This study aimed to investigate the influence of the brand-image congruence on consumers¡¦ attitudes toward the sponsor, the advertisement, and the sports website, and it also examined the moderating effect of sports involvement. An experimental design was used to measure the attitudes of 1,063 Internet users. The results of this study showed that higher level of brand-image congruence resulted in more positive attitudes toward the sponsor, the advertisement, and the sports website, whereas the moderating effect of sports involvement was not significant. This study provides brand management implications for both sponsors and sports websites, and suggestions for future research were outlined.

The purpose of this study was to understand the relationships among brand image, loyalty of fans, and purchase intention. It also discussed the influence of different ways of watching the baseball games on the relationship. This study was based on internet and on-site questionnaire investigation. The sample of this study consists of the CPBL (Chinese Professional Baseball League) fans. The valid sample was 631. The results were as follows: Team¡¦s brand image affected the loyalty of fans positively. Team¡¦s brand image had positive effects on purchase intention of fans. Fans¡¦ identification with a team had the strongest influence on purchase intention for accessory products. Besides, stadium environment also had the strongest influence on purchase intention for parent company¡¦s products. Loyalty of fans affected fans¡¦ purchase intention positively. Different ways of watching baseball games had effects on fans¡¦ purchase intentions. The purchase intention of the fans who watch the games on-the-scene more often was higher than of those who watch the games on TV or internet. According to the conclusion, this study gave some suggestions to the operators of the professional baseball teams.

<p>Background: The Swedish pharmaceutical retailing market was re-regulated in February 2010, which enabled competition. Hence, it has now become important to stand out through having a strong brand. In order for a brand to be strong, the brand identity and the brand image need to be congruent. This study investigates brand awareness, brand identity and brand image in the biggest newly established pharmaceutical retailing company, Apotek Hjärtat. Since brand develops over time, the researchers believe that the newness of the company provides an interesting aspect.</p><p>Purpose: The aim of this study is to explore if there is a gap between Apotek Hjärtat’s brand identity and brand image.</p><p>Method: This study uses a mixed method approach. The qualitative method is used in forms of interviews, in order to obtain information concerning the brand identity of Apotek Hjärtat. The quantitative method refers to a survey conducted on the customers of Apotek Hjärtat, which generated information concerning the brand image.</p><p>Conclusion: Apotek Hjärtat has a strong and coherently communicated brand identity. However, the brand image is not mirroring the brand identity, partly due to the fact that many customers have not yet made up their mind concerning Apotek Hjärtat.</p>

Abstract The purpose of this thesis was to gain a better understanding of the relatively new concept of Brand Hate. More specifically, how Brand Hate can occur in people with no to little experience with certain brands, so called non-customers. We want to believe that humans are a rational being that takes decisions based on all the available information and does not jump to conclusions before all options have been exhausted. But upon closer examination theoretical concepts such as brand love can be found. A concept that argues that users of a brand utilize the brand itself in order to internally identify values he or she holds, as well as showcasing those values and personality traits externally to others. With this theory as a basis the relatively new concept of Brand Hate was born. The new concept, posits that there has to be another side of the brand love, where people actually hate or dislike the brand. Up to this point very little research has been done within the area, and that is where the authors of this thesis saw an opportunity to fill a research gap. There has been no previous research attempting to understand WHY these negative feelings comes to present themselves within people. But as soon as the work on the thesis had started another opportunity presented itself, it seemed as though people hate or dislike brands that they themselves does not even use. As a result non-customers became the focal point of investigation of this thesis.  The research itself included three different focus groups, with in total nineteen respondents that discussed a wide variety of topics. During the sessions the discussions touched upon what brands they disliked, why they disliked them and how the respondents identified with other groups of people. This gave the authors the ability to gain a deeper understanding of the psychological reasoning behind why certain brands the respondents did not use were severely hated or disliked.    The findings from the research seem to point in one very specific direction, group identification is an integral reason why non-customers started to hate or dislike brands. No matter how good companies are creating an appealing brand, that same brand will always risk to become distorted, as a result of the different targeted user groups. This research shows that people let their emotions and prejudices come between what they perceive a brand to be, and what companies want them to be. The result is people prematurely judging brands based upon the customers of that brand. If the respondents did not like the user group of a certain brand, that same brand would be inscribed with all the negative connotations with the user groups, thereby distorting the public brand image far from what the companies might intend them to be.

Technology is becoming easy to imitate day by day thus the companies involved in technology need to invest on the soft points like branding. This will give a competitive advantage over the competitors which is not possible to imitate. Thus the overall purpose of this thesis is to investigate that how a company evolved b2b selling can establish corporate brand. So three research questions were addressed: What are the major components of corporate brand building process? How to establish corporate brand image with the customer? How effective corporate communication can enhance the corporate brand? To reach the solution, Norden machinery as a case company was also studied. A theoretical framework was synthesized, based upon the different models and theories regarding the corporate brand building. The framework guided the authors through the entire research process. Our empirical findings shows a quest in Norden to develop a corporate brand and during the analysis we found that the  in some areas case company is following the components of brand building process that were described in the theoretical framework but there are some areas where the Norden has to improve as well. Thus based upon the analysis it is concluded that a company can establish a corporate brand by following the brand building components vision, culture, brand objectives, brand personality, brand essence, creating brand image and corporate communication.

The overall aim of the dissertation is complex: to reveal differences/similarities in interpretation of a brand image dimensions in view of consumer values and to set the theoretical foundations for the brand image management in a cross-cultural context.

Branding and the management of brands has become a highly prioritized aspect for com-panies to maintain lasting competitive advantage and to provide meaning to consumption. Therefore companies have adopted an inside-out approach in order to manage their brand. The challenge with an inside-out approach is to align the internal brand identity,what brands communicate, with the external brand image, what consumers perceive. Therefore two questions are crucial to answer; how does the brand want to be perceived and how is the brand actually perceived? There is a risk that gaps occur in the communication of the brand, and these gaps are crucial to monitor and prevent for effective brand management. This paper proposes a method on how to measure and align brand identity and brand im-age, based on existing theories and models regarding brand management. The method is evaluated through a case study, where the difference between Happy Plugs’ brand identity and brand image is analyzed. The method was designed using Kapferer’s Brand Pyramid and Brand Identity Prism. Both qualitative and quantitative data is used to examine how wide the gap between Happy Plugs’ brand identity and brand image is. The Happy Plugs brand is solely used as a tool to apply the designed method and evaluate the validity of it. The findings show that a gap in brand identity and brand image does occur, at higher levels of the brand pyramid, or brand identity. The results from the case study indicate that the designed model is an effective tool in identifying and measuring possible gaps, and is a use-ful approach for companies who wish to align their brand identity with brand image.

Background The market together with the demands on companies are ever-changing and it has for long been a growing trend for companies to work in a responsible way towards its society, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). CSR gives the opportunity of improving a company‟s brand image, but it has yet to been explored which dimensions of the well known- and cited CSR pyramid, that affect brand image among consumers. Purpose To explore how consumers brand image of companies are affected by companies‟ CSR activities.Methodology The thesis was conducted by a qualitative case study, through focus groups. Conclusion To be able to gain brand image from the work of CSR, companies have to work above the line of what is expected by society‟s consumers. The economic and legal dimensions have to be fulfilled, but they do not independently create a strong brand image. Philanthropic, and partially ethical CSR activities however, provide the possibility of a strengthened brand image.

In this day and age, with the very strong impact of globalization, digitalization and social media, advertising is changing. Many companies and advertising role players are forced to implement new consumer and business models and apply innovative business strategies. Social media marketing has become a norm for most companies. The process of marketing is used through social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. By utilising the social aspect of the web, social media marketing is able to connect and interact on a much more personalised and dynamic level than through traditional marketing. The target audience is a unique generation and has developed a personal filtering system against the onslaught of traditional media. The current idea is to try and build customised relationships with future clients from a young age, by developing a relationship that complies with their requirements which social media has made a possibility. This study attempts to investigate the effectiveness of advertising through social media, focusing on the social media medium of Facebook to determine the key correlations and factors that affect the effectiveness of advertisements on Facebook. The target audience utilised is based in the geographical region of Gauteng. A survey was circulated via email to everyday consumers (n=189).Their attitude towards the brand used in the survey, as well as their loyalty to brand, were explored. Descriptive statistics and correlations revealed that many factors actually influence one?s attitude to a brand and the actual effectiveness of the advertisement. Some trends of interest that were found were the fact that brands that have achieved a strong market presence, automatically attain the attention of consumers in the advertisements. The use of models correlated to the thought processes of consumers also played a role in determining how advertisements are actually perceived. There are four particular constituents that contribute to advertising effectiveness on Facebook, namely brand engagement, brand attitude, brand image and consumer engagement. In conclusion, for advertisements to be effective on Facebook, a brand must be established and have a strong brand reputation as the advertisements on Facebook serve to supplement the brand rather than to put the brand up the ranks in terms of reputation. It is suggested that the survey is reviewed and the study expanded to a less stratified and more multi–cultural environment. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Customer perception and the way this phenomenon impacts customers' choices when purchasing products is an extremely significant marketing aspect in any industry. In a competitive market and economy, understanding and being able to predict consumer perceptions and responses is a crucial competitive factor that all suppliers should have an in–depth knowledge and understanding of. This applies especially to the South African beer market with more than forty competing beer brands. This study examines the aspect of customer perception in terms of the three central variable perceptions of price, taste and brand image. Furthermore, the study takes into account the interaction between these variables and attempts to ascertain whether one is more significant than the other. To this end an empirical research study was undertaken by means of a questionnaire that examined the responses from 225 participants. These responses were analysed in terms of a number of significant variables in relation to perceptions of price, taste and brand image. The results were also compared to the literature and theory on the subject. Among the findings from this research was that while all variables were important, price was considered by the participants to be a constant factor in the decision–making process. However, it was also found that price as a perception could not be viewed in isolation as a separate and autonomous variable. It was found that aspects such as brand image could have a significant impact on other perceptual factors such as taste. The study concludes with the recommendation that the perceptions of price, taste and brand image should be considered in terms of their affect on each other and should be further researched in terms of a more holistic understanding of their interconnections. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.