Differentiating Financial Service Brands Through the Multilayered Service Strategy (MSS): some Insights Insights from the Resource Based View of the Firm

This paper examines how financial service organizations operating in the Nigerian banking industry can be effectively managed to achieve brand differentiation. In order to achieve this objective, a service brand model was reviewed and critiqued and a Multilayered Service Strategy (MSS) model was put forward as an effective model for service brand differentiation. Consequently, sixteen leading-edge marketing and communication practitioners were engaged to examine the effectiveness of the model through in-depth interviews. Findings from the analysis of data indicate that an effective differentiation of a service brand cannot be achieved through the adoption of a single business or organizational factor. Rather, such an exercise is only accomplished though the adoption of a multidimensional service delivery strategy

Industry construction of the meaning of corporate identity in Nigeria's banking services sector: An interpretive analysis of corporate advertisements, 1970-2005

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University, 13/10/2008.This thesis seeks to examine how the meaning of corporate identity was constructed through the corporate advertisements that were published in Nigeria's national press media between 1970 and 2005 by the major operators in the Nigerian banking industry. In order to accomplish this task, this research has been divided into ten chapters. The first chapter introduces the research. It conceptualises a research question and provides an overall trajectory for this thesis. Chapter two established four ontologically grounded reasons for pursuing this research from the social constructionist perspective and chapter three sought to examine how the meaning of corporate identity was constructed (in theoretical literature) between 1970 and 2008. Chapter four presents an analysis of the construction of the meaning of the concept of corporate identity in the Nigerian banking industry between 1970 and 2005. Chapter six concerns research methodology and the specific research method drawn to address the question being investigated in this research. Chapters seven and eight presents the empirical findings and chapter nine makes an attempt to establish what has been accomplished in the process of this research by discussing its outcomes. Chapter ten concludes the thesis. It considers the contributions emerging from this research and its implications in terms of relevance for corporate identity theory and practice. In addition, it examines the limitations of the research as well as possible future research directions of this study. Finally, the thesis ends with a summary and conclusion. Findings from this research indicate the emergence of four new scholarships, namely generic, distinctive, innovative and transformative corporate personalities. Importantly, the outcome of this study provides ample evidence to argue that the industry construction of the meaning of corporate identity witnessed an ongoing flow of changes and stabilities, which run through these new scholarships

Nigerian Consumers and their Purchase Intentions for Global Brands

This paper presents the research findings of a global brand study conducted in Nigeria. This empirical research sought to evaluate the relative contribution of the following five constructs on global brand purchase intent: country of origin, brand familiarity, brand linking, brand trust, and weak-strong perceptions of the brand’s masculinity-femininity associations. Step-wise regression models were used for the study’s ten brands. The regression models indicated that brand liking and brand trust were the most important predictors of global brand purchase intent in the studied sample of Nigerian consumers

Industry construction of the meaning of corporate identity in Nigeria's banking services sector : an interpretive analysis of corporate advertisements, 1970-2005

This thesis seeks to examine how the meaning of corporate identity was constructed through the corporate advertisements that were published in Nigeria's national press media between 1970 and 2005 by the major operators in the Nigerian banking industry. In order to accomplish this task, this research has been divided into ten chapters. The first chapter introduces the research. It conceptualises a research question and provides an overall trajectory for this thesis. Chapter two established four ontologically grounded reasons for pursuing this research from the social constructionist perspective and chapter three sought to examine how the meaning of corporate identity was constructed (in theoretical literature) between 1970 and 2008. Chapter four presents an analysis of the construction of the meaning of the concept of corporate identity in the Nigerian banking industry between 1970 and 2005. Chapter six concerns research methodology and the specific research method drawn to address the question being investigated in this research. Chapters seven and eight presents the empirical findings and chapter nine makes an attempt to establish what has been accomplished in the process of this research by discussing its outcomes. Chapter ten concludes the thesis. It considers the contributions emerging from this research and its implications in terms of relevance for corporate identity theory and practice. In addition, it examines the limitations of the research as well as possible future research directions of this study. Finally, the thesis ends with a summary and conclusion. Findings from this research indicate the emergence of four new scholarships, namely generic, distinctive, innovative and transformative corporate personalities. Importantly, the outcome of this study provides ample evidence to argue that the industry construction of the meaning of corporate identity witnessed an ongoing flow of changes and stabilities, which run through these new scholarships.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Africapitalism: The marketisation of philanthrocapitalism and neoliberalism in African entrepreneurial philanthropy

Despite increased interests in marketisation of philanthrocapitalism research worldwide, the arguments emphasise ‘what’ instead of 'how’ and ‘why’ philanthropic philosophy happens across Africa. To address this gap, 51 TEF participants’ narratives are focused on to draw on an Africapitalism framework highlighting chasms within and between western neoliberalism frameworks and philanthrocapitalism’s marketisation. By framing this paper using philanthrocapitalism discourse, the authors critically examined the activities of African philanthropists and the effects of their neoliberal adoption on recipients. Semi structured interview analysis produced 3 key ideologies demonstrating ‘what’, ‘how’ and ‘why’ philanthrocapitalism is marketised, namely utopianism and the illusion of a better socioeconomic tomorrow; neoliberalism and a culture of dominance; social investment and marketisation of benevolence. These thematic paradoxes were used to create an additional 4-aspect Africapitalism framework contributing to ‘what’, ‘how’ and ‘why’ philanthrocapitalism is marketised in Africa, its impacts, challenges, and solutions. Contributions and implications for research are articulated

Competence Based Brand: Meaning And Management

This paper investigates how core competence helps in differentiating a corporate brand. This is achieved through a parallel review of discourses within core competence and corporate branding literatures – whilst also highlighting the weaknesses of existing corporate branding models. Consequently, the key discourses within core competence literature are drawn to develop a competence based corporate brand model. Thus a statement highlighting these discourses was presented to define a competence based brand. Accenture’s corporate advertisement was deconstructed through semiotic method – to strengthen the suggested definition. It is hoped that this paper would advance ongoing debate on the concept of corporate branding