Co-branding & employer branding

Laura Maria Huber: The topic of co-branding as an employer brand strategy is highly relevant for the Tyrolean tourism industry, as it shows how tourism companies can strengthen their attractiveness as an employer through strategic partnerships. In a region such as Tyrol, which is heavily dependent on tourism, it is essential to attract and retain qualified employees for the seasonally fluctuating working conditions. Collaboration with renowned brands can not only strengthen the brand image, but also increase the visibility and trust of potential employees. These findings are of great interest to Tyrolean companies and destinations, as they can help to further increase the attractiveness of the region as a place to work and improve competitiveness compared to other destinations.

Laura Maria Huber: The key finding is that co-branding partnerships can function as an effective employer brand strategy. Collaboration with established brands strengthens the employer image and increases employer loyalty as well as employee productivity. Employees of the companies surveyed value the associated job security and the opportunities for professional networking with major brands. These results show that co-branding partnerships not only improve brand perception, but can also increase employee satisfaction and loyalty. For tourist destinations and businesses in Tyrol, this means that by choosing suitable partners and promoting shared values, sustainable added value can be generated for both the company and the region.

Laura Maria Huber: The recommendations for action include:

• Strategic selection of partners: tourism businesses should choose partners that share similar values to create an authentic and credible employer brand.
• Communicating partnership benefits: The benefits of a brand partnership, such as employee apparel or access to exclusive products, should be clearly communicated to potential and current employees
  to increase employer attractiveness.
• Continuous evaluation of the partner relationship: Companies should regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the partnerships and adjust them if necessary to ensure long-term benefits and make the best use of the partnerships.
• Integration into employer branding : The use of partner brand values in employer branding, for example through joint advertising or the provision of employee benefits, can strengthen the employer brand and create a unique positioning that stands out from competitors.

These recommendations offer Tyrolean tourism companies practical approaches to improve their competitive position through targeted co-branding strategies and to attract and retain qualified employees in the long term.

Laura Maria Huber: Insights were gained into the impact of co-branding partnerships on the employer brand in the tourism sector. One of the key findings was that co-branding partnerships not only influence the external brand image, but also sustainably promote the internal perception and identification of employees with the employer. The employees
benefit from concrete advantages such as exclusive products and events, which increases employer attractiveness and strengthens employee loyalty.

The research was conducted using an integrative methodology that combined qualitative and quantitative approaches. This made it possible to comprehensively record the effects of co-branding from both a management and employee perspective and revealed differences in perception depending on the position in the company. The role of "brand fit" - i.e. the brand fit between the co-branding partners - also proved to be a decisive factor for the success of the employer branding strategy, as a high "brand fit" strengthens the authenticity and credibility of the partnerships and thus increases employee loyalty.