Exploring the brand building processes of micro B2B professional service firms in Uganda

Abstract

This thesis explores how Micro B2B Professional Service Firms (MPSFs) in the Ugandan context build their brands. MPSFs, typically comprising fewer than 10 employees, are crucial to economic growth. However, their brand-building processes remain under-researched, especially in developing economies like Uganda. The aim of the thesis is therefore to examine how MPSFs establish and grow their brands within such a challenging environment of resource constraints, institutional voids, and business informality while also facing competition from larger international corporations.
Drawing upon an exploratory qualitative design, the research uses case studies of six Ugandan MPSFs operating in information technology (IT), marketing, and fintech industries. The six cases are based on thirty-one semi-structured interviews with internal stakeholders, partners and industry stakeholders. The case studies also utilise digital content analysis of the firms’ website pages, along with Facebook, X and LinkedIn pages over one year.
Findings identify that multiple branding strategies exist along a spectrum with highly emergent and highly structured strategies at extreme ends. They are influenced by the firm’s target audience and available resources. These strategies are underpinned by a core branding process consisting of service quality, trust-building, reputation and referrals. Collectively, the resultant framework further reveals that MPSFs in Uganda rely heavily on relational branding, personal credibility and informal networks to overcome credibility and trust deficits. This study contributes to SME and micro business literature with a brand-building framework that accounts for contextual factors in Uganda. It also addresses theoretical gaps in B2B and professional service branding literature, offering practical guidance for MPSFs navigating brand building in Uganda.

Date of Award	Sept 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Brighton
Supervisor	Francisca Farache Aureliano Da Silva (Supervisor), Rodrigo Lucena De Mello (Supervisor) & Sunil Sahadev (Supervisor)