Building a competitive brand advantage through importer integration : a qualitative case study on collaborative brand-building in export-import relationships

Abstract

This thesis aims to examine how an internationalizing medium-sized firm can build a competitive brand advantage by integrating importers as a strategic resource, drawing on the extended resource-based view (RBV). In addressing the aim, the study identifies importers’ brand-building patterns, analyses their influencing factors, and evaluates how exporters and importers can co-create a collaborative competitive brand advantage. Based on a qualitative case study of a medium-sized German brewery, the findings provide a holistic analysis of brand-building patterns from the perspective of importers. Further, brand orientation as one major influential factor on brand-building patterns is identified, leading to three brand-building typologies classifying importers by brand-building sophistication. Moreover, the role of the imported brand within the importer’s portfolio is identified as a critical factor influencing the extent of brand-building support. Finally, the findings highlight the nuanced roles of both the global brand owner and local importer in developing a collaborative competitive brand advantage. This thesis contributes to international business, branding and marketing literature by highlighting the role of importers as strategic brand-building partners for internationalizing resource-constrained firms, thereby demonstrating the relevance of the extended RBV to the domain of export–import brand collaborations. The first brand-building typology developed for importers is a novel contribution not only to theory but also to practice, guiding exporting firms in selecting and collaborating with international partners more effectively to achieve a sustainable competitive brand advantage. Finally, this thesis introduces a model for building a collaborative competitive brand advantage, highlighting interfirm collaboration and the strategic interplay of the importer and brand owner as key drivers of brand success in international markets.