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A Systematic Review of Internal and External Brand Management: Unveiling the Enigma of Employee Brand Equity Formation: Comparison
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Please note this is a comparison between Version 2 by Vicky Zhou and Version 1 by HE CHUANJIE.

This study explores how internal and external brand management synergistically construct employee brand equity in contemporary organizations. Drawing on social identity theory, brand equity theory, and relationship quality theory, we conducted a systematic literature review of research published from 2019 to 2024 to analyze the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral mechanisms underlying this process. Our findings reveal that internal brand management activities (brand-oriented HR practices, brand communication) and external initiatives (CSR, marketing strategies) jointly shape employees’ brand cognition, while brand relationship quality mediates emotional connections through brand commitment, trust, and advocacy. These elements ultimately manifest in behavioral expressions including brand citizenship behavior, loyalty, retention intention, and positive word-of-mouth. This research provides organizations with an integrated framework for strategically aligning internal and external brand activities to enhance employee brand support, thereby strengthening competitive advantage through consistent brand delivery across all stakeholder touchpoints.

  • brand management
  • brand relationship quality
  • employee brand equity
In an increasingly competitive global market environment, corporate brands have become crucial strategic resources for organizations to gain sustainable competitive advantages [1]. Brands represent the cumulative value of an organization’s tangible and intangible equity, embodying its identity, vision, and promises to stakeholders [2]. The significance of brand management has grown exponentially as markets become more saturated and consumers increasingly make purchase decisions based on brand perceptions rather than product attributes alone [3]. With the deepening development of service economy, the interaction interface between enterprises and customers increasingly relies on employees’ brand presentation behaviors [4]. As important transmitters of brand value, employees’ brand cognition, emotional attachment, and behavioral tendencies directly influence the fulfillment of brand promises and the shaping of brand image [5].
The growing recognition of employees as brand stakeholders has led to increased scholarly attention on employee brand equity—the added value that employees contribute to a brand through their understanding, emotions, and behaviors [6]. Unlike traditional brand equity which focuses on customer perspectives, employee brand equity emphasizes the internal dimension of brand value creation [7]. Recent studies have demonstrated that employees function not merely as passive recipients of brand messages but as active co-creators of brand meaning who significantly influence both internal organizational culture and external brand perceptions [8]. This dual role positions employees at a critical juncture in the brand value chain, making the construction of employee brand equity a strategic imperative for organizations seeking to maintain brand consistency [9].
Research on employee brand equity has primarily developed along two parallel streams: internal brand management and external brand management [10]. Internal brand management includes brand-oriented human resource practices, internal communication, training, and leadership that help employees understand and enact brand values [11,12][11][12]. Through these systematic efforts, organizations aim to equip employees with the knowledge, skills, and motivation necessary to deliver on brand promises [13]. Concurrently, external brand management initiatives such as corporate social responsibility practices and marketing strategies establish the brand’s positioning in the marketplace and create expectations among external stakeholders [14]. Although these activities target different audiences, employees are exposed to both and interpret them together.
However, much of the literature still treats these two streams separately. This separation limits understanding of contemporary brand environments, where internal and external messages increasingly overlap [15]. Employees may receive internal training about brand values while simultaneously observing how the brand is presented in advertising, social media, public relations, or CSR campaigns [16]. When these signals are consistent, they strengthen employees’ brand understanding; when they conflict, they may weaken trust and identification [17].
Brand relationship quality provides a useful bridge between brand management activities and employee brand equity [18]. Through dimensions such as brand commitment, brand trust, and brand advocacy, brand relationship quality reflects the strength of emotional connection between employees and the brand [19]. High-quality brand relationships not only enhance employees’ emotional attachment to the brand but also promote positive brand citizenship behavior and brand loyalty [20]. However, the mechanism of how internal and external brand management influence employee brand equity through brand relationship quality still remains underexplored, particularly in terms of their interactive effects [21]. Recent evidence further suggests that internal brand knowledge and employee brand participation can strengthen employee-based brand equity and brand citizenship behavior [22,23][22][23].
Social identity theory suggests that employee brand equity can be understood as a process that often moves from cognition to emotion and then to behavior [24], although feedback loops and alternative pathways may also occur. Brand equity theory emphasizes that the formation of brand equity requires the synergy of multiple dimensions [25]. In the field of employee brand equity, these dimensions include brand citizenship behavior, employee satisfaction, retention intention, and positive word-of-mouth [26]. Research indicates that internal brand management can promote positive brand behavior by enhancing employees’ brand knowledge and skills [27]. Meanwhile, external brand management activities can enhance employees’ brand pride and identification by strengthening brand reputation and image [28]. Relationship quality theory provides a theoretical foundation for understanding the role of brand relationship quality in building employee brand equity [29]. Research has found that high-quality brand relationships can enhance employees’ emotional investment and behavioral support for the brand [30].
Internal and external brand management are therefore best understood as mutually reinforcing rather than independent [31]. Studies show that when internal and external brand management activities are coordinated, they produce stronger brand-building effects than either approach in isolation [32]. For instance, corporate social responsibility practices can not only enhance external brand image but also strengthen employees’ brand pride and identification. Similarly, effective internal brand communication improves employees’ brand understanding while simultaneously promoting the dissemination of external brand image [33]. However, the synergistic mechanism of internal and external brand management and their impact pathways on employee brand equity still require in-depth investigation through a comprehensive theoretical lens [34].
Based on the existing theoretical research, scholars have recognized that there are multiple mechanisms at work in building employee brand equity [35]. First, the cognitive mechanism explains how internal brand management continuously strengthens employees’ understanding and identification of brand value, while external brand management enhances employees’ perception and cognition of brand image [36]. Second, the emotional mechanism explains how brand relationship quality plays a key mediating role, gradually cultivating emotional bonds between employees and the brand [37]. Finally, the behavioral mechanism explains how employee brand equity is ultimately manifested through specific brand-supporting behaviors that reflect employees’ level of brand commitment and directly impact brand value realization [38]. Notably, these mechanisms are analytically distinct but mutually connected.
This study addresses the research gap by reviewing international journal articles published from 2019 to 2024 and by constructing an integrative framework that connects internal and external brand management, brand relationship quality, and employee brand equity, guided by social identity theory, brand equity theory, and relationship quality theory. This research focuses on three core questions: (1) How do internal and external brand management influence the construction of employee brand equity through cognitive mechanisms? (2) How does brand relationship quality support the emotional formation of employee brand equity? (3) How is the behavioral performance mechanism of employee brand equity formed? This study provides both theoretical guidance for researchers exploring the multidimensional nature of employee brand equity and practical implications for organizations seeking to leverage the synergistic potential of integrated brand management approaches.

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