Review of the literature on the corporate brand: towards an integrative definition and management
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.n32a8Keywords:
Corporate brand, communication, marketing, content analysisAbstract
The corporate brand is an intangible and strategic asset of great value, related to concepts such as identity and image. This has led to it attracting the attention of several disciplines, not only communication. The purpose of this work is to identify those disciplines involved and their leading authors, to offer an integrative definition of the corporate brand, and to identify related concepts and the department(s) responsible for brand management. We aim to shed some light on the importance of the proper management of corporate brands. To this end, we have performed a systematic review of the academic papers published between 2016-2018. We have carried out a quantitative and qualitative content analysis of 112 academic publications in 66 journals, finding a scarce contribution from the field of communication when compared with those of management and marketing, with these latter fields providing the most frequently cited authors. Regarding the management of corporate brands, senior management and Marketing departments have the most prominent roles. However, the great variety of fields of study and the strategic value of corporate brands suggest the need for a multidisciplinary approach to managing and studying corporate branding.
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