Corporate Branding for Start-ups: The Crucial Role of Entrepreneurs
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Volume 8 Number 2
Corporate Branding for Start-ups: The Crucial Role of Entrepreneurs Verena Rode Special Advisor at Atos Origin, Belgium Christine Vallaster University of Giessen, Germany and University of Innsbruck, Austria
ABSTRACT The aim of this contribution is to analyze the development of a corporate brand in the early phases of start-ups. In particular, this paper looks at processes that occur due to decisions regarding corporate culture, corporate behavior, corporate design and corporate communication. Start-ups or new business ventures provide a specific context to research corporate branding in its evolvement phases, as internal structures and processes do not yet exist. As empirically-based research in this area is very scant, the aim here is to close this gap by documenting results gathered from a qualitative research approach. The results show insights into how entrepreneurs develop their companies’ corporate identity by crystallizing the major challenges that occurred due to the specific context of new ventures. The paper advances contemporary knowledge by pointing towards the crucial role of the entrepreneur during the initial phases of corporate brand development.
KEYWORDS: Corporate branding, corporate identity, entrepreneurship, leadership, start-ups
INTRODUCTION Academics increasingly acknowledge that corporate branding refers to creating an organization’s unique characteristics (de Chernatony, 1999, 2001; Esch et al., 2004). Christensen and Askegaard (2001), for
instance, consider corporate branding as the total sum of organizational signs that are being transferred to its various audiences: through the core values for which the organization stands (Ind, 1997), the behavior of employees (Duncan and Moriarty, 1998; Bergstrom et al., 2002; Tomczak and Brexendorf, 2003), through all sets of symbolic representations regarding graphic designs (Abratt, 1989; Balmer, 1995; van Riel and Balmer, 1997) and finally, via all corporate communication towards internal and external stakeholders of the company (Argenti, 1998; Jablin and Putnam, 2001). Hence, the corporate brand conveys essence, culture, character and purpose of a company. It is the heart and soul of the company from which all outward expressions emanate (Ind, 1997). Following Aaker and Joachimsthaler (2000), corporate branding is a holistic process, one that is planned, strategically focused and fully integrated. Contemporary discussions evolving around corporate brand management issues widely focus on already established companies (de Chernatony and Daniels, 1994; LePla and Parker, 1999; Esch et al., 2004). Researching the first development phases of a corporate brand has so far attracted only limited attention. Start-ups or new business ventures provide a specific context to research corporate branding in its evolvement phases, as inter-
Corporate Reputation Review, Vol. 8, No. 2, 2005, pp. 121–135 # Henry Stewart Publications, 1363–3589
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Corporate Branding for Start-ups: The Crucial Role of Entrepreneurs
nal structures and proce
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