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While interest in the concept of corporate reputation has gained momentum in the last few years, a precise and commonly agreed upon definition is still lacking. This paper reviews the many definitions of corporate reputation present in the recent literature and categorizes these definitions based on their similarities and differences. The purpose of the study is to review, analyze and evaluate prior definitional statements of corporate reputation. The analysis led us to conclude that the cluster of meaning that looks most promising for future definitional work uses the language of assessment and specific terms such as judgment, estimation, evaluation or gauge. Based on this review work and a lexicological analysis of the concept of reputation, we propose a new definitional statement that we think adds theoretical clarity to this area of study. The statement defines corporate reputation more explicitly and narrowly and distinguishes this concept from corporate identity, corporate image and corporate reputation capital. It is our hope that this study and the resulting definition will provoke further scholarship devoted to developing one voice when it comes to corporate reputation as a concept. Corporate Reputation Review (2006) 9, 26 -38.

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Partnering charitable causes with brands has become a common practice for many marketing programs; it is referred to strategically as cause-related marketing. Although there is the perception that both partners benefit from the alliance, research has focused primarily on the benefits to the brand. Using Attitude Accessibility, Congruity, and Information Integration Theories, this study empirically tests a model to evaluate the impact of cause-brand alliances on subsequent attitudes toward both partners. The results of the study (n ‫؍‬ 463) support the assumption that attitudes toward both the cause and the brand can be enhanced as a consequence of an alliance if perceptions of the alliance are favorable. Furthermore, the cause appears to benefit from the alliance to a greater extent than the brand. The study supports the notions that the fit between partners plays a pivotal role in consumer acceptance of the alliance as plausible and that familiarity with the cause moderates the effectiveness of the alliance. These results represent a necessary step in developing a theoretical model to explain the effects of a cause-brand alliance on both partners.

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