The aim of the Master thesis is to analyse the perception of Budweiser Budvar brand on the Czech beer market. Theoretical part of the thesis deals with the brand in general, its strategic management and the methods that are related to the brand research. In practical part I apply the theoretical knowledge to the Budweiser Budvar brand and I am coming up with thorough analysis with respect to its values and the current communication campaign. The main part of the work consists of qualitative research, in which I am investigating what attitudes Czech people have to this brand. I am comparing overall results with results in Budweiser Budvar target group as well as the results in the region of South Bohemia. Based on the survey I am suggesting possible recommendations for the future development of Budweiser Budvar brand on the Czech beer market.

Pour s’imposer sur ce marché de consommation alimentaire fortement concurrentiel, les enseignes de la grande distribution se sont attelées au terroir et à ses produits. Aujourd’hui, les MDD de terroir, porteuses de différenciation, sont les seules à progresser confirmant l’intérêt croissant des consommateurs pour ce type de produit. Le terroir devient un enjeu à la fois en termes de pratique de consommation et de marché alimentaire. L’objectif de recherche est de montrer comment les MDD de terroir contribuent à construire la légitimité de l’enseigne de distribution lui permettant, d’une part, d’accéder aux meilleures ressources locales afin de disposer d’un avantage compétitif et, d’autre part, de créer des conditions nécessaires de conformité en réponse aux pressions de l’environnement qui brouillent et/ou menacent sa légitimité et le sens de ses actions. Pour répondre à la question de recherche le cadre théorique mobilise trois champs théoriques : les concepts image terroir et valeur de consommation, le marketing relationnel sur le comportement du consommateur expliqué notamment par la satisfaction et la confiance et la légitimité élément central de la sociologie néo-institutionnelle. La méthodologie mixte adoptée combine approches qualitative (20 interviews) et quantitative (631 répondants en deux enquêtes) et démontre l’effet positif significatif de l’interaction image terroir – valeur perçue de consommation de la MDD de terroir sur la légitimité territoriale perçue de l’enseigne. La légitimité territoriale perçue participe à la construction de la confiance et médiatise les effets de l’image de la MDD de terroir et de la valeur perçue sur la satisfaction, la confiance en la MDD et la confiance envers l’enseigne. / To impose themselves on the very competitive food consumption market, mass-marketing retailers have tackled the terroir and its regional food products. Today, store-brand regional products, which contribute to differentiation, are the only products whose market share continues to grow. This phenomenon reaffirms the consumers’ increasing interest for this type of products. Regional food products are becoming a new challenge not only in regards to consumption habits but also in regards to the food industry. The first goal of the research is to show how store-brand regional products contribute to building up the legitimacy of the brand by allowing it access to the best local/regional resources in order to obtain a competitive advantage. Its second goal is to create the necessary compliance requirements, in response to the pressure from the environment which confuses and/or threatens its legitimacy and the meaning of its actions. To answer the research question, the theoretical framework mobilizes three theoretical fields: terroir/regional image concepts and consumption value, as well as relationship marketing based on the consumer’s behavior and explained in particular by satisfaction, trust and the central legitimacy component of sociological institutionalism. The mixed methodology combines both a qualitative (20 interviews) and a quantitative approach (631 persons answered the two surveys). It also demonstrates the significant positive effect of the regional image interaction – how the store-brand regional consumption value and the territorial legitimacy of the brand are perceived. The territorial legitimacy contributes to building up confidence and gives media attention to the store-brand regional image and to the perceived value of the satisfaction and the confidence towards the brand.

The diploma thesis deals with strategic brand management. Analyzes the brand of both internal and external pesrpectives and presents a comprehensive analysis of the company’s brand. Factors influencing the customer loyalty and their importance in terms of the actual client perception, that serve as starting points for the proposal part, are identified. Main intention of these part is to create proposals for the development of a brand in accordance with the strengthening of a customer loyalty and with the recommended procedure of action for the future.

Brands’ engagement in activism is increasing as consumers expect more of brands, especially the younger generations. However, brands have different intentions behind their engagement in activism. The purpose of this thesis is to explore female Gen Z consumers’ perception of global brands’ engagement in activism, and how this perception influences their brand loyalty. Female Gen Z consumers’ mind is explored since previous research indicates that there are gender differences within perception and loyalty. A qualitative method in the form of four online focus groups were conducted to collect empirical data. Three findings were discovered, which contributed to understanding of the existing gap in research. Firstly, female Gen Z consumers positively perceived global brands’ engagement in activism. Secondly, they perceived and responded to brand activism based on the campaigns’ message, its connection to the brand and its offerings. Thirdly, female Gen Z consumers’ perception influenced their brand loyalty. The study contributes with an additional understanding of young female consumers’ perspective which can be useful for marketers when creating activist campaigns. Future research could study the perspective of male Gen Z consumers or Gen Z consumers to get additional understanding.

A tese investiga a influência dos valores pessoais na percepção de uma marca, no contexto intra e intercultural. O objetivo central é verificar como os valores pessoais se relacionam entre si e com os demais elementos da cultura e, fundamentalmente, se eles modelam a percepção de um objeto de consumo, aqui representado por uma marca simbólica de alcance universal – a Nike. Utiliza a Rokeach Value Survey (ROKEACH, 1968, 1973) para medir os valores, e a Brand Personality Scale (AAKER, 1997) para avaliar a percepção dos respondentes sobre a marca símbolo. Além das escalas de valores e de personalidade da marca, utiliza ainda a religiosidade, a posse/o uso da própria marca como um símbolo de consumo e algumas variáveis demográficas. Utiliza duas amostras de respondentes com escolaridade superior: uma brasileira, composta por 376 respondentes, e outra francesa, com 212 respondentes. Elas são comparadas entre si e através dos diversos segmentos que as compõem. Dois níveis de segmentos são analisados em ambas as culturas: os segmentos a priori, baseados nas subculturas regionais, e os segmentos post-hoc, baseados em clusters de percepção, identificados através do algoritmo Neural-Gas (MARTINETZ, BERKOVICH e SCHULTEN, 1993; MARTINETZ e SCHULTEN, 1994). A tipificação dos clusters segue a lógica da segmentação baseada em percepção (MAZANEC e STRASSER, 2000, 2007), na qual os protótipos de percepção (perceptual profiles) são interpretados através das cargas das variáveis na formação de cada cluster. A etapa analítica compreende a construção de um modelo único de mensuração, a análise da invariância entre as culturas, a reespecificação de modelos mais parcimoniosos, a identificação e análise dos segmentos e a descrição das relações de interesse. Ao todo são testadas 36 hipóteses de pesquisa, que confirmam a diferença de valores entre as duas culturas e entre algumas subculturas regionais. Confirma também a influência da prática religiosa, da idade e do gênero na formação ou no reforço dos valores e destes na percepção da marca. Além das relações hipotetizadas, também são identificadas algumas relações serendipes de interesse para trabalhos futuros, como é o caso a influência da idade nos valores do mundo ideal e no reconhecimento de sinceridade na marca avaliada. O trabalho tem limitações quanto ao tamanho e à qualidade das amostras. A amostra francesa é relativamente pequena e excessivamente fragmentada quanto às subculturas regionais, o que impede a análise dos segmentos geográficos. E, além disso, ela é composta exclusivamente por estudantes da mesma faixa etária, o que dificulta substancialmente a análise da influência da idade nos construtos. A amostra brasileira é bem mais generosa e multifacetada, mas, ainda assim, apresenta limitações quanto à indefinição da religião dos respondentes, que, devido ao sincretismo, não pode ser identificada com maior precisão. O trabalho avança no conhecimento, na medida em que confirma a existência de diferenças entre os sistemas de valores das culturas e das subculturas e, ao mesmo tempo, identifica influências dos valores e de outros elementos culturais na forma como os indivíduos percebem e avaliam uma marca de alcance universal. / This thesis investigates the influence of personal values on brand, in both the intra and intercultural contexts. The central objective is to verify how personal values relate amongst themselves and to other elements of culture and, fundamentally, if they model the perception of a consumer object, here represented by a symbolic universally accessible brand - Nike. It uses the Rokeach Value Survey (ROKEACH, 1968, 1973) to measure values, and the Brand Personality Scale (AAKER, 1997) to evaluate the respondents' perception of the brand symbol. Besides the scales of value and personality of the brand, it also uses religiosity, the possession or use of the same brand as a consumer symbol and some demographic variables. It uses two samples of respondents with higher education, one Brazilian composed of 376 respondents, and the other French, with 212 respondents, which are compared with themselves and through the various segments that they comprise. Two levels of segmentation are analyzed in both cultures: the a priori segments, based on regional subcultures, and the post-hoc segments, based on identified perception clusters through the Neural-gas algorithm (MARTINETZ, BERKOVICH and SCHULTEN, 1993; MARTINETZ and SCHULTEN, 1994). The typing of the clusters follows the logic of segmentation based on perception (MAZANEC and STRASSER, 2000, 2007), in which the perception prototypes (perceptual profiles) are interpreted through the loads of the variables on the formation of each cluster. The analytical stage involves the construction of a unique measurement model, the analysis of the invariance among the cultures, the re-specification of more parsimonious models, the identification and analysis of the segments and the description of the relationships of interest. In all, 36 research hypotheses are tested, that confirm the difference of values between the two cultures, and among some regional subcultures. They also confirm the influence of religious practice, age and gender in the formation and reinforcement of values and on the perception of the brand. Besides the hypothesized relationships, the thesis also identified some spurious relationships of interest for future works, such as the influence of age on the values of the ideal world and in the recognition of honesty in the appraised brand. The work has limitations as to the size and the quality of the samples. The French sample is relatively small and excessively fragmented with regard to regional subcultures, which impedes the analysis of the geographical segments. Besides that, it is composed exclusively of students of the same age group, which hinders the analysis of the influence of age on the constructs. The Brazilian sample is much larger and more multifaceted, but nevertheless, presents limitations such as the vague stance of the respondents' religion, that due to syncretism cannot be identified with greater precision. The work advances knowledge, to the degree that it confirms the existence of differences among systems of values, cultures and subcultures, and at the same time identifies the influences of values and other cultural elements on the way individuals perceive and evaluate a universally accessible brand.

A tese investiga a influência dos valores pessoais na percepção de uma marca, no contexto intra e intercultural. O objetivo central é verificar como os valores pessoais se relacionam entre si e com os demais elementos da cultura e, fundamentalmente, se eles modelam a percepção de um objeto de consumo, aqui representado por uma marca simbólica de alcance universal – a Nike. Utiliza a Rokeach Value Survey (ROKEACH, 1968, 1973) para medir os valores, e a Brand Personality Scale (AAKER, 1997) para avaliar a percepção dos respondentes sobre a marca símbolo. Além das escalas de valores e de personalidade da marca, utiliza ainda a religiosidade, a posse/o uso da própria marca como um símbolo de consumo e algumas variáveis demográficas. Utiliza duas amostras de respondentes com escolaridade superior: uma brasileira, composta por 376 respondentes, e outra francesa, com 212 respondentes. Elas são comparadas entre si e através dos diversos segmentos que as compõem. Dois níveis de segmentos são analisados em ambas as culturas: os segmentos a priori, baseados nas subculturas regionais, e os segmentos post-hoc, baseados em clusters de percepção, identificados através do algoritmo Neural-Gas (MARTINETZ, BERKOVICH e SCHULTEN, 1993; MARTINETZ e SCHULTEN, 1994). A tipificação dos clusters segue a lógica da segmentação baseada em percepção (MAZANEC e STRASSER, 2000, 2007), na qual os protótipos de percepção (perceptual profiles) são interpretados através das cargas das variáveis na formação de cada cluster. A etapa analítica compreende a construção de um modelo único de mensuração, a análise da invariância entre as culturas, a reespecificação de modelos mais parcimoniosos, a identificação e análise dos segmentos e a descrição das relações de interesse. Ao todo são testadas 36 hipóteses de pesquisa, que confirmam a diferença de valores entre as duas culturas e entre algumas subculturas regionais. Confirma também a influência da prática religiosa, da idade e do gênero na formação ou no reforço dos valores e destes na percepção da marca. Além das relações hipotetizadas, também são identificadas algumas relações serendipes de interesse para trabalhos futuros, como é o caso a influência da idade nos valores do mundo ideal e no reconhecimento de sinceridade na marca avaliada. O trabalho tem limitações quanto ao tamanho e à qualidade das amostras. A amostra francesa é relativamente pequena e excessivamente fragmentada quanto às subculturas regionais, o que impede a análise dos segmentos geográficos. E, além disso, ela é composta exclusivamente por estudantes da mesma faixa etária, o que dificulta substancialmente a análise da influência da idade nos construtos. A amostra brasileira é bem mais generosa e multifacetada, mas, ainda assim, apresenta limitações quanto à indefinição da religião dos respondentes, que, devido ao sincretismo, não pode ser identificada com maior precisão. O trabalho avança no conhecimento, na medida em que confirma a existência de diferenças entre os sistemas de valores das culturas e das subculturas e, ao mesmo tempo, identifica influências dos valores e de outros elementos culturais na forma como os indivíduos percebem e avaliam uma marca de alcance universal. / This thesis investigates the influence of personal values on brand, in both the intra and intercultural contexts. The central objective is to verify how personal values relate amongst themselves and to other elements of culture and, fundamentally, if they model the perception of a consumer object, here represented by a symbolic universally accessible brand - Nike. It uses the Rokeach Value Survey (ROKEACH, 1968, 1973) to measure values, and the Brand Personality Scale (AAKER, 1997) to evaluate the respondents' perception of the brand symbol. Besides the scales of value and personality of the brand, it also uses religiosity, the possession or use of the same brand as a consumer symbol and some demographic variables. It uses two samples of respondents with higher education, one Brazilian composed of 376 respondents, and the other French, with 212 respondents, which are compared with themselves and through the various segments that they comprise. Two levels of segmentation are analyzed in both cultures: the a priori segments, based on regional subcultures, and the post-hoc segments, based on identified perception clusters through the Neural-gas algorithm (MARTINETZ, BERKOVICH and SCHULTEN, 1993; MARTINETZ and SCHULTEN, 1994). The typing of the clusters follows the logic of segmentation based on perception (MAZANEC and STRASSER, 2000, 2007), in which the perception prototypes (perceptual profiles) are interpreted through the loads of the variables on the formation of each cluster. The analytical stage involves the construction of a unique measurement model, the analysis of the invariance among the cultures, the re-specification of more parsimonious models, the identification and analysis of the segments and the description of the relationships of interest. In all, 36 research hypotheses are tested, that confirm the difference of values between the two cultures, and among some regional subcultures. They also confirm the influence of religious practice, age and gender in the formation and reinforcement of values and on the perception of the brand. Besides the hypothesized relationships, the thesis also identified some spurious relationships of interest for future works, such as the influence of age on the values of the ideal world and in the recognition of honesty in the appraised brand. The work has limitations as to the size and the quality of the samples. The French sample is relatively small and excessively fragmented with regard to regional subcultures, which impedes the analysis of the geographical segments. Besides that, it is composed exclusively of students of the same age group, which hinders the analysis of the influence of age on the constructs. The Brazilian sample is much larger and more multifaceted, but nevertheless, presents limitations such as the vague stance of the respondents' religion, that due to syncretism cannot be identified with greater precision. The work advances knowledge, to the degree that it confirms the existence of differences among systems of values, cultures and subcultures, and at the same time identifies the influences of values and other cultural elements on the way individuals perceive and evaluate a universally accessible brand.

Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur konsumenters varumärkesuppfattning påverkas av influencer marketing med avseende på influencers följarantal och tematiska inriktning. Metod: I denna studie har en kvantitativ metod genomförts för att totalt samla in 173 svar genom en webbaserad enkätundersökning. Efter sållning utifrån vårt urval bearbetades 153 svar i SPSS där deskriptiv statistik, korrelationsanalys och klusteranalys genomfördes. Resultatet användes för att genomföra en diskussion för att dra vidare slutsatser. Slutsats: Studien visar att både tematiska influencers och influencers med många följare har en positiv inverkan på konsumenters varumärkesuppfattning. Influencers med stora följarantal bidrar till mer positiv inverkan på konsumenters varumärkesuppfattning än tematiska influencers. För maximala resultat bör marknadsförare använda sig av en influencer som både har ett stort följarantal och är inriktad på ett tema. Uppsatsens bidrag: Studiens bidrag till teorin inom marknadsföringens forskningsområde är en ökad kunskap om olika sorters influencers påverkan på konsumenters varumärkesuppfattning. Studien visar att följarantal väger tyngre än tema i frågan om hur positivt påverkad en konsuments varumärkesuppfattning blir. / Aim: The purpose of the study is to investigate how consumers’ brand perception is influenced by influencer marketing with regard to influencers' number of followers and topical alignment. Method: In this study, a quantitative method has been conducted to aggregate 173 responses in a web-based questionnaire survey. After screening based on our selection, 153 responses were processed in SPSS where descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and cluster analysis were conducted. The result was used to conduct a discussion to draw further conclusions. Conclusion: The study shows that both topical influencers and influencers with many followers have a positive impact on consumer brand perception. Influencers with a large number of followers contribute to a more positive impact on consumer brand perception than topical influencers. For maximum results, marketers should use an influencer that has both a large number of followers and focuses on a topic. Contribution: The study's contribution to the theory of marketing research area is an increased knowledge of the influence of different types of influencers on consumer brand perception. The study shows that the number of followers weighs heavier than the topic in terms of how positively affected a consumer's perception of the brand is.

Submitted by Nelson Pretti (n.pretti.91@gmail.com) on 2018-01-05T15:58:08Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Thesis - Nelson Pretti.pdf: 2041109 bytes, checksum: f5934c1066bf210c83bf047d8126c277 (MD5) / Rejected by Vera Lúcia Mourão (vera.mourao@fgv.br), reason: Olá Nelson, bom dia. estou rejeitando o seu arquivo postado porque você colocou, como se fosse um cabeçalho, o título do seu trabalho em todas as páginas a partir da contracapa, seguindo as normas não pode conter essa informação, peço a gentileza de corrigir e postar novamente. abs. on 2018-01-10T13:11:50Z (GMT) / Submitted by Nelson Pretti (n.pretti.91@gmail.com) on 2018-01-10T22:15:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Thesis - Nelson Pretti.pdf: 2721281 bytes, checksum: afa00eed7d99b20684b05112deb26dfa (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Vera Lúcia Mourão (vera.mourao@fgv.br) on 2018-01-10T22:26:41Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Thesis - Nelson Pretti.pdf: 2721281 bytes, checksum: afa00eed7d99b20684b05112deb26dfa (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-01-11T13:23:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Thesis - Nelson Pretti.pdf: 2721281 bytes, checksum: afa00eed7d99b20684b05112deb26dfa (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-01-10 / In this study, the author analyses the effects of country of origin and brand positioning on consumer’s brand perception and purchase intention of the brand ZARA. For the analysis, the author uses online survey to collect data from students in Spain and in Brazil. ZARA’s brand perception and purchase intention were expected to be higher in Brazil, but the results suggest that ZARA has an equal or even better performance in Spain than in Brazil. Although the results provide a strong evidence of a Brazilian preference for nonlocal brands, this preference hasn’t provided the expected positive results on the other variables analysed. A deeper analysis of the correlations among the variables brought light to some aspects, but, due to the limitations of the thesis’ scope, the data collected didn’t allow a full comprehension of all the causes behind the results found. / Neste estudo, o autor analisa os efeitos do país de origem e posicionamento de marca na percepção de marca e intenção de compra do consumidor relativo a marca ZARA. Para a análise, o autor utiliza uma pesquisa on-line para coletar as respostas de estudantes na Espanha e no Brasil. A expectativa era de que a percepção e intenção de compra de marca da ZARA fosse maior no Brasil, mas os resultados sugerem que o ZARA tem desempenho igual ou até melhor em Espanha do que no Brasil. Embora os resultados forneçam uma forte evidência de uma preferência brasileira por marcas estrangeiras, essa preferência não resultou nos resultados esperados nas demais variáveis analisadas. Uma análise mais profunda das correlações entre as variáveis esclareceu alguns pontos, mas, devido às limitações do escopo da tese, os dados coletados não permitiram uma compreensão completa de todas as causas por trás dos resultados encontrados.

A tese investiga a influência dos valores pessoais na percepção de uma marca, no contexto intra e intercultural. O objetivo central é verificar como os valores pessoais se relacionam entre si e com os demais elementos da cultura e, fundamentalmente, se eles modelam a percepção de um objeto de consumo, aqui representado por uma marca simbólica de alcance universal – a Nike. Utiliza a Rokeach Value Survey (ROKEACH, 1968, 1973) para medir os valores, e a Brand Personality Scale (AAKER, 1997) para avaliar a percepção dos respondentes sobre a marca símbolo. Além das escalas de valores e de personalidade da marca, utiliza ainda a religiosidade, a posse/o uso da própria marca como um símbolo de consumo e algumas variáveis demográficas. Utiliza duas amostras de respondentes com escolaridade superior: uma brasileira, composta por 376 respondentes, e outra francesa, com 212 respondentes. Elas são comparadas entre si e através dos diversos segmentos que as compõem. Dois níveis de segmentos são analisados em ambas as culturas: os segmentos a priori, baseados nas subculturas regionais, e os segmentos post-hoc, baseados em clusters de percepção, identificados através do algoritmo Neural-Gas (MARTINETZ, BERKOVICH e SCHULTEN, 1993; MARTINETZ e SCHULTEN, 1994). A tipificação dos clusters segue a lógica da segmentação baseada em percepção (MAZANEC e STRASSER, 2000, 2007), na qual os protótipos de percepção (perceptual profiles) são interpretados através das cargas das variáveis na formação de cada cluster. A etapa analítica compreende a construção de um modelo único de mensuração, a análise da invariância entre as culturas, a reespecificação de modelos mais parcimoniosos, a identificação e análise dos segmentos e a descrição das relações de interesse. Ao todo são testadas 36 hipóteses de pesquisa, que confirmam a diferença de valores entre as duas culturas e entre algumas subculturas regionais. Confirma também a influência da prática religiosa, da idade e do gênero na formação ou no reforço dos valores e destes na percepção da marca. Além das relações hipotetizadas, também são identificadas algumas relações serendipes de interesse para trabalhos futuros, como é o caso a influência da idade nos valores do mundo ideal e no reconhecimento de sinceridade na marca avaliada. O trabalho tem limitações quanto ao tamanho e à qualidade das amostras. A amostra francesa é relativamente pequena e excessivamente fragmentada quanto às subculturas regionais, o que impede a análise dos segmentos geográficos. E, além disso, ela é composta exclusivamente por estudantes da mesma faixa etária, o que dificulta substancialmente a análise da influência da idade nos construtos. A amostra brasileira é bem mais generosa e multifacetada, mas, ainda assim, apresenta limitações quanto à indefinição da religião dos respondentes, que, devido ao sincretismo, não pode ser identificada com maior precisão. O trabalho avança no conhecimento, na medida em que confirma a existência de diferenças entre os sistemas de valores das culturas e das subculturas e, ao mesmo tempo, identifica influências dos valores e de outros elementos culturais na forma como os indivíduos percebem e avaliam uma marca de alcance universal. / This thesis investigates the influence of personal values on brand, in both the intra and intercultural contexts. The central objective is to verify how personal values relate amongst themselves and to other elements of culture and, fundamentally, if they model the perception of a consumer object, here represented by a symbolic universally accessible brand - Nike. It uses the Rokeach Value Survey (ROKEACH, 1968, 1973) to measure values, and the Brand Personality Scale (AAKER, 1997) to evaluate the respondents' perception of the brand symbol. Besides the scales of value and personality of the brand, it also uses religiosity, the possession or use of the same brand as a consumer symbol and some demographic variables. It uses two samples of respondents with higher education, one Brazilian composed of 376 respondents, and the other French, with 212 respondents, which are compared with themselves and through the various segments that they comprise. Two levels of segmentation are analyzed in both cultures: the a priori segments, based on regional subcultures, and the post-hoc segments, based on identified perception clusters through the Neural-gas algorithm (MARTINETZ, BERKOVICH and SCHULTEN, 1993; MARTINETZ and SCHULTEN, 1994). The typing of the clusters follows the logic of segmentation based on perception (MAZANEC and STRASSER, 2000, 2007), in which the perception prototypes (perceptual profiles) are interpreted through the loads of the variables on the formation of each cluster. The analytical stage involves the construction of a unique measurement model, the analysis of the invariance among the cultures, the re-specification of more parsimonious models, the identification and analysis of the segments and the description of the relationships of interest. In all, 36 research hypotheses are tested, that confirm the difference of values between the two cultures, and among some regional subcultures. They also confirm the influence of religious practice, age and gender in the formation and reinforcement of values and on the perception of the brand. Besides the hypothesized relationships, the thesis also identified some spurious relationships of interest for future works, such as the influence of age on the values of the ideal world and in the recognition of honesty in the appraised brand. The work has limitations as to the size and the quality of the samples. The French sample is relatively small and excessively fragmented with regard to regional subcultures, which impedes the analysis of the geographical segments. Besides that, it is composed exclusively of students of the same age group, which hinders the analysis of the influence of age on the constructs. The Brazilian sample is much larger and more multifaceted, but nevertheless, presents limitations such as the vague stance of the respondents' religion, that due to syncretism cannot be identified with greater precision. The work advances knowledge, to the degree that it confirms the existence of differences among systems of values, cultures and subcultures, and at the same time identifies the influences of values and other cultural elements on the way individuals perceive and evaluate a universally accessible brand.

The aim of this diploma thesis named "Brand perception" is to create suggestion for changes in the communication of brands based on an analysis and comparison of the perception of the particular brands by the public and the society. The theoretical part focuses on the clarification of the important definitions, which are related to the issue from the recognized economic authors points of view. The second part of the diploma thesis is focused on the evaluation of qualitative and quantitative techniques of a marketing research which are the basis for a comparison of the chosen brands from the point of view both of the public and of the representatives of the society. The conclusion of the thesis includes suggested precautions for making the communication of the brands better.