Brand, Identity and Reputation: Exploring, Creating New Realities ...

A Framework for Public Sector Branding
Ramesh Venkat, Saint Mary‘s University, Canada
Introduction
Governments at all levels worldwide are faced with the challenge of improving effectiveness, having to deliver more
services under resource constraints and satisfying citizens have greater expectations based on their experience in the
private sector (Jordon, 2005; Martin 2010; Zampetakis & Moustakis, 2007). Greater responsiveness to citizen needs and
accountability are at the heart of many public sector and governmental reforms (Aucoin & Davis, 2005; Pollit &
Bouckaert, 2000; Thomas, 2007; Thompson, 1993).
As public sector organisations look to improve their performance and effectiveness they have turned to the marketing
concept (Kotler & Lee, 2007; Whalen et al., 2010). We see evidence of marketing orientation in public sector
organisations that have a trading or business orientation such as postal services, state or provincial liquor commissions
and national airlines (e.g., Graham, 1995; Daniels, 2007). Yet, most public sector organizations lack formal marketing
planning processes as well as a focus on client needs when developing or delivering services (CEPM, 2006). The
American Customer Satisfaction Index rating for public sector in 2009 was about 68.7, whereas across all sectors the
national index stood at approximately 76 (see www.theacsi.org), which suggests that public sector organisations have a
long way to go in their pursuit of customer and market orientation.
Based on a review of relevant literature and a case study, this paper proposes a general framework for public sector
branding. It is hoped this will assist public sector organisations as well as trigger scholarly interest in this topic.
Significance of Brand Building
The Context
The public sector context is quite different from the private sector, as outlined in Table 1. Given their monopoly,
establishing the need for customer orientation or brand building can be a hard sell. Traditional definitions of brand
(such as the AMA definition, which focuses on visual elements and differentiation from competition) make little sense
to public sector executives. It is, therefore, proposed that the brand be defined as the consumer‘s or citizen‘s perception
of the overall reputation of the organization. Everything that the organization does – how well it meets the needs of its
customers, how well it treats its clients and the overall experience it provides – will determine this perception.
The view of brand as salience has been instrumental in establishing many of today‘s leading consumer brands,
especially low-involvement brands (Miller & Berry, 1998; Romaniuk & Sharp, 2004). ―Brand as image‖ perspective
holds that consumers gravitate to brands that match their current or aspirational self-image (Aaker, 1996; Miller &
Berry, 1998; Kuksov, 2007). This works for higher involvement products. A third perspective is that brand is nothing
but reputation of the product or the firm (e.g., Chong, 2007; Milewicz & Herbig, 1994).
―Brand as a reputation‖ will require every part of the organization working together to deliver customer experience that
is consistent with the brand promise. This will require an organization-wide effort, unlike the salience view which is
largely communications driven. Salience and image building as the basis for brand building makes little sense in public
sector, where competition and the need to differentiate do not exist. The three perspectives on brand are compared in
Table 2.
Role of Brand in Public Sector
If differentiation or influencing choice is not the reason for building a brand, why should public sector organisations
engage in brand building?
Criticism Regarding Accountability. Public sector organizations in many countries are undergoing changes to become
more accountable (e.g., Aucoin & Davis, 2005; Jordon, 2005; OECD, 2002). They are also attempting to become more
customer or citizen-centric (Chen, Yu & Chang, 2005; Whalen et al., 2010). The criticism faced by governmental
agencies for being uncaring and wasteful is now leading them to be concerned with reputation management. A focus on
brand can provide these organisations a process for managing reputation with key stakeholders.
Threat of Privatization. Many public sector organisations in domains such as utilities, telecommunications, postal
services, health care, among others, have been privatized or face the threat of privatization. Organisations that lack
customer orientation and a coherent brand strategy will be ill-prepared for such a scenario. Forward looking public
sector organisations can use potential privatization as a motivation for bringing a strong brand orientation (cf. Landor
1999).
Building Customer or Citizen Relationships. For customers served by public sector organisations, the superior
reputation of an organization can lead to greater trust. Trust in public sector may not be declining (Van de Walle, Van
Roosbroek, & Bouckaert, 2008), but it remains low in industrialized countries (Edelman Trust Barometer 2010). Trust
is a vital component of a long-term relationship between a service provider and the customer (e.g., Morgan & Hunt,
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