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Internal branding experiences in the financial services sector in South Africa

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Abstract

There is little doubt that employees are critical to the delivery of the service brand. Although existing models propose methods of internal branding, very little is known about the actual corporate experience. Academics around the world have spent decades probing internal marketing, its subset—internal branding—and the impact of internal branding on service delivery. This research focuses on how organisations execute internal branding, revealing critical success factors as well as obstacles encountered. The research was conducted in five large organisations in the financial services sector in South Africa. Each organisation is a highly recognisable consumer brand; the oldest of which is nearing 200 years of being in business and the youngest is just 20 years old. This research adds to the body of knowledge regarding organisational practice of internal branding. Key themes are identified, three of which are largely absent from extant models and literature.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial Economics, KTH Royal University of Technology, Brinellvägen 8, 114 28, Stockholm, Sweden

    Rose Du Preez

  2. PO Box 751286, Gardenview, 2047, South Africa

    Rose Du Preez

Authors
  1. Rose Du Preez
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rose Du Preez.

Appendix: Question set (subset of original)

Appendix: Question set (subset of original)

  1. 1.

    How do you enable your frontline people to understand the brand?

  2. 2.

    Which aspects of your internal branding do you think are the most critical?

  3. 3.

    What are some of the obstacles in engaging staff in the brand?

  4. 4.

    What barriers do you face in implementing your brand philosophy (internal branding) in the business?

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Du Preez, R. Internal branding experiences in the financial services sector in South Africa. J Financ Serv Mark 22, 24–32 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41264-017-0018-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41264-017-0018-5

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