identity is not something that can be formed inside a company and then sent to
consumers, who perceive the message exactly as it was intended. In the dynamic view
of identity it is perceived that identity is something that is co-created because it is
formed both internally (by the company) and externally (by the consumer). This co-
creation of identity resulted during the 1990s in a new area of research, namely the
research on how to ensure alignment between the internalcorporate identity and orga-
nizational identity and the externalexpressions of brand identity image and repu-
tation: ‘To get the most out of corporate brand strategy, three essential elements must
be aligned: vision, culture, and image. Aligning these strategic stars takes concen-
trated management skill and will. Each element is driven by a different constituency’
(Hatch and Schultz 2001, p. 131).
Summary
The identity approach assumes that a strong and coherent brand identity is pivotal
for brand value creation. The brand must focus on finding out ‘who we are’ as an
organization in order to facilitate expressing one coherent identity to all stake-
holders. Creating this coherent identity often has a corporate rather than a
product-level focus and attention has shifted from a focus on the visual represen-
tation of product brands to a focus on how organizational behaviour affects
identity, and ultimately image and reputation. The perception of the consumer in
the identity approach has also evolved. In the earlier days of the identity approach
it was believed that brand identity could be managed and controlled entirely by
the corporation; the exchange between the brand and the consumer was perceived
to be linear. Recent developments have broadened that perception, it has been
acknowledged that identity is not enduring but context-dependent, which implies
54 Seven brand approaches
Box 5.3 Is identity enduring?
The three characteristics of identity were defined by Albert and Wetten in
1985 as:- Central character. It should capture the essence of the organization.
- Claimed distinctiveness. Distinguish the organization from others.
- Temporal continuity. It will exhibit continuity over time (enduring).
These three characteristics went unchallenged for a long time until Gioia et
al. in 2000 challenged that an identity should be enduring and stable. They
argued that an identity is relatively fluid and not stable. It is this fluidity
and flexibility of the identity that is the strength of many organizations,
because it enables them to accommodate rapid environmental changes
(Gioia et al. 2000). This new perception of identity as being context-
dependent and socially constructed introduces a new and more dynamic
perspective on identity.