Conceptualising the notion of corporate brand covenant
| Published date | 21 September 2010 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/10610421011085721 |
| Pages | 410-422 |
| Date | 21 September 2010 |
| Author | Olutayo Otubanjo,Temi Abimbola,Olusanmi Amujo |
| Subject Matter | Marketing |
Conceptualising the notion of corporate
brand covenant
Olutayo Otubanjo
Lagos Business School, Pan African University, Lagos, Nigeria
Temi Abimbola
Warwick Business School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK, and
Olusanmi Amujo
Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Lagos, Nigeria
Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to theorise the concept of corporate brand covenant.
Design/methodology/approach – Christian theology is drawn on to define and identify the source of the notion of covenant. Similarly, a review of
the literature on the meaning and management of corporate branding is presented. Following a thorough review of the literature, the notion of a
corporate brand covenant is conceptualised and discussed. This is firmly supported by a semiotic deconstruction of a corporate advertisement from
HSBC.
Findings – Six important findings emerged from the study. The first is the Christian theological insight into the notion of covenant. This finding drew
the attention of corporate branding academics to the source of this phenomenon. Second, a total of six cardinal principles (initial scenario; a covenanter,
a covenant and a covenantee; the covenant is binding on all parties; the covenant is perpetual; the covenant is irreversible; the covenant stems from
God and is then handed on to man) were proposed. Third, a template highlighting how the biblical covenant is managed was conceptualised. Fourth,
six mandatory components of corporate branding: firm’s personality; corporate positioning; interactions; corporate communications; stakeholders;
corporate reputation/image; were identified. Fifth, an integrative framework highlighting the points of linkages between the biblical covenant and the
corporate brand-oriented covenant was developed. Sixth, a new definition of corporate brand covenant was suggested and supported by a semiotic
deconstruction of HSBC’s corporate advertising campaign.
Research limitations/implications – There is little literature devoted to corporate brand covenant. The majority of works addressing this concept
have done so anecdotally. Thus,by addressing this phenomenon via a Christian theological lens, the study solidifies the corporate branding literature,
which at the moment lacks a strong foundation in social science theory.
Practical implications – Practitioners are encouraged to remember that the successful management of a corporate brand begins with a thorough
understanding of what a corporate brand covenant means. An understanding of this concept will enable managers to define and deploy strategies that
will promote corporate branding issues.
Originality/value – The paper extends the frontiers of existing anecdotal discourse on corporate brand covenant. In so doing, a fuller and more robust
understanding of the concept of corporate branding among academics and practitioners is achieved.
Keywords Corporate branding, Christian theology, Covenants
Paper type Conceptual paper
An executive summary for managers and executive
readers can be found at the end of this article.
1. Introduction
The meaning of corporate branding has attracted the interest
of academics and practitioners (de Chernatony, 1999),
especially since the publication of Stephen King’s (1991)
work on brand building in the 1990s, which highlights the
notion of the company brand. Thus, the meaning of this
concept has been viewed from a variety of perspectives.
A good example of the variety of dimensions in which the
meaning of the concept of corporate branding has been
viewed is fully documented in de Chernatony (1999, 2001).
Since the publication of de Chernatony’s (1999, 2001) works,
it appears that further attempts have been made by authors
(see Ka¨rreman and Rylander, 2008; Balmer, 2001a, b;
Argenti and Druckenmiller, 2004; Ind, 1997, 1998) to
develop an in-depth understanding of the meaning of this
phenomenon.
One of the works that attempted to accomplish a further
understanding of this phenomenon in the aftermath of de
Chernatony’s (1999) study is Balmer’s (2001a) work, which
approached the meaning of corporate branding from an
internal and external stakeholder perspective. According to
Balmer’s (2001a, p. 281) definition, the concept of corporate
branding:
...involves the conscious decision by senior management to distil the
attributes of the organisation’s identity in the form of a clearly defined
branding proposition. This proposition may be viewed as a covenant with
key stakeholder groups and networks. This covenant underpins
organisational efforts to communicate, differentiate and enhance the brand
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/1061-0421.htm
Journal of Product & Brand Management
19/6 (2010) 410–422
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited [ISSN 1061-0421]
[DOI 10.1108/10610421011085721]
410
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