Title: “The influence of managers personal preferences on sport sponsorship in small-medium sized businesses - A qualitative case study of the effect on brand equity” Date: 2023-05-23Level: Bachelor Thesis in International MarketingAuthors: Emma Salqvist & Hanna Hedin Supervisor: Olga Rauhut Kompaniets Examiner: Fawzi Halila Aim: This study aims to provide an analysis of how the managers’ personal preferences on sport sponsorship has an impact on the sponsoring company’s brand equity in small-medium sized companies. Methodology: The study has a qualitative research method with a deductive approach. A conceptual model was made based on a theoretical framework of findings from previous studies. Three main themes were highlighted, including brand equity, sport sponsorships in brand strategy and managerial aspects of sport sponsorship. Empirical material was collected through six semi-structured interviews with managers in a decision making role within sport sponsorship decisions. Further the results were thematically analyzed. Findings: In small-medium sized companies, sport sponsorship is often driven by managers’ personal objectives which conflicts with brand strategy. When personal objectives dominate the sponsorship decisions, the effect on brand equity tends to be limited in comparison to strategic decisions. Keywords – Sport Sponsorship, Brand Strategy, Brand Equity, Managers’ roll, Biased Decisions, Sponsorship Objectives Paper type – Bachelor thesis

Being perceived as a sustainable brand by customers is becoming increasingly more important for companies. This has resulted in that more companies are communicating what actions they take to be more sustainable. Companies also utilize symbol and labels to signal suitability on products and services. As a result of insufficient regulations for how sustainability may and may not be marketed, customers are presented with a high number of exaggerated and false sustainability claims. Therefore, customers find it difficult to orient themselves among all the sustainability information. Also, companies are struggling to stand out and convince customers that theirsustainability information is true. In addition, it is difficult to change existing customer attitudes, which makes it difficult for companies that want to change negative perceptions of sustainability. To make it easier for customers to orient among all information, the EU Commission has developed new directives concerning greenwashing. However, this has further complicated the marketing and communication of sustainability, both internally and towards consumers. This study has examined success factors for signaling sustainability to be perceived as a sustainable brand by customers, as well as how to avoid greenwashing. The study was conducted using multiple-case studies in three different industries with a total of five respondents. The industries were transport, food producing companies and food retailer. Furthermore, three experts in brand strategy were interviewed. The study shows that companies can take initiatives internally as well as develop external signals related to sustainability in order to increase their perceived level of sustainability among customers. Internally, is it important that the company has sustainability as a natural part of the brand. If sustainability is streamed through the entire organization, the customer will perceive that the company possess a high level of sustainability. Furthermore, companies need to define what sustainability entails internally and establish ambitions and goals. Knowledge about society's and consumers' views and definition of sustainability is beneficial when sustainability is to be marketed. Also, it is important to be transparent about how sustainable the company actually is. With regard to the external signals,  storytelling proved to have a major impact on consumers' perception of sustainability. Sustainability information that is transparent is more likely to be perceived as authentic and has a positive effect on consumers' perception of sustainability. A larger number of decimals in numerical sustainability information can be perceived as more credible among consumers who are familiar with a company and less so among those who are unfamiliar. The use of third-party symbols and climate compensation should be seen as a complement, as it has less of an impact on consumers' perception of a company's sustainability. By creating a uniform definition, ambitions and goals around sustainability and transparently communicating it to everyone within the company, the risk for greenwashing will be reduced. Furthermore, it is important that all marketing of sustainability is reviewed by experts, for example through close collaboration between the sustainability department and the marketing department. / Att uppfattas som hållbara blir allt viktigare för företag. Följden av detta är att allt fler företag kommunicerar sina åtaganden för att bli mer hållbara. Företag applicerar även symboler och etiketter som ska signalera hållbarhet på produkter och tjänster. En konsekvens av bristen på tillräckliga regleringar för hur hållbarhet får och inte får marknadsföras är ett högt antal överdrivna och falska hållbarhetspåståenden. Konsumenter har därför svårt att orientera sig bland all information. Företag kämpar med att sticka ut och övertyga konsumenter om att information som berör hållbarhet är sann. Dessutom är det svårt att förändra befintliga attityder, vilket försvårar för de företag som vill förändra negativa hållbarhetsuppfattningar. För att underlätta för konsumenter har EU kommissionen utvecklat nya direktiv för greenwashing (grönmålning enligt EU kommissionen). Det har komplicerat marknadsföring och kommunikation av hållbarhet ytterligare, både internt och gentemot konsument. Denna studie har undersökt framgångsfaktorer för att signalera hållbarhet och därigenom uppfattas som ett hållbart företag av konsument, samt hur man undviker greenwashing. Studien genomfördes genom fallstudier med fem respondenter inom tre olika branscher. Branscherna var transport, matproducerande företag och dagligvaruhandel. Vidare intervjuades tre experter inom varumärkesstrategi. Studien visar att företag kan ta initiativ internt samt utveckla och effektivisera externa signaler som rör hållbarhet för att öka sin uppfattade nivå av hållbarhet hos konsumenter. Internt är det viktigt att företaget har hållbarhet som en naturlig del i företaget. Om hållbarhet genomsyrar hela organisationen ökar chansen för att konsumenter vid varje möte med företaget får en positiv hållbarhetsuppfattning. Vidare behöver företag definiera vad hållbarhet innebär internt samt etablera ambitioner och mål kring hållbarhet. Att ha samhällets och konsumenters syn och hållbarhetsdefinition i åtanke kan vara gynnsamt när hållbarhet ska marknadsföras. Det är också viktigt att vara transparant internt med hur hållbart företaget är. Vad gäller de externa signalerna visade sig storytelling kunna ha stor inverkan på konsumenters hållbarhetsuppfattning. Hållbarhetsinformation som är transparent har större sannolikhet att uppfattas som autentisk och påverkar konsumenters uppfattning av hållbarhet positivt. Ett större antal decimaler i numerisk hållbarhetsinformation kan uppfattas som mer trovärdigt bland konsumenter som är bekanta med ett företag och mindre bland de som är nya. Användandet av tredjepartssymboler och klimatkompensation bör ses som ett komplement, då det har mindre inverkan på konsumenters hållbarhetsuppfattning av ett företag. Genom att skapa en enhetlig definition, ambitioner och mål kring hållbarhet och transparant kommunicera det till samtliga inom företaget så minskar det risken för greenwashing. Det är dessutom viktigt att all marknadsföring av hållbarhet granskas av experter, förslagsvis genom nära samarbete mellan hållbarhetsavdelning och marknadsföringsavdelning.

The brand is something every company must deal with whether they like it or not, and as a company grows it develops and works as a way to build recognition, trust, customer loyalty and employee branding (Jones, 2022). In the fast-paced startup environment, the resources are limited, and focus has to be split between different tasks and the most urgent problems are the ones to be dealt with - leaving the rest to be, where the unmeasurable and intangible focus areas such as branding often get deprioritized. The purpose of this study is to investigate the brand development process amongst startups, and to investigate how this aligns with the developed brand building framework for startups. The methods used are of qualitative nature, including 3 exploratory interviews, a literature review, framework development, 8 semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis of the collected data. The thesis resulted in insights on the brand understanding in startups, as well as findings concerning thresholds for startups to invest in their brand work. A varying level of understanding of brand between the startups could be seen, both in regards of what brand includes, but also which building blocks are necessary and how the brand can elevate the business. This paper is expected to contribute both toward a deeper theoretical understanding of branding frameworks for startups as well as working as a practical guide. In practice, this paper will guide startups in how to properly build their brand and keep a balanced approach to brand and how to properly build the brand and brand foundation.

Purpose - This study aims at exploring how companies within the industrial sector in Dalarna tailor their employer brand strategy to improve in attracting and retaining competent workforce. Focusing on exploring employer brand strategies that companies in the industrial sector used to improve their attraction and retention of competent workforce and the challenges that companies face in attracting and retaining competent workforce. Methodology – This study adapted a qualitative design strategy and a multi-case study approach using four companies within the industrial sector in Dalarna as case companies. This study conducted four semi-structured interviews with respondents that are familiar with their company’s branding strategy as well as reviewing companies’ organizational materials from online websites. Findings – This study’s findings shows that the case companies use different strategies to tailor their employer brand to attract and retain competent workforce. Even though they are in different branches of the industry and of varying sizes they have one common challenge, the geographical location of their sites. Practical Implications – This study on attracting and retaining the right competence can add valuable insights to researchers especially within similar fields of study as well as companies operating in geographical locations similar to Dalarna County. Limitations – This study focuses on companies within the industrial sector in Dalarna, and due to a limited sample, the transferability of this study could not be ensured. Other limitations like language biases due to non-native speaking English could also be noticed.

Yes / Brand champions are responsible for encouraging employee commitment to the corporate brand strategy. They strongly believe in and identify with the brand concept—the company’s selected brand meaning, which underpins corporate brand strategy implementation. We conducted research to explore why and how brand champion behaviour operates within companies implementing a new corporate brand strategy. Against a backdrop of growing interest in brand champion behaviour in corporate branding research, we grounded our study in social identity theory and rhetorical theory from change management literature. Our findings show that articulating a compelling brand vision, taking responsibility, and getting the right people involved are the most widely used strategies by brand champions. We uncover how rhetorical strategies within brand champion behaviour generate employee commitment to a new corporate brand strategy. The dimension of brand champion behaviour that is effective depends on the type of brand evolution, involving shifts in the brand concept. We make suggestions for further studies underpinned by social identity theory and rhetorical theory to investigate brand champion behaviour processes within companies introducing a new corporate brand strategy.

觀察台灣產業品牌發展，在相同的產業裡，各企業或許會出現ㄧ致的品牌策略，亦或許會出現迥異的品牌策略，是哪些原因影響，讓企業在相同的產業環境下，卻有不同的品牌策略選擇? 或堅持某一特定策略? 本研究將透過深度個案訪談及次級資料分析方式，針對企業在品牌策略的發展歷程中，其品牌策略選擇的影響因素，同時透過食品業與科技業的跨產業比較，以企業經理人觀點出發，探討品牌策略選擇的影響要因。 個案選擇其品牌策略概分為「企業品牌」與「多品牌」兩種策略，產業之個案選擇以食品業之統一、味全、桂冠，科技業則為宏碁、華碩、英華達等。 研究結果顯示，企業品牌策略發展歷程中，其品牌策略選擇的影響因素，主要涵蓋企業、產品與市場三大構面。在食品產業成長發展過程中，各廠商間品牌策略選擇，較偏向多品牌策略，受訪經理人認為，食品業由企業品牌轉多品牌策略，主要與消費者需求改變有關，過去消費者注重價格實惠的理性消費；但隨著台灣經濟社會開發後，人民所得普遍提高，因此，轉變為多樣化的需求，因此必須對應多品牌以鮮明訴求不同產品定位。 在科技產業成長發展過程中，各廠商間品牌策略選擇，較偏向企業品牌策略，受訪經理人表示，主要原因為產品屬性因素，科技產品的標準化生產流程，使個產品不會有所謂的口味、生活習慣等文化差異，在食品業所強調「家鄉市場」（home market）的條件，已經不存在，對科技公司而言，品牌的戰略不同於食品業由區域品牌做起的單點突破方式，各區域消費差異小，而是以全球消費者目標的全面式出擊，加上企業研發與製造投資金額龐大，營運風險高，採行企業品牌，可降低投資風險，增加品牌投資綜效，節省龐大行銷費用；再加上國際先驅品牌大廠，以採取類似的組合品牌策略，因此，大多採取一致的品牌策略。 在食品與科技不同產業間，其品牌策略發展將有不同的趨勢，科技業品牌，因全球標準一致性，因此全球品牌走向大者恆大的趨勢，未來將僅存續全球十大品牌；食品業則較具文化與地理上障礙，將朝區域品牌大廠發展，跨區域間，則進行策略聯盟發展。 / Observing the brand development of Taiwan industrials, there may appear consistent or inconsistent brand strategy in the same industry. Which factors are influencing on managers during brand strategy decision-making? Why do managers choose different brand strategy or insist on a specific strategy under the same industrial environment. The purpose of this study is to identify the cause of brand strategy choice from manager’s viewpoints, through the secondary data and case study method. This study will also compare with the technology industrial and food industrial cases. There are categorized two type strategies- corporate branding and product branding strategy. Case study lists are President, Weichuan, Laurel, acer, Asus and OKwap. The result of study shows, the brand strategy influenced factors contain the corporate, product and market attributive factors. While the food industry developed, they preferred to choose product branding. Managers told us that this change is related to consumer demand change. Consumers paid attention on the benefit of price in the past. Since the economic booming in Taiwan, people's incomes were generally raised. Consumers changed to diversified demands. The product branding is appealed to this request. While the technology industry developed, they preferred to choose corporate branding. Managers told us that the main reason is product attribute factor, for example standardized and homogeneous product attribute. They need to face global market, without any regional market advantage. Their products must target to all of users world wide. They must make investment hugely on R&D, marketing and manufacturing. The operation risk is high. They can reduce the risk by adapting corporate branding strategy. Retracing the leading company internationally, they also chose the same brand strategy. Among food and technology industries, their brands developed differently and have different trends in the future. Technology brands will exist only top ten vendors due to standardized and homogeneous product influenced. Food industry relatively has obstacle on culture and geography. They only will develop brands towards local regional markets. For cross-regions markets, they will cooperate by strategic alliance.

The present study analyzes the way in which Toni Morrison, an established author, was covered by U.S. newspapers in the year before and year following her selection for Opraha's Book Club. The content analysis method was used in the research, and the results were used to test 6 hypotheses and 6 research questions. The results indicated that there was a significant increase in the total number of mentions of Toni Morrison in the year after her inclusion in Opraha's Book Club. The overwhelming trend that was seen in all variable comparisons was that while there were obviously more mentions of Toni Morrison post-Book Club, there were also increases and changes in the tone, page placement, and story placement of the mentions of Toni Morrison .

本論文主要在探討代理商的多品牌策略以及降低代理風險的作法，先經由文獻探討與實務探討歸納出研究觀念架構，然後求出模型定理。再經由公司訪談做出個案分析然後比較個案與架構以及個案與模型之關係而求出結論。

品牌授權策略為目前國內諸多企業採行的一種品牌發展策略，一般來說， 藉由品牌授權的過程中，企業可以彌補公司財務、研發、設計等專業領域 資源的不足，並且學習授權者在品牌經營方面之管理技能，以培養公司之 競爭優勢。由於台灣企業大部份係以ＯＥＭ或ＯＤＭ之經營型態逐步發展 ，如何藉由國際性合作策略的運用，幫助企業迅速的成長，縮短自我摸索 的學習時間，以避免公司因資源限制而無法突破成長的瓶頸，達到自創品 牌的最終目的。本論文之目的乃在於了解品牌授權策略對於國內企業的影 響，研究重點主要乃從品牌來源國、產品生命週期、公司資源等三個構面 ，探討企業採行品牌授權策略的動機，及其品牌授權的現況與發展類型， 並分析品牌授權對於企業之助益為何。本研究藉由七家已採行品牌授權的 廠商為個案公司，利用人員訪問的方式，了解各公司品牌授權的實際發展 過程，並探討外貿協會小歐洲計劃小組之功能與角色，推衍出十個主要命 題。命題1 ：若產品受限於品牌來源國效果，企業會希望藉由品牌授權策 略以進入較高品級之產品區隔。命題2 ：產品之生命週期階段會影響企業 採行品牌授權策略之動機。命題3 ：資源愈缺乏，企業愈希望藉由品牌授 權策略來增加公司資源，提高競爭優勢。命題4 ：企業為了降低品牌經營 風險，會採取多授權品牌策略。命題5 ：企業為滿足消費者多元化之需求 ，會採取多授權品牌策略。命題6 ：企業為達到範疇經濟，會探取多授權 品牌策略。命題7 ：長期上企業可採用自創品牌策略或購併品牌的方式， 以降低品牌授權的風險。命題8 ：品牌授權合作雙方資源型態呈互補時， 品牌授權契約關係會較穩定。命題9 ：企業可利用品牌授權策略以累積自 創品牌所需的資源。命題10：企業可藉由品牌授權策略，以提高公司知名 度及產品品質形象。本研究根據以上命題，歸納出以下幾個結論：一、品 牌授權策略可以為企業降低品牌經營風險。二、品牌授權策略為一過渡期 品牌策略。三、品牌授權策略可以迅速累積公司資源。四、品牌授權策略 與自創品牌策略並不互斥。五、靈活運用品牌授權策略，將有助於公司品 牌經營。六、品牌授權策略為一資源共享的合作策略。

The aim of thesis was to design a strategy for putting the trademark on the market and appropriate measures to strengthen the brand in the growth phase. I have conducted marketing research that helped me find out how the brand is perceived its current and potential customers and how the company managed to spread brand awareness. I also considered what the brand has a vision and the main objectives and I examined what are its strengths and weaknesses. Following the analysis of the information obtained I propose enterprise strategy in the form of marketing plan that includes specific tactical steps including their monetary value.