Brand equity sources in the selection of co-branding partners in B2B markets

Abstract

The relation between the sources of brand equity and the selection of co-branding partners has not been widely studied, especially in the B2B context. The purpose of this study was to study how B2B companies choose partners for their co-branding relationships. In addition, the research goals of the study were to understand what types of brand equity sources are appreciated in B2B markets and to investigate how the different sources of brand equity influence B2B co-branding partnerships.

The theoretical framework was based on co-branding, brand equity and sources of brand equity literature. The empirical part of this research was conducted as qualitative research with induction as the research analytical strategy. Multiple-case study was applied as the method and the empirical data were collected via semi-structured interviews.

The finding of this research suggested that the most valuable sources of brand equity in the B2B context are brand loyalty, perceived quality and brand association. By different means, they all support the co-branding relationships between B2B companies. The research proposed a process to choose the best co-branding partners based on sources of brand equity. The process includes determining the criteria, collecting data, analysing and comparing the data, and making final decisions respectively.