Abstract:

The study examined the role of internal branding to understand how the practice was used as a strategic tool to empower and support employees’ building of brand supportive behaviors for corporate success. An inductive approach was adopted, and data was collected from twenty respondents via face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling was employed as this technique enabled the conscious engagement of targeted respondents (both senior and junior staff). The grounded theory approach was used in analyzing data collected. Study findings revealed that internal branding played both an enabler and a differentiator role. As an enabler, internal branding initiatives enhanced employees’ brand understanding, facilitated employees’ internalization of corporate values, and exhibition of brand-supportive behaviors. Additionally, the practice empowered them to act as brand ambassadors and inspired them to achieve desired goals. With regards to the differentiator role, internal branding efforts promoted the alignment of internal processes and culture with desired goals, which enhanced the identity, image, and reputation of the establishment. This suggests that internal branding practices contributes greatly to building strong brands as the practice helps provide the point of differentiation for the organization. The research approach adopted limits generalizability of the findings. It is suggested that future research consider a wider company or sector coverage and much larger sample size. The paper highlights the important role of internal branding initiatives for employees’ acquisition and display of brand supportive behaviors for sustained competitiveness and corporate success. It thus contributes to the limited empirical literature on internal branding in Africa.

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