Corporate brand building: Strategic key challenges and implementation

This aim of this paper is to analyse and provide an empirical insight into senior corporate brand managers perception of the main challenges currently facing them in the management of corporate brands. Qualitative research was conducted consisting of semi-structured, in-depth interviews with the senior corporate brand managers (or the managers identified by general management as being responsible for corporate brands) of major companies across different sectors with international and multibrand cover. The qualitative information was analysed using the case study method. Five challenges were identified as being key issues in corporate brand management: raising awareness amongst top management of the importance of the brand, optimising brand portfolio and architecture, developing the three dimensions of the corporate brand (functional, emotional, social), achieving a coherent, consistent introduction of the corporate brand strategy, and being able to measure and demonstrate the return on investment in corporate brands.