An examination of branding advantage in export ventures

Globalization has rendered international expanding activities increasingly important for the survival, growth and success of modern firms. Drawing on the resource‐based view (RBV) of the firm, the purpose of the present study is to investigate the antecedents and performance implications of branding advantage in export ventures.

A mail survey was used to collect data from exporting manufacturers. Further, a series of qualitative interviews with export managers was conducted. The unit of analysis is the export venture. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to assess the measurement properties of the study constructs. Structural equation modelling using a full information estimation approach was performed to test the research model.

The results of the study indicate that both export venture financial and experiential resources promote export venture communication capabilities, and financial and experiential resources and communication capabilities are contributors to the achievement of export venture branding advantage, which in turn is related positively to export venture performance.

The study findings provide export managers with useful insights into how to successfully compete in export markets on the basis of branding advantage. Financial and experiential resources and communication capabilities should be deployed in order to achieve a branding advantage position and enhanced export performance outcomes. Replication of this research within other settings is needed to test the external validity of the present findings.

The main contribution of this study is that it highlights the role of branding advantage in the context of exporting firms.