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.

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.

<p>Today’s globalization has led to a much higher degree of competition between countries to obtain attention, trust and respect from investors, tourists and consumers as well as media. A powerful and positive brand is therefore an important advantage in the competition. Countries need to make themselves heard in order to stand out from the competition, and by using event marketing a country can be able to meet the public in a different way. One unique way is by using a ship as an event marketing tool to promote a country. The main problem of this study is therefore how a ship as an event can work as a marketing tool in terms of branding/promoting a country.</p><p>Methodologically, a qualitative, single case study approach was used and interviews have been undertaken with professionals in the field of nation branding or/and that have a relation to The Swedish Ship Götheborg and its expedition to China, which has been our case of focus. The findings indicate that there is a need for clear and realistic objectives which are congruent in every part of the event marketing organization in order to promote a country. Using a ship is also a unique way of performing event marketing and therefore it is a good way of differentiate and expose a country, as well as it has an extended possibility to place market a country abroad and not just at home. This is due to that a ship has the ability to move all around the world. Our conclusions of how a ship as an event can work as a marketing tool in terms of branding/promoting a country resulted in a model which we created for nation branding organizations to consider in order for the event marketing to turn out successful.</p><p>Due to the increasing competition among countries to obtain attention, the need for an extraordinary way of standing out is crucial. We believe that not only a ship, but all means of transport can be used as a form of event marketing with the purpose of promoting a country, since it is an unusual approach and has the mobile ability to reach a bigger audience all around the world. Consequently, we felt the need for a new term to be coined, namely Mobile Event Marketing. Our recommendations are therefore aimed at nation branding organizations that want to use a mobile event to market their country.</p>

Problem Formulation: Is the consumers perceived brand personality of a celebrity endorser affected by a marketing activity and its transferred personality? Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explain the correlation and relation between the perceived brand personality of a celebrity endorser and a marketing activity he or she partakes in. Theoretical Framework: The frame of reference consists of existing theories regarding brand personality, celebrity endorsement, the Meaning of Transfer Model and Marketing Activities. Method: This study has chosen a deductive quantitative experimental research design. The collected primary data is consisting of 159 respondents divided into three groups who answered an group specific online survey which was distributed through private social media channels. Empirical Findings: The results in this study comprehends of 159 respondents attitude of a celebrity endorser, which has been analysed through statistical methods. Conclusion: The study’s results point out that there is no significant change on a celebrity endorsers perceived brand personality affected by the effect of a marketing activity, which can be statistically proven. The results showed a slight variance, however these are most likely a result of random.

Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur sponsorer som förknippas med alkohol kan påverka en idrottsförenings varumärkesimage. Detta kontroversiella fenomen har blivit vanligt inom idrotten idag. Vi ville därför ta reda på vilken effekt det får på idrottsföreningens varumärke.   Metod: En kvantitativ metod har använts och studiens data har samlats in genom en enkätundersökning. Analysen och redovisning av data har skett med hjälp av deskriptiv statistik, korrelationsanalys och regressionsanalys i programmet SPSS.   Resultat &amp; slutsats: Resultaten visar att sponsring från alkoholtillverkande företag generellt har en positiv påverkan på en idrottsförenings varumärkesimage. Detta trots att det är ett omdiskuterat och kontroversiellt förhållande mellan idrotten och alkoholen. Det beror på att förhållandet mellan respektive varumärkesimage inte är samstämmigt och kräver därmed mer tankekraft hos konsumenterna. På så vis befästs sponsorsamarbetet starkare i medvetandet och gynnar varumärkenas image.   Examensarbetets bidrag: Idrottsföreningar bör resonera kring vilka sponsorer som ska exponeras. Resultatet visar att sponsorsamarbeten med varumärken som förknippas med alkohol gynnar idrottsföreningens varumärkesimage. Teoretiskt bidrar studien till den kumulativa forskningen inom marknadsföring och hur sponsring fungerar inom idrott.   Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Studien undersöker hur en idrottsförenings varumärkesimage påverkas av sponsorer som förknippas med alkohol. Ett förslag till framtida forskning är att undersöka flera föreningar och idrotter för att ytterligare stärka den etablerade forskningen. Ett annat förslag är att göra en liknande undersökning ur idrottsföreningars synvinkel för att ta reda på deras åsikt om sponsring. / Aim: The aim of this study is to examine how sponsoring brands associated with alcohol can influence the brand image of a sports association. This controversial phenomena has become more common in the world of sports today. Consequently we wanted to investigate what effect it has on the brand image of the sports associations.     Method: We have used a quantitative method with a survey design. Data was collected through a questionnaire. Analysis and presentation of data was done in the statistical software SPSS in the form of descriptive data, correlation analysis and regression analysis.     Result &amp; Conclusions: The results from our study show that sponsor partnerships with brands associated with alcohol have a positive influence on the brand image of the sports associations. Even though the partnership between the two is highly controversial. This is because the brand images are incongruent and require more cognitional energy of the consumers and therefore the partnership becomes fortified in the minds of consumers.   Contribution of the thesis: Sports associations should consider which sponsorship agreements to be made. Brands associated with alcohol contribute to the brand image, despite the ethical aspect that they should not belong together. Our contribution to the theoretical framework is another examination to the cumulative research within marketing and how sponsorships work in the world of sports.   Suggestions for future research: Our study examine how brands associated with alcohol influence sports associations brand images. A suggestion for future research is to investigate several other sports associations since our study is limited to a single one. Another suggestion is to conduct a research through the perspective of the sports associations. It would be interesting to see the sports associations view of the matter.

In today’s retail landscape, the goal of retaining loyal customers is a pivotal part of success. Multichannel retailers offer an extended service package which increases the chances of totally satisfied customers, a requirement for loyalty. In 2017, 20-30 percent of all purchased e-commerce goods were returned. This aroused an interest in how consumer behaviour is influenced by a multichannel retailers’ delivery- and return policies, and so the purpose of this study was defined. The nature of the purpose directed the study to a quantitative form, where primary data was collected by conducting a survey on Lulea University of Technology (LTU) students. A requirement for the participants was to have experience in online purchasing from a multichannel retailer, such as Zara. A theoretical framework consisting of hypotheses and the main theories of the study were formed to conceptualise the potential relations. This framework was then used as a basis throughout the data analysis that made use of established measures, which were performed by means of multiple regressions and correlations on the data. The analysis revealed mixed results, some rejecting the null hypotheses and some confirming it. In other words, there exists a relation and direct link between delivery- and return policies towards brand image. This study could not prove a direct connection between delivery- and return policies towards brand loyalty, potentially due to a small sample size. A false negative also deemed the final connection between brand image and brand loyalty as inconclusive, however a larger survey sample would probably have resulted in a proven relation. This study has begun filling the gap between how delivery- and return policies influence multichannel retailers brand image and brand loyalty, an area with scarce information. The research team recommends future studies to conduct qualitative approaches to gain deeper insight into the mind of the consumer and their thoughts regarding the discussed policies. In addition, future research could view it from a company perspective to create a circumferential information stream. Most importantly, a large sample should be obtained to make sure that the relations expected to exist, can be proven.

The refugee crisis is a current and wildly debated topic in the Swedish society today. As a result, companies that engage themselves in the topic experience both positive and negative reactions. Theory suggests that CSR initiatives in a western context suffer a greater risk of being interpreted as political. However, research on political CSR’s influence on brand image is scarce.       The purpose of this thesis is therefore to explore if brand image is influenced differently when companies engage in sensitive issues than with other CSR initiatives. In order to do so, a conceptual framework was developed through an extensive literature review of previous theorization about political CSR and brand image. A qualitative approach were implemented using an exploratory design, applied on an experimental method using online focus groups.    The findings suggest that when CSR becomes politically sensitive, stakeholders have a hard time to see the purpose of the initiative. They question whether the company is involved because of genuine interest. When an initiative’s genuineness is questioned the positive responses in regards to brand image, weakens. This genuineness is determined by four themes: self-interest, consistency, public celebration and sensitivity. However, the results in this thesis are somewhat inconclusive making it difficult to determine whether there is a difference between sensitive CSR and other CSR. The fictitious cases, however, indicate that there are differences relating to all four themes, however, the real cases cannot verify this.    For future research we suggest three different options. Firstly, to examine the relation between sensitivity and responsibility, quantitatively. Secondly, to conduct a study examining other politically sensitive topics. Lastly, to conduct a similar study in hindsight of the refugee crisis, evaluating the effect involvement in sensitive political CSR has on brand image.