Sustainable brand positioning by container shipping firms: Evidence from social media communications

Vural, Ceren Altuntaş; Baştuğ, Sedat; Gülmez, Seçil

doi:10.1016/j.trd.2021.102938

Cited by 21 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 127 publications

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“…Businesses with effective sustainability reporting systems have higher reputation scores and are likelier to attract and retain stakeholders (Goel, 2018). Sustainability positioning is projected to become an increasingly significant strategy for firms to adopt to remain competitive and obtain stakeholder support as sustainability becomes a more relevant issue for businesses and society as a whole (Kapitan et al , 2019; Vural et al , 2021).…”

Section: Review Of Literature and Theoretical Underpinningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The existing literature on B2B sustainability positioning mainly focuses on exploring the impact of sustainability positioning on buyer behavior and financial performance and how firms can effectively integrate sustainability into their business strategies and operations (Bansal, 2005; Henriques and Sadorsky, 1999; Peloza and Shang, 2011; Kapitan et al , 2019). All these studies focus on the emotional and environmental dimensions of sustainability positioning (Table 1) (Kapitan et al , 2019; Casidy and Yan, 2022; Casidy and Lie, 2023; Vural et al , 2021), thus neglecting social dimensions in emerging economies in the service sector. Overlooking the social dimensions of sustainability positioning can result in a parochial understanding of the phenomenon.…”

Section: Review Of Literature and Theoretical Underpinningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, the current theoretical contribution adds to the scholarly debate on sustainability positioning by emphasizing the importance of social dimensions, notably sustainable engagement, internal assurance and participation in CSR efforts. Earlier research has mostly focused on identifying environmental, functional and emotional elements that influence sustainable positioning in diverse situations (Kapitan et al , 2019; Vural et al , 2021). As a result, our research provides unique insights into the importance of social dimensions in the domain of B2B sustainable positioning.…”

Section: Implications and Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The existing literature on B2B sustainability positioning is primarily concerned with investigating the impact of sustainability positioning on buyer behavior and financial performance, as well as how businesses can effectively integrate sustainability into their business strategies and operations (Peloza and Shang, 2011; Kapitan et al , 2019). All of the aforementioned studies (Kapitan et al , 2019; Casidy and Yan, 2022; Casidy and Lie, 2023; Vural et al , 2021) focus on the emotional and environmental aspects of sustainability positioning, ignoring social aspects in emerging economies in the service sector. By ignoring the social aspects of sustainability’s positioning, we risk developing a narrow picture of the phenomenon.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact of various structural attributes on B2B sustainability positioning

Gogia,

Gupta,

Rathi

2023

JBIM

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Purpose In highly competitive environments, sustainability positioning is crucial for firms, as they are evaluated based on their sustainable practices. This study aims to draw on the legitimacy and information asymmetry theories to explore attributes that impact business-to-business (B2B) sustainability positioning in emerging economies, such as India, within the service industry. Design/methodology/approach This study used a mixed-methods exploratory research design to examine the attributes affecting sustainability positioning. In the first phase of the study, a qualitative research method was used to explore the attributes influencing B2B sustainability positioning. In the second phase, this study used these factors to develop a structural model. Findings A variety of attributes was critical in assessing the sustainability positioning of B2B firms. This study identified a number of factors that explain the attributes affecting sustainability positioning in B2B markets. Some of them included environmental consciousness and external assurance. Originality/value This study significantly contributes to the theoretical discourse on sustainable practices in B2B businesses in multiple ways. First, it provides empirical data on the relationship between firms’ environmental consciousness and sustainability positioning in the B2B context, thereby adding to and expanding the current literature on this topic. Second, this study investigates the impact of external assurance on B2B firms’ sustainability positioning and shows how it can enhance credibility, transparency and accountability. Finally, it analyzes sustainable positioning in the service sector, specifically in India, thereby contributing to the body of knowledge on this topic.

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Section: Review Of Literature and Theoretical Underpinningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Review Of Literature and Theoretical Underpinningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Implications and Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Impact of various structural attributes on B2B sustainability positioning

Gogia,

Gupta,

Rathi

2023

JBIM

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“…Few studies have looked social media and sustainability within the B2B sector. One study that has explored this topic found that shipping firms use social media to communicate their brand position, and they primarily emphasize the environmental dimension (Vural et al , 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social media branding in the food industry: comparing B2B and B2C companies’ use of sustainability messaging on Twitter

Garner

Mady

2023

JBIM

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Purpose Supply chains are under increased scrutiny as consumers have become aware of the dark side of downstream production practices. Many articles and exposés have led consumers to be more conscious of purchasing products from companies who source materials in a socially responsible and ethical manner. As a result, business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumers (B2C) companies are under increased pressure to source raw materials in a transparent and ethical way. Because of the associated costs, companies then look to benefit from increased brand equity by promoting to consumers how ethical their products are. The purpose of this study is to look at the case of the food industry to analyze sustainability messaging on Twitter in both B2B and B2C companies to determine which of the dimensions of sustainability (people, profit, planet) are being emphasized. Design/methodology/approach In this study, two published dictionaries were combined to capture the three dimensions of “sustainability,” and these scales were then used to analyze Twitter posts. This study created a unique software package to classify, mine, collect and analyze Twitter data. This study used these tools to analyze 246,386 Twitter posts within a sample of 39 leading B2C and B2B food companies over a 10-year period (2012–2021) to explore brand messaging and engagement rate. Findings This research revealed several interesting results. These include how B2B companies have emphasized the employee (people) dimensions of sustainability, while B2C companies have had a more balanced approach that overall has prioritized the economic dimension (profit) of sustainability. The data on audience engagement revealed a mismatch between the types of sustainability messaging B2B companies and B2C companies in the food industry are posting and what engages audiences. Originality/value This study fills several gaps, including analyzing how B2B and B2C companies use sustainability language in their social media brand management, as well as looking at which dimensions of sustainability they emphasize and which ones engage audiences the most. This research is also novel in combining multiple existing scales under one project to analyze the triple bottom line in the analysis of qualitative texts.

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Marketing Communications: Embedding Sustainability Practices in a Changing World

Adeola

Evans

2022

Palgrave Studies of Marketing in Emerging Economies

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Sustainable brand positioning by container shipping firms: Evidence from social media communications

Cited by 21 publications

References 127 publications

Impact of various structural attributes on B2B sustainability positioning

Impact of various structural attributes on B2B sustainability positioning

Social media branding in the food industry: comparing B2B and B2C companies’ use of sustainability messaging on Twitter

Marketing Communications: Embedding Sustainability Practices in a Changing World

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