Abstract

Purpose

The objective of this article is to explain how brand value and sustainable development are integrated in brand assessment methods. The study focuses on explaining how methods for estimating one of the well-established corporate performance indicators, brand equity, embrace sustainable development objectives in light of epistemological development.

Design/ methodology/ approach

A thorough review of academic literature in marketing focused approaches to corporate performance assessment methods serves as a base for the analysis. An analysis of brand value in light of indicators of sustainable development was made as a comparative analysis. Methodological transparency was also given importance in the review.

Findings

Sustainability issues influence business conduct in all industrial sectors and parts of the world, especially marketing management. However, classical marketing philosophy, firmly rooted in management and economical systems, focuses on production, exchange and profit, which may not sufficiently encompass a multitude of values and stakeholder perspectives associated with sustainable development. Over time, especially from the mid-1970s, assessment methods with ‘soft value systems’ have emerged in sub-disciplines like customer behavior, business ethics, societal and ecological marketing.

Limitations

This literature review focuses on our current interpretations of what sustainable development may imply. Financial values are given priority, in part because brand value assessment methods have been developed as strategic economic measures. Social and environmental dimensions are gradually being included even if their weight in the compilation of values remain unclear.

Implications

Starting with an understanding of epistemological development in marketing shows that the field is still developing. The brand value assessment literature is filled with methods that are not entirely presented in a transparent way, which makes it hard to evaluate trustworthiness.

Contributions

This review points to a major challenge; the importance of how sustainability objectives may find grounds in a value systems, and to what degree they influence corporate performance assessments. As key strategic value dimensions for many corporation it is important that the indicators in an assessment system reflects future values for a wide set of stakeholders.

Keywords

Brand assessment method, brand value, sustainable development

Published in

Social Business
2016, Volume: 6, number: 3, pages: 219-248

SLU Authors

• Pakseresht, Ashkan

  • Department of Economics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Mark-Herbert, Cecilia

  • Department of Forest Products, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Sustainable Development Goals

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns


UKÄ Subject classification

Business Administration


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1362/204440816X14811339560857

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/79385