The dual opening to brand heritage in family businesses

Abstract – This paper seeks to uncover why and how the combination of family and company in family businesses implies idiosyncratic opportunities in the process to uncover, activate, and heritage-based corporate identities and brands./methodology/approach – The discussion is specifically informed by the literatures on heritage, family business, and the notion of hybrid identities. To illustrate this typology of communication in family businesses the paper relies on web site observations in Sweden and-based family businesses. – Based on the construct of brand heritage, the paper clarifies why the entwinement of and business provides fertile ground for brand heritage. The presentation of a typology of ways communicate family, business and family business history respectively further reveals the varying and practices of family businesses in this area. limitations/implications – The paper primarily takes an external marketing orientation is conceptual. implications – The distinction of two sources of brand heritage in family businesses and typology of approaches to reflect history in corporate communications should be of interest for. The findings can serve as an eye-opener and instrument in the planning of strategic./value – The paper focuses on brand heritage and heritage branding from a family perspective. Being hybrid identity organizations, characterized by entwinement of family company history, family businesses offer particular perspectives to the heritage brand discussion. Brand heritage, Branding, Corporate communication, Corporate identity, Family business,, Family firms, Germany, Sweden