Strategic brand venturing: the corporation as entrepreneur

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to outline a corporate entrepreneurship growth strategy for large consumer packaged goods (CPG) firms that involves venturing with brand entrepreneurs to access innovative or disruptive new brands called “strategic brand venturing” (SBV). Design/methodology/approach An emerging development among large CPG firms known for their branding and marketing prowess has been to create dedicated brand/consumer venturing units (e.g. Coca‐Cola; P&G; Nestle; Clorox; General Mills; Unilever) as a means of enlarging their innovation boundaries. As president of an SBV unit for The Coca‐Cola Company, the author notes this recent development and opportunity. He provides a descriptive account of its nature, strategic value, and organizational considerations. Research implications Researchers are encouraged to empirically examine this new option in further depth. Practical implications The capabilities and organizational considerations involved in establishing an SBV unit are briefly outlined. Originality/value External corporate venturing in technology‐intensive industries is an established and growing practice. However, equity investments by large CPG corporations in entrepreneurial brand firms represent a corporate entrepreneurship opportunity that has hitherto received scant/no attention in the literature. A revised typology of brand growth strategies is therefore proposed encompassing venturing.

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