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INTEREST CATEGORY: MARKETING STRATEGY
POSTING TYPE: Calls: Conferences

Posted by: Charles Dennis

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6th International Colloquium on Corporate Branding, Identity, Image and Reputation

16-18 July 2025
Milan

Theme

Brand Purpose Under Pressure: Navigating Misinformation, Polarization, and Geopolitical Risk to Safeguard Corporate Identity, Image, and Reputation

Call for papers

In the face of rising geopolitical tensions, increasing socio-political polarization, and cycles of misinformation, corporate brands today operate in an environment of heightened complexity and uncertainty. At the core of contemporary corporate brand management lies brand purpose, a strategic asset that serves as a guiding beacon, aligning a company’s values, identity, and actions with its image and reputation. Yet, maintaining a consistent, authentic, and above all credible brand purpose is now more challenging than ever before.

The term brand purpose, declared “Word of the Year” by the Academy of Marketing Science in 2018, has only grown in relevance. Brand purpose has been described in various ways: as the reason for a business’s existence, ‘the aspirational reason for being that inspires action benefiting shareholders, stakeholders, and global societies alike’ (Afdhel & Jones, 2021, p. 13), and as ‘a predominant component of [a corporate brand’s] identity, meaning structure, and strategy, leading to productive engagement with some aspect of the world that transcends the brand’s profits’ (Williams, Escalas, & Morningstar, 2022, p. 703). A socio-cultural perspective on brand purpose means viewing it through the lens of meanings, values, symbols, and dialogues that collectively shape its narrative. This perspective considers brand purpose as a dynamic co-construction, continuously shaped and enacted through collective actions, interactions, and discourses (Biraghi, Gambetti, & Dalli, 2024). This dynamic is particularly evident in the digital era, where consumers, stakeholders, and brands navigate a broad array of technology-mediated engagement platforms (Melewar, Dennis, & Foroudi, 2021), mutually influencing the broader ecosystem of corporate brand identities, purposes, images, and reputations (Melewar & Saunders, 2000).

Organizations today face increasing pressure from stakeholders to act with integrity and address societal challenges, making the risks of failing to deliver on brand purpose ever greater. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer (2023), 64% of consumers worldwide now make purchasing decisions based on a company’s social or political stance, while 58% of respondents indicated they would boycott a brand they believe fails to live up to its stated purpose. Additionally, 53% of global consumers feel that businesses are not fulfilling their promises regarding purpose and responsibility (RepTrak Report, 2024). These trends highlight the growing gap between brand purpose as a strategic ideal and its practical execution. Annual surveys, such as Gallup’s survey on business in society and Euromonitor’s (2024) survey on global consumer trends, reveal an emerging skepticism toward brand activism, with consumer interest in brands taking sociopolitical stances on polarizing topics slightly waning, reflecting a growing distrust in businesses’ actual societal impact.

This colloquium seeks to address the critical role that brand purpose plays in shaping contemporary corporate identity, image, and reputation and to explore how it can be sustained in a fragmented and polarized market and social context. We aim to examine the theoretical, strategic, and ethical dimensions of purpose-driven branding, providing a platform for scholars and practitioners to discuss the challenges of balancing strategic and cultural coherence with market pressures (Holt, 2002; Gambetti & Biraghi, 2023). Specifically, this colloquium will explore how companies can safeguard their brand purpose and ensure its relevance in a world increasingly characterized by conflicting narratives, misinformation, and skepticism.

We invite scholars and practitioners to submit abstracts for inclusion in the colloquium program. The themes of this colloquium are intended to be interpreted broadly: it acts as a forum to explore current and future trends in corporate branding, identity, image, and reputation, advancing the discussion on dynamically aligning elements such as purpose with business, cultural ethos with market needs. We seek papers that engage with literature and ideas from corporate and organizational identity perspectives as they relate to brand management, corporate reputation, marketing communications, social media, smart technology, experiential and sensory marketing, and visual identity. Submissions that incorporate current insights and developments from both academics and practitioners, combine a solid theoretical foundation with practical insights, and offer guidance for managers in their daily and long-term brand decisions across various sectors (e.g., B2C, B2B, service, retail, non-profit) are especially welcomed. Papers may be empirical, conceptual, or practical, and may also adopt a multidisciplinary approach with diverse perspectives.

This interdisciplinary colloquium welcomes academic papers from researchers in corporate communication, brand management, marketing, and related fields within the social sciences. Doctoral students are particularly encouraged to submit their work. The colloquium organizers also extend an invitation for collaborative papers between academics, practitioners, and policymakers.

Suggested topics include but are not limited to:

• Brand purpose as a driver of corporate identity: How does brand purpose influence the formation and sustainability of corporate identity in an era of heightened scrutiny? How can organizations balance the need for coherence with stakeholders’ expectations?
• Brand purpose and cultural branding: How can companies craft a purpose that allow them to act effectively as both a cultural and a market player in current society? How can cultural branding be applied to make an impact? How can technologies help/impede cultural branding and how should they be navigated by companies in managing their purpose?
• The fragility of purpose-driven branding in a skeptical and volatile world: What mechanisms can brands adopt to ensure the longevity and authenticity of their purpose in a global landscape marked by social, political, and economic instability?
• Purpose-driven branding and corporate reputation management: How can companies align their purpose with long-term reputational strategies? What are the risks of purposewashing, and how can they be avoided?
• The role of leadership in maintaining brand purpose: How do corporate leaders navigate the complexities of aligning internal corporate culture with a publicly stated purpose? What role do executives play in defending and safeguarding the integrity of brand purpose?
• Brand purpose in the age of misinformation and polarization: How can brands navigate the challenges of operating in an information-saturated world where misinformation and polarized viewpoints threaten to distort brand messages? What strategies can help protect a brand’s purpose from being undermined by external forces?
• The ethical and moral challenges of brand purpose in practice: What are the ethical and moral dilemmas faced by brands that seek to balance profit with societal good? How can companies ensure that their purpose-driven strategies are not only profitable but also genuinely contribute to the public good?
• Trust and brand authenticity in the digital age: How does the digital landscape influence perceptions of brand authenticity and trust? What strategies can organizations employ to protect their purpose from being co-opted or misinterpreted in social media and platform conversations?
• Case studies of successful purpose-driven brands: What lessons can be learned from companies that have successfully maintained a consistent and authentic purpose, even in challenging and politically charged environments?
• The role of innovation in sustaining brand purpose: How can organizations leverage innovation, particularly in digital and technological fields, to ensure that their brand purpose remains relevant, impactful, and adaptive in an ever-changing world?

Colloquium Venue

The colloquium will be held at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan (Italy), known for its rich intellectual history. Situated in the heart of Milan, one of the world’s fashion, design, and financial capitals, the university offers a unique blend of tradition and innovation. Participants can explore Milan’s dynamic architecture, from the iconic Duomo to the modern skyline, enjoy its thriving cultural scene, and experience Italian cuisine and hospitality in the business and innovation capital of Italy.

Submission guidelines

Abstracts of 1000 words maximum (with up to six keywords) will be published in the Colloquium proceedings. Prospective contributors with queries concerning the potential suitability of topics or other matters concerning contributions are invited to contact the Founder and Chair, Professor T.C. Melewar or the Co-chairs Professors Rossella C. Gambetti and Silvia Biraghi via rossella.gambetti@unicatt.it and silvia.biraghi@unicatt.it

Abstracts should be submitted to laboratorio.comunicazione@unicatt.it in the following format:

• Microsoft Word document, Times New Roman 12 font, double-spaced, justified paragraphs.
• Margins: 25cm top, bottom, and sides.
• Author(s) name and affiliation should be included on a separate page (i.e. cover page)
• References should use the APA referencing style Content
• Purpose and objectives of the paper
• Originality – what is new about it?
• Research methodology
• Findings and discussion
• Theoretical and practical implications
• Conclusions

Key Dates

• Submission of extended abstracts opens: 15th January 2025
• Deadline for the submission: 10th March 2025
• Feedback to authors: 31st March 2025

Prices in Euro

Early bird registration: 1st April 2025 – 15th May 2025

• Presenter 500
• Non-Presenter 600
• Ph.D. student 300

Late registration after May 15th 2025

• Presenter 600
• Non-Presenter 700
• Ph.D. student 400

Exciting Publication Opportunities

This colloquium offers a remarkable opportunity for researchers to have their work published in top-tier academic outlets. A selection of the best papers presented at the colloquium will be invited for review and potential publication in prestigious academic journals and edited volumes. These opportunities include the following special issues and outlets:

• International Journal of Advertising: Special issue Foroudi, P., Melewar, TC., and Dennis, C. Branding with purpose: Corporate reputation, CSR, and SDGs in advertising
• International Journal of Consumer Studies: Special issue Ben Lowe, B., Taheri, B., Paul, J., Private, J., Perez Vega, R., Foroudi, Menzies, J., Markovic, S. Systematic literature reviews including conceptual papers
• Corporate Reputation Review: Special issue Foroudi, P., Melewar, TC., and Dennis, C. Convergence of digital and physical worlds: Corporate identity in the age of the Metaverse
• European Journal of International Management: Papers will also be considered for publication in EJIM, with the review process overseen by expert editors including Dr Pantea Foroudi
• Routledge: We are thrilled to collaborate as Editors with Routledge for the publication of a volume titled Brand Purpose Under Pressure, to be published in 2026.

Colloquium Organising Committee

Professor TC Melewar
(Middlesex University London, UK)
Colloquium Founder and Chair
T.C.Melewar@mdx.ac.uk

Dr Pantea Foroudi
(Brunel University London, UK)
Colloquium Director
Pantea.Foroudi@brunel.ac.uk

Professor Charles Dennis
(Newcastle University, UK)
Colloquium Director
Charles.dennis@newcastle.ac.uk

Professor Rossella C. Gambetti
(Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy)
Colloquium Co-Chair
rossella.gambetti@unicatt.it

Dr Silvia Biraghi
(Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy)
Colloquium Co-Chair
silvia.biraghi@unicatt.it

References

Afdhel, A., and B. Jones. (2021). Good is the New Cool: The Principles of Purpose. Conspiracy of Love.

Biraghi, S., Gambetti, R.C., & Dalli, D. (2024). Eudaimonic well-being: a socio-cultural perspective on narrative action. Culture and Organization, ahead-of-print, available at:

Edelman (2023). Trust Baramoter Report.

Euromonitor (2024). Global consumer trends Report.

Gambetti, R. C., & Biraghi, S. (2023). Branded activism: Navigating the tension between culture and market in social media. Futures, 145, 103080.

Holt, D. B. (2002). Why do brands cause trouble? A dialectical theory of consumer culture and branding. Journal of Consumer Research, 29(1), 70-90.

Melewar, T. C., Dennis, C. E., & Foroudi, P. (Eds.). (2021). Building corporate identity, image and reputation in the digital era. Routledge.

Melewar, T.C. & Saunders, J. (2000), “Global corporate visual identity systems: using an extended marketing mix”, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 34 Nos 5/6, pp. 538-550.

RepTrack (2024). Global reputation ranking report.

Williams, P., J. E. Escalas, and A. Morningstar. (2022). “Conceptualizing Brand Purpose and Considering its Implications for Consumer Eudaimonic Well-Being.” Journal of Consumer Psychology 32 (4): 699–723.