Simon Knox

The six conventions of corporate branding

This paper considers the emerging focus in both academic and practitioner literature on the concept of the corporate brand and argues that the underlying generative mechanisms and processes that enable successful corporate brand management are not clearly understood. Based on the findings of recent fieldwork, the authors outline six new conventions for understanding the processes of nurturing and managing a corporate brand and discuss the implications of these conventions for the emergent theory of corporate brand management. Evidence from this work has also led the authors to propose a more holistic definition of the corporate brand, “the visual, verbal and behavioural expression of an organisations unique business model”.

Cross-functional issues in the implementation of relationship marketing through customer relationship management

There is a major change in the way companies organise themselves as firms switch from product-based to customer-based structures. A key driver of this change is the advent of Customer Relationship Management which, underpinned by information systems convergence and the development of supporting software, promises to significantly improve the implementation of Relationship Marketing principles. In this paper we explore the three main issues that can enable (or hinder) the development of Customer Relationship Management in the service sector; the organisational issues of culture and communication, management metrics and cross-functional integration -- especially between marketing and information technology.

Store loyalty: its impact on retail revenue. An empirical study of purchasing behaviour in the UK

Abstract In this paper, we present some significant empirical findings about store loyalty and consumer spending in the United Kingdom across five retail sectors. Our findings are presented at two levels: Firstly, we compared loyalty levels across retail sectors in the UK and identified that home improvement stores generate the lowest levels of consumer loyalty. Secondly, by disaggregating the data by loyalty types, we found that, while loyal shoppers tend to have smaller monthly budgets than switchers, they spend double the amount in their “first choice” store. All our results highlight the importance of developing a corporate approach to managing customer loyalty in retailing.

Positioning and branding your organisation

Opens by exploring the changing relationship between customer value and how it has been traditionally interpreted within the organisation. Business leaders today acknowledge that the traditional 4Ps approach to brand marketing needs to be transformed in order to realise a broader vision of customer value across the organisation. Argues that it is the business leader who should be leading this transformation, as manager of the organisations brand and its values, as well as challenging the marketing department to redefine its role as brand custodians. Outlines a framework which enables senior management to develop superior customer value through branding and positioning their organisation and to deliver this value through its business processes. Uses practical examples to illustrate the use of this framework and concludes by considering whether or not the traditional marketing department is acting as a barrier when it comes to positioning and branding their organisation.

The boardroom agenda: developing the innovative organisation

This publication contains reprint articles for which IEEE does not hold copyright. Full text is not available on IEEE Xplore for these articles.

Empirical developments in the measurement of involvement, brand loyalty and their relationship in grocery markets

The paper reports on a research design that attempts to integrate prior theory on consumer involvement and brand loyalty in a longitudinal study of grocery product purchasing. Using a previously identified and validated measure of involvement, and separate measures of brand commitment and support to capture the dimensionality of brand loyalty, the relationship between the two constructs was estimated using LISREL. We report on our main finding which confirms the existence of a weak but significant relationship between involvement and brand loyalty in grocery markets. The implications of this for marketing theory and practice are discussed and future research directions signposted.

Measuring risk‐adjusted customer lifetime value and its impact on relationship marketing strategies and shareholder value

Purpose – The calculations which underlie efforts to balance marketing spending on customer acquisition and customer retention are usually based on either single‐period customer profitability or forecasts of customer lifetime value (CLTV). This paper argues instead for risk‐adjusted CLTV, which is termed the economic value (EV) of a customer, as the means for marketing to assess both customer profitability and shareholder value gains.Design/methodology/approach – Reports on the empirical measurement of EV of customers through a collaborative case study analysis of business‐to‐business relationships in the financial service industry.Findings – One direct consequence of measuring this risk and the EV of key account customers was a customer portfolio review which led to changes in their relationship marketing strategies and improvements in shareholder value for the firm.Practical implications – Selective customer retention through lifetime value analysis and a risk‐adjustment process may be the means for dev...

Customer advocacy and brand development

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to define and explore the strategic value of customer advocacy through the lens of the brand management literature.Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews recent analysis of the value and vulnerabilities of brands and branding in order to understand why customer advocacy is becoming an attractive strategic option for many firms. A model of empowered consumer value drivers is constructed to demonstrate how they are becoming an important source of brand value. A framework for brand management in a customer advocacy context is introduced and examples of companies pursuing advocacy‐based strategies and practices are illustrated.Findings – Through careful brand management, customer advocacy is capable of unlocking new consumer value.Originality/value – The paper offers a discussion of the opportunities presented to brand management when developing customer advocacy.

New trends in innovation and customer relationship management: a challenge for market researchers

For decades, one of the key roles of market research has been to help companies forecast customer acceptance of innovation and of changes to the market mix (the 4 Ps). However, traditional market research is in danger of being left behind by new practices in Sales, Marketing and R & D. Reflecting an increasingly participative approach to customer relationships, these disciplines are moving towards customer involvement and co-creation of value rather than innovation mainly generated by head office and only then tested among customers (Roberts, Baker and Walker, 2005). Co-creation involves working participatively with customers to enhance the value customers get when buying and using goods and services. It enables firms to understand and respond to deeper and more valuable customer needs and reduces the inherent risks of innovation. Nor is this increasing trend towards co-creation limited to new product introduction. As companies invest in customer relationship management (CRM) programmes, they need to design new forms of relationships with those directly affected: their customers. As customers use internet-related technologies to manage their relationships with suppliers, co-creation will become a more important component of innovation and growth strategies. In this context, traditional market research approaches begin to look outdated. The authors illustrate how Action Research can provide tools and methods by which market researchers can assist and improve the co-creation process with a case study of a dot.com company. The implications for market researchers and research practices are identified.

Dynamic capabilities: the missing link in CRM investments

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the practical application of dynamic capabilities theory to improve investment decisions in customer relationship management (CRM).Design/methodology/approach – Action research (AR) allows managers to raise the tacit knowledge of their dynamic capabilities to a level where they can be identified and developed. A framework and a process for managing dynamic capabilities in marketing are presented.Findings – The findings relate to the nature of dynamic capabilities in marketing and how they are managed.Practical implications – Marketing managers can improve the return on investments in CRM.Originality/value – The paper presents a method for applying dynamic capabilities drawn from the resource‐based view (RBV) to practical marketing problems.