Impact of External Communication on Internal Brand Management Outcomes Using Employees As a Second Audience: A Comparative Analysis of Manufacturing and Service Sectors of Pakistan

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of External Brand Communications on internal brand management practices using brand commitment and brand understanding as factors determining the phenomenon and subsequently analyzing the effect of both internal and external factors on brand citizenship behavior. A sample size of 300 respondents was selected from manufacturing and service oriented companies and the effects were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling.

It was found that there is significant and positive influence of brand understanding in determination of brand citizenship behavior and reflected mediating role of external communication congruence. Furthermore, it has also found that internal brand management practices are more evident in case of manufacturing firm i.e. a reputed Biscuits Manufacturing Company as compare to financial firm i.e. a renowned Private Limited Bank. It reveals necessity of work required in case of Private Limited Bank to work on external communication practices and integrate it with internal brand management practices to increase its role in determination of employee behavior and their role in propagating brand image as second audience.

Keywords: external communication congruence (ECC), brand understanding (BU), brand commitment (BC), brand citizenship behavior (BCB)