Rebranding a federation: Insights from the UK co-operative movement

Abstract

This paper details the rebranding process undertaken by the UK co-operative movement and provides an understanding of the strategic issues involved in maintaining a coherent brand identity across a group of autonomous independent societies. The methodology uses previously unpublished and archive material from across the movement. This is followed by a series of structured interviews with Board Directors, senior management and individuals responsible for implementing the rebranding strategy. The rebranding exercise took almost ten years and the research identifies nine (non discrete) overlapping stages. The paper argues that while many parallels with can be drawn with the corporate rebranding literature, the need to achieve compromise and consensus combined with the independence of those participating, creates issues not detailed in previous academic studies.

Brand ageing: an analysis from a Latin American perspective

“…Brand rejuvenation assumes the challenge of providing a brand with contemporary and vital new elements, despite its historical record (Ewing et al, 2009). In corporate environments, this process is pursued with different purposes including to bring a new life to an older brand, to refresh an old brand or to create a new brand from the old brand (Calderwood and Freathy, 2013). Nonetheless, it should be stated that, regardless of its purpose, the literature suggests that the most important aim of managerial action in brand regeneration is the stakeholder buy-in process, which implies total acceptance of, alignment with and commitment to the brand change (Muzellec and Lambkin, 2006).…”

Role of brand equity and competitive strategies in the relation between horizontal alliances and its benefits

“…Interestingly, while B2B brands have rarely been investigated from the perspective of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (Hirvonen et al , 2016), Anees-ur-Rehman and Johnston (2019) examined the issue of how strategic orientations affect brand equity in the context of B2B SMEs. Additionally, only a few studies have offered insights into brand or brand equity in the context of SMRs, including the rebranding process undertaken by the cooperative movement (Calderwood and Freathy, 2014), member firm’s brand equity in retail buying groups (Hernández-Espallardo and Navarro-Bailón, 2009) and the effect of farmer cooperatives’ brand equity on financial performance (Grashuis, 2018). Consequently, to the best of our knowledge, little practical guidance has been given concerning the strategic issue of whether and how SMRs can improve the brand equity of allied groups and their performance consequences in horizontal strategic alliances.…”

“…Further, prior studies have advanced our understanding of the role that branding plays for retail buying groups and marketing cooperatives; including the rebranding process of the cooperative movement (Calderwood and Freathy, 2014), farmer cooperatives’ brand equity (Grashuis, 2018) and member retailers’ brand equity (Hernández-Espallardo and Navarro-Bailón, 2009). However, our knowledge of the impact of a buying group’s brand equity is quite limited.…”

Public agencies in Nigerias oil sector: Wealth distribution, economic development and poverty alleviation in the Niger Delta

“…However, the creation of a new agricultural development policy in 1953 promoted rural agricultural cooperative with remarkable success and established government support has followed ever since with extra directives backing farmers and co-operative enterprises (Deng et al, 2010), thus positioning agricultural cooperatives as the main type of cooperative and an important channel not only for rural development, but also an avenue for economic empowerment to the local population in China (Butcher and Xu, 2014). In the UK, the Co-operative Group, previously called the Co-operative Wholesale Society (CWS) until recently, employed more than 110,000 individuals within its business units such as banking, insurance, food, farming, pharmacy, funerals, property, legal services, online electrical and travel (Calderwood and Freathy, 2014). As the world"s biggest consumer cooperative, the Group in 2010 delivered a whopping profit of about £606 million (Co-operative Group, 2011).…”