Brand, organisational identity and reputation in SMEs: an overview

Purpose - This paper is a brief historical examination of brand, organisation identity and reputation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The discussion is situated within the context of the challenges that the global knowledge-based business environment poses to organisations of differing sizes. Design/methodology/approach - The authors' approach is discursive. The argument is supported by findings from published studies and empirical reality. The authors analyse and distill our thoughts (and the empirical findings) in a way that is relevant to the activities of entrepreneurs and SMEs. Findings - Organisations are better able to create strong firm by integrating branding, reputation building, relevant and appropriate organisational identity beyond their visual facade. They need to be more proactive, and also have to express and embed their brand value propositions within their identity and reputation in their dealings with customers. The authors surmises that researching about (and evaluations of) brand, reputation and organisation identity need to play more active roles in offering novel ways of conceptualising and documenting the realities of the contemporary (global) business environment in which firms operates. Originality/value - The study offers new horizons on brand, organization identity and reputation as they relate to economic reality. The authors unequivocal articulation is that these concepts are critical factors in the success of enterprises and small businesses in competitive markets.