Corporate image strategies adopted by major media houses in Kenya

Abstract

"Corporate image" was once an advertising jargon but today is a common phrase referring to a company's reputation. Distant are the times when it was supposed that ―a good product speaks for itself‖. W ith the abundance of products from the Western world, the managerial challenge, it see ms, has become that of differentiating similar products; of creating a sense of uniqueness. While it is claimed that anyone can manufacture a product; the real route to commercial success is supposed to be found in the artful creation of images and brands. "Image" is what the pu blic is supposed to see when a corporation is mentioned. In a social and economic order that is moving ―from substance to image‖, production and proliferation of signs have become more important than the production of material object s. Many organizations today are spending a lot of time, resources and effort trying to build a str ong image for their businesses. This research project lies within the realm s of corporate image management and strategic management; and it investigates the c orporate image strategies adopted by major media houses in Kenya. The study was specifically designed to determine, identify and evaluate the corporate image strategies adopted; and ho w such strategies enhance the image of the organizations under study. Cr oss sectional survey was adopted as the research design . The target population of this study was all the media companies operating in Kenya. Out of this population a sample of four major media organizations was selected based on a previous ranking study by the Media Council of Kenya done in 2013. In essence four media organizations were under study i.e. Royal Media Services, Nation Media Group, Standard Media Group, and Radio Africa Group. The study relied heavily on primary data which was collected through administering structured questionnaire s of closed and open - ended questions; developed in line with the objectives of the study. The researcher targeted five senior level managers in each of these four organizations as respondents, making a total of twenty respondents. After data analysis, the study found out that corporate - image strategies was the main contributor for achieving competitive advantage for the four major media organizations under study. The find ings of the study indicated that some of the b est, most effective, and most preferred and proven corporate image strategies within the media industry are: Product Differentiation and Image Differentiation , Branding and Corporate Communication , and Effective Management of Corporate Identity and Culture . Some of the major challenges identified of strategy implementation faced by the media organizations include: Employee resistant to change, Mismatch of strat egy with external environment, and Lack of training and refresher cours es on strategy Implementati on . In addition, this research project provides a model for an in depth understanding about the critical importance of managing corporate image and reputation, and the tangible benefits that stem from formulating and implementing rele vant corporate image s trategies