An Inside-Out Model of Brand Orientation for SME Branding

The study aims to develop a branding strategy model for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as the industrial revolution 4.0 necessitates the alignment of branding for sustainability. An inside-out model of brand orientation is a comprehensive approach that focuses on strategic brand resources internally, offering an effective branding strategy for SMEs to attain sustainability. This model is essential for SMEs due to the fragmented market segmentation nowadays, and SMEs need to cope by using their internal resources. Thus, it is crucial to ensure they can exploit market opportunities and not lose out in the cloud of digitalisation. This qualitative study relied on data from in-depth interviews with informants from 10 brand-oriented SMEs in Malaysia. The resource-based view (RBV) was applied as the managerial framework, and thematic analysis was used to reveal themes. It was found that the internal strengths and weaknesses of strategic brand resources indicate the creation of a competitive branding strategy. Interestingly, the companies explored not only tangible resources but also intangible resources in creating their branding strategies and communicating those strategies to employees and customers. The model contributes by guiding SMEs in formulating their branding strategies based on their resources. These findings elucidate an option for SMEs to develop their brands based on their existing resources in order to sustain in the market.