Introduction

Abstract

The most important intangible resource that a company can own is its reputation, which is an important differentiation criterion in competitive and international markets (Abimbola and Vallaster 2007; Hall 1993). Companies such as the H.J. Heinz Company actively use their strong reputations to attract customers when entering new markets, and companies such as Procter & Gamble regularly evaluate how the public perceives them in order to gain insights into customers’ thinking (Johnson 2011; Lafley 2009).