Corporate marketing: insights and integration drawn from corporate branding, corporate identity, corporate communication, corporate reputation and visual identification

Citation

Balmer, J.M.T. and Mukherjee, A. (2006), "Corporate marketing: insights and integration drawn from corporate branding, corporate identity, corporate communication, corporate reputation and visual identification", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 40 No. 7/8. https://doi.org/10.1108/ejm.2006.00740gaa.001

Corporate marketing: insights and integration drawn from corporate branding, corporate identity, corporate communication, corporate reputation and visual identification

Tempus fugit! Revisiting past special editions of the EJM devoted to corporate-level concerns (1997, 2001 and 2003) is a humbling as well as a revelatory exercise. In part, it mirrors the general acceptance of corporate-level constructs within the mainstream of marketing. For instance, we are reminded that next year will mark the 20th anniversary of Walter Margulies’ article on corporate visual identification in the Harvard Business Review and that this year marks the 50th anniversary of Boulding’s (1956) The Image. At the same time we observe that there has been comparatively little integration in terms of the various corporate-level constructs of corporate identity, image, branding and corporate communications. There are, of course, notable exceptions. A key aim of this special edition was to provide a platform whereby integrative approaches in corporate marketing research and scholarship can be highlighted. This, in part, reflects one of the objectives of the EJM special edition of 2001, which also had corporate marketing as a sub theme.

To its credit, this journal has provided one of the principal platforms on the global stage relating to corporate marketing scholarship and associated areas. The EJM has done much to highlight the work of British (Boulding, deChernatony, Kennedy) European (Moingeon, Ramanantsoa, Urde, Van Riel) and Commonwealth (Abratt, Leitch, Melewar, Motion) scholars who have made important contributions to the area. We are reminded that it was back in 1977 that Sherril Kennedy’s seminal study on corporate image formation appeared in the EJM and which clearly revealed the efficacy of integrating multiple perspectives. Twenty years on, a similar perspective informed many of the articles that appeared in EJM’s special edition devoted to corporate identity (Balmer and Van Riel, 1997). We believe that this special edition takes forward the enviable legacy bequeathed to us by the EJM. Previous special editions have included articles that were (and have remained) influential and this special edition is likely to continue in this vein.

However, what is clear, both then and now, is that there is still a reluctance (albeit an understandable one) to move towards a panoptic view of the area with most authors perceiving the area through one or several lenses. The majority of articles in this special edition focus on important concepts of corporate marketing and encompass corporate identity and the management of corporate brands, along with related concepts like visual identity, corporate communications and organisational identity.

Some eight articles have been accepted for this special edition with the majority of articles (the first five) focussing on the nascent area of corporate brand management. The final three articles focus on various aspects relating to corporate identity.

However, in the opening Commentary by Balmer and Greyser, the embryonic area of corporate marketing comes under their scrutiny. Drawing on some of the key literature relating to the history of marketing thought the authors argue that the application of marketing to organisations in their totality represents a trend that is likely to grow in significance. Their article introduces a simplified corporate marketing mix and places this in the context of the earliest corporate marketing mix dating back to 1998. This article provides much food for thought.

The notion of the strong corporate brand represents the principal motif in the opening article by Mark Kay. Kay notes that although the logic of the “strong brand” has been influential in the general understanding of brand management, this presents a number of distinctive challenges in terms of corporate brand management which is a relatively unexplored area of marketing. For instance, he argues that particular importance should be accorded to issues of corporate social responsibility.

The article by Vallaster and de Chernatony highlights the role of corporate leadership in corporate brand building. Their research findings reveal the importance of corporate identity and employee affinity in relation to the aforementioned.

One of the major difficulties confronting organisations is the management of corporate brand alliances and this forms the basis of the article by Henrik Uggla. As a means of assisting marketing managers with this task, a conceptual model is introduced.

Muzellec and Lambkin in their article explore the phenomena of corporate re-branding which is not an uncommon feature of the business environment, but one that is fraught with difficulty all the same. It can be a risky as well as an expensive undertaking. As a means of overcoming some of the inherent difficulties of the above, the authors make reference to the key aspects of the process as reflected in their conceptual framework.

A comparative study of Western and Oriental approaches to corporate brand management is the focus of the study undertaken by Souiden, Kassim and Hong. Although there is a general global consensus as to the determinants of corporate brand building, the weighting accorded to these is different in different cultures. As a consequence, bespoke branding strategies are called for in different cultural settings.

In the first of three articles on corporate identity, Melewar and Karaosmanoglu explore the dimensions of corporate identity. Research drawing on interviews with 32 managers revealed considerable divergence in the determinants of corporate identity. Most equated corporate identity with visual identification. This does of course represent only one school of thought relating to corporate identity and is markedly different from marketing scholarship in British, Continental and Commonwealth contexts that focus on the distinctive and defining characteristics of an organisation. Interestingly, there was not a consensus as to whether corporate culture was a product or determinant of corporate identity but does, all the same, highlight the importance of corporate culture.

The management of visual identity is the principal theme of the article by van den Bosch, Elving and de Jong. In their study undertaken within 20 Dutch companies, it was found that visual identification reflected organisational characteristics (what many scholars would call corporate identity). This being the case, their study revealed that the management of visual identification was seen as a communications-led activity with managers having considerable latitude in terms of its management.

The identity-building process formed the area of inquiry undertaken by Bronn, Engell and Martinsen. The findings from their case study research revealed that the identity building process was dependent on consistency in corporate communications and employee support.

The “Academic perspective” section of this special edition reproduces a guest lecture delivered at the University of Southern California by Professor Stephen Greyser. The lecture stresses the importance of corporate communications in the management and maintenance of corporate brands. The lecture draws on collaborative work undertaken by Professor Greyser along with Professor Mats Urde (Lund University, Sweden) and Professor John Balmer (Bradford School of Management, UK), which examined the institution of monarchy through the lens of corporate branding.

This special edition is very much a collaborative endeavour. Each of the four guest editors agreed to take on particular roles. For instance, Professor Per Jenster kindly took responsibility for the book review section which comes at the end of this special edition. For his part, we are grateful to Professor Greyser who found time in his busy schedule to take the lead for the piece appearing in the Academic perspective section and for his collaborative endeavour with Professor Balmer in the opening Commentary on corporate marketing. Professor Mukherjee along with Professor Balmer shared responsibility for the administration of the reviewing process.

Finally, on behalf of our fellow editors we wish to thank the able team of reviewers who kindly reviewed the many articles that were submitted for this special edition. Their names, along with the names of the guest editors are given below. As befits the best traditions of the EJM both the reviewers and papers are international in scope. We believe that there is much here that will inform, challenge and delight. Read on and enjoy!

John M.T. Balmer, Avinandan Mukherjee

About the Guest Editors

John M.T. Balmer is Professor of Corporate Brand/Identity Management, Bradford University School of Management, Bradford, UK. His research focuses on a range of corporate-level marketing issues and has a particular interest in the management of corporate brands and identities. His work has been published in leading journals such as California Management Review, Long Range Planning, European Journal of Marketing, and International Studies of Management and Organizations. With Stephen Greyser he co-authored Revealing the Corporation (Routledge, 2003). He has served as a special advisor on corporate identity issues for the BBC, Mercedes Benz, the WPP Group and other organisations. Along with Professors Greyser (Harvard) and Urde (Lund University) he is involved in a major study on monarchies as corporate brands and unprecedented access has been given to Their Majesties the King and Queen of Sweden, The Crown Princess, and to Senior Courtiers. At BSM he conceived and developed the MBA elective on Corporate Marketing.

Avinandan Mukherjee is Professor of Marketing at the School of Business in Montclair State University, New Jersey, USA. Before joining Montclair State, Dr Mukherjee has taught at Penn State University (USA), University of Bradford (UK) and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore). Dr Mukherjee’s research interests include corporate level marketing, services marketing, and pharmaceutical and healthcare marketing. He has authored about 50 articles in refereed journals, conference proceedings, and edited books. His research has appeared in the Journal of Retailing, Journal of the Operational Research Society, Journal of Services Marketing, Journal of Marketing Management, International Journal of Advertising, International Journal of Bank Marketing, etc. Dr Mukherjee is the editor of the International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, guest editor for European Journal of Marketing and International Studies of Management and Organization, editorial board member of the Journal of Asia Pacific Marketing, and ad hoc reviewer for a variety of journals.

Stephen A. Greyser is Richard P. Chapman Professor of Business Administration (Marketing/Communications) Emeritus, Harvard Business School, former Harvard Business Review Editorial Board Chairman, and past Executive Director of the Marketing Science Institute. He specializes in branding, consumer marketing, and corporate communications. He is responsible for 16 books and monographs, most recently (2003) Revealing the Corporation: Perspectives on Identity, Image, Reputation, Corporate Branding, and Corporate-Level Marketing (with John M.T. Balmer); and over 300 published HBS case studies.

Per Jenster is Professor of Strategic Marketing, China Europe International Business School, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China and visiting professor of Copenhagen Business School, previously chairman of the MBA program, and a board member as well as consultant to a number of business organization in Europe and abroad. He was formerly on the marketing faculty of IMD, Lausanne, Switzerland, with responsibilities for teaching and research in the areas of strategic management and marketing. Prior to joining IMD, he resided nine years in the USA, during which time he was a faculty member at the University of Virginia, following completion of his doctoral studies in Strategic Management at the University of Pittsburgh in 1985. He also holds the degree of cand. oecon. from University of Aarhus. He has published more than 90 books and articles on strategic and business marketing issues.

Reviewers for special issue

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  Professor David Aaker, University of California at Berkeley, USA.

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  Professor Russell Abratt, Nova Southeastern University, Florida, USA.

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  Professor Roger Bennett, London Metropolitan University, UK.

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  Professor Hamid Bouchikhi, ESSEC, France.

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  Dr Abraham Carmeli, Bar-Ilan University, Israel.

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  Professor Craig Carroll, University of Southern California, USA.

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  Professor Scott Colwell, University of Guelph, Canada.

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  Professor Kevin Corley, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA.

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  Dr Joep Cornelissen, University of Leeds, UK.

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  Professor D. Todd Donovan, Kansas State University, USA

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  Professor Grahame Dowling, Australian Graduate School of Management.

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  Professor Christine Ennew, University of Nottingham, UK.

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  Dr Chris Fill, University of Portsmouth, UK.

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  Dr Greg Harris, Cass Business School, London, UK.

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  Dr Hong Wei He, University of Surrey, UK.

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  Professor Mark Hill, Montclair State University, NJ, USA.

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  Professor Mark Johnson, Montclair State University, NJ, USA.

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  Professor Michael A. Kamins, University of Southern California, USA.

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  Professor Philip Kitchen, Hull University, UK.

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  Dr Lin S. Lerpold, Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden.

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  Dr Neeru Malhotra, Aston University, UK.

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  Dr Jonathan Muir, Bradford School of Management, UK.

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  Professor Mary Beth Pinto, Penn State University, Erie, USA.

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  Dr Shaun Powell, Heriot-Watt University, UK.

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  Professor Devashish Pujari, McMaster University, Canada.

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  Dr Davide Ravasi, Bocconi University, Italy.

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  Dr Lynette Ryals, Cranfield University, UK.

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  Professor Richard J. Varey, University of Waikato, New Zealand.

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  Professor Jonathan Schroeder, University of Exeter, UK.

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  Professor Sankar Sen, Baruch College, CUNY, USA.

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  Dr Guillaume Soenen, Lyon Business School, France.

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  Dr Helen Stuart, The Catholic University of Australia, Australia.

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  Professor Frank Thevissen, University of Antwerp, Belgium.

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  Dr Myfanwy Trueman, Bradford School of Management, UK.

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  Professor Yoshi Tsurumi, Baruch College, CUNY, USA.

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  Dr Cleopatra Veloutsou, Glasgow University, Scotland.

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  Dr Jeroen van Wijk, Rotterdam School of Management, The Netherlands.