Interactive Network Branding: Creating resilience of small firms in times of crisis

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operate in increasingly turbulent business environments, where economic uncertainty, market disruptions, and other crises challenge their competitiveness, innovation, and long-term sustainability. Although corporate branding can support business development, SMEs often lack the resources to implement comprehensive branding strategies.

Existing research has predominantly examined branding in consumer markets and large organisations, paying comparatively limited attention to corporate branding in business-to-business contexts and SMEs. Furthermore, branding has traditionally been approached as a means of differentiation and competition, while its potential to facilitate collaboration and strengthen business relationships remains less understood.

This Academy Research Fellow project addresses these gaps by developing a theoretical framework of Interactive Network Branding (INB) as a business strategy through which SMEs can strengthen their resilience, innovation, sustainability, and competitiveness.

The project investigates how SMEs develop and utilise branding and networking capabilities to respond to crises, collaborate with business partners, and mobilise stakeholder support. Particular attention is given to how interactive branding processes and business relationships contribute to innovation and sustainability-oriented activities.

Using a mixed-methods research approach, the project integrates perspectives from business marketing, brand management, innovation, sustainability, strategy, and entrepreneurship.

The project aims to advance theoretical understanding of corporate branding in business networks and provide research-based insights that help Finnish SMEs strengthen their branding and networking capabilities, improve their competitive prospects, and respond more effectively to crises.