The Impact of Public Brands on the Development of Trust-based Cooperations between Public Institutions

This dissertation presents a novel perspective on cooperation activities in the public sector by introducing the brand concept to support the efforts of public institutions in their attempt to successfully develop relationships with cooperation partners. In line with a current research stream in marketing science, the brand itself as well as the employee who represents a public brand are both considered to be important information carriers. The results of two experiments among 205 senior public managers have important implications for the management of internal and external communication in public institutions.