The relationship between corporate-brand equity and the eco-agenda: is there evidence of legitimacy?

Research to date considering brand equity relating to eco-behaviour has tended to concentrate at the specific product level, rather than corporate branding (e.g. Montoro-Rios, Luque-Martinez, Rodriguez-Molina, 2008). This paper will evaluate corporate perspectives on brand-name equity in relation to eco-behaviour and will clarify the value of such corporate identity amongst stakeholders. The importance of this research is that it develops a novel perspective on the issue of eco-behaviour to corporate brand equity, and will be of value to companies in determining their corporate environmental strategies.

More specifically, this paper explores the legitimacy of the eco-behaviour of large (FTSE 100) corporate-brand companies by considering two questions:

1. Are brand-name companies more likely to engage in sound environmental management practices than non- brand companies, and if so in what particular aspects?

2. Can such behaviours be explained in terms of either financial and/or reputational benefit, thus enhancing corporate- brand equity?