Exploring the Impact of Internal Marketing and Job Satisfaction on Internal Brand Equity

Abstract

In recent years, internal branding has emerged as a crucial topic in the marketing field, gaining increasing recognition for its impact on both organizational culture and employee performance. Internal branding involves aligning employees with the company’s brand values, ensuring they act as brand ambassadors in their interactions both inside and outside the organization. This study provides valuable insights into how key factors such as job satisfaction, internal marketing, and brand orientation play a vital role in shaping employees’ internal brand equity. Job satisfaction refers to how content and motivated employees are in their roles, which in turn affects their alignment with the brand’s goals. Internal marketing emphasizes the importance of treating employees as internal customers, ensuring they are well-informed and engaged with the brand's mission and values. Brand orientation focuses on embedding the brand’s identity and vision into the organization’s practices and culture. To explore these dynamics, empirical data were gathered through questionnaires, which were distributed to employees working in food and pharmaceutical firms. The results offer a deeper understanding of how organizations can enhance internal brand equity by fostering a supportive and brand-oriented work environment, thereby boosting employee engagement and loyalty to the brand. The empirical findings of the study revealed that while both brand orientation and internal marketing significantly influence internal brand equity, job satisfaction does not have a direct impact on internal brand equity. However, the analysis further demonstrated that job satisfaction and internal marketing have a direct and positive effect on brand orientation. This suggests that by enhancing job satisfaction and internal marketing efforts, organizations can strengthen brand orientation, which in turn indirectly contributes to improving internal brand equity. The results underscore the importance of brand orientation as a critical intermediary in the relationship between internal marketing, job satisfaction, and internal brand equity. In essence, when employees are satisfied with their jobs and are engaged through internal marketing initiatives, they are more likely to adopt and embody the brand's orientation. This alignment indirectly enhances internal brand equity, as employees become more effective brand ambassadors within the organization. These findings provide valuable insights for companies seeking to boost their financial performance. By better understanding the key drivers of internal brand equity—specifically the role of brand orientation—organizations can refine their internal branding strategies, leading to improved employee alignment with brand values, stronger customer relationships, and ultimately, enhanced financial outcomes.