During the past two decades something fundamental has happened to the relationship between manufacturers and distributor organisations in many European countries. Within a number of product markets, distributors have launched their own products, forcing manufacturing companies to compete with shelf space owners in addition to the "traditional" competition with other manufacturers. Theoretical and empirical findings regarding Distributor Own Brands (DOB’S) offer us a number of explanations of the differences between national markets and product categories in terms of DOB penetration. However, much of this literature is deterministic in its approach: DOB penetration is often seen as a direct consequence of different market conditions, rather than as the result of strategy processes involving a number of decision-makers and their perceptions of market-related and organisational factors.This study investigates how an array of organisational and market related factors are perceived by distributor organisations, and how this is expressed in the organisations’ own brand strategies. To investigate this research problem, a theoretical framework that explicitly takes distributor own brand strategy into consideration when examining proposed determinants of DOB penetration is presented. The empirical study is mainly based on interviews with decision-makers within the central organisations of the two largest distributors within Swedish fmcg distribution: the ICA federation and the consumer co-operation KF. / Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögsk.

Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan i Stockholm, 2008.

The impact of identity on brand loyalty has taken precedence as an area of focus in recent marketing research. This has taken place in an era defined by technological revolution, which has created market disruptions and there are implications for customer–brand relationships. Nonetheless, the extant literature on brand loyalty does not extensively acknowledge the impact of socio-psychological attributes but rather functional utility maximisation. The brand loyalty literature has the notion that the perceived value of a brand is conceptualised and operationalised as a functional utilitarian value. Knowledge that illuminates how firms can reposition themselves to sustain brand loyalty when disruptions occur in today’s complex and globalised business environment is explored in this study, through empirical investigation into the phenomenon of brand switching behaviour among consumers in a specific competitive market, namely, the Smartphone Industry. The current study explores how resistance could be built from an identity theory perspective. As highlighted above, much emphasis has historically been placed on the functional utility of products at the expense of social meanings. Given the relative paucity of literature on identity and brand loyalty, this study adopts a grounded theory methodology based on a survey and a series of in-depth interviews across Ghana and the UK to access consumers’ insights and experiences of specific brands in the Smartphone industry. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and coded, utilising the three-stage process of analysing data; specifically, open, axial and selective coding. This study is the first to combine brand loyalty literature, identity theory and grounded theory to study the behaviour of brand switching in the Smartphone Industry. This study identified a gap in knowledge in the brand loyalty literature, as it focuses only on how brands perform under normal market conditions. Hence, this study provided consideration for market disruptions in the Smartphone industry. Empirical data from Smartphone users confirmed in this study that underlining factors which are non-utilitarian factors such as socio-psychological benefits, motivate consumers to continue buying the brands they buy. The study also established that the sustainability of brand loyalty could be accomplished from an identity theory perspective by adapting and advancing a customer–brand identification (CBI) model, to examine the phenomenon of brand switching in the Smartphone industry at a more matured and competitive stage.

Due to increased competition between companies and products, brand communication has emerged as an decisive and competitive aspect of a company’s success. Oatly, the swedish oat-based product producer, utilized, through extensive marketing communications, a increased awareness following their well mediated legal dispute with Swedish milk organization” LRF Svensk Mjölk”. While focusing on the brand Oatly, this study aims to examine how brands can take advantage of increased awareness through marketing communications, and develop an understanding regarding how brands can use communication to construct a certain perception of the company. With a qualitative semiotics method we aim to monitor patterns of expression and recurrent communicated characteristics in chosen commercials, adverts and Oatly’s brand manifesto. Our theoretical framework consisted of concepts of brand -management theory as well as theory regarding cultural differences, accompanied by previous research of veganism and companies portrayal as the “underdog”. The results showed that Oatly had an strategic usage of visual elements in the communication. They consistently portrayed themselves as the honest swedish rebell taking a humanistic and environmental responsibility, and Oalty defined itself through the usage of the milk industry as counterpart. With Oatly’s ownership in mind, the study found moral contradictions in the company’s communication regarding transparency and the vegan approach to righteousness. Evidently, the research gave us a profound understanding how perception of a company is abstract and can be constructed through consistent marketing communications.

The main aim of thesis is evaluate the current situation of Fairtrade in the Czech market and suggest the possibility of its further development. Another aim is to determine to what extent the purchase of fairtrade products for targeted customers. The principal part of the thesis is marketing research. The findings are presented suggestions and recommendations that can benefit Fairtrade oganizations.

This thesis follows up brand perception. Brand Česká spořitelna was choosen for its publicity and strong market position. The perception of public and perception of own empolyees was compared. On the basis of comparing of an ideal bank and Česká spořitelna, there were the proposals for improving this perception created. Economic impact was considered too.

Abstract Background: Most of existing literature in the field of sharing economy has focused on aspects of sustainability and business model structure. Research on brand image in the sharing economy has up until today not been an area of investigation. The purpose of a company’s marketing activities is to influence the perception and attitude towards the brand and stimulate consumers’ purchasing behavior by establish the brand image in consumers’ mind. The peer-to-beer based structure of sharing goods and services in the sharing economy consequently means less involvement from the focal company and presents the challenge of influencing the customers’ perception of the brand. Purpose: Page and Lepkowska-White (2002) developed the ‘Web Equity Framework’ which illustrates factors affecting brand equity in an online environment. By using this framework as a foundation for interviews, the purpose of this study is to understand how brand image is built and uncover factors that affects brand image in the sharing economy. Method: This is a qualitative study using an abductive approach. Seven in-depth interviews have been held with sharing economy companies in Sweden to collect data and gain an understanding in the field of study. Conclusion: The findings of this study show five factors that affect brand image in the sharing economy. The factors in Page and Lepkowska-White’s (2002) framework have been found to affect brand image also in the sharing economy, to different extent. However, two of them have been renamed to more appropriately fit the field of study and one additional factor has been identified, namely Peer trust, which has been illustrated in a revised model. Since trust between consumers becomes more apparent in the sharing economy, this is also one of the factors that impact the way consumers perceive the brand.

The goal of this thesis was to analyze the perception of a selected brand and to evaluate from the perspective of the public and of company Vodafone Czech Republic a. s..

O estudo sobre organização de marketing e estruturas organizacionais de marketing é crucial para a implementação dos esforços de marketing, principalmente em um cenário competitivo em que as empresas precisam modificar constantemente suas estratégias e suas estruturas para atender às novas exigências do mercado. Apesar de histórico, esse debate é atualmente relegado a segundo plano por pesquisadores e executivos de marketing, sendo a proposta desta tese reavivar essa discussão. Assim, o objetivo central deste trabalho é realizar uma análise formal e descritiva da influência de fatores condicionantes da estrutura organizacional na execução das atividades de marketing. Para tanto, consideram-se critérios de departamentalização e suas formas, centralização de áreas de apoio, localização de assessorias, amplitude de controle e número de níveis hierárquicos, descentralização da autoridade, sistemas de comunicação e nível de formalização nas áreas de marketing e sua influência em atividades como busca e levantamento de informações de mercado, planejamento de marketing, desenvolvimento de estratégias de segmentação, diferenciação e posicionamento, desenvolvimento de metas e objetivos, decisões sobre o composto de marketing (produto, preço, distribuição e promoção), desenvolvimento e manutenção do relacionamento com o consumidor e programas de responsabilidade social e ética, contemplando assim o relacionamento entre os corpos teóricos de marketing e da teoria das organizações. A realização desta tese deu-se por meio de um estudo exploratório, descritivo e qualitativo, composto por pesquisas complementares. Após pesquisa exploratória para a formulação do referencial teórico, realizou-se um estudo de campo multicasos exploratório e qualitativo nas áreas de marketing de duas empresas de bens de consumo, a Whirlpool do Brasil e a PepsiCo do Brasil - Unidade de Bebidas. Dentre os principais resultados encontrados, ressaltam-se: a forte influência da descentralização da autoridade como aspecto crucial para a execução das atividades de marketing; a não-preocupação com a definição formal das atividades; a utilização de uma forma de departamentalização hierarquizada como funcional - marca/produto - funcional; e, principalmente, uma nova forma de estruturação organizacional para a gestão de produtos e marcas que contempla a separação funcional das atividades de planejamento e de gestão dos planos, alocando a decisão sobre linhas de produtos, inovação e novos produtos no que se pode considerar uma área de apoio estratégica e centralizada. / The study on marketing organization and its organizational structures are crucial for the implementation of marketing efforts, mainly in a competitive scenario where companies need to constantly change their strategies and their structures to meet new demands of the market. Despite historical, this debate has been relegated to the second role by marketing researchers and executives and the proposal of this thesis is to revive that discussion. Thus, the central purpose of this study is to conduct a formal and descriptive analysis of the influence of conditioning factors of organizational structure in the implementation of marketing activities. Therefore some criteria are considered: departmentalization and its forms, centralization of areas of support, location of assessments, control extension and number of hierarchical levels, decentralization of authority, communication systems and level of formalization in the areas of marketing as well as its influence in activities such as sourcing and researching of market information, marketing planning, development of target strategies, positioning and differentiation, goal setting, marketing decisions (product, price, distribution and promotion), development and maintenance of customer relationship, social responsibility and ethics programs contemplating the relationship between the theoretical marketing and theory of organizations. The completion of this thesis was made through an exploratory, descriptive and qualitative study, composed for complementary research. After an exploratory research for the formulation of the theoretical reference a survey study was done of multicase exploratory and qualitatively in the marketing areas of two consumer goods companies: Whirlpool do Brasil e PepsiCo do Brasil Unidade de Bebidas. Amongst the main results it\'s been noticed the strong influence of decentralization of authority as crucial for the implementation of marketing activities, the unconcern about a formal definition of the activities, the use of a hierarchical form of departmentalization as functional - brand / product - functional and, above all, a new form of organizational structure for products and brand management that contemplates the functional separation of the activities of coordination and planning management, allocating the decision about product lines, innovation and new products that can be considered a strategic area of support and centralized.

The current market for apparel retail goods is continuously getting more competitive due to the increasing amount of actors in the field. In order to stand out in the complex and dynamic market branding has emerged to be companies’ top priority because brands are increasingly becoming more valuable assets to companies’ business performance. However, the topic of brand management usually lacks the consideration regarding practical aspects because of the questions of academics’ access and exposure to the field. Also, it has been said that one of the common obstacles in the Finnish apparel and textile industry is the lack of knowledge in branding and thus, more should be known about branding and the common perceptions of individuals who are working with branding. In light of the above, the purpose of this thesis is to discover and expand knowledge on how Finnish apparel brand managers currently perform branding when managing a Finnish apparel brand. This study is composed of a literature review and an empirical research. In the literature review, issues related to branding are investigated. Brands, brand managers’ work tasks and the changes in today’s branding environment are all considered. In the empirical research the data was collected through semi-structured interviews with five Finnish apparel brand managers, who are managing a Finnish apparel retail brand. Three central themes, a general understanding of an apparel brand and branding, brand managers’ work related tasks and brand managers’ main challenges in branding, were formed based on the various perceptions that research participants associated with branding and managing an apparel brand. The thematic orientations were similar between all of the participants, but some different perceptions occurred when studying the themes in more detail. Finnish apparel brand managers perceive an apparel brand from slightly different angles but they attach similar characteristics to their managed brands such as Finnishness, sustainability and story-telling. All of the Finnish apparel brand managers focus on creating and maintaining an identity for a trademark or products that are offered and ensuring consistency and clarity in all actions around the managed brand. In order to maintain the Finnish apparel brands, the Finnish apparel brand managers carry out several work tasks that revolve around the brand. Also, Finnish apparel brand managers take the branding environment into consideration while managing a Finnish apparel brand including for instance the effects of digitalization and sustainability issues. The challenges of branding are related to implementation of the brand strategy and to communicational issues of the brand message. The findings of this study may assist the practitioners in the field in understanding the importance of branding from a broad perspective and analyzing the managed brand as an integral part of the ever changing branding environment. Also, the results may help to understand the value of establishing a consistent brand strategy as well as understanding the importance of the consumers.