ABOUT

MATS URDE

I am associate professor in strategic brand management (part time) with the key concepts of identity, communication, and reputation. My research, teaching, and work as an advisor contribute to brand orientated leadership. In brand orientation the organisation’s processes revolve around the creation, development and protection of brand identity in an on-going interaction with customers and non-customer stakeholders. The aim is to achieve lasting competitive advantages in the form of brands with a strong reputation. Brand orientation was the subject of my PhD thesis and a colleague and I have pioneered this new (identity-driven) paradigm that has developed into a synergistic strategic option to market orientation (image-driven). In essence, brand orientation is a strategic corporate view on brands as competitive advantages and resources, which need to be balanced with the paradigm of market orientation.

My research is largely based on longitudinal (over time) case studies (bridging theory and practice) of corporations and organisations. Examples of my case studies are Volvo, DuPont, Nestlé, the Swedish Monarchy and the Nobel Prize Foundation. Among the key concepts I have been part of developing are core values, brand track record, brand mindsets, and the corporate brand. I have pioneered and contributed to new research fields and international research groups on corporate brand management, brand heritage, brand rhetoric and brand orientation.



In the international research community, I served as an editor for two leading brand management journals. I am head and co-founder of the research group “Lund Brand Management Group”, the aim of which is ”To develop useful tools and theories for the application in practice of managing brands, and to forward the academic field of strategic brand management.”

As head of our case training programme and as a coach the Lund student team at international case competitions, I see first-hand the potential of this method. As a teacher, I am head of the master’s degree courses “Strategic Brand Management” and “Corporate Brand Management and Reputation” (case-based course). I am deeply honoured to have been voted The Teacher of the Year (2013) and to have received The Lund University Pedagogical Teaching Award (2015).

I see the importance of bridging theory and practice in my research, teaching, and my work as an advisor. I am part of faculty in executive programmes and I have a 25 years of experience as an independent brand strategy advisor for companies and non-profits, including work with Volvo, Ericsson, Scania, Akzo Nobel, IKEA and The Swedish National Symphony Orchestra. I have been a member of the Electrolux Brand Award Committee for 10 years.

To conclude, my work as a researcher, teacher, and advisor is about pioneering, building, and applying strategic brand management theory. I strive to bridge theory and practice by using real‐life examples and case studies. In my spare time I enjoy Icelandic horse riding and sailing.