Retailers' ultimate concern is consumers'' purchase intentions because increasing levels of purchase intention may lead to the actual purchase, which is directly related to retailers' sales and profits. Perceived risk has been proposed as one of the most important concepts for understanding how consumers make a purchase decision (Mitchell, 1999) and research findings supported that perceived risk was a significant factor affecting consumers' willingness to purchase (Heijden, Verhagen, & Creemers, 2001). Therefore, it is critical for online retailers in the apparel industry to understand consumer's perceived risk and purchase intention so that they can develop effective retail strategies and build long-term relationships with customers. Consumers use internal information to help them in the purchase decision process by retrieving risk-related information from memory. Experience and product/brand knowledge are two common types of internal information that consumers use to reduce risks and make purchase decisions (Brucks, 1985; Engel, Blackwell, & Miniard, 1995). Studies showed that experience with previous in-home shopping for apparel products significantly reduced perceived risk and increased purchase intention in buying apparel products via in-home shopping channels (Kwon, Paek, & Arzeni, 1991; Park & Stoel, 2005; Sen, Johnson, Stanforth, Lennon, & Moore, 2000). Several researchers also have investigated the relationship between the familiarity with a website's brand and the perceived of risk and purchase intention (Laroche, Kim, & Zhou, 1996; Park & Stoel, 2005). However, the brand familiarity in these studies was measured as consumer's brand knowledge through frequent exposures, such as advertisement, instead of experiences acquired through actual purchase and use of the brands. No study has examined if the purchase experience and actual usage of a specific brand are related to perceived risk when consumers shop for apparel products online. Brand image is one type of knowledge that consumers stored in their memory and may retrieve it during their decision making process. Studies showed that brand image was the most important and most frequently used tool to reduce consumers' perception of risk (Nandan, 2005). McCracken (1989) indicated that brand image helps an individual express oneself and develop one's self-identities; therefore, consumers prefer products with an image that matches their actual or ideal self-concept (Karande, Zinkhan, & Lum, 1997). Therefore, congruity between brand image and consumers' self image (brand-self image congruity) may help consumers to reduce their perceived risk and increase purchase intention in apparel online purchases. No study has examined the effect of brand-self image congruity in apparel online shopping context. The purposes of the study were to investigate (a) the relationships between consumers' experience with apparel catalog/TV shopping and their experience with apparel online shopping, (b) the effects of consumers' experience with apparel online shopping and brand-self image congruity on their experience with a specific brand, and (c) the effects of consumers' experience with a specific brand and brand-self image congruity on their perceived risk and purchase intention in apparel online shopping context. Two conceptual frameworks were developed. The first framework was for examining all participants, including participants with and without experience with a specific brand. The valence of experience with a specific brand was excluded in this framework. The second framework, including the valence of the experience with a specific brand, was for examining participants who had experience with a specific brand. Fifteen research hypotheses were generated with respect to the specific relationships proposed in the conceptual frameworks. A 2 x 2 quasi-experimental between subjects design was used in this study to examine if experience with a specific brand (Experience vs. No Experience) and brand-self image congruity (Consistent vs. Inconsistent) were the antecedents of perceived risk and purchase intention in apparel online shopping context. In addition to the quasi-experimental design, a survey design was also used to examine the relationships among experiences with catalog, TV, and online shopping for apparel products and the relationships among experience with apparel online shopping, perceived risk and purchase intention. Data was collected by online surveys using a national sample, and 455 apparel online shoppers living in the U.S. participated. Factor analysis results showed that the valence and extent of the experiences were two different constructs, and therefore, the two aspects of experience were included in the study. The extent of the experience is about how often consumers buy products, how much money they spend, and how many items they buy (Klopping & McKinney, 2006; Seock, 2003; Ward, 2001). The feelings experienced are called the valence of the experience, and these feelings are usually described in the literature as good/bad, enjoyed/not enjoyed, or satisfied/ dissatisfied with the experience (Chen & Dubinsky, 2003; Folkes & Patrick, 2003; Mano & Oliver, 1993; Raghubir & Menon, 2005). The first purpose of the study was to investigate the relationships between consumers' experience with apparel catalog/TV shopping and their experience with apparel online shopping. The results showed that participants who had more experiences and who had a positive feeling about their experience with buying apparel products from catalogs had more experiences with apparel online shopping. However, participants' TV shopping experiences did not have significant relationships with apparel online shopping. Participants who had more positive feelings about their experience with buying apparel products online purchased apparel product more frequently, bought more apparel items, and spent greater amount of money on apparel products online. The second purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of consumers' experience with apparel online shopping and brand-self image congruity on their experience with a specific brand. The results showed that participants who had more experiences with buying apparel products online and who perceived the image of a specific brand as more consistent with their self image had more experiences with a specific brand, indicating that they purchased apparel product of the brand more frequently, bought more items of the brand, and spent greater amount of money on the brand. The third purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of consumers' experience with a specific brand and brand-self image congruity on their perceived risk and purchase intention in buying a specific brand online. The results of perceived risk showed that for all participants, including those with and without experience with a specific brand, those had more experiences with a specific brand and those perceived the image of a specific brand as more consistent with their self-image perceived less risk in buying the apparel products of the brand online. However, participants who already had experience with a specific brand perceived less risk in buying the brand online if they had positive feeling about their experience with the brand despite of the frequency of previous experience (i.e., the extent of the experience with a specific brand). In the results of purchase intention, similar results to that of perceived risk were found for all participants. Those had more experiences with a specific brand and those perceived the image of a specific brand as more consistent with their self-image had higher purchase intention in buying the apparel products of the brand online. However, among the participants who had experience with the specific brand, only brand-self image congruity influenced their perceived risk and purchase intention. Either the extent or valence of the experience with the brand did not directly influence their purchase intention in buying the brand online. Instead, these experiences indirectly influenced the purchase intention through perceived risk. In conclusion, participants' experience with apparel online shopping and brand-self image congruity were significant factors on their perceived risk and purchase intention in apparel online shopping context. Participants who had more and positive experience with apparel online shopping and those whose self image was more consistent with the brand image perceived less risk and had higher purchase intention in buying apparel products of the brand online. This study extends the understanding of consumers' apparel online shopping behavior by identifying the roles of experiences and brand-self image congruity in apparel online shopping context. Based on the findings, suggestions for marketing strategies in apparel online shopping were provided. / Ph. D.

Yes / This study addresses a lack of research on the effects of consumer brand authenticity, brand image, and age, on brand loyalty in time-honored restaurants. Time-honored restaurants are long-established and well-recognized traditional restaurants that offer local or national foods and culinary culture. Empirical data were collected from 437 respondents in Beijing, China. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to ascertain relationships between variables, and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) validated the SEM results. The three brand authenticity dimensions were found to have differing effects on brand image and loyalty. True-to-fact authenticity had a significant effect on true-to-self authenticity, while true-to-ideal authenticity had a significant effect on brand image. True-to-self authenticity affects brand loyalty directly and indirectly through brand image. Some of the relationships were also moderated by consumer age. The results uncover the complexity inherent to consumer brand authenticity evaluations. They have implications for time-honored restaurants’ marketing and brand positioning strategies.

Background: Social media platforms, particularly through user-generated content (UGC), have been recognized as impactful channels to build communities and spread messages through content sharing. TikTok differentiates itself from other platforms by their short video format and personalized algorithm, making it an effective channel for brand-related strategic marketing activities, aimed at understanding customers engagement and brand message. Purpose: That said, this study aims to help brands effectively communicate their brand image and leverage on TikTok using UGC, by understanding what attributes of TikTok-based UGC that influences brand image. Method: To serve the purpose of this study, the research employs a quantitative approach, utilizing a survey instrument distributed to a sample of TikTok users aged 18-35. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis to determine the relationship between various TikTok-based UGC attributes and their influence on brand image. Conclusion: Empirical analysis reveals that attributes such as personalized content on TikTok, consumers engagement with UGC on TikTok, and positive UGC reviews were found to have a direct correlation to consumer perceptions of brand image. This underscores the potential benefits for brands that strategically incorporate these attributes into their marketing strategies through UGC on TikTok to effectively control their brand image.

This case study examines how a company can work with employer branding and talent management in order to attract students. The study explores how these concepts can be combined in the joint activity and what the implications are of arranging such an activity. This is illustrated through the case competition Brandstorm, arranged by L’Oréal Group. The study has a qualitative approach and it is based on in-depth interviews with managers on three different organizational levels at L’Oréal. The result shows that using a case competition as a joint activity is a tool to combine employer branding and talent management. The aim of a joint activity is two folded; the case is developed by the employer branding team to create awareness and appear as an attractive employer, further targeting students in order for the talent management team to spot and recruit talents. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of communicating a consistent Employer Value Proposition (EVP) that conveys symbolic values. A case competition can also be seen as a tool for managing talents and creating of talent pools. It is further clear that collaborating with universities is preferable when targeting students, thus conveying an attractive employer brand image.

The co-branding strategies are gaining attention from research due to the special difficulties of implementing a collaborative strategy. Hence, this paper evaluates the effect of the co-branding strategy between a luxury brand and a high-street retailer on the luxury consumers’ brand equity of the luxury brand post-co-branding. Additionally, this study aims to find differences between the generation Y and X cohorts in terms of brand equity impact from co-branding. This effect was evaluated from three brand equity dimensions: perceived quality, brand image and brand loyalty. To conduct this research the data was collected at the department store Harvey Nichols in London where luxury fashion brands are sold. Later the data was analyzed with a regression, analysis and t-test. The consumers showed differences in terms of their attitude towards the co-branding strategies between a luxury fashion brand and a high-street retailer. In addition, this research found that all the brand equity dimensions suffer a direct influence from the attitude towards co-branding for all the consumers in the study. Direct influence means that the co-branding strategies may cause positive or negative spillover effects. Moreover, the results conclude that there is only a difference in the brand equity dimension of brand loyalty between the generation cohorts Y and X.

Att folk inte förstår vad man säger beror på flera olika anledningar. En självklar orsak till att detta är till exempel givetvis om man inte talar samma språk. Men även om man skulle begripa varandra i en konversation betyder inte det att sändarens budskap tolkas på önskat sätt av mottagaren. Kommunikationen är avgörande för att en förståelse mellan två parter ska kunna skapas. Stuart Hall (1973) problematiserar kommunikationsprocessen och kedjan från det att meddelandet produceras till dess distribution och slutliga konsumtion. Kommunikationen mellan kodare och avkodare är aldrig given i sin överenskommelse. Att man talar samma språk betyder följaktligen inte att man förstår varandra fullt ut. Det finns många andra faktorer som påverkar hur meddelandet avkodas av mottagaren. Vi har valt att undersöka hur två hockeyklubbar kommunicerar med sina supportrar. Studiens syfte är att göra en jämförelse mellan de två varumärkena. I respektive varumärkes identitet och image söks likheter och olikheter. Den eventuella varumärkeskongruensen studeras ur ett kommunikativt perspektiv.   Intentionen är att ta reda på hur kommunikativa processer kan påverka varumärkens identitet och image och relationen mellan dem. Det teoretiska ramverk som använts består av marknadskommunikation, encoding och decoding och varumärkesteori. Under varumärkesteorin följer kompletteringar om sport och varumärken, varumärkesidentitet och varumärkesimage. Studien baseras på en kvalitativ och en kvantitativ metod. Den kvalitativa metoden består av gruppintervjuer som utförts för att fastställa varumärkenas identiteter medan den kvantitativa metoden utgörs av enkäter som identifierar varumärkenas image. En av de slutsatser som presenteras i studien är att det både finns kongruens och skillnader angående överensstämmelsen mellan varumärkesidentitet- och image. Sammanfattningsvis går det att konstatera att resurser utgör den stora skillnaden klubbarna mellan i förutsättningen för att mottagarna ska kunna tillgodoses på ett bra sätt. / The reason people don’t understand what others are saying can depend on a lot of things. One obvious reason would be that two individuals don’t speak the same language. Even if the two individuals would understand the words in a conversation, it’s not certain that the meaning of the message reaches the receiver the intended way. The communication settles the agreement for understanding between two parts. Stuart Hall (1973) problematizes the communication process and the chain from when the message is created and coded with meaning, through its distribution until its consumption. The communication between an encoder and a decoder are not ever certain. To not speak the same language is the same as not understanding each other. There are many other factors that influence how the receiver decodes a message.   This thesis aims to identify the brand congruence related to two Swedish ice hockey brands. The intention is to examine how communicative processes can influence the differences between how the brand identity and brand image are interpreted. The theory frame used in the thesis concludes of the following theories; Marketing Communication, Encoding and Decoding and Brand Theory. The Brand Theory is specified within the areas of Sports and Brands, Brand Identity and Brand Image.  The thesis includes both a qualitative and a quantitative method. The qualitative interviews are used to establish the brand identities while the quantitative questionnaire study aims to define the brand images. One of the major conclusions is that there are both congruence and differences in the comparison within both of the brands. Another conclusion is that the differences in how substantial the congruence is relates to resources and the brands background.

<p>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.</p>

Tyrimo objektas - prekės ženklo įvaizdžio stiprinimas. Tyrimo tikslas - sudaryti prekės ženklo įvaizdžio stiprinimo modelį pasitelkiant pojūčių rinkodarą. Uždaviniai: 1. Išanalizuoti pojūčių rinkodaros teorinius aspektus aatskleidžiant jos svarbą prekės ženklo įvaizdžio stiprinimui; 2. Remiantis parengta tyrimo metodologija ištirti vartotojų nuomonę apie prekės ženklo „Vytautas“ įvaizdį; 3. Nustatyti prekės ženklo „Vytautas“ įvaizdžio stiprinimo galimybes pasitelkiant pojūčių rinkodaros sprendimus. Tyrimo metodai: mokslinės literatūros analizė ir sintezė, lyginamoji analizė, anketinė apklausa, kontent analizė, grafinis vaizdavimas ir modeliavimas. Tyrimo rezultatai: • pirmame darbo skyriuje analizuojama prekės ženklo ir jo įvaizdžio bei pojūčių rinkodaros mokslinė literatūra, pateikta pojūčių rinkodaros samprata ir priemonės prekės ženklo stiprinimui, prekės ženklo komunikacinis poveikis vartotojui; • antrajame skyriuje pristatoma „Birštono mineraliniai vandenys“ ir Ko veikla, analizuojamas prekės ženklo „Vytautas“ įvaizdis, pateikiama tyrimo metodika, siekiant išsiaiškinti kokiomis pojūčių rinkodaros priemonėmis galima sustiprinti prekės ženklą „Vytautas“; • trečiajame darbo skyriuje įvertinami atlikto tyrimo rezultatai ir pateiktas prekės ženklo „Vytautas“ įvaizdžio jutiminiu aspektu stiprinimo modelis bei pasiūlyti prekės ženklo „Vytautas“ įvaizdžio stiprinimo sprendimai paremti pojūčių rinkodara. Išvados: Vadovaujantis atlikto tyrimo duomenimis, siūlomi... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Research object – How to strengthen a comany‘s brand image? Research aim – To create a model for strengthening a company‘s brand image using sensory marketing. Objectives: 1. To analyze the theoretical aspects of sensory marketing revealing the importance of strengthening a comany‘s brand image. 2. To analyze customers‘ opinion about “Vytautas” brand image using reasearch methodology. 3. To establish the oportunities for strengthening “Vytautas” brand image using the solutions of sensory marketing. Research methods - literature analysis and synthesis, comparative analysis, questionnaire survey, content analysis, and graphical simulation. Research results: • In the first part of master's degree thesis analysis the scientific literature of brand, brand image and the concepts of sensory marketing are used to identify the factors which determine a brand‘s image. Also, the brand‘s communicational effect for customers is analysed. • In the second part of master‘s degree thesis JSC “Birštono Mineraliniai vandenys” and Co.is presented and the brand image of “Vytautas”is analysed using a survey to find out which elements of sensory marketing can be used to strengthen the“Vytautas” brand image. • In the third part the results are evaluated of the empirical research and the model of strengthening of “Vytautas” brand image is presented. Hence, the solutions of strengthening “Vytautas” brand image are offered based on sensory marketing. Conclusions: According to the... [to full text]

The focus of this study is the role and function of country of origin (COO) in the creation and communication of the brand identities of Scottish premium/luxury brands. It applies the identity concept which is well developed in the branding literature to the COO literature where the focus on the consumer perspective of country image has resulted in the area of origin management being underdeveloped. Recognising the paucity of COO literature which examines the mechanisms and processes used by luxury brands to communicate COO, these are also analysed. The study uses an innovative two stage sequential mixed methods research design. In the first stage, the macro perspective is gained from the analysis of a database of companies compiled specifically for the study covering six categories of Scottish premium/luxury brands. Additionally a postal survey and analysis of company web pages gather a mix of qualitative and quantitative data to examine the role of COO. The second stage gains strategic insights from semi structured interviews with business elites achieving in depth understanding of the decision making process regarding the strategic advantages of COO in brand identities. The value of the study lies in the contribution to knowledge from frameworks which identify: the characteristics which differentiate companies within and across luxury sectors and organisational structure models which reflect the dominant ownership structures in the Scottish food and beverage, textiles/cashmere and whisky sectors; the dimensions of Scottish premium/luxury brands across a range of product categories; the motivations and drivers for adopting a COO identity; the criteria which distinguish COO brands; the COO communication process. The importance of COO as a key differentiating device which conveys competitive advantage is developed using the metaphor of COO as the anchor which locates the brand in a place which evokes symbolic, emotional and psychological associations and provides the brand with protection and security.

Systembolaget är ett statligt företag som har i uppdrag att reglera alkoholkonsumtionen i Sverige. I detta ska de informera samhället om alkoholens risker, vilket förmedlas genom deras varumärke. Vi fann ett intresse att undersöka hur konsumenterna uppfattar Systembolaget som varumärke i förhållande till detta uppdrag för att på så vis ge en förklaring till imagen, och genom detta skapa en djupare förståelse för Systembolagets varumärkesidentitet. För att ge svar åt studiens syfte är en kvalitativ fallstudie använd som metod. Vidare undersöktes konsumenternas uppfattningar genom intervjumetodik. Empirin analyserades med hjälp av en fenomenografisk ansats, vilket vidare har satts i förhållande till en analysmodell som framkom ur tidigare forskning. Det teoretiska ramverket grundar sig i de senare årens forskning som menar att konsumenterna kan ses som medskapare av varumärket. Därav är teorin anpassat i enlighet med denna forskning och centrerat kring förståelsen att konsumenternas uppfattningar, det vill säga imagen, även påverkar varumärkesidentiten. Resultatet visar på motstridigheter kring Systembolagets varumärkesimage. Respondenterna har generellt positiva upplevelser i kontakt med Systembolaget, men uppfattningarna är starkt präglade av associationer kopplade till företagets statliga uppdrag. Vi finner en stark koppling mellan de olika aspekter som ingår i vår analysmodell, vilken har till syfte att undersöka de olika delarna av imagen. Det finns ett tydligt förhållande dem emellan, och i enlighet med tidigare forskning kan vi se att de påverkar och påverkas av varandra. / Systembolaget is a state owned company with the assignment to control alcohol consumption in Sweden. As a part of this, they shall inform society about the risks of alcohol, which is mediated through their brand. We found an interest to research and analyze how consumers perceive Systembolaget as a brand in relation to this assignment, and thereby create a deeper understanding of their brand image and thus their brand identity. In order to answer the purpose of the study, we have conducted a qualitative case study. Furthermore, we have examined the consumer perceptions through an interview methodology. The empirical data were analyzed using phenomenographic methodology, which lastly has been compared to an analysis model that emerged from previous research. The theoretical framework is based on the later years of research which states that consumers can be seen as co-creators of the brand. Hence, the theory is adapted in accordance with this research and centered on the understanding that consumer perceptions, i.e. the image, also affects brand identity. The result shows inconsistencies in the brand image of Systembolaget. The respondents generally have positive experiences in contact with the brand, but the perceptions are strongly influenced by associations linked to the company's state assignment. We find a strong link between the different aspects included in our analysis model, which aims to analyze the various parts of the brand image. There is a clear coherence between the aspects, and in line with previous research, we can see that they both affect and are affected by each other.