The utilisation of digital media for branding start-ups

The critical and irrevocably strengthening role of social media and mobile technology in brand building strategies is naturally reflected in extant literature. The latter, however, focuses on practices of established companies, without paying due attention to start-ups, and only considering specific aspects of these, such as their dynamic branding models and flexible branding processes. This paper aims at this gap and investigates how start-ups differ in their utilisation of social media and mobile technologies for branding purposes, in terms of requisite means and aims. The findings highlight visible differences between start-ups and established companies, in terms of strategic aims, use and prioritisation of benefits gained and barriers to implementation. Methodologically, the research rests on a mixed-method approach comprising interviews, secondary data, observation, expert panel control and a multiple case study of three Italian start-ups; and conceptually develops descriptive findings towards prescriptive conclusions and implications of both scholarly and industry worth.