The document identifies five external network actors (The 5 A's) involved in corporate branding for B2B SMEs: 1) Brand Advisors such as marketing consultants that are involved in brand management decisions. 2) Brand Associates such as suppliers that contribute to functional brand value through product/service performance. 3) Brand Advocates such as customers and partners that generate brand knowledge in markets. 4) Brand Authorities such as regulators and industry associations that govern branding decisions and the SME has some dependency. 5) Brand Assistants such as business colleagues that provide feedback and support to facilitate branding efforts.

1. THE CORPORATE BRANDING
NETWORKS BEHIND B2B SMES:
REVEALING THE ACTORS
Mäläskä, Saraniemi & Juntunen
IMP2011, Industrial branding special track
Markkinoinnin yksikön seminaari 25.8.2011

2. Introduction
• Branding is internally governed systematically planned process
 Branding is collective and dynamic process (Lauro & Cunha 2001;
Velotsou 2008)
• Network actors are passive targets of one-way brand communication
 Network actors are active constituents of brand value creation
(Einwiller & Will 2002; Ballantyne & Aitken 2007; Merz, He & Vargo 2009)
 The overall brand performance is reliant on a range of external
actors (Morgan, Deeter-Schmelz & Mober 2007; Christopher & Gaudenzi 2009)
• The dominant emphasis in branding is on controlling internal branding
strategies
The dominant emphasis in branding is on managing and exploiting
network relationships (Leich & Richardson 2003; see also Håkansson & Snehota
2006)
• There are various external actors in company’s network that can paly a
significant part in co-creating the brand (Jones 2005)
 However, the roles of different actors in the branding process
remain unexplored!

3. Purpose
• The purpose of this paper is to identify the
external network actors that play a part in a B2B
SMEs corporate branding and to elucidate their
interdependencies in relation to he brand
 RQ: Who are the external network actors
involved in the branding process in B2B SMEs?

4. Theorethical background:
Corporate
branding
research
”relationship-
Industrial centred”
network branding in
theory B2B SMEs
Stakeholder
theory

5. Research method:
• Qualitative interview research
• Network/multi stakeholder approach
• 13 in-depth interviews with SME managers and stakeholders
including customers, channel partners and a consultant
• Inductive coding of the empirical data:
• Identification of the the different actors relevant to branding
• Classification of the stakeholders according to (the meaning of)
their branding activities
• Conceptualization of the groups of external stakeholders involved
in or contributing to the branding process

6. Findings:The 5 A’s involved in corporate
branding 1/2
Brand Advisor
Brand Assistant Brand Advocate
Corporate branding
Brand Authority Brand Associate

7. Findings:The 5 A’s involved in corporate
branding 2/2
1. Brand Advisors are involved in an SME’s brand related
management decisions.
2. Brand Associates are involved in delivering on the functional
brand value (i.e. contribute to the company’s product and/or
service performance)
3. Brand Advocates generate brand knowledge in the markets
4. Brand authorities govern SME’s branding decisions (this
usually indicates some level of dependency between the actors)
5. Brand assistants facilitate SME’s branding effort by providing
valuable feedback and support

8. Findings: External stakeholders involved in
B2B SME branding
Brand Brand Brand Brand Brand
Advisors Associates Advocates Authorities Assistants
Advertising and Intermediaries, Technology Governmental Manager’s
PR agencies, Suppliers, and investor agencies, personal
Marketing/ Strategic partners, Regulators, friends,
business partners, Customers, Trade and Business
consultancies, Component Channel industry colleagues,
Research manufacturers partners, associations, Close channel
institutes, Media, Channel partners,
Experienced Opinion partners, Public and
investors, leaders Industry leading private
Business competitors, investors
partners Key customers,
Shareholders

9. Theorethical contributions:
1. Contribution to the research on industrial
networks by suggesting that SMEs’ overall
brand performance is influenced by different
network actors who the company is not
necessarily able to control
2. Contribution to corporate branding and
stakeholder discussions by revealing and
conceptualizing The 5 A’s involved in corporate
branding

10. Managerial implications:
• A company cannot internally manage or controll
all the brand related information and activities
 Regularly evaluate the substance of different
external stakeholders in relation to the predefined
corporate branding strategy
 Detect, build and exploit relationships with
actors positive influence on brand
 Facilitate co-creation and embrace mutuality in
relationships

11. Questions/Comments?
Thank You!
Contact
minna.malaska@oulu.fi
saila.saraniemi@oulu.fi