DOES BRAND INFLUENCE THE EFFICIENCY OF INNOVATION STRATEGY IM-PLEMENTATION BY A COMPANY?

Abstract A number of previous studies aimed at identifying what ensures sustainable development of a company have examined direct links between innovation strategies (IS) and value added (VA), since in value-based management (VBM) it is customary to measure the effectiveness of a strategy, as well as management work in general, by its value. However, little is known about the influence of a brand as one of the types of sustainable competitive advantages (SCA) on this relationship. So, the purpose of this article is to analyze the influence of a company's brand as a moderator on the effectiveness of the implementation of one of the most common types of innovation strategies, namely, product strategy. It was assumed that (1) the relationship between innovative product strategy (IPS) and added value (VA) is linear, positive and significant, and that (2) the influence of a company's brand enhances this relationship. To test these hypotheses, data from a cross-sectional survey of 63 students at the University of Amsterdam were used, followed by a regression analysis of the survey answers. The results showed a positive relationship between IPS and VA but no significant influence of brand as a moderator on this relationship. Thus, the role of the company’s brand in strengthening the relationship between IPS and VA was not confirmed, which should be taken into account by managers in their current work.