Enhancing data collection methods with qualitative projective techniques in the exploration of a university’s brand identity and brand image

This paper focuses on assessing the capabilities of projective techniques, in gaining a deeper insight into complex university corporate brands. In particular we will explore identities and how these might align with brand images in different departments and faculties. There are explicit calls for further research on projective techniques in new contexts in particular, and where and when they are most useful during data collection. Responding to this gap in the literature, this study adopts a two-staged approach to the research design utilising qualitative projective techniques as a supplement to more traditional methods of data collection. This paper provides an updated matrix on how qualitative projective techniques can be better utilised during the planning, research and analysis stages of research in different contexts. This can be employed to assist inexperienced and experienced individuals with projective techniques during the planning, research and analysis stages of research into corporate brands

Creating and developing local political brand identity: a constituency focus

Political brands are complex multilayered entities that can be segmented into corporate political brands otherwise known as Parties and individual-sub political brands often conceptualised as individual politicians and candidates (Cwalina and Falkowski 2014; De Landtsheer and De Vries, 2015; Milewicz and Milewicz 2014; Speed, Butler and Colins 2015). Research into individual-sub political brands has received little attention compared with corporate political brands with calls for more research dedicated to individual-sub political brands. This is particularly the case with studies on political brand identity. Political brand identity is seen as the internal view or reality of the organisation and focuses on how the entity projects itself to the external audience. Further, leading authors within the field call for more day-to-day and non-traditional focus within political marketing and investigate how political brands are positioned are needed (Needham and Smith 2015; O’Cass 2001; Ormrod, Henneberg, Forward, Miller, and Tymms 2007). More specifically, Pich and Dean (2015) call for more insight and understanding into the individual-sub political brands in order to ascertain and strategically utilise their potential of building long term relationships with voters. Responding to the identified gap in the body of knowledge, this paper seeks to explore how individual-sub (local) political brand identity is created and developed from an internal orientation following the 2015 UK General Election. This study highlights a distinct case study of a Member of Parliament of the UK Conservative Party. This will offer insight into the sub-brand political brand and assess consistency with the corporate political brand. Further, this study will provide unique first-hand perspectives of how identity is created, developed and maintained within the political environment. The findings have implications not only for political parties but also for politicians, candidates and other political entities. The paper will review and refine the concept of local-sub political brands and illustrate how to investigate the internal orientation of individual political brands. This study will demonstrate that individual political brands can be tailored to address the wants and needs of each unique constituency yet remain consistent with the corporate political brand

Exploring the creation and development of political co-brand identity: a multi-case study approach

Purpose: Research on the creation and development of candidate-politician brands otherwise known as political co-brands remains an under-researched area of study. This is supported by calls for more understanding on political co-brands and how they are positioned and managed by their creators. Framed by the concepts of internal brand identity and co-branding, this study investigates how political co-brand identity is constructed and managed over time, exploring alignment between the political co-brand and political corporate party brand. Methodological Approach: An interpretivist revelatory multi-case study approach, utilising in-depth interviews, was conducted with three political co-brands [candidates-politicians] from the UK Conservative Party. The three cases represented constituencies across the United Kingdom from the North, Midlands and South of the country. The in-depth elite interviews were conducted July 2015 to September 2015. Methodological triangulation was also adopted to assess the coherency of emerging themes with online and offline materials and documents. A two stage thematic analytical approach was utilised to interpret the findings. Findings: This multiple case study demonstrates how successful political co-brands create and develop identities tailored to their constituency, often distinct from the corporate political brand and developed several years before electoral success at the ballot box. In addition, this study reveals that political co-brands are dichotomous in terms of strategically managing a degree of alignment with the corporate political brand yet maintaining a degree of independence. Originality/value: This study has implications for brands beyond the world of politics. Brands can adopt the political co-brand identity framework developed in this study as a pragmatic tool to investigate internally created co-brand identity and explore alignment with the corporate party brand identity. In addition, this research adds to the limited research on non-fictitious co-brands and co-branding literature at large and addresses the calls for more research on brand identity in new settings

Investigating political brand reputation with qualitative projective techniques

Corporate brands can be seen as an amalgamation of three related yet distinct elements namely internal identity, external image and external reputation (Balmer and Greyser 2003; Harris and de Chernatony 2001; Spry 2014). Existing research has tended to focus on internal identity and external image with very few studies devoted to the exploration of external reputation and how the concept relates to external image. A strong, clear consistent reputation has the potential to offer a competitive advantage and is considered an organisation's most valuable asset (Dowling 1993; Firestein 2006; Spry 2014). Therefore understanding a corporate brand’s reputation is surely crucial in determining consistency with short-term image and coherency with identity and assessing its overall authenticity. This paper will examine the interrelatedness of corporate reputation and image within the context of political branding. However, this also raises the question of how to investigate external brand reputation. A number of authors (Fombrun and van Riel; 2004; Davies et al, 2001) draw on metaphors for reputation such as Davies et al (2001) who use the metaphor "magnet" as reputation helps attract different types of stakeholders. To add to the body of knowledge, this pa'er seeks to generate insight into the UK Conservative Party’s brand reputation prior the 2015 UK General Election, building on the work of Pich et al (2015) who used qualitative projective techniques to understand the Conservative Party's brand's image before the 2010 UK General Election. The paper will offer insight into the political brand’s current reputation and reveal how the external image has influenced its development over the five year electoral cycle. The findings have implications not only for political parties but also for politicians, candidates and other political entities as this study offers a framework that not only supports the understanding of political brand reputation but outlines how the brand image has contributed to the way in which it has developed over the last 5 years. The paper will review and refine the concept of brand reputation and illustrate how to investigate the external orientation of a corporate brand. This study will demonstrate that qualitative projective techniques can be a useful tool to explore more than a brand’s image but also a brand's long-term reputation

The evolving nature of political brands: a comparative study exploring the internal and external brand orientations of David Cameron’s Conservative Party from 2010 to 2015

This paper seeks to build an understanding of the relationship between the communicated brand identity and understood political brand image of the UK Conservative Party. This is supported by the exploration of the applicability of Kapferer’s brand identity prism (2008) and brand image framework (Bosch et al. 2006) to the context of political marketing. Despite this research demonstrating the problematic nature of transferring concepts of brand identity and brand image to the political environment, this research develops an improved and focused framework to explore internal and external orientations of political brands. The findings have implications not only for political parties but also for politicians, candidates and other political entities. Organisations will be able to generate a deeper understanding of their brands from an internal and external orientation and investigate whether their projected brand identity is coherent with the understood external brand image

Managing higher education brands with an emerging brand architecture: the role of shared values and competing brand identities

Corporate branding is a strategic issue for universities as the global higher education (HE) marketplace is becoming increasingly competitive and there is pressure to differentiate. Yet it is unclear how universities develop and manage brand strategies, and whether they draw upon any meaningful connections to the multiple stakeholders and sub-cultures engaged with a university’s brand. Using qualitative data gathered from an education faculty within an established UK university, this study found the faculty and university had competing brand identities and images. A strong faculty brand emerged co-created through the shared teacher related values of staff and external partners. This study contributes to the brand strategy literature by applying branding concepts to the under-researched HE context and proposing a new, more nuanced brand architecture model not yet reported in the branding literature which more accurately reflects the management of sub and corporate HE brands