Why Stakeholders, Not Just Customers, Now Define Brand Value
Featuring Rajendra Srivastava
As business ethics evolve, marketing’s remit must go beyond customers to include responsibility towards a wider set of stakeholders.
November 10, 2025
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Rajendra Srivastava
Novartis Professor of Marketing Strategy and Innovation. He was also the former Dean of ISB. His research spans marketing strategy, marketing metrics, and brand and customer management, with a current focus on business model innovation. Currently, he serves as the Executive Director at ISB’s Centre for Business Innovation (CBI) and the Executive Fellow Programme in Management (EFPM).
Key Takeaways
- A brand is only as strong as the company it keeps. Firms must shape responsible behaviour across their entire stakeholder network, amplifying ethical impact far beyond traditional customer-focused efforts.
- RSEM works through three levers: instrumental (financial gain), compliant (rule-following), and moral (environmental purpose). Each steers different stakeholder actions and performance results.
- Context matters. In developed markets, morally driven environmental strategies take centre stage, whereas in emerging markets, financial and compliance-focused approaches dominate.