You or an imposter? How to protect brand identity in a business-to-business context?

Preserving brand identity is a major challenge faced by B2B brand managers. This study makes a unique contribution by investigating how to protect brand identity in the B2B context using a mixed-method approach. Firstly, a qualitative study explores the factors affecting brand identity in the B2B context. Further, five online experiments were performed to validate the theoretical model identified in the qualitative study using signaling theory as the base theory. A total of 456 responses were received and analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings highlighted that blockchain technology, green labels, human brand ambassadors, and QR code play a crucial role in creating brand identity. The self-congruence was found to be a crucial moderator, and brand authenticity leads to brand identity. This study uniquely contributes to the brand identity literature in the B2B context. The findings of the study help B2B brand managers to formulate and implement strategies to protect brand identity.