Internal brand building - A Human Resource Perspective:“The role of leadership”

ABSTRACT- Internal branding is more than organizational culture; it is how employees are engaged in the organization. Employees can be thought of as “internal customers” giving their time, commitment and expertise to the company in return for remuneration of course, but also in varying degrees, for respect, appreciation and a sense of belonging. HR can design recognition programs that reward employees for exemplifying brand behaviors both internally (i.e., among staff at all levels) and externally (i.e., with clients, customers and prospects). The paper aims to clarify the relationship between organizational structures and individual brand supporting behavior. It proposes modeling the social transformation process and outlining why and how leadership is important throughout the internal brand building process. The study aims to expand the domain of corporate branding by including a broader range of human resource and leadership-related aspects than is normally found in the branding literature. KEYWORDS: Brand management, Corporate branding, Leadership, Social change, Education, Corporate Culture