You can’t govern if you don’t measure

Purpose The purpose of the study is to verify the theoretical assumptions based on literature review regarding the issue of brand effectiveness evaluation and the potential measurement framework, as well as to provide insights into the nature of effectiveness measurement of city brand strategies. The findings are considered important foundations for designing a place branding measurement system, which is the next step and final purpose of the author’s research project. Design/methodology/approach A total of 12 international academic experts from eight countries (in four continents) were individually interviewed. A semi-structured individual interview was applied as a research method. Sampling was purposive and the respondents represented the fields of marketing, place branding and public management. The standardized set of 19 open-ended questions was categorized into four themes (city brand effectiveness, methodology, measurement process and indicators). Findings The measurement of effectiveness of city branding should be treated as a strategic endeavor; however, it is a complex issue where political, social and methodological challenges overlap. Barriers to the development of a well-functioning measurement system include: too narrow understanding of what brand is, lack of knowledge or culture of measurement, conflicting political interests, reluctance to involve internal stakeholders, insufficient funding and complexity of the brand itself. The reliable measurement system should be characterized by attributes such as simplicity and durability, stakeholder inclusion, political rationale, adjustment to the specificity of the city and the independence of the measuring body/institution. Originality/value Up-to-date, common standards or universal measurement frames of the place branding measurement system do not exist. No discussion can be found in the literature on how such a system should be designed and implemented. Opinions of the experts interviewed provide important insights into the components and conditions of the reliable measurement system that would meet both methodological standards and practical needs. Further studies and analyses are however necessary to eventually compose the optimal city brand measurement system.

Combining Radical Transparency With the Brand Pentagon

This chapter completely covers the process of building and managing the brand through the concept of radical transparency. If it is more than certain that the brand equity is a source of sustainable competitive advantage, than it is important to find the best way to build and manage it. This chapter includes each phase of the model named as the brand pentagon: birth, definition, articulation, measurement and expansion of the brand. The model is a compilation of recognized models from world-famous authors, globally validated by major corporations worldwide. The detailed analysis presents the importance of each stage in completing the mosaic called the brand. The brand birth is the initial stage, directly related to the vision of the brand, and the brand-dependent areas: the environment in which the brand is developed. Next, the brand definition analyzes the brand reasons, through positioning and mapping. In the brand articulation phase the ways of brand communication are discussed. The brand measurement and expansion are elaborated in the fourth and fifth stage. The process of building and managing the brand is summarized with a discussion over the need to create a separate culture of nurturing the brand and living for the brand, by building a so-called brand culture and brand company.

A scale for CEO personal brand measurement

A Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is important for the image and culture of a business. His/her personal brand improves the brand of the business and also has a halo effect on customers and employees both present and potential. In order to better understand the effects that a CEO’s personal brand may have on a business, it is necessary to identify the key dimensions or variables that determine personal brand for business leaders. Most of the research on personal brand so far has been restricted to the area of how to build up one’s own personal brand. In this article personal brand is conceptualized as a multi-dimensional cognitive affective phenomenon. The current research presents a pilot study suggesting a seven-dimension scale to measure a CEO’s personal brand. This unique, reliable scale is viable and could assist boards of directors in confirming whether a CEO’s personal brand meets the expectations of the enterprise.

The relationship between brand love and actual brand performance

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the different relationship that brand love, compared with brand attitude, has with actual brand performance in a cross-national and cross-category context. Design/methodology/approach An empirical study was conducted in the USA, Russia and Indonesia to develop and validate a short but comprehensive measure of brand love. A brand attitude measure derived from the company’s tracking studies and behavioural measures derived from panel data were used to examine the different relationship of brand love and brand attitude with brand performance. Findings The findings show that consumers in the USA, Russia and Indonesia share a similar concept of brand love. They also show that brand love, compared with brand attitude, is more strongly related to growth in behavioural loyalty, whereas brand attitude, compared with brand love, is more strongly related to the brand size in the present. Research limitations/implications The paper combines psychological and behavioural data from different sources. Future research may collect both types of data from the same sample of consumers. Besides, the paper uses brand love and brand attitude data related to loyal consumers and users, respectively. Future research may consider both types of consumers simultaneously. Practical implications The paper clarifies why brand love measures should be integrated in a company’s brand measurement system, and their specific contribution compared with brand attitude. Originality/value This paper is the first that examines brand love in a cross-national and cross-category context and that shows the relationship of brand love vs brand attitude with actual brand performance using company/industry-derived data.

Employer brand equity measurement

Purpose – This paper aims to assess the value of the employer brand through employer brand equity. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the model of employer brand equity by B. Minchington, the core employer brand assets (employer brand awareness, associations, loyalty, perceived employment experience) for three large companies are measured and the total employer brand equity strength is evaluated. Findings – The paper demonstrates a quantitative approach to employer brand evaluation. It takes into account the core target groups of the employer brand and could be the integrated tool for the assessment of the employer brand equity strength and its separate assets. Practical implications – In the paper, the universal formula for total employer brand strength evaluation is proposed. It provides evidence that employer brand needs to be measured systematically and depending on the value of its particular assets different employer brand activities should be intervened. Originality/value – The value of this paper is to provide the human resource team with a holistic set of tools for employer brand measurement to comprehend the competitive position of the company as an employer on the labor market.