Institutionalisation and branding in family companies case studies about institutionalisation and branding of Turkey?s leading family companies and an application in Turkish clothing industry

Economic crises faced and heavy competitive requirements caused by globalisation force companies to take strategic decisions. While these decisions modify companies' futures, they also set their life span and format.Family companies ( close corporation ), which had a great place in world economy, choose to take some strategic measures to survive for generations. The utmost problem of the family companies are showing no growth caused by lack of continuity throughout generations, break-ups and the risk of collapsing under the grave competitive requirements. Thus family companies tend to take strategic decisions under the guidence of two elements : institutionalisation and branding that are subject to this thesis.While institutionalization aims companies to survive independent of individulas, branding plans on preferability of the product or service. But the two has one in common, both supports the companies to survive in strength. In some companies, these two elements can be seen together but strategically there is an order of priority in the phase of establishment and in somecases may not shift to the other. Companies faces the utmost important step they have to take after the establishment phase : should they institutionalise or form a brand ? In this study, as the answer to this strategic question sought , the elements of institutionalisation and branding explained by considiring all factors effects the process, also institutionalisation and branding processes in family companies analysed and a brief application oriented information on clothing industry is given, some of the Turkey?s leading family companies exemplified and finalized by an application to support the study in a family company in the clothing industry.