Designing Corporate Brand Experience in an Online Context - A Qualitative Insight - October 2013

Sep 1, 2026

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This study examines the dimensions and components of corporate brand experience (CBE) in an Internet context, treating CBE as a source of added value and a mechanism for positioning corporate brands within overall corporate marketing strategy. Prior research has paid limited attention to CBE, restricting understanding and operationalization. Using focus group discussions with 32 online banking respondents, the study identifies five main themes and 26 sub-themes, including corporate visual identity, functionality, emotional, lifestyle, and corporate/self-identity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatDOCX

Pages55

Reading Time19 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Brand complexity in the digital era

Shift from product marketing to corporate branding

Why corporate brand experience supports differentiation

Designing Corporate Brand Experience in an Online Context: A Qualitative Insight Zalfa Laili Hamzah, University of Malaya, Faculty of Business and Accountancy HYPERLINK "mailto:zalfa@um.edu.my" zalfa@um.edu.my Sharifah Faridah Syed Alwi, Brunel Business School, Brunel University London HYPERLINK "mailto:sharifah.alwi@brunel.ac.uk" sharifah.alwi@brunel.ac.uk Md Nor Othman, University of Malaya, Faculty of Business and Accountancy, HYPERLINK "mailto:mohdnor@um.edu.my" mohdnor@um.edu.my October 2013 The authors are grateful for comments and insights by Philipp (Phil) Klaus, Brunel University London, UK, to earlier drafts of this paper. Send correspondence to Sharifah Alwi, Brunel Business School, Brunel University London, UB8 3PH, Uxbridge, UK. ( HYPERLINK "mailto:sharifah.alwi@brunel.ac.uk" sharifah.alwi@brunel.ac.uk) Designing Corporate Brand Experience in an Online Context: A Qualitative Insight ABSTRACT This study explores the dimensions and components of corporate brand experience in an Internet setting. Corporate brand experience (CBE), which is a source of a company’s added value, could be an effective way to position a corporate brand in relation to the overall corporate marketing strategy. However, the concept of CBE has attracted very little attention from previous research, thereby our understanding of what the concept is and how to operationalize it is limited. Previous brand experience research is mainly focused on the conceptual understanding of brand experience itself, or/and at product brand level (rather than at corporation level). Understanding CBE is important because corporate brand equity (e.g. corporate image, brand loyalty) is dependent not only on how one is satisfied with the product (mostly addressed by functional/performance values of product), but also through the values of the corporation (corporate brand values). This study thus contributes theoretically to the corporate and online branding literature by proposing underlying new dimensions and components of CBE in an online environment. A series of focus group discussions (FGDs) with 32 online banking respondents informs the study. We identify five main themes and 26 sub-themes of corporate brand experience – corporate visual identity, functionality, emotional, lifestyle and corporate/self-identity. Financial service providers can address these dimensionalities during the process of brand positioning and when designing their corporate marketing in an online setting. Keywords: Brand experience, corporate brand experience, online corporate branding, service brand experience, utilitarian, online banking Paper type – Research paper Introduction Generally, managing a brand in the twenty-first century is more complex than ever before due to the advancement in technology (e.g., businesses operating online) (Balmer, 2012; Abratt & Kleyn, 2012; Kaufmann, Vrontis, Czinkota & Hadiono, 2012), faster innovation, growing competition, complexity and more demanding consumers (Klaus, 2013; Kaufmann et al., 2012; Maklan & Klaus, 2011). As a business moves toward globalization, shifting from marketing (product brand) to corporate branding becomes essential (Balmer, 1995, 2001, 2010; Balmer, 2012; Kapferer, 2012; Hatch & Schultz, 2009). Marketing at the product-level facilitates brand differentiation from competing products; however, it is deemed less cost efficient and may result in the loss of potential synergies (Douglas & Craig, 2001). For example, positioning a product solely with values associated with product performance rather than values associated with the corporation may shorten the life of the brand differentiation (Balmer, 2001; Balmer & Gray, 2003). Therefore, inducing corporate brand experience as a source of corporate brand differentiation will potentially sustain competitive advantage due to the ability to create long-term brand differentiation (Morrison & Crane, 2007; Shultz & de Chernatony, 2002; Abratt & Kleyn, 2012). Furthermo

FAQs

What is the focus of this study on corporate branding?

The study explores the dimensions and components of corporate brand experience (CBE) in an Internet setting and how it helps position corporate brands online.

How is CBE addressed in relation to existing research gaps?

The paper notes that previous research has attracted little attention to CBE, so understanding what it is and how to operationalize it remains limited.

What method and findings does the study report?

The study uses focus group discussions with 32 online banking respondents and identifies five main themes and 26 sub-themes of corporate brand experience, spanning visual identity, functionality, emotional aspects, lifestyle, and corporate/self-identity.

Sep 1, 2026

Upload by Sarah