BRAND MANAGEMENT AND INTERNATIONALIZATION: A CASE STUDY IN THE SPORTS EQUIPMENT INDUSTRY

Internationalization is a strategy increasingly used by companies. Emerging markets firms are tardy regarding innovativeness and international orientation. Over the years, internationalization has proved to be a crucial strategy to increase sales and improve corporate performance in an increasingly globalized world. Global markets offer new business and innovation opportunities, and it is therefore likely that companies will shift their focus from domestic to international markets. The internationalization process has been intensively studied and can lead to the exploration of new markets, which often implies the creation of new brands. In this context, brand management is one of the aspects on which many researchers have dedicated attention. The study of the brand requires attention to several kinds of concepts, no less important (e.g., image, notoriety, or identity). Recently, there have been new approaches and new contributions in this regard. Through an interdisciplinary perspective, the present study aims to analyse and to understand the process of internationalization and brand management in business contexts (i.e., sports contexts). Specifically, the study focuses on Berg Outdoor, a brand that has as core business articles for outdoor practices (i.e., textiles, footwear, or equipment). In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with company directors (February 2018) in a qualitative perspective. This paper will attempt to present management development in a brand attachment perspective. Some limitations and the next steps of investigation will be discussed