Branding as network governance strategy: a theoretical exploration of the influence of branding on governance processes

Branding as (network) governance strategy: assessing a new governance strategy to tackle the mediatisation of governance processes Erik Hans Klijn and Jasper Eshuis (both Erasmus University Rotterdam) In the private sector... [ view full abstract ]

Branding as (network) governance strategy: assessing a new governance strategy to tackle the mediatisation of governance processes

Erik Hans Klijn and Jasper Eshuis (both Erasmus University Rotterdam)

In the private sector branding has evolved as a crucial strategy to present and sell products. Brands are used to create consumer loyalty by highlighting style, and attaching feelings and emotions to products (see Arvidson, 2006). Also in the public sphere brands are used more and more (Eshuis and Klijn, 2012). Brands in the public sphere are applied to frame problems, create attractive images that entice and bind actors in the network to a solution, and communicate ideas developed in the network to a broader audience and the media. Brands are symbols through which visual images and emotions that emerge in (network) governance processes can be communicated (Eshuis et al., 2014). This ability of brands makes it relevant to research branding as a strategy in a mediatized governance environment. In this paper we systematically address the following questions

• What are brands in network governance processes?
• How do brands and branding influence governance processes?
• What would be the research agenda for researching brands in networks and network governance?

-          What are brands in network governance processes?

-          What does branding as network management strategy add to the more well-known network management strategies?

-          What is the mutual influence between branding strategies applied by public managers and media attention?

-          What is known about public brands and their effects from empirical research?

-          What would be the research agenda for researching brands in networks and network governance, and how would we theorize this empirical research agenda?