The goal of this master´s thesis is to analyse the perception of Gambrinus brand on the Czech beer market and on the basis of the analysis to formulate recommendations for the owners of the brand to maximize the brand value and improve the brand perception. The theoretical part of the thesis is to describe the brand in general, the strategic management of the brand and methods of the research. The practical part of the thesis is focused on the description of the Czech beer market with emphasis on Plzeňský Prazdroj group. In the next chapter Gambrinus brand is analysed in terms of values, marketing campaigns and the market position. The last chapter consists of quantitative and qualitative research with a goal of analysing the perception of Gambrinus brand on the Czech market. On the basis of the results of the research, the recommendations for the owners of the brand are made.

The aim of the thesis is to analyse the women hair appliances market in the Czech republic and to evaluate the perception of the brand Rowenta. The thesis is divided into two main parts. The theoretical parts describes general knowledge of the topic with focus on consumer behavior, psychological and social factors affecting consumer buying process. At the beginning of the practical part, the main competitors on the hair appliances market in the Czech republic are introduced. The main part covers primary research, where data obtained from online questionnaire survey are analysed with focus on understanding the consumer buying behavior on this market. The conclusion contains suggested recommendation for the future prosperity of the brand.

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.

Companies get engaged in crisis management when things do not go as planned or when something unexpected happens. There is a constant need for companies to be prepared for any crises that might arise. In organizational crises and crisis management, communication is an increasingly important process. By focusing on the consumer perspective and their perception it enables the understanding of the effect of crisis communication strategies to conduct better communication in the future. The purpose of this thesis is to develop a better understanding of consumer perceptions of brands and their communication during a crisis on social media and its effect on the brand's reputation. To do this, qualitative interviews were conducted. Findings show that consumers perceive crisis communication better when it is adapted to the situation and the company takes responsibility, while crisis communication appears to better reach consumers through social media. The key factor in regards to consumers' perception of the crisis communication is based on the perceived level of the company's responsibility by the amount of responsibility taken when communication, times passed, and the emotions that the initial crisis and the communication sparked. / Företag behöver implementera krishantering då saker inte går som planerat eller när något oväntat händer. Det är ett ständigt behov att företag är förberedda på eventuella kriser som kan uppstå. Inom organisatoriska kriser är kommunikation en viktig process.  Genom att fokusera på konsumenternas perspektiv och deras uppfattning, kan vi lättare förstå effekten av kris kommunikationsstrategier för att bättre kunna bedriva kommunikationen i framtida händelser. Syftet med denna uppsats är att utveckla en bättre förståelse av konsumenternas uppfattning om organisationers varumärken och deras kriskommunikation på sociala medier, samt dess effekt på organisationens rykte. För att förstå detta genomfördes kvalitativa intervjuer. Upptäckterna av denna studie visar att konsumenter uppfattar kriskommunikation bättre när den är anpassad till situationen och då företagen tar ansvar för krisen. Samtidigt ser det ut som att kriskommunikation når ut till konsumenterna bättre då den görs via sociala medier. Nyckelfaktorerna när det kommer till konsumenternas uppfattning om kriskommunikationen är baserad på den upplevda nivån av företagets ansvar, i samband med hur mycket ansvar som tagits då kommunikationen, tidsaspekten, och känslorna som krisen och kommunikationen väckte.

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.