Bakgrund och problem: Konsultbranschen kännetecknas av en hög omsättning av aktörer. En anledning till att det ständigt alstras nya mindre aktörer till branschen är att den kan vara lukrativ med låga inträdesbarriärer. Men varför försvinner många aktörer lika fort som de kommer upp? Är det en brist på strategi och styrverktyg som ligger till grund för problemet? Kan det bero på svårigheten för småföretag att skapa sig en solid varumärkeslegitimitet, och finns det en möjligt att med hjälp av styrverktyg stärka företagets varumärkeslegitimitet? Fallföretaget som använts i den här studien är ett litet konsultföretag som vill stärka varumärkeslegitimiteten med hjälp av differentieringsstrategi på marknaden. Syfte: Syftet med den här studien är att med hjälp av en egenarbetad utvärderingsmodell utvärdera olika långsiktiga styrverktyg inriktade mot små konsult- och tjänsteföretags. Genom att utvärdera för- och nackdelar för tre utvalda styrverktyg och sedan applicera de på ett litet konsultföretag är förhoppningen att studien kan leda fram till rekommendationer gällande styrverktygens nytta och möjlighet till anpassning. Metod: I metodavsnittet förklaras vilka metodiska val som har använts i studien. En presentation av vilken forskningsansats som författarna har utgått efter förklaras också. Vidare så tydliggörs kritiken mot de källor som har använts i studien samt urvalet av data. Slutsats: Efter att styrverktygen utvärderats med hjälp av en egenarbetad utvärderingsmodell konstaterades det att det inte fanns ett optimalt styrverktyg men att alla innehöll värdefulla funktioner. Emellertid visade analysen att det styrverktyg som var mest användbart utifrån fallföretagets förutsättningar var det balanserade styrkortet på grund av dess multipla användbara funktioner och möjlighet till styrning enligt utvald strategi och mål. / Background and Problem: The consulting branch can be recognized by having a high turnover of operators. One reason for this is that the market can be lucrative with its low entry barriers. But why do many operators disappear as soon as they enter the market? Is it because of a lack of strategy and management tools? Could it be due to the difficulty for small businesses to create solid brand legitimacy, and is there a possibility to strengthen it by using management tools? The company used in this study is a small consulting company that desires to strengthen their brand legitimacy with the aid of differentiation strategy in the market. Purpose: With the help of a self-made evaluation model, the purpose of this study is to evaluate different long-term management tools geared towards small consulting and service companies. By evaluating the pros and cons of the three selected management tools and then apply those at a small consulting company, an expectation is that the study could lead to recommendations regarding the management tools benefits and possibilities for adaption. Method: In the methodology section the methodological choices of the study are explained. There is also a presentation of the research approach that has been used. Furthermore, the selection of data and the criticism of the sources used in the study are discussed. Results and conclusion: After that the management tools had been evaluated using the evaluation tool, it was found that there was no optimal management tool but that they all contained valuable features. However, the analysis showed that the management tool that was most advantageous based on the company’s prospects was the balanced scorecard because of its multiple useful features and its ability to control according to the company’s strategy and goal.

La relation marque‐consommateur telle qu’identifiée et formalisée par Fournier (1988) apparaît comme une problématique centrale du management de la marque tant d’un point de vue académique que pour les entreprises. Si la littérature s’est intéressée au phénomène relationnel, à ses antécédents mais aussi à ses conséquences en termes de gestion de marque, le mécanisme dynamique de la relation reste absent des recherches et travaux. Ce mécanisme, avec en particulier la structure de la relation et le sens de la relation, constitue pourtant un élément essentiel à l’opérationnalisation de la relation. Notre recherche vise donc à comprendre la construction du processus relationnel entre une marque et un consommateur en s’appuyant sur la métaphore narrative de la marque, et plus spécifiquement sur le modèle dramatique. Sur le plan méthodologique, une démarche compréhensive reposant sur une approche exploratoire est retenue avec un travail empirique mené en trois volets : une série de dix entretiens en profondeur, quatre réunions de consommateurs, une analyse statistique explicative. Il apparaît ainsi, (A) que la relation marque‐consommateur tient d’un dispositif scénique, d’un jeu, où la marque est le personnage et le consommateur, le spectateur (B) que la mise en relation peut se concevoir selon le modèle de la double énonciation dramatique impliquant un double statut de la marque (objet du spectacle, sujet du message) et un double statut du consommateur (consommateur‐ acheteur‐ consommateur‐ individu) (C) que la marque peut s’apparenter à un personnage (et non une personne) de théâtre qui doit articuler son être et son faire pour assurer sa légitimité et sa puissance identificatoire et que la relation peut s’établir selon une typologie en quatre figures relationnelles fondamentales (le maître, le mentor, l’alter‐ego, l’acolyte). Ainsi, notre recherche permet d’ouvrir la réflexion, en dehors de la métaphore anthropomorphique, et de proposer une structure narrative spécifique au développement de la marque relationnelle. / The brand‐consumer relations as identified and formalized by Fournier (1988) appear a central brand management problematic, from an academic point of view as much as for companies. The literature has mostly devoted attention at the phenomenon, its antecedents and consequences in terms of brand management implications. However the mechanics of the relation itself remains unexplored. This mechanics, and especially the structure of the relation and the meaning of the relation, constitutes a major issue in operationalizing the relation. This particularly research aims at exploring the dynamic mechanism at stake, using the brand as a narrative metaphor and more specifically the theatre narrative model. In methodological terms, a comprehensive and exploratory approach is used, with a three‐phase empirical work conducted: a 10 long interviews initial study, a second part consisting in three 3‐hour focus groups of 8 to 9 respondents and a final descriptive and explanatory statistical analysis. The results of the research help us to understand the relation and its execution. (A) The brand‐consumer relation belongs to a shared set‐piece, a play, where the brand is the character and the consumer the spectator (B) To create a relation, the brand must convey a twofold message at the same time (object of the performance and subject of the message) recognizing the double status of the consumer (a buyer, an individual). This refers back to the process of drama‐writing designated by the linguistic term “double enunciation” (C) The brand can be considered as a theatrical character (not a person) that has to express its doing as well as its being in order to support its legitimacy and ensure its projective and identifying power. Based on this character metaphor, four prototypical figures (the master, the mentor, the alter‐ego the acolyte) can be considered within a relational context. Thus, our research sheds new light on the brand‐consumer relation, steering clear of temptations too anthropomorphic, and allows us to consider a specific narrative structure to implement relational brands.

A strong brand is a valuable asset for modern companies. Victoria’s Secret is an American lingerie company that has had a well established and successful brand for years. However, the company’s net sales and market share have been decreasing since 2016. The company has also received criticism for creating unattainable beauty standards and excluding women with different appearances. In recent years, the brand has made changes in their marketing. This might be an attempt to increase revenues again and to gain lost market shares back. However, the numbers have continued to decrease, which indicates that the new strategy has not been very successful. The questions that the study intends to answer are how Victoria's Secret’s marketing has changed between 2016 and 2022 and why the new marketing strategy does not seem to be successful. The purpose of the study is to increase the comprehension of possible challenges that can arise in the process of trying to change an already established brand. This is a qualitative, interpretive study that uses a method called semiotic content analysis. The semiotic content analysis was used to analyze how the brand’s advertising images have changed. The results from the semiotic studies were then analyzed through some theories and earlier studies on the subject, to find possible explanations to why the rebranding does not seem to have created the expected results. The study found that Victoria’s Secret’s marketing has become less sensual, aesthetic and fantasy-like. Instead it has become more inclusive and oriented towards comfort, relatability and self-esteem. The study further presents a couple of possible explanations to why the new branding concept does not seem to have become successful, according to a couple theories on the subject. The explanations that were found was that the company does not seem to have achieved a congruence between the brand’s new identity and the brand image, that the changes might not be perceived as authentic and that the brand can no longer capitalize on an idealized identity.