published_or_final_version / abstract / Business / Master / Master of Philosophy

<p>Nowadays global market is quite attractive for high competition environment.  First is to reduce risks and uncertainties of the business in their home countries. Second is to exploit the growing global market for goods and services which can lead to economies of scale and the increasing of market share. In order to be visible in global market, brands can be used to play an important role. From marketing point of view, brands are the means that consumers use to distinguish products and services based on essential and non-essential attributes and they are a source of business’s differential advantage. Furthermore, brands communicate tangible and intangible advantages and are attractive to a range of feeling. In order to make decisions for brand strategy, branding plays an important role. Critical advantage of branding is for product identification, and it is also the key element for marketers to differentiate a product from its rivals. However, branding provides many benefits apart from identification and differentiation of products</p>

Title of thesis: BUILDING OF SUCCESSFUL BRAND AND ITS PERSONALITY ON THE EXAMPLE OF NIKE Objectives: The first objective of this work is to chart the process of building sports brand Nike since its inception to the present and to identify factors of its success. The second objective is to use brand personality research to get a picture of Nike brand personality from public view. Methods: In thesis was used the method of descriptive analysis and the questionnaire survey method. Descriptive method of analysis was applied to the analysis of documents in order to identify success factors in building the Nike brand and the survey method was used in the Nike brand personality research. Results: Was found that the success of the company Nike led some general and some very specific factors that make Nike missed its competitors. As the results of the Nike brand personality research was obtained her picture from the perspective of the public and was revealed several factors acting negatively on the quality of personality Nike brand. Keywords: brand building, brand personality, Nike

The South African health care industry is characterised by strict regulation in the form of the Medical Schemes Act of 2000, high medical inflation, a deteriorating public health care system; and costly private health care schemes which are only available to the higher end of the market. Before 1992, medical inflation rose in double digits (over 20%) and medical aids traditionally responded by raising premiums considerably (Pile, 2004:19). Private health care was expensive, while the public health care system deteriorated. The financial sustainability of schemes depended on the number of young, healthy members remaining on the scheme as these members cross-subsidised the sick. For these members though, medical aids did not offer any incentive and/or reward to remain members of the scheme. The ‘use-it-or-lose-it’ principle of traditional schemes did not provide any value to members and led to young, healthy members leaving medical schemes. This tendency could potentially drive a health care industry to a meltdown (Pile, 2004:19). The South African health care environment is complex and dynamic, and within this environment, Discovery Health established itself as a successful and innovative company. The Discovery Health medical scheme is currently the largest open medical scheme in South Africa with 1.6 million members (Discovery A, 2004: on-line). Discovery is a specialist insurance company with four strong and distinct businesses (with a fifth business starting in partnership with UK insurance company Prudential in 2005). The businesses are Discovery Health, Discovery Life, Discovery Vitality and Destiny Health (US). Discovery Health is the first business of the group and was launched in 1992. Discovery listed on the JSE in 1999. The company’s strategy is to grow the business organically by building a strong foundation of innovation and engaging people in the management of their health in order to achieve better social and financial outcomes (Discovery A, 2004: on-line). While a medical aid would be an essential ‘commodity’ which consumers would not normally aspire to buy, Discovery positioned itself as a value-adding company that provides products and services that consumers want to buy. The Vitality HealthStyle programme for e.g., is similar to a loyalty programme, but with the aim of motivating members to improve their health. Members can earn points and move up different status levels by performing certain preventative activities for e.g. working out at the gym and having cholesterol and glaucoma screening tests done. Depending on their status, members can qualify for discounts on certain health and lifestyle benefits (Discovery A, 2004: on-line). The advantage of this is that while Vitality adds value to the Discovery product, it also improves the general health of members and in turn, decreases claiming from the medical scheme and assists in the overall management of the financial risk to the scheme. The company’s life assurance business was launched in 2000 and profits from this section of the business constituted 40% of operating profits in August 2004. The company succeeded in integrating the Discovery Health, Vitality, and Life product offerings through the Payback Benefit (Discovery A, 2004: on-line). This benefit allows Discovery Health members who are also Discovery Life policy holders to receive back a substantial percentage of their life assurance premiums, based on how they manage their health. / H.B. Klopper

The master thesis analyzes the brand Maybelline New York. Maybelline belongs to the mass market division of the multinational cosmetics company L'Oréal. It offers products of colour cosmetics in four main segments: eyes, face, lips and nails. The thesis is divided into three main parts. The first part is theoretical and it is actually the basis for next sections. The second part introduces the brand Maybelline, describes its identity, position on the Czech market, competition and marketing mix. There is also mentioned the new sub-brand MNY. The last part is dedicated to the research of secondary and primary data, interpretation of its results and suggestions for improvement.

Purpose- The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of co-branding on brand images from consumers’ perspectives and whether the result of co-branding is consistent with the companies’ expectations or not. Design/methodology/approach- A qualitative research approach is adopted to allow a deeper insight into the impacts of Supreme co-branding from consumers’ perspectives. We conducted in-depth exploratory interviews with 7 consumers of Supreme to analyze the effect of co-branding and explain our research questions. Findings- Branding negligence can cause losses in attracting customers. Co-branding strategy has more advantages than disadvantages. Co-branding partners will influence customers’ brand image. Research limitations- The paper only focuses on the fashion industry and the research object is limited to a single brand’s customers, Supreme fans, without exploring the opinions of consumers of other partner brands. In addition, the age and gender of sample subjects are not evenly distributed.

De globala miljöförändringarna kan inte längre förnekas, vilket skapat fler kritiska konsumenter, som ställer högre krav på företag att ta mer ansvar för sin produktion och förpackningar pekas ut som en stor miljöbov. Förpackningarnas fundamentala roll att skydda produkter under frakt har nu förändrats och förpackningar har gått till att vara återvunna, återanvändningsbara eller obefintliga. Paketeringen beskrivs inom marknadsföringsfältet som en viktig kommunikationskanal och många varumärken är inte villiga att ge upp denna fördel genom att totalt förändra dess utseende. Denna studie tar ansatsen att öka förståelsen för hur en ny typ av miljövänlig paketering; nakna produkter och återanvändningsbara förpackningar inom skönhetsindustrin, påverkar varumärkets image. Anledningen att detta område uppfattas som intressant utgår från att konsumenter får en positiv känsla av att agera miljövänligt men trots detta inte väljer de miljövänliga alternativen, vilket indikerar ett attityd- och beteendegap. Studiens syfte är därmed att öka förståelsen för hur företag inom skönhetsindustrin ska utforma alternativa förpackningslösningar på ett sätt som utvecklar varumärkets image. Denna studie har därför haft som avsikt att besvara problemformuleringen: Hur påverkar alternativa förpackningslösningar varumärkets image? Tidigare forskning visar att förpackningen är en bidragande faktor till den image, som varumärken uppfattas ha och att miljöarbete gynnar imagen positivt. Däremot så har få studier gjorts på hur miljövänliga förpackningar påverkar imagen. Tidigare forskning, som har genomförts inom matindustrin, konstaterade att minskningen av överpaketering är skadligt för varumärket men att liknande studier bör göras inom andra produktkategorier. Denna studie tar avstamp från tidigare studiers rekommendation om att undersöka andra produktkategorier. Skönhetsföretaget Lush har i dagsläget börjat introducera alternativa förpackningar och har därför använts som exempelföretag.   Forskningsfältet om hur alternativa förpackningar påverkar varumärket uppfattas som bristfälligt och det krävs mer kunskap för hur de påverkar varandra. Studien har därför tagit en kvalitativ forskningsansats och både djupintervjuer och kartläggningsövningar har genomförts. Studiens genomförande har tagit etiska riktlinjer i beaktning.   Studien bidrar till en förståelse för hur alternativa förpackningar påverkar varumärkesimagen, samt hur de kan användas för att utveckla varumärket. Fortsättningsvis så presenteras potentiella lösningar till de problem som alternativa förpackningar kan medföra. En väsentlig del av detta är associationer om att konsumenterna uppfattar alternativa förpackningslösningar som mer ohygieniska än traditionella. Denna hygienaspekt leder därmed till ett forskningsbidrag som till författarnas kännedom inte har återfunnits i tidigare studier. Slutligen har det forskningsgap som beskrivits täckts men behöver fortsatt forskning.

by Shum, Wing Fai David, Tsang, Leung Lun Lennon. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1992. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-94). / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.i / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENT --- p.vi / Chapter / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Advertisement Variation --- p.1 / Research Objective and Title --- p.4 / Chapter II. --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.5 / Background of the Ban on Cigarette Television Advertising --- p.5 / Situation after Bans in Other Nations --- p.8 / Rationale of the Research --- p.9 / Chapter III. --- THE RESEARCH HYPOTHESES --- p.11 / The Repetition-Variation Hypoptheses and the Elaboration Likelihood Model --- p.11 / Research Hypotheses --- p.14 / Chapter IV. --- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY --- p.17 / Causal Laboratory Experiment --- p.17 / Subjects and Design of the Experiment --- p.18 / Procedure of the Experiment --- p.20 / Non-experimental Independent Variables --- p.21 / Experimental Independent Variables ´ؤ´ؤX --- p.22 / Dependent Measures -- Oij --- p.23 / Consumer Research --- p.24 / Questionnaire Design --- p.24 / Sample Design --- p.25 / Chapter V. --- RESULTS DISCUSSIONS --- p.26 / Results Discussions of the Causal Laboratory Experiment --- p.26 / Brand Name Recall --- p.26 / Overall Attitudes toward the Cigarette Brand --- p.28 / Results Discussion of the Consumer Research --- p.31 / Brand Awareness of the Cigarette and the Corresponding Extended Product --- p.31 / Marlboro Classics --- p.36 / Kent Leisure --- p.37 / Mild Seven Freedom Holidays --- p.39 / Overall Feeling towards the Advertisements --- p.41 / Recall of the Brand's Cigarette when Viewing the Advertisement --- p.42 / Purchase Intent --- p.43 / Chapter VI. --- COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.45 / Persuasive Process --- p.45 / Information Processing --- p.47 / Brand Processing --- p.47 / Nonbrand Processing --- p.48 / Implications from Laboratory Experiment --- p.49 / Limitations --- p.50 / Implications from Consumer Research --- p.51 / Brand Product Extension --- p.53 / Chapter VII. --- CONCLUSIONS --- p.56 / APPENDIX / Chapter 1. --- MEDIA EXPENDITURE FOR 1990 一一 CIGARETTE --- p.59 / Chapter 2. --- PROCEDURE FOR THE EXPERIMENT --- p.60 / Chapter 3 . --- OBSERVATIONS OF THE DEPENDENT MEASURES --- p.63 / Chapter 4. --- QUESTIONNAIRE FOR CONSUMER RESEARCH --- p.65 / Chapter 5. --- SCORES OF TOP-OF-MIND AWARENESS --- p.70 / Chapter 6. --- PERCENTAGE OF RESPONDENTS WHO KNOW ABOUT THE PRODUCT EXTENSION OF THE CIGARETTE BRANDS THEY HAVE NAMED IN Q1 --- p.71 / Chapter 7. --- PERCENTAGE OF RESPONDENTS WHO HAVE SEEN ADVERTISEMENTS OF THE EXTENDED PRODUCT --- p.72 / Chapter 8. --- PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN OF CHANNELS FROM WHICH THE RESPONDENTS SAW THE ADVERTSIEMENTS --- p.73 / Chapter 9. --- ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE ADVERTISEMENT OF MARLBORO CLASSICS --- p.74 / Chapter 10. --- ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE ADVERTISEMENT OF KENT LEISURE --- p.77 / Chapter 11. --- ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE ADVERTISEMENT OF MILD SEVEN FREEDOM HOLIDAYS --- p.80 / Chapter 12. --- OVERALL FEELING TOWARDS THE ADVERTISEMENT OF THE EXTENDED PRODUCT --- p.83 / Chapter 13. --- PURCHASE INTENT OF THE CORRESPONDING CIGARETTE --- p.84 / Chapter 14. --- PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DUMMY PRINT-ADVERTISEMENTS --- p.86 / Chapter 15. --- PHOTOGRAPH OF THE PRINT-ADVERTISEMENT OF THE TESTING CIGARETTE --- p.91 / Chapter 16. --- PHOTOGRAPH OF THE PRINT-ADVERTISEMENT OF THE EXTENDED PRODUCT --- p.92 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.93

Background: Based on our professional experience supported by evidence from current brand literature, we have identified an on-going struggle for fashion brands when building and communicating brand image internally. Branding is about adding value and which is directly connected to the product itself. Theories support that clear and successful branding creates trust with stakeholders and is therefore important to a company’s profitability. If branding strategies and roles are not defined internally, image become ever more unclear once ideas are to be communicated to customers in store through sales personnel and products. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explore what hinders companies in the fashion retail industry from profitably and effectively building and communicating brand image internally by identifying potential conflict areas in the value chain in order to provide a tool for overcoming those obstacles. Methodology: A qualitative research method carried through as a case study was conducted containing four interviews with people in key positions at two Swedish fashion retailers. Conclusion: Conclusively we have created a model which explains where and why conflicts occur when it comes to building brand image internally. Where there is a lack of communication between departments it clearly affects the brand image. Companies need to work according to guidelines and communicate amongst departments. / Program: Master Programme in Fashion Management

The first chapter of the diploma thesis is a theoretical background for the following, practically oriented chapters. It discusses a brand and its importance in marketing, and also deals with brand identity, image, brand awareness, methods of determining brand value and positioning strategies. The other two parts of thesis are practical and focus directly at the brand Google. The second chapter introduces the company Google and subsequently analyzes brand attributes and its perception in the Czech Republic. It also focuses on brand awareness, its value and comprehensively evaluates a current communication strategy. The third and final chapter is devoted to an overall evaluation of the brand's position in the Czech Republic, problematic aspects and recommendations for future direction of the brand. It also includes a comparison of the brand's position abroad.