Alliance brands: Building corporate brands through strategic alliances?

Abstract

The emergence of airline alliance brands represents an unexplored area in the context of the nascent field of corporate brand management. This study reports a case study of an alliance brand within the airline industry: oneworld. The research into the oneworld alliance was driven by two fundamental questions relating to alliance brands: what are alliance brands and what are the implications of alliance brands for corporate branding and brand alliances? This study suggests that, with careful nurturing on the part of marketers, alliance brands have the potential to develop into a valuable strategic resource. This preliminary study has resulted in recommendations in terms of research and practice relating to alliance brands.Journal of Brand Management (2006) 13, 242-256; doi:10.1057/palgrave.bm.2540268