Dagens företag lever i en alltmer komplicerad och komplex omvärld där bilden av dem skapas genom ständig samverkan mellan vad de egentligen gör och hur det förklaras vilket i sin tur skapar bilden av företaget. I Jönköpingsregionen finns det ett flertal kommunikations-, PR- och reklambyråer, definitionerna är många, men i stort erbjuder de liknande tjänster. För att kunna differentiera sig gentemot konkurrenter har positionering blivit ett allt viktigare ledningsinstrument, konsumentens bild av företaget är den avgörande faktorn mellan misslyckande och framgång och i sin tur överlevnad. Utvecklingen har medfört att nyckeln till framgång ligger i företagets förmåga att värdera och kommunicera sin interna och externa identitet i relation till sin önskade profil och inte som tidigare genom kvalité eller produktöverlägsenhet. Konsumenternas uppfattning och känsla för företaget blir den avgörande faktorn vid valet av samarbetspartner, ett finansiellt värde kan i sin tur tillskrivas varumärkesidentiteten när den bidrar till att skapa en positiv och fördelaktig bild av företagets tjänster och produkter. Dokumentationen består av en studie som redovisar hur kommunikationsbyråer i Jönköpingsregionen strategiskt arbetar med sina varumärken och hur det i sin tur uppfattas och tolkas av kunderna. Syftet är i korthet att redovisa vilka budskap som företagen vill representera och i sin tur förmedla till sina kunder för att sedan jämföra profilen med den uppfattade imagen från kunderna. Resultatet visar att ett strategisk uppbyggt varumärke inte behöver vara synonymt med framgång. I vår undersökning visade det sig att profil och image inte nödvändigtvis behöver stämma överens för att skapa ett starkt och konkurrenskraftigt varumärke. Vidare visar undersökningen att byråernas kärnvärden är av en så pass generell art att de inte kan särskilja byråerna ur ett konkurrensperspektiv. Undersökningen visar även att kunderna skapar relationer med personerna inom byrån och inte med byrån i sig, därigenom blir byrån som varumärke sårbart då deras konkurrensfördel bara ligger i deras potentialitet att anställa kompetent personal. / To live as you learn - a study about positioning of communication firms in the region of Jönköping Companies of today live in a more intricate and complex world then ever before, where the cooperate identity is created from a combination of what they in reality carry out and how this in turn is explained. In the region of Jönköping there is a wide collection of different PR, advertising and communication firms, all with different designations, but with similar services. To be able to differentiate themselves towards their competitors, positioning has become a crucial instrument, and the perceived image of the company has turn out to be one of the most vital factors of survival that determines whether the companies are successful or not. Through this the key to success today lies within the company’s ability to value and communicate their inner and external identity in relation to their sought profile and not through for example quality or technical superiority, the consumers emotions and over all awareness has become the most important differential feature when choosing and creating relations. The financial value can in turn only be ascribed to the brands identity when it contributes in creating a positive and advantageous image of the companies’ products and services. Our study consists of a presentation of the strategic brand management of a selected number of communication firms in the region of Jönköping, and how this in turn is perceived and interpreted by their clients. Our objective is in short to present what main messages the firms wants to communicate and how these in turn are perceived by their clients, after which a comparison is made between the conveyed profile and the perceived image. Our results show that a strategically managed brand isn’t synonymous whit success. Our study also implies that profile and image not necessarily need to coherer to create a strong and competitive brand. The study also shows that in our case the core values of the firms are of such a general nature that they can’t distinguish the bureaus from a competitive perspective. To summarize our result show that clients create relations with the employees within the firms and not with the firms themselves, this leaves the firm as a brand, vulnerable when their competitive advantages only lies within the firm’s potential to attract qualified employees.

Syfte: Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka och utreda hur tjänsteföretag inom charterbranschen arbetar för att stärka sitt varumärke, samt att utreda hur och vilka associationer som skapas kring varumärket. Metod: Försöka implementera en modell för att få en klarare bild över hur charter företag arbertar för att stärka sina varumärken, författarna använder sig olika litteratur käller samt emperiska studier. Resultat: Resultaten visar hur viktigt det för företag att hitta nya metoder för att stärka sitt varumärke, samt betydelsen för tjänsteföretag av att hitta sin egen plats i en konkurrenskraftig marknad. Avgränsning: Genom att begränsa vår undersökning valde vi att koncentrera oss på endast två charterföretag, detta för att skapa en bättre och djupare inblick på vår frågeställning. De två charterföretagen som vi har valt att undersöka och utgå ifrån är; Apollo och Ving. Anledningen till detta är att de är marknadsledande och har lyckats skapa ett starkt varumärke. Nyckelord: Varumärkeskapital, kärnvärde av tjänst, postionering, märkesidentitet, marknadskommunikation, intern märkeslojlitet, associationer. / Purpose: The purpose with this study is to evaluate how leading companies in the “charter branch” create brand equity and associations related to the brand. Methodology: To test the anticipated model in the context of how charter companies work to establish a stronger brand, the authors use data collected from different literature sources and empirical findings. Findings: The results underline the importance of always finding new methods to establish a strong brand, and the value for service companies have to find their own place on a competitive market. Research limitations: We choose to limit our study by choosing two different charter companies, this choice made it able for us to get deeper understanding to our purpose. The two companies that we choose to investigate where: Apollo and Ving. The reason was because these two companies are market leaders and they have managed to create a strong brand.

Purpose The purpose of the thesis is to analyze the current challenges facedby Husqvarna Motorcycles in their brand building process, and todescribe ways in which applying the brand equity principles will enablean increase of the value of their brand. Background In the complex world of organizations and companies where thecompetitive position plays an important role in successful achievementsof the company, managers seek after building a sustainablecompetitive advantage. Building brand equity is an important focusfor a large company' improvement, since it raises interest of existingand new customers. The process of building brand equity takestime but through this process a company will have a stronger marketposition which creates brand value. Method In order to answer the purpose, the qualitative method with implementation of semi-structured interviews for collecting data wasused. The data was interpreted and then structured and analyzedusing theoretical framework. Conclusions During the research performed it was found out that the managersare facing several challenges in respect to building brand equity.Therefore, five components of building brand equity were implementedto draw the conclusions of how the managers could strengthentheir brand.

In recent years, the successful expansions of Swedish fashion companies have mainly relied on their ability to turn fashion into brands. However, when companies grow it seems to be difficult to maintain the original brand identity as well as to establish a unique brand image in the minds of the consumers. With regard to this matter the purpose of our thesis was to investigate the brand image of Acne Jeans. Our ambition was to examine to what extent the brand image coincided with the brand identity and if brand associations differed between different consumer segments. In order to fulfil our purpose, we have conducted a questionnaire study of a sample of 130 students at Stockholm University. The findings of our study show that the brand image of Acne Jeans did not coincide with the brand identity regarding the aspects of individuality and innovativeness. We further concluded that there were several differences between the associations of those in possession of Acne apparel and those who did not own any Acne items. Finally, the associations of early adopters were investigated. The result indicated that the brand associations in this group did not deviate from the general opinion of the total sample.

Subject: This paper is about Brand Extension and if the process differs when a company extends its brand from a service to a product in comparison to an extension from a product to a product. As an example we have analyzed the mobile phone business and the mobile phone operators who launch their private branded mobile phones Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze how companies use brand extension from service to product as a part of their brand extension strategy. Method: A literature study was done in the brand extension area, but also in the area of brands to have a deeper understanding for the subject. A qualitative study with interviews was combined with a quantitative survey study. On the basis of the theories we could analyze the collected data and fulfill the papers purpose. Results: Important features and differences in services and products were identified and the importance of a strong brand identity before an extension. The consumers showed positive attitudes and reactions towards the companies brand extension strategies through the survey.

Background: The brand embodied a set of values and attributes which were appropriate, which stimulated consumer interest, which distinguished brand from others and created a unique piece of property for its owners. 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. Kotler and Keller (2006) state that a brand is needed because it identifies the product, and the responsibility of the product hence lies in the hands of the makers or producers of the product. Brands are important in both consumer and business-to-business situations, where a decision of purchase is needed. A strong brand can create sufficient higher total returns to shareholders than a weak brand. Brands are at the heart of marketing and business strategy ( Doyle,1998, p.165) and building brand equity or strong brands, is considered to be one of the key drivers of a business success ( Prasad & Dev, 2000; p.22). Problem Statement: What are the promotional strategies company’s uses to create International brand in order to pursue the potential customer in B2C marketing environment?? Purpose:The purpose of the thesis is to investigate how firm employ effective promotional tools and techniques to create and sustain international brand in the customers mind. Research design: Both Qualitative and Quantitative method is applied in this thesis. Primary data is collected from interview (E-mail and telephone) and internet survey, while secondary data is gathered from books, journals, and internet source. Conclusion: The promotional tools capabilities can help businesses to spread the messages to the mass market. It is very powerful technique to be used to increase brand awareness of the organization. We found out those promotional tools such as sales promotion, direct marketing, personal selling, publicity, advertisement, and internet marketing play vital role to create international brand.

Brands are an important feature in today’s society. A brand can consist of anything; a product, an organisation, a university, a person or even a city. They are not constricted to products or companies, but are important constituents of culture. Having a cup of coffee at Starbucks is not only about the coffee, it’s also about the brand; its values and motivations, and what it represents for the customers and fans. Brands are interweaving themselves further into society than ever before. Social media is growing and taking up a large part of people’s time. We discuss everything, including brands, on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Thus it is imperative for brands to actively partake in the discussion to not submerge and lose control over their brand image. They shape their brand identity, but the image is what is perceived by the people. If they let others shape the perception of the brand then there is a great risk that the image construct will not correspond to their intended identity. Social media provides a gateway for fans and brands to interact. This thesis investigates the primary uses of Facebook and Twitter for product and people brands respectively. Also, it looks at what components of the brand identity are displayed on the aforementioned platforms for both product and people brands and whether there are any differences between the brand types. The investigation takes the shape of a content analysis of twenty brands’ Facebook and Twitter pages – 10 each for product and people brands. Variables pertaining to the four identity perspectives proposed by David Aaker – (1) brand as product, (2) brand as organisation, (3) brand as person, and (4) brand as symbol – were used to see whether there is a dominant perspective that brands adopt when interacting with fans in social media. Also, the uses of social media were investigated and matched with authors’ suggestions for ideal uses of social media for brands. It was found that, in line with several authors’ recommendations of ideal usage of social media; brands adopt an identity approach consistent with Aaker’s Brand as Person perspective – regardless of brand type. The Brand as Person perspective was dominant for people brands on both Facebook and Twitter, however, slightly more enhanced on the latter. While still being the main perspective for product brands, the other identity perspective are given more attention so the prevalence of the Brand as Person perspective is not quite as distinguished. Also, the main uses of Twitter and Facebook were found to differ; Facebook is to a further extent used to engage fans whereas Twitter is predominately used to inform. The results provide a basis for which future research on brand identity and uses for brands in social media can build upon, starting with these general findings to dig deeper into more specialised areas of brands in social media.

The premise of this thesis is to conduct a research regarding the connection of brand image, brand identity, brand positioning with brand adapting management. The significant purpose of this thesis is for better understanding how a Chinese auto corporation can effectively manage and adapt an acquired foreign brand in Chinese market. In order to reach this purpose, a case study of Geely/Volvo’s acquisition has been carried out which entailed company visit (Volvo Brand Experience Center), interviews with Volvo brand specialists, Volvo dealer and Chinese market expert. The Theoretical Framework describes the general concepts of brand, brand management, company acquisition and three brand adapting concepts of brand image, brand identity and brand positioning. The Empirical Data Collection deals with the Volvo’s brand identity and value proposition, Chinese customers’ perceptions on Volvo brand image and Geely’s brand positioning strategy on Volvo. The Analysis related the theory framework with the empirical results. It discussed and analyzed how Geely can adapt Volvo in Chinese automotive market through dealing with Volvo’s core values, brand image and brand positioning. The Conclusion summarized the Chinese auto corporation needs to concern on three factors for adapting an acquired brand: value proposition of acquired brand, Chinese customers’ perceptions on acquired brand image and brand positioning strategy. Finally our recommendation presents the limitations of this study, suggestions for future research in this field, and managerial implications for the case company.

This paper examines a popular music song (Heartbeats by Jose Gonzalez) as a sign system in television advertising. The study was conducted through qualitative questionnaires in connection to an audio-visual method of analysis called Masking. The method facilitates the analysis of isolated parts in the audio-visual spectrum by masking/hiding parts of the audio-visual totality.The survey had seven respondents where a hermeneutic epistemological approach was used. For the analysis Cooper's theory of brand identity (Practical and Symbolic Attitudes to Buying Brands) was used together with an interaction model for music in audio-visual advertising called "Modes of music-image interaction”. The results showed that the music was associated with values as genuine, honest, responsibility, purity, independence and innovation. The music's symbolic values helped to position the brand in a lifestyle context. The music also helped to express the target group’s identity and attitudes by being innovative and independent. It also enhanced the perception of the visual colour rendition in the film. In general the television advertisement perceived more positive and entertaining when the music was present. In other words the music's social and cultural position contributed to raise the film's credibility. A deeper social and cultural value was created in the movie through resonance between symbolic values of the music and symbolic values of the film.

<p>Background: The consumers of today have the possibility to choose from a wide range of products and services. Consequently, the ability to differentiate the products is essential for the brand owners. If a brand owner does not manage to differentiate its product, it can be difficult to make the consumers realise the benefits of the product and convince them to buy it. One way to differentiate the product is to create a distinguished brand identity. However, it is not enough to create a strong brand identity, the brand owner must also be capable of communicating the brand identity successfully. There are several ways to communicate a message and one is to use product placement. Purpose: The purpose of the thesis is to create an understanding for product placement’s ability to communicate a brand identity, seen from the brand owners’ point of view. Delimitation: We have chosen to limit our study to only treat product placement in Swedish film. Proceed of the study: We have conducted a qualitative study where the empirical material consists of four personal interviews. Three of the interviewees represented brand owners that have used product placement and one was a product placement agent. The theoretical frame of reference consists of three main theories; marketing communication theory, theories on brand identity and theories on consumer behaviour, where communication theories will be given strongest emphasis. Results: We observed that product placement has possibilities to communicate brand identity, under certain circumstances. The product placement must either be supported by a cross promotion-campaign or expose a product that has distinguished physical characteristics as part of the brand identity.</p>