Myfanwy Trueman

Corporate branding: analysis of a city communication strategy

This exploratory research examines how corporate communications can influence stakeholder perceptions to enhance or detract from the city as a brand. It uses the UK city of Bradford as a case study and adopts theoretical concepts of product and corporate branding. Balmers AC2ID test of corporate identity is applied to identify gaps in the Citys official communications strategy, revealing conflicting messages between local government policy and different stakeholder groups. This analysis points to the need for positive visual evidence of change, such as an improved built environment in the city centre. The analysis may have value for policy‐makers in the UK and elsewhere who seek to improve community and stakeholder relationships. This research may also help to promote an honest approach towards branding cities as well as providing the potential for an enhanced brand value.

Examining the Effect of Market Orientation on Innovativeness

For the past decade innovativeness, as opposed to innovation, has received considerable attention in the academic literature as well as the corporate arena because it is considered to promote a competitive advantage. This study examines the link between innovativeness and performance of SMEs in the Swiss watch industry, in terms of customer orientation, competition orientation and inter-functional coordination. It uses performance measures such as market share, percentage of new product sales to total sales and return on investment (ROI), and has developed a new research scale of innovativeness. The results show that customer orientation has a positive effect on performance as well as the level of innovativeness in each company. There are also strategic implications for CEOs and managers as far as the methodological limitations and future research directions are concerned.

A Cross-Industry Review of B2B Critical Success Factors.

Business‐to‐business international Internet marketing (B2B IIM) has emerged as one of the key drivers in sustaining an organisation’s competitive advantage. However, market entry and communication via the Internet have affected the dynamics and traditional process in B2B commerce. Difficulties resulting from these new trends have been cited in the literature. Research into identifying what are the critical success factors for global market entry is rare. This research presents a comprehensive review in this field. The study identified 21 critical success factors applicable to most of the B2B IIM. These factors were classified into five categories: marketing strategy, Web site, global, internal and external related factors. The significance, importance and implications for each category are discussed and then recommendations are made.

Factors affecting the success of business‐to‐business international Internet marketing (B‐to‐B IIM): an empirical study of UK companies

Business‐to‐business international Internet marketing is one of the key drivers in sustaining an organisation’s competitive advantage. The challenge for organisations today is to understand the factors that play a critical role in utilising Internet capabilities and their implications on business strategic objectives to enable them to compete successfully in the electronic age. Proposes 33 critical factors classified into five categories and validated empirically through a sample of 123 UK companies. Discusses the significance, importance and implications for each category and makes recommendations.

Competing through design

Abstract Companies may have difficulty in adapting design as a strategic tool in industrial competition if they do not have an understanding of its meaning and value in practice. Part of the problem stems from the lack of a clear typology of design dimensions and attributes—the equivalent of marketings 4 “P”s (Lorenz 1995). This research provides a fresh look at the design factor and a new typology and framework that will allow companies to analyse and adapt their values, image, process and production (VIPPs), thereby gaining competitive advantage by design.

Potential for Innovativeness: a tale of the Swiss watch industry

This conceptual paper investigates the way in which some Swiss watch firms respond to innovativeness, their capacity to innovate, and their engagement in the innovation process. A purposeful (judgmental) stratified sampling method was employed, where in-depth interviews with thirteen marketing managers and owners, was carried out over a three-month period. Meaning units (MUs) were abstracted, to compare and discuss with the interviewees until a basic agreement of terms could be made. By providing tangible evidence of qualitative statements, this research suggests that if decision makers wish to influence business performance, they need to be aware of this comprehensive insight into the potential for innovativeness.

The Internet: new international marketing issues

The Internet provides a fundamentally different environment for international marketing and requires a different approach. Now it is unrealistic to apply the same marketing strategies without making some modifications to be appropriate to the electronic edge. This paper touches on the effect of international Internet marketing (IIM) on the marketing mix and explains the need for a new marketing paradigm. The aim is to determine some building blocks in the new marketing paradigm.

Effect of customer orientation and innovativeness on business performance: a study of small-sized service retailers

While researchers have explored the relationship between customer orientation and innovativeness with business performance in different organisations, such studies in small-sized service retailers are scarce. This study investigates potential influences of these two variables on small-sized service retailer performance. Data for this study were collected through personal interviews from 174 Swiss small-sized service retailers to examine the interrelation between innovativeness, customer orientation and service business performance dimensions (i.e., profit goal achievement, sales goal achievement and ROI achievement). The findings are mixed with prior research, but provide a new insight by exploring customer orientation and innovativeness, and how these factors impact upon the performance of small-sized service retailers. In the light of existing literature, the implications of our findings for service managers and owners, the studys limitations and future research directions are subsequently addressed.

Building brand value online: exploring relationships between company and city brands

Purpose – The aim of this research is to investigate how local company web sites can contribute towards the value and characteristics of city brands online, particularly where post‐industrial cities are concerned, and to establish a predictive model for this.Design/methodology/approach – Interviews were conducted to gain an understanding of how post‐industrial city brands can be influenced by local companies, leading to the notion of a “constructed” city brand. An overarching brand model was developed based on the works of Christodoulides et al. and Merrilees and Fry and a survey of company web sites conducted. Structural equation modelling was then fitted to these data.Findings – Trustworthiness, responsiveness, online experience and emotional connection were confirmed as dimensions of company online brand value. It was further shown that company brand and constructed city brand are influenced by customer perceptions of brand value. Company brand was not, however, related to constructed city brand for th...

Perceptions of innovativeness among Iranian hotel managers

Purpose – Despite the undisputed importance of organizational innovation and decades of academic research on the subject, there is surprisingly little agreement on what innovativeness is or how to achieve successful innovation in practice. Furthermore, the difference between the theory and practice is often interpreted in an ad hoc manner, which limits the potential for innovation to provide a competitive advantage. This research aims to explore perceptions of innovativeness from the perspective of senior managers in the hotel industry from a sample of 11 high-class hotels located in the developing country of Iran. Design/methodology/approach – A stratified purposeful sampling method will be employed, in which in-depth interviews with top managers and owners will be carried out over a five-month period. Meaning units (MUs) will be extracted, which are compared and discussed with the interviewees until a basic agreement of terms can be made. Findings – The findings relate to themes such as Leavitts diamon...