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

Research questions and methodology
This study looks at corporate brand management and links a corporation‘s brand identity to family values. It focuses on
management who try to establish a "family feel". Brand identity content can be detected either in a actual,
communicated or even ideal identity (see Balmers AC 3 ID Test, Balmer, Stuart & Greyser 2009).
The key question, this study addresses, is: ‗When and why does family add value and act as a differentiator between
brands?‘ To answer this question this paper initially examines the extent to which family is currently being used as a
differentiator. The research is based on a case sample of four different industries. All cases are discussed within a
proposed framework that comprises family feel indicators observable through secondary research. To explore this topic
we have developed a framework to identify if a company presents a family ‗feel‘ either externally or internally through
branding and communication (Memili, Kimberly, Kellermanns, Zellweger & Barnett 2010).
Understanding weather a family feel is used as part of a corporation‘s identity will lead to us addressing the following
key questions surrounding family and brand management: (1) Should management address ‗family‘ as a value? (2) Is
family a differantiator? (3) Should a corporation adopted by a family focus on its (face) value? (4) Can management
play the family value and are there risks of overplaying it? (5) How much should ‗family‘ be emphasised by the
corporate brand? (6) When and why does a true and sustainable family feel add value to the corporate brand? (7) When
does family brand value have a positive influence on the leadership of the company? (8) And how to play "family" into
the internal and external perception of the company?
Family businesses can be found in almost all industries. For our research we selected four sectors; retail, construction
materials, health care and banking. All of these industries are global and established in almost all markets. Between our
four sectors we represent both business to consumer and business to business concerns.
Findings and practical implications
The findings un-earthed following the initial secondary research that this article presents will not tell us definitively
when and how family adds value to a business. What it gives instead is a set of "indicators" that allow us to identify the
presence of a "family feel" within any organisation. These "indicators" lead to a framework in which family business
and brand management will be discussed. At this level of findings, indicators are split into external and internal usage.
External indicators: (1) Family founding name included in company name: Made via an unconscious decision or
planned by management, naming can evoke a specific family feel, even if family members are not part of the company
anymore. (2) Family referred to the company‘s values: The family represents a specific attitude to business and it is part
of external communication and approach to business. (3) Family story prominent in company history: The personal
story of the family is directly linked to the corporate brand and used in external communication. (4) The notion of
family used by external communications: Family as a stereotype is used in advertising and corporate communications.
(5) Family imagery or films used: Portrayal of family imagery in branded external communcation. (6) Brand symbols
and are directly linked to the family (i.e. a signature logo)
Internal indicators: (1) Family members present in management: Owners concentrate on internal management. (2)
Family members present in supervisory board: Family presence is limited to corporate governance and not used
regularly in public and management. (3) Family name included in company name: Family is part of the heritage without
being involved in actual management and ownership. (4) Family values referred to in recruitment information: Family
values are strongly used throughout the entire recruitment processes. (5) The notion of family used by internal
communications or initiatives: i.e. celebrating corporate anniversaries are strongly linked to a sense of family. (6)
Family imagery or films used for recruitment: A sense of family is part of the recruitment argument.
The key finding is a framework that can lead to aiding management decisions within family owned business or be used
as a platform for further research about corporate family heritage and brand management. Summarising the results of
the study, it detects several major gaps in regards to companies presenting a non-coherent internal and external family
feel which present avenues for further exploration around brand alignment and authenticity.
Amongst other cases the study presents finding in which strong family businesses only use a family approach internally.
In terms of their external communicated brand identity (Balmer et al. 2009) other values and stereotypes are used and
replace any outward family feel. This situation causes important brand management issues that should be explored and
addressed.
An even more dramatic situation is described in the study when a family feel is used externally despite the fact that
there is no family present within the business. The gap of authenticity stretches the brand across customer and
stakeholder expectations. Such an approach needs to be managed carefully from a brand perspective in order to satisfy
all relevant parties.
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