Corporate branding – An evolving concept

Corporate branding basically represents a relatively simple idea, that the organization and everything it stands for is mobilized to interact with the stakeholders the organization wants to reach and engage them in dialogue. However, if one reflects on this perception, it becomes clear that corporate branding, due to its strategic, integrated and longitudinal foundation, is a deeply paradoxical concept. This may be the very reason why the first wave of corporate branding was driven by promises of changes to practice, rather than conceptual development. Corporate branding was translated into practice before the conceptual foundation was sufficiently clarified. Corporate branding processes were often initiated by top management. Despite this, responsibility for executing and maintaining the corporate brand, was often to the marketing function. Marketing naturally played an important role in communicating who the organization is and what it stands for. But by positioning corporate branding exclusively in the domain of marketing, the risk arose that corporate branding became anchored in a short-term and tactical focus.