s CSR strategy, but also to empower them to undertake CSR actions that involve the customers and local community with which they interact. Originality/value First, the paper reveals the differences within the same organization in the way its CSR strategy is implemented. Second, intermediary figures or supervisors are shown to have a key role in ensuring the organization’s CSR strategy is effective. Third, the study emphasizes the importance of customers’ perception of CSR in achieving the main outcomes of relationship marketing (satisfaction, trust, engagement and loyalty). Fourth, the methodology applied in the study is innovative in its construction of dyads in which the branch is the unit of analysis, enabling a comparison between the manager’s perceptions of CSR with that of five customers from the same branch. Fifth, the findings add to the knowledge of a particularly relevant sector in the recent economic crisis, namely, the retail banking industry

How Sustainability Ratings Might Deter “Greenwashing”: A Closer Look at Ethical Corporate Communication.

Of the many ethical corporate marketing practices, many firms use corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication to enhance their corporate image. Yet consumers, overwhelmed by these more or less well-founded CSR claims, often have trouble identifying truly responsible firms. This confusion encourages “greenwashing” and may make CSR initiatives less effective. On the basis of attribution theory, this study investigates the role of independent sustainability ratings on consumers’ responses to companies’ CSR communication. Experimental results indicate the negative effect of a poor sustainability rating for corporate brand evaluations in the case of CSR communication, because consumers infer less intrinsic motives by the brand. Sustainability ratings thus could act to deter “greenwashing” and encourage virtuous firms to persevere in their CSR practices.attribution theory; ethical corporate marketing; sustainability ratings; CSR communication;

Approaches to consumer trust in banking sector, with special regard to young customers

Trust is an element of crucial importance in bank marketing and is becoming a differentiating factor due to the effects of the financial and economic crisis. Trust is a strategic factor in creating a balanced and persistent operation for both individual banks and the banking sector on the whole. This paper aims to explore some of those attributes that are relevant for consumer trust in the respect of banks. Having reviewed the relevant scientific references in the field, through a focus group research of three interviews the ten biggest actors in the Hungarian banking sector were aligned by certain criteria by means of the brand party technique, and the topics of brand-knowledge, satisfaction, dependence and bank-change were also explored. Based on the research findings, there is no serious crisis, but consumer trust has been weakened in the younger age group. Some further findings show that there may be correlation between consumer trust and the assumed size of the banks; old customers might feel neglected as opposed to new ones; customers seem to be satisfied by the e-banking services; there may be a strengthening subjective feeling of dependence on banks when applying for loans; strong consumer subjectivity may prevail in judging the ownership structure of the banks; and finally, the phenomenon of passive bank-change might be frequent. Further elaboration and extension of the present research project may lead to appropriate generalizations.consumer trust, trust research, bank marketing