The Model of Ethical Variables Affecting Branding

The concept of ethical branding comes from the intersection of business ethics and brand management. An ethical brand is a brand that prevents harm to others. The purpose of this research is to provide a model of ethical variables influencing branding.

The current research is qualitative and among exploratory and applied research. The statistical population of this research includes business owners in East Azerbaijan province. Through targeted sampling, 15 people were selected as a sample from the target population. The data collection tool was semi-structured in-depth one-on-one interviews. Finally, the obtained data were recorded and analyzed by theme analysis method using MAXQDA18 software.

Examining the findings and conducting thematic analysis indicated the effect of 4 main ethical variables or main themes, which included: corporate ethical philosophy, corporate ethical communication, corporate ethical culture and ethical image.

The unethical activities of businesses have caused many concerns for managers and academic researchers, because unethical behavior on the one hand affects the brand's personality and on the other hand, the decline of the company's reputation among customers, lack of it leads to repeat purchases and sanctions and punishment of the business by customers. Paying attention to the 4 factors presented in the formation model of ethical branding can have a significant impact on creating brand trust and satisfaction in commercial businesses.