Study on the Relationship of Customer Relationship, Brand Image, and Customer Loyalty ¡V A Case Study of a Chain Cram School in Kaohsiung City ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate the customer relationship, brand image, and loyalty that the parents of students came from a chain cram school in Kaohsiung City had towards that cram school. The parents of the students who are studying in this cram school and relevant after-school education were the study subjects. Questionnaire investigation was performed and 300 copies of questionnaires were sent and 276 copies were received, where 42 copies of invalid questionnaires were eliminated; thus, there were 234 copies of valid questionnaires in total and the questionnaire efficiency was 84.78%. The statistical methods that this study applied included descriptive statistics, Pearson's product-moment correlation, independent-sample t-test, one way ANOVA, and stepwise multiple regression. The following results were drawn after empirical analysis from different backgrounds of the students¡¦ parents: 1. For customer relationship, overall brand image and every aspect of brand image, and willingness to purchase again of the parents¡¦ feeling towards the cram school, female parents scored higher than male parents; while male parents scored higher on price tolerance, willingness to recommend, and overall feeling of customer loyalty than female parents. 2. For 41 to 50 year-old-parents, they scored lower on brand value of cram school and willingness to recommend than parents who were under 40 years old; however, they scored higher on customer relationship, brand image, overall customer loyalty, and every aspect of customer loyalty than parents from all other age groups. 3. Parents graduated from high school and/or vocational school (and lower education level) only scored lower on brand strategy and willingness to recommend, they scored higher on customer relationship, brand image, overall customer loyalty, and every aspect of customer loyalty than parents from all other education levels. 4. The consciousness of parents who are government employees and housekeepers was higher on customer relationship, overall loyalty, and every sub-aspect of loyalty towards the cram school. For parents who work in technology manufacturing industry and governmental organizations, their consciousness was higher on overall brand image and every sub-aspect of brand image towards the cram school than the parents with other occupations. 5. The consciousness of parents with higher average monthly income was higher on customer relationship, brand image, overall loyalty, and every sub-aspect of loyalty towards the cram school than parents with lower income. 6. The consciousness of parents with one child was higher on customer relationship, overall brand image, and every aspect of brand image than parents with two or more children. For overall customer loyalty and every sub-aspect of customer loyalty, the consciousness of parents with three or more children was higher than others. The research analysis result of the relationship of customer relationship of parents, brand image and customer loyalty is as follows: 1. Every aspect of customer relationship and overall customer relationship of parents, and every aspect of brand image and overall brand image of parents whose children studied in cram school were significantly and positively correlated, showing that the higher the score of customer relationship the parents had, the higher the score of brand image. 2. Every aspect of brand image and overall brand image of parents, and every aspect of customer loyalty and overall customer loyalty of parents whose children studied in cram school were significantly and positively correlated, showing that the higher the score of brand image the parents had towards the cram school, the higher the score of customer loyalty. Customer relationship and the difference of brand image were served as the criterion variable, and the predicting result analysis of customer loyalty is as follows: 1. The three major predictor variables of overall customer loyalty included ¡§brand marketing¡¨, ¡§brand strategy¡¨, and ¡§trust¡¨, where ¡§brand marketing¡¨ had the highest predicting ability. 2. ¡§Willingness to purchase again¡¨ was served as the criterion variable, and the three major predictor variables of overall customer loyalty included ¡§brand strategy¡¨, ¡§brand marketing¡¨, and ¡§customer communication¡¨, where ¡§brand strategy¡¨ had the highest predicting ability. 3. ¡§Price tolerance¡¨ was served as the criterion variable, and the two major predictor variables of overall customer loyalty included ¡§brand marketing¡¨ and ¡§trust¡¨, where ¡§brand marketing¡¨ had the highest predicting ability. 4. ¡§Willingness to recommend¡¨ was served as the criterion variable, and the four major predictor variables of overall customer loyalty included ¡§brand strategy¡¨, ¡§customer communication¡¨, ¡§brand value¡¨, and ¡§brand marketing¡¨, where ¡§brand strategy¡¨ had the highest predicting ability. Keywords: Chain Cram school, students¡¦ parents, customer relationship, brand image, customer loyalty

Abstract Under long-term incandescent competition, the difference of product features of banking business is more and more smaller. Only which could supply service can emerge. To establish difference of wealth management service, the high quality enterprise image to attract consumers is needed besides supplying valuable finance planning and professional financing commissioner¡¦s customer relationship administration. Establishing brand image and good communication with consumers are the principal tools of building wealth management bank. This study reviewed related documents to understand the wealth management service actualities of VIP financing center. The questionnaire in the point view of consumer was used to investigate good brand image of wealth administration for public. In order to set a construct model of brand image and supply marketing policy for banks, demonstration analysis method was also adopted. The results of this study are followed: 1. The bank wanting to create higher brand image should start from brand identification and brand orientation. This result agrees with the brand image definition made by Aaker, Kapferer, Keller and Biel. The brand image means consumers¡¦ cognition of brand attribute, in another words, it was represented due to development of brand orientation, result of communicating action and consumers¡¦ memory associating with brand in thinking. It was believed that, to construct the brand image of wealth management bank should start from brand orientation to brand identification. And careful planning could construct brand image effectively. 2. The bank desiring to construct their brand image from brand orientation effectively should strengthen their wealth administration to satisfy customer¡¦s empirical requirement. For example, preparing perfect service illustration data, sharing initiative timely information, supporting integrated-bill monthly and global market analysis report, evaluating investment performance regularly, establishing faith and interaction between consultant and consumer, and paying much attention to consumers¡¦ requirement such as attitude and timing of treating customer¡¦s opinion.

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.

Uppsatsens syfte är att analysera och klargåra kundens bild av varumärket Erikshjälpen, klargöra organisations identitet och hur man inom organisationen vill att varumärket ska uppfattas på marknaden. En ambition är att analysera butiken som en marknadsföringskanal. Empirimaterialet har samlats in genom personliga intervjuer med respondenter som har direkt koppling till Erikshjälpen samt fokusgruppsintervjuer bland kunderna i fyra butiker. De slutsatser jag har kommit fram till har baserats på de tendenser som visat sig tydligt i min analys. Då jag inte haft för avsikt att generalisera är detta ett sätt att lyfta fram återkommande påstående från respondenterna. Under uppsatsens gång har det visat sig att ett varumärke har olika författare och som varumärkesinnehavare är det viktigt att vara den som styr, annars blir varumärkets image något annat än vad den ursprungliga tanken var. Det blev också tydligt att butiken har en viktig roll för varumärket som kommunikationskanal både i sin funktionalitet men också emotionellt genom den upplevelse den skapar mot kunden. / To create a strong brand, it is important to continually evaluate the relationship between identity and image. In this thesis, I have investigated what the charitable organization, Erik's Development Partner intends to communicate with their brand (referred to as identity) and how their customers interpret the brand (referred to as image). The purpose was to analyze differences and similarities between identity and image focusing on customers at Erik's Second Hand Stores as a marketing environment. The theoretical framework regards theories such as the different authors of brand development, an exploration of the brand identity - brand image linkage, the relationship marketing process, and the impact of physical surroundings on customers and employees. The study demonstrates both differences and similarities between the identity and image. It became evident that a brand develops through its many different authors and that it is important for the owner to control communications, otherwise the brand image will become something other than what was originally meant to be. It also became clear that secondhand stores have an important role in brand communication, both through their functionality but also emotionally, providing customers with a positive shopping experience.

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.