ABSTRACT
The field of corporate communications (CC) and corporate brand management (CBM) is gradually developing into a fully fledged and strategic managerial function. This development is partly a reflection of the widespread belief that the future of any company depends critically on how the company is viewed by key stakeholders such as consumers, investors, employees, and the local community in which the company resides (Cornelissen 2004). The reputation of the corporation is indeed now widely regarded as an important strategic asset that creates differentiation from competitors and preference among internal and external stakeholders of the company. Not surprisingly, therefore, corporate brand management (CBM) and corporate communications (CC) are recognized as important functions to build and maintain reputations with important stakeholder groups upon which the organization is dependent (e.g. Schultz et al. 2005).
