Brand Image Developed in Co-creation Concept on the Level of Product and Corporate Competition

článek ve sborníku ve WoS nebo Scopus

angličtina

Practically anywise interpreted image creates an important alternative for the competitive advantage development from the point of competitive struggle. A general agreement in the issue of its importance - quite surprisingly - does not provide any unambiguous direction for the understanding of essential links. These can be seen namely in three levels. The first one is the image itself, the second one is represented by the character of competition and the third one is then the method of image development. Generally, three levels of image can be distinguished, i.e. class image, product image (resp. brand image) and corporate (company) image. Provided that any company focuses on the development and introduction of corporate brands, these should comply with the overall image of such company, and such a process must be the part of corporate strategy. Such perception of the term "image" certainly demands corresponding understanding of the competition. Especially as regards the element of corporate and product image the approach, distinguishing competition in the level of companies and products, can be identified as contributive. A basic process of the interproduct competition includes individual customers making their purchase decision among competing products. Should a pre-requisite be valid that customers primarily do not make decision among products, but among various files of characteristics, associated with these products, then product image must be included in these characteristics as well. Nevertheless, should we broaden the understanding of competition with intercompany competition, e.g. in the context of understanding of the competition as a complex rivalry among various business eco-systems, we must involve also other levels of image, minimally corporate image. All three above identified types of image are closely interconnected, and in practice they cannot be considered separately. A support to such contention can be also found in the works of Porter. Though he stresses that crucial is the competition in the level of business units, thus placing stress rather to the area of products, at the same time he highlights considerable support to the corporate strategy, which corporate strategy should give just to the business units. The complexity of the whole issue is deepened by growing stress on the approaches involving customers in the value formation. Prahalad and Ramaswamy in this context find the future trend of competitive activities in a new approach to the value formation, the basis of which is the co-creation of the value in cooperation of consumers and companies, with a particular individual in the centre. The image, as a fundamental component of the product, is undoubtedly an important part of such co-creation. However, such approach demands more detail research of the natural relations of mutual influence of the development of image in the concept of co-creation in the various levels of competition. The paper delimitates possible view on these links on the basis of research in the automobile industry sector.

Brand image, competition, corporate, product, co-creation concept.

MRÁČEK, P.; VESELÁ, J.; ZICH, R.

2012

20. 9. 2012

Brno University of Technology

Brno

978-80-214-4581-9

Trends in Economics and Management for the 21st Century

114

127

209