Corporate Sustainability Reporting and Its Influence on Brand Value: A Sectoral Analysis of Top Brands in an Emerging Market

This study employs a mixed-methods approach to examine the relationship between sustainability reporting and brand value in Türkiye’s most valuable brands. In the first phase, panel data regression analysis is utilized to evaluate the association between the presence of sustainability reports and firms’ brand values, with a focus on the impact of sustainability reporting on brand value over time. The findings showed that sustainability reports have a positive impact on brand value in four sectors among ten. These are construction, manufacturing, financial institutions, and wholesale & retail sectors. To better interpret these results, the second phase employs qualitative content analysis, utilizing Leximancer software (LexiDesktop 5) to analyze sustainability reports and identify evolving thematic patterns in reports across various sectors from 2020 to 2023. The results suggest that ESG reporting is evolving to become more comprehensive, multi-faceted, and responsive to sector-specific contexts, driven by heightened stakeholder attention and the continuous development of global standards. The findings provide insights into the role of sustainability reporting in shaping corporate brand value and highlight sector-specific trends in sustainability practices.