Corporate brand in industrial project marketing - Case: Wärtsilä Corporation

Abstract

Organizations operate in uncertain environments in which corporate brand identity becomes increasingly important since it reduces uncertainty, especially in the project marketing environment. Successful corporate branding requires a clear understanding of the main components of the corporate brand. This creates the purpose of this thesis: to understand corporate branding in industrial project marketing with a special focus on the corporate brand identity and corporate brand image as well as the communication linkage between these who constructs.

Characteristics of project marketing are first identified and highlighted with different theoretical aspects, such as services marketing, relationship marketing and industrial marketing. The different benefits of branding are defined as are the brand elements relevant to business-to-business markets. The notion of corporate brands is discussed, as it helps to define the organization’s identity. The focus of this thesis is on corporate brand identity and image. Identity expresses organization’s values, while image is the result of communicated brand identity. The empirical objective is to examine the case company’s brand elements as well as brand identity and brand image in industrial project marketing to determine whether there exist differences between these two.The research method used was qualitative and the research was done as a single case study. The primary data gathered is based on email interviews conducted within the case company and questionnaires sent to customers. Additionally, several organizational documents were used as secondary data.

The results reveal that there exists five differences concerning consistent quality, innovativeness, environmental, social and economic accountability, customer concern, and service. The customers’ image of Wärtsilä Corporation can be described as a competent and efficient company with a highly trustworthy image, whose delivery and installation is not too successful. Even though the findings of the study can be of assistance for the Wärtsilä Corporation brand management, the benefits of corporate brand image studies would increase if done on a regular basis.