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Purpose The purpose of this study is to develop and test a comprehensive model for the outcomes of internal brand management (IBM), linking it to brand citizenship behavior (BCB) and intention to stay (IS) through job satisfaction (JS) and brand commitment (BC). Design/methodology/approach A comprehensive literature review is undertaken to develop the proposed model. The sample consists of three separate cases, a financial services firm, a multinational telecommunications company, both based in South Africa, and a regional grocery chain operating in the USA. Useable samples of 154, 96 and 241 were achieved for the three cases, respectively. In all cases, the majority of the respondents were customer contact employees. Findings The structural models showed some surprising results, the major one being that brand proselytization is not a component of BCB. Despite using the same instrument, the levers that drive IBM were different in each of the three cases and different from previous studies. Research limitations/implications The results of this research indicate that IBM and BCB are contextual. This implies that a universal instrument to measure these constructs has yet to be developed, representing an interesting avenue for future research. Practical implications Regarding employees as internal customers and including them in various marketing initiatives and brand-orientated human resource practices (recruitment, induction and training) are key to a successful IBM program. Originality/value A comprehensive model for the outcomes of IBM was developed and tested, linking it to BCB and IS through JS and BC. It is the first time that research has been conducted with customer contact employees only.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a deeper understanding of the philosophy adopted by organizations in making the decision to outsource contact centers or not. Design/methodology/approach A phenomenological study was used to develop an understanding of industry participants’ experience of the outsourcing of contact centers in South Africa. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted. Content analysis identified key thoughts and common themes. This was used to develop a model for outsourcing. Findings Evidence was found to support three propositions developed from the literature regarding the reasons for and the unintended consequences of outsourcing. A model was developed to illustrate how costs can be reduced by outsourcing under different conditions of “headcount constraints” and “failure costs” of customer relationship management. Research limitations/implications The study was conducted in a single emerging market. Future research should confirm the validity of this model in other markets. Practical implications Outsourcing contact centers can lead to a loss of control over CRM and internal brand management. This can be avoided by paying considerable attention to the governance of the contract. There are two key messages for managers: to resist the short-term attraction of potential cost savings and marketing must play an active role in the outsourcing decision. Originality/value New knowledge is provided about the philosophy adopted by organizations when outsourcing contact centers. A model is presented to guide managers in the outsourcing decision-making process.

There is little doubt that employees are critical to the delivery of the service brand. Although existing models propose methods of internal branding, very little is known about the actual corporate experience. Academics around the world have spent decades probing internal marketing, its subset-internal branding-and the impact of internal branding on service delivery. This research focuses on how organisations execute internal branding, revealing critical success factors as well as obstacles encountered. The research was conducted in five large organisations in the financial services sector in South Africa. Each organisation is a highly recognisable consumer brand; the oldest of which is nearing 200 years of being in business and the youngest is just 20 years old. This research adds to the body of knowledge regarding organisational practice of internal branding. Key themes are identified, three of which are largely absent from extant models and literature.

Purpose -This article presents a content analysis of Marketing Intelligence & Planning (MIP) for the period 1990-2010. The aim was to identify key trends in the evolution of MIP. Design/methodology/approach -Four areas were addressed, including an analysis of the nature of authorship, identification and ranking of the most prolific authors, recognition of the most influential articles based on number of citations, and an exploration of the research themes within the published articles. During the 21 years a total of 952 papers appeared in the journal and out of these, 856 were research articles and thereby included in the content analysis. A coding protocol was developed, covering author demographics, citations and research themes. Findings -Findings show a trend going from single-authored articles towards increased collaboration both within and across countries, and across institutions. The 24 most productive authors counted for 20.2 per cent of the analysed articles, and most of them were from the UK. The 856 articles included in the analysis received 9.368 citations. The five most prevalent research topics during the 21-year period as a whole were: marketing strategy, consumer behaviour, research measurement and metrics, global/export marketing, and customer relationship management. Differences with respect to the research topics were found over the time period. Originality/value -This analysis identifies key trends in the evolution of MIP. To date there has been no historical analysis of the journal and this analysis provides useful information for the MIP editorial team as well as other researchers and authors.