Sponsorship is an essential part of marketing communications within sports (Biscaia et al., 2014). Congruence, or the degree to which a sponsor and an event mesh, is one of the main factors influencing sponsorship memory accuracy (Evans, 2019). It is found that, within women’s sports, demand for research on how to maximize the efficiency of sponsorships exists.The research aims to find if sponsors and sponsees could look towards sponsorships with more external congruence to increase the value of the sponsorship to both the sponsor and sponsee. The study uses a survey to find correlations between the amount of external congruence and the degree to which sponsorship objectives are reached. The External Sponsorship Congruence Scale (ESCS), developed by Evans (2019), is used as a basis for measurement of external congruence. The key finding is that the perceived quality of a brand seems to correlate with having a sponsorship that is high in external congruence. Furthermore, both areas of brand awareness and brand image could possibly see some correlation to external congruence. However, those areas were not found to be statistically significant in this study. These findings are important to develop the concept of external congruence and find possible ways of measuring external congruence. For instance, it is found that the ESCS and its constructs seem to be useable in the field of women’s and niche sports. On a theoretical level, changes to the ESCS’s geographical congruence are proposed and a revised ESCS is presented. Moreover, managers within women’s and niche sports, as well as sponsors of those, can use the findings of this study to improve the chances of finding successful sponsorships.

This study examines the impact of the EU Taxonomy on the goals, strategies andimplementation of energy efficiency measures of two property-owning companies. Acomparative analysis examines how these goals, strategies and implementations have changedbefore and after the taxonomy came into effect. To do this, a before-after perspective has beenchosen. The study shows that the goals and strategies of the companies have changed the most.The companies are motivated to work in line with the taxonomy to ensure that their brand isimproved. One of the implications of the taxonomy is that in addition to measuring the energyconsumption in kWh/sqm, it will now be measured in primary energy factor, which will lead to some difficulties in the work with energy efficiency. The implementation of energy-efficiency measures will be largely unchanged despite the enforcement of the EU Taxonomy, where the main difference is that certain measures that could not be justified before now canbe considered reasonable to implement depending on the primary energy factor and theweighting factors associated with it. The companies also expressed difficulties in theimplementation of primary energy capital, but also optimism and an effort to improve theenergy efficiency of as many of their properties as possible in order to meet the requirementsof the EU Taxonomy. / Denna studie utvärderar effekterna av EU Taxonomin på fastighetsägande företags mål,strategier och implementering av energieffektiviserande åtgärder. Genom en jämförande analysundersöks hur dessa mål, strategier och implementeringar har ändrats före och efter atttaxonomin började gälla. För att göra detta har ett före-efter perspektiv valts, där tiden företaxonomin valdes som före år 2018. Studien visar att det är målen och strategierna som ändratsmest. Företagen är motiverade till att arbeta i linje med taxonomin för att säkerställa att derasvarumärke förbättras. Taxonomin kommer även att medföra att man utöver att mätaenergianvändningen i kWh/kvm, nu kommer att mäta denna i primärenergital, vilket kommerleda till vissa svårigheter i detta arbete. Implementationen av energieffektiviserande åtgärderkommer att se i princip likadan ut trots verkställandet av EU Taxonomin, där den störstaskillnaden är att vissa åtgärder som inte kunde motiveras innan nu kan anses rimliga attgenomföra beroende på primärenergitalet och viktiningsfaktorerna kopplade till detta.Företagen uttryckte även svårigheter i införandet av primärenergitalet, men även optimism ochen strävan till att effektivisera så många av sina fastigheter som möjligt för att de ska nå upptill kraven som ställs i EU Taxonomin.

Problemformulering: Vilka fördelar finns det för B2B-fokuserat företag med att marknadsföra sitt varumärke på sociala medier? Hur använder B2B- fokuserat företag sociala medier för att stärka sitt varumärkesvärde? Vilka sociala mediekanaler är lämpliga för ett B2B-fokuserat företag? Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur B2B-fokuserade företag använder sig av sociala medier för att stärka sitt varumärkesvärde. Metod: Uppsatsförfattarna har använt sig av en kvalitativ forskningsmetod med sju semistrukturerade intervjuer för insamling av empiri. Slutsatser: Slutsatsen av undersökningen visade att det finns tydliga fördelar i användningen av sociala medier som ett marknadsföringsverktyg inom B2B-företag. Till exempel framhävning av varumärket och långvariga relationer mellan varumärkeskännedom och varumärkeslojalitet. Värdesättningen av marknadsföringen i de olika företagen vi intervjuade baserades inte på företagets storlek. Små, medelstora och stora företag använder sig av marknadsföring i olika grader. / Problem formulation: What are the benefits for B2B-focused companies of marketing their brand on social media? How do B2B-focused companies use social media to strengthen their brand value? Which social media channels are suitable for a B2B-focused business? Purpose: The purpose of this essay is to study how B2B-focused companies use social media to strengthen their brand equity. Method: The essay authors have used a qualitative research method with seven semi-structured interviews to gather empirical data. Conclusions: The study's conclusion showed that there are clear advantages to the use of social media as a marketing tool in B2B companies. For example, brand highlighting and long-standing relationships between brand awareness and brand loyalty. The marketing valuation in the different companies we interviewed was not based on the company's size. Small, medium and large companies use marketing to varying degrees.

Social media is a topic that is discussed extensively and is today a platform used by a number of companies and organizations to enable individuals to communicate and create stronger relationships with their various stakeholders. Instagram, which is a social image and videoplatform, has become an easy way to market your company, organization or oneself. The purpose of this study was to map fans 'views and influence on football profiles'communication via Instagram. To answer the study's purpose, both deductive and inductive approaches have been used in the form of a questionnaire survey and a focus group interview. This with the help of theories about brand capital, brand commitment, brand relationships and brand attitudes. The conclusions drawn based on the analyzes were that fans 'views and influence on football profiles' communication via Instagram are reflected in their brand capital and the associations, attitudes and connections that fans can link to the football profile as a brand.The better these are, the more commitment is created, which further leads to a stronger relationship between fans and football profile, which in turn contributes to a more positive impact and image of the football profile.

M. Tech. (Marketing Management, Faculty of Management Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / Supermarket store brands are affordable alternatives towards the customers’ intended brands. For many years, marketers and retailers of store brands have positioned this brand as a cheap or low-cost brand that could be afforded by most customers. This positioning has catapulted the popularity of store brands. However, on the downward side, most consumers associate cheap or low cost with low quality. The low-cost and low-quality association and perception has been a major impediment towards the real success of store brands. Store brands have long since moved from competing on price, to competing on quality. The shift of focus by marketers and retailers of store brands from price to quality puts store brands on an equal footing with national brands and, consequently, a fierce competitor. This study investigated the influence of consumer-based brand equity elements, namely brand awareness, brand association, brand loyalty and perceived quality on brand preference and purchase intention of store brands. This study restricted its scope to the food brands. Investigating store brands within a South African context is particularly important since store brands are produced and owned by local retailers as opposed to national brands. The literature suggests that store brands are more profitable to retailers compared to their counterparts and serve as a point of differentiation from one retailer to another. A quantitative research design was employed in this study and a non-probability convenience sampling technique was adopted. The target population comprised students from a tertiary institution within the Vaal triangle, namely Vaal University of Technology. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed to the participants, of which 361 participated in the study. To ensure reliability of the scales, pre-testing and piloting of the questionnaire preceded the main survey. Results from correlation and regression analysis revealed that brand equity elements, namely brand awareness, brand association, brand loyalty and perceived quality explain 68.4 percent of the variance in brand preference. This result suggests that consumer-based brand equity elements significantly contribute towards building consumer brand preference towards the store brands. In addition, amongst all the variables, brand loyalty made the strongest contribution towards explaining brand preference (β= 0.342). Moreover, brand preference explains 65.3 percent of the variance in purchase intention. These results suggest that brand preference strongly contributes towards building purchase intention of store brands. Based on the results of this study, recommendations for retailers of store brands are provided as follows:  Retailers of store brands should implement greater awareness programmes for store brands and create positive word-of-mouth through superior product quality.  Retailers of store brands should strengthen store brands’ brand associations to improve the image of store brands.  Retailers of store brands should pay special attention to creating brand loyalty of store brands through implementing store brands’ loyalty programmes. Limitations, future research opportunities and contributions of this study are discussed in the study.

В настоящее время актуальной проблемой в сфере маркетинга является выбор экономически обоснованных инструментов оценки бренда и повышения его узнаваемости. В рамках данной работы была проведена оценка капитала бренда и выявлено, что узнаваемость компании находится на низком уровне.В связи с этим,были предложены и апробированы маркетинговые инструменты в сети интернет, а также рассчитана их эффективность. / The current issue in marketing is economically feasible tools for assessment and increase brand awareness. Within this work, the brand equity was evaluated and it was revealed that the company's recognition is low. In connection with this, marketing tools in the Internet have been proposed and tested and their effectiveness has been calculated.

Studien ämnar undersöka hur fyra klädföretag bygger och stärker sina varumärken för att differentiera sig på en konkurrensutsatt marknad. Klädföretag valdes specifikt då branschen är unik med utmaningar och trender som kan påverka varumärkesbyggandet. Detta undersöks genom att fokusera på centrala begrepp inom varumärkeshantering som exempelvis varumärkesidentitet och differentiering. Målet är att få en djupare förståelse för hur klädföretagen använder sina varumärken för att skapa positiva relationer till sina respektive konsumenter. Forskningsdesignen som genomfördes baseras på fallstudier för att utforska ämnet på djupet. En kvalitativ forskningsmetod antas med en abduktiv ansats, där empiri har insamlats genom intervjuer och dokumentstudier. Metoden användes för att kunna ställa specifika frågor och samtidigt ta hänsyn till respondenternas insikter och erfarenheter inom varumärkesbyggande. Studien visar att klädföretag bygger och stärker sina varumärken genom att applicera säregna metodval som innefattar begreppen varumärkesidentitet, varumärkeskapital och syftesdriven marknadsföring. Företag med en tydlig varumärkesidentitet visar att företagen kan differentiera sig från konkurrenterna, där de kommunicerar sin identitet genom specifika målgrupper, unika produkter och värdefulla fördelar. Det framkommer även att ett starkt varumärkeskapital kan ge företaget flera fördelar, men att det finns en variation i hur företagen uppfattar de olika värdena av varumärkeskapitalet. Studien ger vidare stöd till att den syftesdrivna marknadsföringen har en allt mer betydande roll i dagens samhälle. Detta grundar sig på företagens fokus att möta konsumenternas förväntningar, vilket även till stor del handlar om konsumenters unika behov. Slutsatsen är att de studerade klädföretagens varumärkesbyggande grundas på tydliga löften, differentiering genom mervärde och hög kvalitet. Emotionella kopplingar och anpassning till konsumenternas preferenser framkommer som väsentliga aspekter. Studien visar att hållbarhetsfokus stärker trovärdigheten och skapar långsiktiga relationer. / The study aims to investigate how four clothing companies build and strengthen their brands to differentiate themselves in a competitive market. Clothing companies were specifically chosen as the industry is unique with challenges and trends that can affect branding. This is examined by focusing on central concepts in brand management such as brand identity and differentiation. The goal is to gain a deeper understanding of how clothing companies use their brands to create positive relationships with their respective consumers. The research design conducted is based on case studies to explore the topic in depth. A qualitative research method is adopted with an abductive approach, where empirical evidence has been collected through interviews and document studies. The method was used to be able to ask specific questions and at the same time consider the respondents' insights and experiences in branding. The study shows that clothing companies build and strengthen their brands by applying special method choices that include the concepts of brand identity, brand equity and purpose-driven marketing. Companies with a clear brand identity show that the companies can differentiate themselves from the competition, where they communicate their identity through specific target groups, unique products and valuable benefits. It also appears that a strong brand equity can give the company several advantages, but that there is a variation in how the companies perceive the different values of the brand equity. The study further supports that purpose-driven marketing has an increasingly significant role in today's society. This is based on the companies' focus on meeting consumer expectations, which is also largely about consumers' unique needs. The conclusion is that the branding of the clothing companies studied is based on clear promises, differentiation through added value and high quality. Emotional connections and adaptation to consumer preferences emerge as essential aspects. The study shows that a sustainability focus strengthens credibility and creates long-term relationships.

Purpose: This research aims to test the application of a customer-based brand equity model, based on Aaker´s well-known conceptual framework of brand equity in the context of streamers.  Design/Methodology- This research has used multiple linear regression to test the relationship between brand equity and brand loyalty, brand awareness, brand associations as well as perceived quality. The data was collected through a self-completion questionnaire that was distributed via Facebook groups of desired target audience. Following, the data has been processed through the statistics software IBM SPSS. The outputs have been interpreted to later lead to the conclusions.  Findings: This research has found that Aaker´s conceptual framework of brand equity is applicable in the streamers context.  Research limitations: The limitations of this study were regarding sampling methods that lead to the study to not be generalizable.  Originality/Value: This study contributed to the body of knowledge as streamers as influencers is not a widely researched topic.

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In this dissertation, I explore some facets of the strategic interaction between brand equity and distribution channels. Specifically, I examine how brand equity influences the firm’s channel governance and channel management strategies. In this regard, I address the following two general research questions: (a) does a firm’s brand equity influence the way it governs its distribution channel? How? (b) Does a firm’s brand equity influence the way it manages its distribution channel? How? Using a wide assortment of archival data sources (e.g., Bond's Franchise Guide, Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500, Factiva, LexisNexis, University of Chicago’s Center for Research in Security Prices, Compustat, Statista, firms’ annual reports, Bloomberg and Wall Street Journal databases, and companies’ official websites), two large multi-year data sets, a variety of econometric techniques (e.g., Event Study, Multiple Regression, Probit, Multi-level Mixed-Effects Linear Models, Multinomial Logistic Regression, Generalized Linear Models, Multinomial Probit, Maximum Likelihood, Bayesian Panel Vector Autoregression), and drawing on several theories from marketing, economics, business law, and strategic management, I uncover some interesting strategic interactions taking place at the brand-channel interface. This dissertation comprises five chapters: three empirical studies (chapters 2, 3, and 4), an introduction, and a conclusion chapter. In the introduction chapter, I provide a snapshot of the current state of knowledge in the brand-channel interface research domain and illustrate how I situate this dissertation within that body of research. Besides, I provide a more nuanced view about the specific research questions each study addresses and a glimpse into the findings and implications of each study, as an entry to the dissertation. In chapter 2, using a large panel data set of North American, franchise-level annual observations for the period from 2001 to 2009, I assess the causal link between brand equity and channel governance structure, and discuss the managerial implications of this relationship in the areas of channel governance and capital allocation decision-making. In chapters 3 and 4, I stay within the same overarching theme of this dissertation and delve into a business phenomenon taking place at the brand-channel interface – gray markets. Despite the interdisciplinary research interest in gray markets, it remains one of the least empirically researched topics in business management due to the well-known data accessibility issues. To circumvent those data barriers that impede empirical research on gray markets, I adopt a novel approach for data collection and analysis. To that end, I study the gray market combating behavior of more than 3,000 public companies, company-by-company, for a period of twenty years. Then, using a collection of archival data sources I assemble a unique data set to use in my analyses. In chapter 3, I undertake the first empirical inquiry into the effect of gray market combating on firm performance and the contingencies that govern this effect. In chapter 4, I conduct a comprehensive review of the gray market combating mechanisms present in the literature, review available theoretic arguments about them, posit theoretical relationships, and conduct the first assessment of the financial efficacy of those different combating mechanisms. Then, I identify a number of firm-level factors that may drive the firm’s choice of gray market combating mechanism. The findings of these two studies address some long-standing, focal research questions in the gray market literature, provide managers with many valuable, actionable insights and recommendations, and put before policymakers some novel, revealing scientific evidence that may help them in dealing with the gray market controversy (e.g., whether the net impact of gray markets on firm performance and social welfare is benign or harmful, the necessity and/or merit of an active legislative role). The conclusion chapter closes this dissertation by reflecting on the new knowledge created by this research and highlighting its significance to theory, practice, and policymaking. / Thesis / Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) / The relationship between brand equity and distribution channel strategy is recognized in practice and is of particular interest to senior managers. However, research in marketing on the topic is scant and our understanding of this relationship remains limited. This dissertation endeavors to advance our knowledge in that area by investigating how a firm’s brand equity affects its channel management and channel governance behavior. Using a variety of research methods and statistical techniques, along with two large multi-year, multi-sector data samples, I document some interesting strategic interactions taking place at the brand-channel interface. Notably, I detect a causal influence for brand equity on the way a firm governs its distribution network. Additionally, I observe that brand equity is not only a major driver of certain strategic channel management initiatives (e.g., gray market combating), but also a key determinant of the financial efficacy of those initiatives. The findings of this research pose significant implications for theory, practice, and policymaking and address some questions that puzzled practitioners and scholars for more than three decades.