Employees' roles in corporate brand identity co-creation in B2B context

Abstract

In the light of recent research, corporate brand identity is a temporary result of a dynamic process which involved multiple stakeholders, both internal and external ones. But what are the roles of employees in that process, those remain unknown. Therefore, this thesis aims to answer the following research question: “What are the roles of employees in corporate brand identity co-creation?” Previous research has described the co-creation process and roles of business partners, yet falls short on identifying the roles of employees, i.e. pivotal actors.

This study was conducted in a digital marketing agency. As a result of semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, seven action-based roles were identified. Aligning with the underpinnings of role theory, this study found that employees’ roles are either assigned or proactively adopted. Hence, company-assigned roles are Internalizer, Representative, Innovator, Marketer and Founding Member. Proactively adopted roles are Advocate and Contester.

This study contributes to theoretical knowledge multiple ways and offers valuable managerial implications. Results support previous findings but also elaborate on current knowledge. First and foremost, each employee and role 1) benefits corporate brand identity 2) participates in co-creation. This thesis suggests that managers should recognize not only the roles but also employees’ reasons and motivations for participating since by tapping into the potential employees possess, managers can develop, transmit and strengthen corporate brand identity. While some employees’ participation means planning and developing, others focus on representing the corporate brand identity to external stakeholders. Most importantly, this thesis puts emphasis on people. Ultimately, that is what corporate brand identity co-creation is all about.