From market orientation to brand orientation in the public sector

This conceptual article examines brand orientation as an alternative to market orientation in the public sector. The problem with market orientation is that the focus on customers is too great; it is myopic, and lacks true interaction; it is mechanistic, and the emphasis on economic values is too strong. In this light, brand orientation becomes an interesting alternative. Brand orientation is more powerful, since it provides a holistic and balanced perspective on an organisation, diminishing the risk of too much focus on customers, which leads to myopia. Brand orientation is more robust because it emphasises continuity coupled with dynamics and interaction, diminishing the risk of short-sightedness and reactivity. Brand orientation also facilitates prioritisation of democratic values, diminishing the risk of too much focus on economic values.