Branding Strategies of Service Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Owners

Most enterprises in the United Arab Emirates are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); some owners of these enterprises lack the knowledge of branding strategies to succeed financially. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore branding strategies used by owners of some successful service SMEs. Krake\u27s funnel model for the role of brand management in SMEs was the conceptual framework used in the study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with a purposeful sample of 6 owners of medium-sized service enterprises who used branding strategies to improve the financial performance of their companies, and a review of company documents and company websites. Data analysis was conducted using the principles of the content analysis method, which included identifying codes and themes. Findings indicated owners of SMEs should be the personification of their brand, must do internal branding, should use the Internet and social media for marketing and branding, and should use innovative marketing strategies to promote their brand. The implications of this study for positive social change include the potential for owners of SMEs, who successfully implement branding strategies, to participate in the social causes started by the local governments for the welfare of people and communities