Exploring the role of family firm identity and market focus on the heterogeneity of family business branding strategies

Abstract

Family firms vary in their decision of whether or not to communicate the involvement of the family in the firm as part of their branding attempts. Currently, we do not have a clear understanding of why these differences in branding practices occur. In an attempt to address this gap, the current chapter develops a model to explain why there is heterogeneity in the branding practices of family firms. Taking a sender approach, we develop a conceptual model to understand why and how two predictors (i.e., family firm identity and market orientation) drive the decision of family business representatives regarding the choice to explicitly and actively communicate the “Family Business Brand” (i.e., the involvement of the family in the business). This chapter develops the rationale for this model and presents ideas for future research.