Reinforcing Intangible Assets through CSR in a Globalized World

One of the most important intangible assets for firm’s competitiveness is brand image, reflecting all that which leads to the firm. In the current competitive scenario, the brand must be able to meet stakeholder’s expectations not only regarding visible components of the marketing mix, but also the firm’s value system, including both economical and social values. Thus, corporate social responsibility is an important driver of brand image and equity, because the brand image reflects also what the firm does for the society. On the basis of these premises, this paper provides conceptual insights on the relationships between globalisation, intangible assets and corporate social responsibility. In particular, this paper is aimed to discuss the best CSR approach for a global firm, in the light of the global inter-stakeholder communication, and the way in which CSR strategy can reinforce the intangible assets (trust, reputation, credibility) included in the brand image.