Corporate Branding for Start-ups: The Crucial Role of Entrepreneurs

Abstract

The aim of this contribution is to analyze the development of a corporate brand in the early phases of start-ups. In particular, this paper looks at processes that occur due to decisions regarding corporate culture, corporate behavior, corporate design and corporate communication. Start-ups or new business ventures provide a specific context to research corporate branding in its evolvement phases, as internal structures and processes do not yet exist. As empirically-based research in this area is very scant, the aim here is to close this gap by documenting results gathered from a qualitative research approach. The results show insights into how entrepreneurs develop their companies' corporate identity by crystallizing the major challenges that occurred due to the specific context of new ventures. The paper advances contemporary knowledge by pointing towards the crucial role of the entrepreneur during the initial phases of corporate brand development.