Branding the family firm: A review, integrative framework proposal, and research agenda

Abstract

A family business brand allows family-owned companies to leverage a valuable idiosyncratic resource: the family nature of the firm. A steadily growing body of research evidences the growing interest among both researchers and practitioners – understandably so, given that prior contributions have identified a range of positive organizational outcomes associated with family business branding. However, the lack of a unifying definition, an encompassing framework, and an adequate measure of a family business brand present important challenges for the advancement of the field. Applying a systems approach, we propose a multi-dimensional conceptualization of the family business brand that emerges from prior research and our own observations of actual family business branding practices. With this guiding framework, we hope to systemize and inspire future research to help facilitate growth in this area of work.