“Good things come to those who wait”: The strategic management of image and reputation at guinness

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ways in which sport is used in the management and development of the key intangible resources of image and reputation at a major transnational firm. While image and reputation have been acknowledged as vitally important in the development of competitive advantage, there has been a distinct lack of study of the ways in which these resources are actively managed, particularly across international settings; the role that sport can play in this process is similarly ill‐understood. Utilizing qualitative data collected from a variety of sources, including interviews, video, documents, internal presentations, electronic media and various popular press and academic publications, the ways in which sport plays a central role in the development of image and reputation at Guinness were uncovered.The utilization of sport through direct sponsorship, advertising and on‐trade promotions, and the ways in which sports are selected and managed to promote a consistent brand image and support an established reputation in ways that are globally coherent yet locally resonant are highlighted.