Corporate sound as a company-controlled element of corporate identity management has been widely ignored in corporate identity and corporate image literature so far. Moreover, established corporate identity models show some visual dominance that has inhibited the integration of other sensory elements such as the auditory dimension. This thesis advances current knowledge in the corporate identity, corporate image and corporate communication domain by investigating the construct of auditory identity from a corporate perspective. In detail, the study investigates factors that determine the management of auditory identity as well as consequences of corporate auditory identity management (CAIM) as perceived by managers. A triangulated research approach was employed by using qualitative data from interviews with managers and consultants from UK companies as well as quantitative data from questionnaires completed by managers from UK companies in the media, information and communication as well as the banking and finance industry. While qualitative data initially was used to gain deeper understanding of the underresearched auditory topic, quantitative data was statistically examined using EFA and PLS-SEM to test the structural model. Findings suggest, inter alia, that the definition of corporate auditory identity provided in this research is widely supported by qualitative data. Moreover, quantitate data indicates that the support of the CEO is a key factor for the successful implementation of an auditory identity programme. Furthermore, all ten consequences of corporate auditory identity management such as gaining differentiation, improving corporate image, supporting consistent corporate communication and increasing recognisability just to name few are widely supported by qualitative as well as quantitative data. This thesis advances corporate identity, corporate image and communication literature in many ways. Mainly, it provides a valid definition of the new construct of auditory identity as well as scales for measuring corporate auditory identity management on which researchers can build in the future. Based on the identified potential of corporate sound academics are encouraged to overcome the visual dominance by incorporating auditory identity into future concepts, frameworks and models. Moreover, managers can benefit from this research and the provided definition of auditory identity in particular as it reduces the uncertainty about the auditory domain and suggests a more holistic view of corporate identity management. Additionally, this study provides managers with a deeper understanding of the potential of corporate sound by testing a set of consequences of auditory identity management. Consequently, managers are advised to employ a more strategic management of sonic elements and applications in the future. To sum up, this research is one of the first that investigates the management of sound from a corporate perspective and the researcher strongly believes that it constitutes a foundation that facilitates a variety of avenues for research.

Communication of sustainable development has become an increasingly important part of organisation’s corporate branding. Consumers demand more transparency from businesses and want to know more about how they work with these issues. An important part of how internal communication can be used to reach organisational success involves organisation’s employees. This thesis examines how the importance of how internal communication of image and value related questions have an impact on employee engagement. Employees are considered to be a reliable source when communicating image and value related issues to customers according to internal corporation theory. A survey was conducted and salespeople at the retail business Clas Ohlson participated. The survey was posted on the company’s intranet start page, available for all staff.The purpose of the thesis is to analyse internal communication by proposing internalcorporate communication theory in order to improve the organisational practice. Theanalysis model created by Ruck and Welch (2012) is used as a hypothesis to engageemployees. The dimensions included in the model are: * Identification * Support * Strategy, goals and values * Role * Performance * VoiceThe result presented from the survey showed that Clas Ohlson’s image and values werestrong according the employees responding the survey. Work with sustainable development could be better’ concerning employee involvement and the employee role.More consistent internal communication and support by first line manager would beneeded regarding sustainable development issues. By doing so, the work could enhancecommunication from employee to customers concerning ’these aforementionedquestions. / Program: Magisterutbildning i strategisk information och kommunikation

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) advertising is a type of corporate image advertising which promotes the CSR-based identity of a company in order to build and/or improve a socially responsible image. A CSR-based image and a good reputation for CSR at large has been regarded as a reservoir of goodwill which can function as a buffer against negative publicity. With this in mind, this thesis examines the effectiveness of CSR advertising for the purpose of insulating a firm from the negative impacts of crisis news by creating a positive image as a socially responsible company. This study also investigates the influences of favourable attitudes toward the CSR ad and how the level of attribution of crisis responsibility to the company modifies the effectiveness of CSR advertising as a buffer. As part of this process, the news frames which describe the crisis from either an accident perspective or a preventable-incident perspective and the ad-appeals (i.e., information-based and affect-based ad-appeals) were manipulated to test how they influence the effectiveness of CSR advertising when acting as a buffer. Adopting a quantitative methodology, this study collects data through web-based experiments with online panellists utilising fictitious video commercials and crisis news scenarios concerning a fictitious company. The results indicated that people who were exposed to the CSR ad prior to reading the crisis news tended to be less influenced by the news than those who were not exposed to the ad in terms of their perceptions of company image and both their attitudes and behavioural intentions toward the company. CSR advertising was equally effective at reducing the damage to company image and attitudes toward the company in both different news frame conditions and using both different ad-message type conditions. The results imply that if people perceive CSR-based images of a company through CSR advertising successfully, they tend to maintain these perceptions of the company even after they process any negative information about the company, and this is still true even if their evaluations of the responsibility for a crisis were not influenced by CSR advertising. As part of the research process, this study found that positive attitudes towards the CSR ad significantly and directly influenced both the company image and attitudes toward the company. However, when people processed the crisis news after viewing the CSR ad the direct impact of attitudes toward the ad on attitudes toward the company disappeared. This indicates that the 'affect-transfer' from attitudes toward the ad to attitudes toward the company occurred under advertisement-only conditions. When negative publicity was processed, the crisis information may act as a latent inhibitor of the affect-transfer effect and the company image variable became a full mediator.

V této práci se zabývám firemní komunikací. Pro její plánování a rozvoj je třeba udržovat aktuální komunikační a informační strategii. Pro zjednodušení jsem systém firemní komunikace rozdělil na 4 subsystémy: Kultura, informační systém, komerční komunikace a firemní styl, z nichž každým se podrobně zabývám. Společným působením těchto čtyř disciplín vzniká unikátní identita organizace a toto jsou její základní kameny. Jedním ze způsobů, jak docílit silné identity, je budování promyšleného a stabilního firemního stylu. Firemní styl je úžeji vymezen jako vizuální tvář podniku, tzv. Corporate Design. Jeho základními elementy jsou: logotyp, barevnost a typografie. Přestože firmy si mohou být v těchto základních elementech podobné, odlišují se jejich aplikacemi na komunikační aktivity. Každá vizuální identita se stává unikátním otiskem složitého firemního organismu. Účelem aplikací není pouze marketingový úspěch či vizuální dokonalost; ten spočívá v jejich funkčnosti. Proto je při jejich tvorbě nutné respektovat daleko více kritérií.

<p>Problem: In the world of today’s business, there is a trend for investors not only to base their decisions whether to invest in a company on the basis of its financial results.</p><p>These days more features are taken into consideration. Corporate identity is a crucial aspect to bear in mind for investors, as it demonstrates what the company is, how it works and where it is going. Corporate Communication is a process that allows companies to share their information with the stakeholders. Not every company is aware</p><p>of the significance of communicating its corporate identity to investors. These represent a basis for the company, since their support is needed to achieve the organization’s objectives. Furthermore, communication of corporate identity to investors represents an opportunity for a company to achieve its goals. The importance and relation of corporate identity and communication to investors is becoming a relevant issue not only for them but also for stakeholders.</p>

Marburg, Universität, Habilitation, 2000.

Problem: In the world of today’s business, there is a trend for investors not only to base their decisions whether to invest in a company on the basis of its financial results. These days more features are taken into consideration. Corporate identity is a crucial aspect to bear in mind for investors, as it demonstrates what the company is, how it works and where it is going. Corporate Communication is a process that allows companies to share their information with the stakeholders. Not every company is aware of the significance of communicating its corporate identity to investors. These represent a basis for the company, since their support is needed to achieve the organization’s objectives. Furthermore, communication of corporate identity to investors represents an opportunity for a company to achieve its goals. The importance and relation of corporate identity and communication to investors is becoming a relevant issue not only for them but also for stakeholders.

Bachelor-Arbeit Univ. St. Gallen, 2004.

Bachelor-Arbeit Univ. St. Gallen, 2004.

Master-Arbeit Univ. St. Gallen, 2006.