Correspondence: Shirley Leitch, University of Wollongong, Wollongong NSW 2522, Australia. Tel: +61 2 4221 5080; Fax: +61 2 4221 4157; E-mail: sleitch@uow.edu.au

¹is Dean of Commerce and Professor of Management at the University of Wollongong (Australia). Her research work has been published in management, marketing and public relations journals including Organisation Studies, European Journal of Marketing, Human Relations and Public Relations Review.

²is Research Director and Professor of Management and Marketing at the University of Wollongong (Australia). She is the leader of a New Zealand Foundation of Research, Science and Technology-funded project investigating sustainable biotechnology. Her work, which often takes a Foucauldian perspective, is published in the communication and marketing literatures, including European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Business Research, Public Relations Review and Journal of Public Relations Research.

Received 7 June 2007; Revised 7 June 2007.

Abstract

In this paper, we draw upon the social theory of Michel Foucault to explore the neglected tension between normalisation and differentiation in corporate branding. The mainstream response within the corporate marketing literature to addressing this tension is exemplified by Deephouse who argues for the identification of a 'strategic balance point', which would lead managers to strive for the singular identity that represents the ideal compromise between differentiation and conformity. In contrast, we contend that corporate brands exist in multiple discourse contexts, that the tension between normalisation and differentiation must be managed within each of these contexts and that the brand positioning may therefore vary between and within discourse contexts. We also argue that corporate marketers consider the use of strategic ambiguity in managing the tension between normalisation and differentiation because it facilitates the creation of flexible interpretations and therefore allows multiple branding strategies to evolve and flourish.