Following recent growth of ethical consumerism, customers and other stakeholders increasingly pressure organizations to be socially responsible and minimize their negative impact on the environment. Accordingly, a plethora of firms have integrated corporate social responsibility (CSR) at the center of their business strategies and actions. Whilst this has resulted in many firms meeting their broader responsibilities toward society and the environment, some firms have used CSR in a manipulative and insincere way. As stakeholders become aware of such misuse of CSR, largely thanks to the rapid evolution of information technologies, they start to penalize firms by spreading negative word of mouth about them, and specifically about their CSR knowledge, values, and actions. Now, more than ever before, stakeholders are increasingly critical and cautious in their assessments of firms’ CSR knowledge, values, and actions. On this background, this edited volume sheds light on different internal and external perspectives spanning CSR knowledge, values, and actions. It shares theoretical, practical, and case-based insights on the broader topic and can be of interest to researchers, academics, practitioners, and advanced students in the fields of CSR and business ethics, knowledge management, strategy, and marketing.

This book presents real life business-to-business (B2B) branding cases. The book deploys a theoretical-practical approach, where theoretical and conceptual frameworks related to key branding topics are supported by empirical case studies. Each case helps to illustrate the framework and discuss its applicability in practice. Through the presented exploratory case studies, the authors provide fresh examples from business practice that are easy to comprehend by undergraduate students, and are easily applied by managers in the field. The book consists of three main parts, covering important aspects of B2B branding. It presents several aspects of external as well as internal branding, supplemented by novel approaches in B2B branding. In addition, the book offers examples of best practices, as well as notable mistakes made by companies involved in branding processes. Thus, it provides a holistic perspective, which will enable companies to learn not only about best practices, but also about pitfalls in the area of corporate branding. In addition to the novel practical cases, each chapter provides relevant theoretical underpinnings presented in a simple, down-to-earth manner. The book highlights recent research areas and coming trends within B2B branding. The book is suitable for everyone with an interest in B2B branding, regardless of background or previous knowledge of branding.

Introducing the innovative concept of Interactive Network Branding (INB), this book offers academics and professionals a theoretical framework, alongside practical examples, to develop INB in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Combining a business network approach with contemporary corporate branding research, a variety of topics are explored, including: strategizing in SME networks, market management, corporate identity, corporate reputation, human-to-human (H2H) interactions. This broad range of perspectives, from business networks to corporate branding, highlights the latest trends in both business marketing and organizational research whilst emphasizing the influential role of human actors in SMEs. Looking at successful cases of INB and analysing cases where branding has gone wrong, Understanding Interactive Network Branding in SME Firms offers guidelines for researchers in marketing theory and practitioners working in SME firms to develop their branding models and processes in fast changing business environments.