Abstract In 1974 - 81 Björn Borg conquered the tennis courts and his opponents around the world (International Tennis Hall of Fame, 2006). Today Jonas Björkman, Robin Söderling and Joachim "Pim-Pim" Johansson are the most successful Swedish tennis players according to the ATP ranking (2007). Svenska Tennisförbundet (2007) has a vision, that through the engagement of tennis clubs around Sweden secure the position as a world leading tennis nation. Bankeryd Tennisklubb is one of those engaged tennis clubs and is situated in Bankeryd, a smaller village in the outskirts of Jönköping. The organization was established in 1958 and has 230 members. They are striving to achieve a feeling of “we” among its members (Bankeryds Tennisklubb, 2007). Bankeryd’s Tennisklubb wants to find out what their core activity is and if this is clear to their members. Therefore the purpose of this thesis is to examine the core activity of Bankeryd’s Tennisklubb to improve and strengthen the organization’s brand. Core activity within business and organizations is the inner core of importance, the main thing about a service or a product according to Eagan and Harker (2005). This is in turn dependent on the core competencies discovered within the organization (Beech & Chadwick, 2004). The theoretical framework also includes brand management and since the core activity of BTK is interrelated with the brand BTK the two concepts are not separated. To answer the purpose a questionnaire was distributed among the members of Bankeryd’s Tennisklubb. To get a deeper understanding about the feelings of the members, four focus groups were carried out. The data collected was then analyzed with the support of the theoretical framework. From the analysis it was found that the members thought the core activity of BTK should be the tennis practice and that the feeling of “we” at the club and that surrounding activities are less important. The deciding factor of whether or not to stay as members within the club was the quality level of the tennis practice. Conclusions drawn are that BTK should focus more on tennis practice but not be a professionalized club striving to reach the elite by themselves. With the “we” feeling and the corporate culture combined with knowledge about customer expectations on high-quality tennis practice they can build a stronger brand. / Sammanfattning Björn Borg, svensk tennis spelare som blev en av världens främsta tennis spelare, erövrade tennisbanor världen över 1974 -81 (International Tennis Hall of Fame, 2006). Idag är Jonas Björkman, Robin Söderling och Joachim ”Pim-Pim” Johansson de mest framgångsrika svenska tennisspelarna enligt ATP rankingen (2007). Svenska Tennisförbundet (2007) har en vision att genom engagemang från tennisklubbar runt om i Sverige kunna säkra positionen som världsledande tennisnation inom en snar framtid. Bankeryds Tennisklubb är en av de klubbarna och finns i Bankeryd, en ort strax utanför Jönköping. Organisationen grundades 1958 och har idag 230 medlemmar. De strävar efter en ”vi” känsla bland medlemmarna och inom klubben (Bankeryds Tennisklubb, 2007). Bankeryds Tennisklubb vill gärna ta reda på vad deras kärnverksamhet är och om den är tydlig för deras medlemmar. Syftet med uppsatsen är därför att undersöka och förtydliga Bankeryds Tennisklubbs kärnverksamhet för att stärka organisationens varumärke. Kärnverksamheten inom företag och organisationer är den innersta kärnan; den huvudsakliga servicen eller produkten enligt Eagan och Harker (2005), som i sin tur är beroende av kärnkompetens som finns inom organisationen (Beech & Chadwick, 2004). Den teoretiska referensramen förklarar även konceptet brand management och eftersom kärnverksamheten på Bankeryds Tennisklubb står i så pass nära relation till varumärket BTK separeras inte de två koncepten. För att kunna besvara syftet med uppsatsen gjordes en datainsamling genom en enkätundersökning bland medlemmarna på Bankeryds Tennisklubb. Fyra fokusgrupper genomfördes sedan för att få en djupare förståelse för medlemmarnas tankar och känslor. Den insamlade informationen analyserades sedan utifrån och med stöd av den teoretiska referensramen. Analysen visade att medlemmarna ansåg att kärnverksamheten inom BTK skulle vara tennisträning och att “vi”-känslan framstod som mindre viktig. Faktorn som avgör om medlemmarna stannar inom klubben eller ej är nivån på tennisträningen. Slutsatserna blev att BTK ska fokusera mer på tennisträning som främsta aktivitet, men inte bli en klubb som satsar på professionell tennis på egen hand. ”Vi”-känslan och den interna kulturen i kombination med kännedom om medlemars förväntningar på tennisträningens kvalité kan bygga ett starkt varumärke.

<p>Abstract</p><p>In 1974 - 81 Björn Borg conquered the tennis courts and his opponents around the world (International Tennis Hall of Fame, 2006). Today Jonas Björkman, Robin Söderling and Joachim "Pim-Pim" Johansson are the most successful Swedish tennis players according to the ATP ranking (2007). Svenska Tennisförbundet (2007) has a vision, that through the engagement of tennis clubs around Sweden secure the position as a world leading tennis nation. Bankeryd Tennisklubb is one of those engaged tennis clubs and is situated in Bankeryd, a smaller village in the outskirts of Jönköping. The organization was established in 1958 and has 230 members. They are striving to achieve a feeling of “we” among its members (Bankeryds Tennisklubb, 2007).</p><p>Bankeryd’s Tennisklubb wants to find out what their core activity is and if this is clear to their members. Therefore the purpose of this thesis is to examine the core activity of Bankeryd’s Tennisklubb to improve and strengthen the organization’s brand. Core activity within business and organizations is the inner core of importance, the main thing about a service or a product according to Eagan and Harker (2005). This is in turn dependent on the core competencies discovered within the organization (Beech & Chadwick, 2004). The theoretical framework also includes brand management and since the core activity of BTK is interrelated with the brand BTK the two concepts are not separated.</p><p>To answer the purpose a questionnaire was distributed among the members of Bankeryd’s Tennisklubb. To get a deeper understanding about the feelings of the members, four focus groups were carried out. The data collected was then analyzed with the support of the theoretical framework.</p><p>From the analysis it was found that the members thought the core activity of BTK should be the tennis practice and that the feeling of “we” at the club and that surrounding activities are less important. The deciding factor of whether or not to stay as members within the club was the quality level of the tennis practice. Conclusions drawn are that BTK should focus more on tennis practice but not be a professionalized club striving to reach the elite by themselves. With the “we” feeling and the corporate culture combined with knowledge about customer expectations on high-quality tennis practice they can build a stronger brand.</p> / <p>Sammanfattning</p><p>Björn Borg, svensk tennis spelare som blev en av världens främsta tennis spelare, erövrade tennisbanor världen över 1974 -81 (International Tennis Hall of Fame, 2006). Idag är Jonas Björkman, Robin Söderling och Joachim ”Pim-Pim” Johansson de mest framgångsrika svenska tennisspelarna enligt ATP rankingen (2007). Svenska Tennisförbundet (2007) har en vision att genom engagemang från tennisklubbar runt om i Sverige kunna säkra positionen som världsledande tennisnation inom en snar framtid. Bankeryds Tennisklubb är en av de klubbarna och finns i Bankeryd, en ort strax utanför Jönköping. Organisationen grundades 1958 och har idag 230 medlemmar. De strävar efter en ”vi” känsla bland medlemmarna och inom klubben (Bankeryds Tennisklubb, 2007).</p><p>Bankeryds Tennisklubb vill gärna ta reda på vad deras kärnverksamhet är och om den är tydlig för deras medlemmar. Syftet med uppsatsen är därför att undersöka och förtydliga Bankeryds Tennisklubbs kärnverksamhet för att stärka organisationens varumärke. Kärnverksamheten inom företag och organisationer är den innersta kärnan; den huvudsakliga servicen eller produkten enligt Eagan och Harker (2005), som i sin tur är beroende av kärnkompetens som finns inom organisationen (Beech & Chadwick, 2004). Den teoretiska referensramen förklarar även konceptet brand management och eftersom kärnverksamheten på Bankeryds Tennisklubb står i så pass nära relation till varumärket BTK separeras inte de två koncepten.</p><p>För att kunna besvara syftet med uppsatsen gjordes en datainsamling genom en enkätundersökning bland medlemmarna på Bankeryds Tennisklubb. Fyra fokusgrupper genomfördes sedan för att få en djupare förståelse för medlemmarnas tankar och känslor. Den insamlade informationen analyserades sedan utifrån och med stöd av den teoretiska referensramen.</p><p>Analysen visade att medlemmarna ansåg att kärnverksamheten inom BTK skulle vara tennisträning och att “vi”-känslan framstod som mindre viktig. Faktorn som avgör om medlemmarna stannar inom klubben eller ej är nivån på tennisträningen. Slutsatserna blev att BTK ska fokusera mer på tennisträning som främsta aktivitet, men inte bli en klubb som satsar på professionell tennis på egen hand. ”Vi”-känslan och den interna kulturen i kombination med kännedom om medlemars förväntningar på tennisträningens kvalité kan bygga ett starkt varumärke.</p>

Esta Dissertação de mestrado tem como objetivo identificar e analisar junto ao varejo como é feita a gestão da sua marca corporativa. Tanto a gestão de marcas, quanto sua aplicação no varejo, são temas novos e em evolução, que não apresentam um modelo único e consolidado. Muitos autores se complementam e ampliam o conceito de marca. Para essa dissertação foi considerada a gestão da marca em um nível estratégico que possa até orientar as decisões corporativas. Foi realizado um estudo de caso com o varejista Magazine Luiza que tem um reconhecido trabalho em marca. O estudo mostrou que o conjunto de elementos, e o enfoque que podem ser atribuidos à gestão de marcas na empresa se equiparam as variáveis do estudo. Assim, mesmo a marca sendo tratada em alguns momentos no nível tático/operacional e em outros no estratégico, pode-se dizer que houve uma afinidade muito grande entre a prática e a teoria. Existiu concordância em muitos fatos e o caso efetivamente trouxe contribuições e confirmações. / This work has as objective to identify and to analyze to the retail as the corporate brand management is made. As much the brand management, how much its application in the retail, is new subjects and in evolution, that does not present only consolidated model. Many authors is complement and extend the brand concept. For this dissertation the brand management in a strategic level was considered that has guided the corporate decisions. A study of case with the Magazine Luiza who has a recognized brand work. The study it showed that the set of elements, and the approach that can be attributed to the brand management in the company if equalize the variable of the study. Thus, exactly the treated brand being at some moments in operational the tactical level and others in the strategical one, can be said that it had a very great affinity between the practical one and the theory. Agreement in many facts existed and the case effectively brought contributions and confirmations.

Brands are intangible assets that provide companies with the potential to extract higher rents or prices from customers. However, only few organizations are able to build and sustain brands over a long period of time. Brand management capability - the organization's ability to build and sustain brands becomes important for achieving sustainable competitive advantage. Despite the importance of brand management capability to organizations, majority of the brand management literature has primarily focused on the consumer perspective of brands. This gap in knowledge about the components of brand management capability impedes firms from replicating brand successes, and makes them reliant on brand managers. More recently, there have been multiple calls in literature to identify marketing-related organizational capabilities, which can provide organizations with a sustainable competitive advantage. The focus on developing marketing-based capabilities comes at a time when marketing is losing its influence in organizations. To this end, the current dissertation uses organizational capability theory and literature on brand management to identify the primary resource (intellectual capital comprising of structural, human, and relational capital), organizational culture type (clan, adhocracy, hierarchy, and market), and processes (strategic brand management, internal branding, and market information processes comprising of information acquisition, information transmission, conceptual utilization, and instrument utilization), that constitute the brand management capability. This dissertation also examines the association among various components of brand management capability and brand performance. A survey-based technique was used to gather data from individuals responsible for managing brands. The data was analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results indicate that human capital, relational capital, market and hierarchy culture types, internal branding, strategic brand management, and instrument utilization are positively associated with brand performance. Structural capital, clan and adhocracy culture types, information acquisition, information transmission, and conceptual utilization are not associated with brand performance. From a research standpoint, this dissertation contributes to the extant literature by identifying the resources, organizational culture, and processes that constitute the brand management capability. In addition to the extant brand management processes (internal branding and strategic brand management), a third set of processes identified in this dissertation (market information processes) is argued to be a critical component for successfully managing brands in organizations. This dissertation also provides empirical support for the role of marketing-based capabilities in determining organizational value, which has been debated in recent literature. Finally, this research addresses the calls for exploring marketing-based capabilities, especially at a time when marketing as a function is losing its influence in academia and organizations. From a managerial standpoint, this dissertation provides an outline for organizations seeking to build brand management capability. In addition to developing intellectual capital and brand management processes, firms need to create the right kind of organizational culture that is needed for brand management capability. This is consistent with the movement towards brands being managed with a strategic perspective.

<p>Nowadays global market is quite attractive for high competition environment.  First is to reduce risks and uncertainties of the business in their home countries. Second is to exploit the growing global market for goods and services which can lead to economies of scale and the increasing of market share. In order to be visible in global market, brands can be used to play an important role. From marketing point of view, brands are the means that consumers use to distinguish products and services based on essential and non-essential attributes and they are a source of business’s differential advantage. Furthermore, brands communicate tangible and intangible advantages and are attractive to a range of feeling. In order to make decisions for brand strategy, branding plays an important role. Critical advantage of branding is for product identification, and it is also the key element for marketers to differentiate a product from its rivals. However, branding provides many benefits apart from identification and differentiation of products</p>

Today’s B2B companies operate in a global business world that is characterised by product homogenisation and intense competition. Finding sources for differentiation and consequently competitive advantage is a concern that no company with a long-term horizon can ignore. The development of the brand, recognized as a strategic asset, has created new ways of conducting beneficial marketing management, which can lead to differentiation from competitors and create conditions for company success. The role of brands in B2B settings differs from the role in B2C markets, and its potentially beneficial outcomes have traditionally been overlooked by B2B practitioners. Consequently, B2B companies need to gain further insight in how and why to utilize the potential benefits of having a strong brand. The technology development demands constant evaluation of brand communication techniques and the demand for sustainability related solutions address the need for further marketing insights. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to contribute with understanding and further knowledge to the research field of B2B marketing. The goal is to outline how B2B companies can utilize the strategic asset of a brand by incorporating sustainability in the communication of the same. The research question that this study aims to answer is consequently: • How can B2B brands in the forest industry communicate sustainability? In order to fulfil the study purpose and answer the research question, six sub-purposes concerning the theoretical themes B2B brand management, sustainability and brand communication were outlined. The theoretical themes are the basis from which the sub-purposes stem. This study is written on commission for a production company in the forest industry. In order to fulfil the purpose of the study, a case study approach with a qualitative research method is used. The empirical findings consist of semi-structured qualitative interviews with employees of the case company and two external respondents. The external perspective consists of one customer to the case company and a representative from the forest owner’s branch organisation. The question template for the qualitative interviews is built upon the stated six sub-purposes and consequently the theoretical themes of B2B brand management, sustainability and brand communication. Based on the empirical findings and the theoretical themes, we analyse the outcomes and provide with conclusions and practical recommendations in relation to the stated purpose of this study. This study indicates that brands play a major role in B2B settings, especially as a mediator and coordinator of business relationships. The brand is built upon functional brand values and emotional brand values. In the context of the forest industry, the functional brand values are connected to hygiene factors, whilst emotional brand values are connected to the company as a whole and can thereof be a source for differentiation. The main conclusion from this study is consequently that sustainability should first and foremost be used as a way of conveying the identified emotional brand values credibility, trust, loyalty and long-term commitment. Embedding sustainability into the brand by highlighting the emotional brand values of credibility, trust, loyalty and long-term commitment is consequently a way for B2B brands to differentiate from competitors.

The master thesis analyzes the brand Maybelline New York. Maybelline belongs to the mass market division of the multinational cosmetics company L'Oréal. It offers products of colour cosmetics in four main segments: eyes, face, lips and nails. The thesis is divided into three main parts. The first part is theoretical and it is actually the basis for next sections. The second part introduces the brand Maybelline, describes its identity, position on the Czech market, competition and marketing mix. There is also mentioned the new sub-brand MNY. The last part is dedicated to the research of secondary and primary data, interpretation of its results and suggestions for improvement.

De globala miljöförändringarna kan inte längre förnekas, vilket skapat fler kritiska konsumenter, som ställer högre krav på företag att ta mer ansvar för sin produktion och förpackningar pekas ut som en stor miljöbov. Förpackningarnas fundamentala roll att skydda produkter under frakt har nu förändrats och förpackningar har gått till att vara återvunna, återanvändningsbara eller obefintliga. Paketeringen beskrivs inom marknadsföringsfältet som en viktig kommunikationskanal och många varumärken är inte villiga att ge upp denna fördel genom att totalt förändra dess utseende. Denna studie tar ansatsen att öka förståelsen för hur en ny typ av miljövänlig paketering; nakna produkter och återanvändningsbara förpackningar inom skönhetsindustrin, påverkar varumärkets image. Anledningen att detta område uppfattas som intressant utgår från att konsumenter får en positiv känsla av att agera miljövänligt men trots detta inte väljer de miljövänliga alternativen, vilket indikerar ett attityd- och beteendegap. Studiens syfte är därmed att öka förståelsen för hur företag inom skönhetsindustrin ska utforma alternativa förpackningslösningar på ett sätt som utvecklar varumärkets image. Denna studie har därför haft som avsikt att besvara problemformuleringen: Hur påverkar alternativa förpackningslösningar varumärkets image? Tidigare forskning visar att förpackningen är en bidragande faktor till den image, som varumärken uppfattas ha och att miljöarbete gynnar imagen positivt. Däremot så har få studier gjorts på hur miljövänliga förpackningar påverkar imagen. Tidigare forskning, som har genomförts inom matindustrin, konstaterade att minskningen av överpaketering är skadligt för varumärket men att liknande studier bör göras inom andra produktkategorier. Denna studie tar avstamp från tidigare studiers rekommendation om att undersöka andra produktkategorier. Skönhetsföretaget Lush har i dagsläget börjat introducera alternativa förpackningar och har därför använts som exempelföretag.   Forskningsfältet om hur alternativa förpackningar påverkar varumärket uppfattas som bristfälligt och det krävs mer kunskap för hur de påverkar varandra. Studien har därför tagit en kvalitativ forskningsansats och både djupintervjuer och kartläggningsövningar har genomförts. Studiens genomförande har tagit etiska riktlinjer i beaktning.   Studien bidrar till en förståelse för hur alternativa förpackningar påverkar varumärkesimagen, samt hur de kan användas för att utveckla varumärket. Fortsättningsvis så presenteras potentiella lösningar till de problem som alternativa förpackningar kan medföra. En väsentlig del av detta är associationer om att konsumenterna uppfattar alternativa förpackningslösningar som mer ohygieniska än traditionella. Denna hygienaspekt leder därmed till ett forskningsbidrag som till författarnas kännedom inte har återfunnits i tidigare studier. Slutligen har det forskningsgap som beskrivits täckts men behöver fortsatt forskning.

Purpose: This research studies the relationship between corporate heritage brand identity and customer satisfaction of John Lewis Partnership (JLP) which is one of the most successful British retail heritage brands internationally. It conceptualizes and addresses the key factors of corporate heritage brand identity including brand price, quality, design, and symbol. It examines the corporate heritage brand experience of JLP customers through which corporate heritage brand identity influences customer satisfaction. It also establishes the moderating role of brand innovation, word of mouth and multiple time dimensions on these relationships. Design/methodology/approach: A conceptual framework of corporate heritage brand identity is developed from the literature review. To improve the validity of this study, semi-structured interviews were carried out with JLP managers, senior partners and their loyal customers recommended by JLP. These interviews have verified and advanced the hypotheses informed from the reviewed literature. This study mainly adopts the quantitative survey research method approach to test the conceptual framework. An online questionnaire was sent to JLP customers through social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Off-line paper-based survey questionnaires were collected from customers in JLP stores located in five cities in the UK (London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leicester and Southampton). In total, a sample of 596 clean questionnaire responses were collected and used for this study to test the developed hypotheses. Findings: Data analysis results have confirmed the dynamic and essential role of heritage brand identity on attaining and sustaining customers' satisfaction of a corporate heritage brand from the retailing industry in the UK. The results revealed that corporate heritage brand identity dimensions (price, quality, design and symbol) are effective in representing the strength of corporate heritage brand identity. The confirmed that the dimensions of the corporate heritage brand identities of this study are indicating positive impacts on corporate heritage brand experience according to the data analysis results. The findings also suggest that these brand experience dimensions (sensory, affective, behavioural and intellectual) have a positive influence on improving customer satisfaction. Additionally, brand innovation and the time stream in this study strengthens the relation between corporate heritage brand identity and corporate heritage brand experience. Furthermore, word of mouth and the prospect future of a corporate heritage brand are of significance to improve customers' satisfaction through positive heritage brand experience. Originality/value: This is one of the few attempts to develop a conceptual framework of corporate heritage brand identity. The conceptual framework has confirmed the multiple dimensions of corporate heritage brand identity (including brand price, quality, design and symbol) and their impact on customers' experience and satisfaction. This study also identified the moderating role of brand innovation, word of mouth and multiple time dimensions on the relationships between corporate heritage brand identity and customers' experience and satisfaction. This is one of the first attempts to study corporate heritage branding management in the retailing industry sector. Managerial implications: The corporate heritage brand identity dimensions identified from this study have the potential to help brand managers develop and augment their corporate heritage brand management strategy, especially for the retailing industry as revealed in this study. Marketers and brand managers need to be aware of their corporate heritage brand treats such as price, quality, design and symbol to satisfy and sustain their customers. The findings reflect the importance of sustaining the traits of corporate heritage brand and being responsive and innovative to the market on time. Additionally, the fundamental function of Word of Mouth (WOM) in extending the communication channels between a brand and customers. The findings confirmed that Time Streams have a central role in demonstrating the identity and sustainability of a corporate heritage brand.

<p>This master’s thesis was carried out at SuperMap.SuparMap is a Chinese company supplying the Geographic Information System (GIS)software and service. It is leading the way in GIS research. The product of SuperMapis called SuperMap GIS applied by lots of government agencies, schools, andorganizations. SuperMap actively gets involved in the market of Japan, Korea,Singapore, Vietnam, India, Kazakhstan, and South Africa. However, in 2008, it hasentered the Sweden market and tries to involve in the whole European market.In European market, the GIS technology is relatively mature and the most marketshares have been taken by ESRI the top GIS software company. SuperMap has toimprove the strategy to make the customers turn to it from the ESRI. According to the4Ps, 4Cs and Brand management theory, SuperMap adopt a series of measures onmarketing.In this article we will analyze those measures referring to the 4Ps, 4Cs and brandmanagement theory. At the end of our thesis, we summarized our suggestions basedon our thesis analyzing.</p>