The internal brand in leading UK charities

Abstract

The internal brand refers to the employee perspective of a brand. It is an area of focus that has received scant attention from both academics and practitioners, particularly in the charity sector. This study, by contrast, seeks to redress this imbalance by exploring senior management views of the internal brand in some of the UK's leading charities, those whose level of voluntary income makes them one of the 100 highest “earners” in the UK. Compared with classical, product‐led definitions, the internal brand proved more complex, comprising four fundamental components: the functional, symbolic, behavioural, and experiential. The study demonstrated several uses for the internal brand including unifying the workforce around a common purpose, acting as a catalyst for change and contributing to the professionalisation of the charity sector. “Managing by brand” was thought to imply a brand‐centric focus that allowed senior managers to manage beyond the legal and organisational requirements of the job. It was noted that the internal brand should work in tandem with the external brand, an ideal referred to as “joined‐up“ branding or the management of consistency across all points of interaction.

Citation

Hankinson, P. (2004), "The internal brand in leading UK charities", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 13 No. 2, pp. 84-93. https://doi.org/10.1108/10610420410529717