Corporate Identity Strategy and Competitive Advantage of Coca Cola Company Kenya Limited

Abstract

Corporate identity refers to an organization‟s personality, culture and purpose. It is evident in the different ways an organization relates to the outside world and its stakeholders. Many organizations have a strong concern for managing corporate identity in order to develop it as a corporate asset and a strategic management tool. Corporate identity presents the organization itself through the philosophy, mission and desired long term goals to its stakeholders. In the process of strategy, it is the source of competitive advantage and a strong link exists between these two concepts. This study is as a result of research project on corporate identity strategy and competitive advantage of Coca Cola Company Kenya Limited. The objective of the study was to determine how corporate identity strategy enhances competitive advantage of Coca Cola Company Kenya Limited. Both primary data collection methods through interviews and secondary data collection through the internet and company website were used in this study. The findings indicated that the studied company manages its corporate identity which is also a source of their competitive advantage. It was also discovered that the company‟s corporate identity is influenced by environmental factors such as technology, competition and economic factors. Even though the organizational factors such as corporate strategy, structure and culture are outside corporate identity context, they were largely affected by the environmental factors which also influenced the company‟s corporate identity management process. This meant that both environmental and organizational factors should be managed carefully through a well designed process if corporate identity should enhance competitive advantage. Due to the nature of corporate identity, it is sometimes done unconsciously. It is therefore recommended that frequent training and education on the concept of corporate identity should be conducted. It is also recommended that a person be appointed in order to closely manage corporate identity. This research did not go without some limitations. This included the unconscious and sub-conscious knowledge of corporate identity which may have caused some important information to be left out. This study was also faced with the limitation of insufficient time to explore the diverse nature of the concept. As earlier mentioned, the concept of corporate identity is diverse in nature and this study might not have covered all the necessary areas of the concept. It is therefore suggested that further research on the perspective of consumers and other stakeholders be conducted. The need to link successful management of corporate identity to tangible business results calls for further research of the concept on a quantitative perspective rather than qualitative.