Corporate social responsibility and corporate foundations in building responsible brands

Resumen

This article analyzes corporate brand management in companies that enforce a policy of corporate social responsibility (CSR) while also operating a corporate foundation that shares the same company name and brand. The study aimed to (1) define and analyze the presence of the corporate foundation and assess the alignment between brand and foundation in the context of corporate brand identity; and to (2) investigate brand manager perspectives on how corporate foundations promote the social dimensions of the brand and of a company´s corporate identity and culture. The corporate identity of 18 multinational companies and their corresponding foundations was investigated, and 8 prominent brand managers were interviewed.