Corporate Branding: The Development of Corporate associations and their Influence on Stakeholder Reactions

Companies are becoming increasingly transparent to the general public, e.g., with respect to their products, workplace environment, financial performance, and environmental performance. However, it is not clear under what conditions people are likely to respond favorably to such information, and under what conditions they are more likely to react indifferently, or even negatively. To address this issue, this thesis begins by examining the different types of corporate associations (perceptions) that people may have regarding companies. Next, it examines the influence of different types of corporate associations on people's preferences for a company's products, stocks, and jobs. Specifically, two studies are reported dealing with the conditions under which associations related to corporate ability (CA) and to corporate social responsibility (CSR) have a strong influence on people's preferences, and the conditions under which these associations can compensate each other. Finally, an investigation addresses what way of communicating about a company through corporate advertising leads to the most favorable corporate associations.