A PROPOSED INTEGRATIVE FRAMEWORK OF CORPORATE BRAND IDENTITY

The purpose of the paper is to provide an integrated conceptual framework showing how corporate brand equity is generated. It builds upon a number of previous studies which have focused upon specific aspects of brand equity and integrates these within a more comprehensive model. It is based upon a review of the corporate branding, consumer psychology and strategy literature. The result is the construction of a number of sub-models and an overall proposed framework which integrates internal and external determinants of consumer-based corporate brand equity and combines these within a comprehensive framework. The model encompasses internal, company-determined, variables, a Stimulus-Organism-Response model, the stakeholder cognitive perception process, a number of mediating variables such as corporate performance, industry sector and internationality, and the resulting impact upon corporate reputation and brand equity. As a conceptual paper, further work will be required for empirical validation, although it does have management implications by means of its integrative nature. The originality of the work is that it is both comprehensive and it puts forward an integrative model which goes beyond previous work which has focused upon specific aspects of corporate brand value. It also analyses the links between the different constructs and the directions of causality and influence.