Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) have become recognised as brands in the academic and popular domain, but little is known about the relationship between these senior manager ¿brands¿ and the corporate brand of the organisation they represent. Since stakeholders associate the CEO¿s reputation with that of the company, they may negatively or positively affect each other, and there is little research into this dynamic. Indeed there is only a limited understanding about the field of people branding in general and much less into CEO brands in particular. Consequently this doctoral thesis investigates the people and CEO brands phenomena, the relationships between CEO, corporate brand and stakeholder¿s self-image and how these can be effectively managed in order to enhance brand equity for the company. Based on a critical realist perspective, this research examines traditional product brand elements from the literature and develops a new conceptual framework for people brands, which is subsequently applied to CEOs. Furthermore a survey is performed with business school students. The findings are analysed by using content analysis, descriptive statistics and by developing and testing a Structural Equation Model. The contribution to knowledge is threefold. Firstly a conceptual framework of people brands is constructed. Second this model is applied to CEO brands. Third five propositions about stakeholder perceptions of CEO brand differentiation and equity are empirically tested. The main findings are that visual presentation is not the main factor to differentiate CEO brands from each other, nor is their association with the company. Positive perceptions of corporate brands can influence the reputation of the CEO brand and lead to an enhancement of their brand equity. Importantly this indicates that stakeholders do not distinguish between CEO and company. Brand equity is also created if there is a relationship between stakeholder self-image and company brand, which in turn can improve the reputation of the CEO brand. Finally brand equity is enhanced through stakeholder perceptions of an ideal self-image. Overall this research has important implications for academia and managerial practice as it extends the knowledge about people and CEO brands and provides an insight into ways in which the relationships between CEO, company and stakeholders can be managed to enhance brand equity for the company

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

Ett starkt brand equity är essentiellt för ett varumärkes framgång. Att inkludera varumärkens country-of-origin i marknadsföringsstrategier har blivit ett sätt att stärka konsumentens uppfattning av varumärket. Forskning visar dessutom på att country-of-origin påverkar äldre konsumenter mer än yngre konsumenter. Eftersom brand equity anses ha långvariga effekter på varumärkes framgång var syftet med denna studie att undersöka om konsumentens bild av varumärkens country-of-origin påverkar brand equity. Det empiriska materialet som samlades in från de 385 svenska respondenterna visade att country-of-origin hade en positiv och signifikant påverkan på brand equity. Av de fyra dimensionerna som ingår i brand equity - brand association, brand awareness, brand loyalty samt brand quality - var brand association den dimensionen som till störst grad påverkades av konsumenters country-of-origin uppfattning. Dessutom visade det sig att country-of-origin hade större och signifikant påverkan på brand equity hos de äldre konsumenterna tillhörande generation X jämfört med de allra yngsta konsumenterna tillhörande generation Z. Däremot kunde inte en skillnad mellan generation X och generation Y statistiskt säkerställas. / Strong brand equity is essential for a brand's success. Including brands' country-of-origin in marketing strategies has become a way of strengthening the consumers perception of the brands through its country-of-origin. Furthermore, previous research indicates that country-of-origin has a greater impact on older consumers than on younger consumers. Since brand equity is considered to have long-lasting effects on brands’ success, the purpose of this study was to examine the consumers' perception of country-of-origin and how that affects brand equity. The empirical results that were gathered from 385 swedish respondents showed that country-of-origin has a positive and significant effect on brand equity. Out of the four dimensions included in brand equity - brand association, brand awareness, brand loyalty and brand quality - brand association was the dimension that was most affected by the consumers country-of-origin perception. In addition to that, the empirical results also showed that country-of-origin had a greater and significant effect on brand equity with the older consumers belonging to generation X, compared to the youngest consumers belonging to generation Z. Contrariwise, a significant difference between generation X and generation Y could not be ensured statistically.

Digitalization brings the opportunity for businesses to establish themselves and build their brand online. Social media streamlines communication between business and consumer and allows companies to analyze and understand their target audience more easily. The aim of the study was to increase the understanding of how companies work with brand building in social media to generate engagement. The study uses a theoretical framework consisting of theories related to branding and social media. Using a qualitative research method with a deductive approach, individual interviews were conducted with three case companies. This was done with the aim of studying the topic more closely and gaining a deeper understanding of how the case companies work with social media. Observations were also made on the companies' social media sites to confirm the empirical findings. The theories and the collected data were analysed using within-case and between-case analysis. The study has demonstrated that social media can be used as an effective tool for brand building and reaching out to their consumers. The various platforms make it easier for companies to create a personal relationship with their target audience which can result in high engagement and actual purchases.

Food and media have become two popular aspects in todays society. The growing interest and commitment of food has resulted in companies offering prepared food bags that can be delivered to your doorstep. This study examines how the two companies ICAs matkasse and Linas matkasse use Instagram as a way to strengthen their external communication. By illustrating the communication through a recipient perspective and a content analysis, this study brings knowledge about organizations use of Instagram. The theory used as a basis for this study are mainly Kevin Lane Keller’s customer-based brand equity, communication theories such as Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding and semiotic theories such as Roland Barthes mythology. The methods used were a qualitative content analysis to establish the brand equity of each organization, and focus group interviews to identify factors for customer perceptions on Instagram. The results of the study show that both the organizations studied used some posts on Instagram that were misinterpreted by the interview subjects. Other posts had great pictures, but the text didn't always match up, which led to the post being misleading. Linas matkasse tried to connect to their recipients, while ICAs matkasse had a more professional feeling and mostly advertised their products. The conclusions were that both organizations need to know their audience better and connect with them more by using a more interactive approach on Instagram. / Mat och media engagerar allt mer i dagens samhället, det växande intresset för mat har resulterat i att organisationer erbjuder matkassar som kan levereras direkt till din dörr. Den här studien undersöker hur de två organisationerna ICAs matkasse och Linas matkasse använder Instagram för att stärka sin externa kommunikation. Genom att belysa kommunikationen ur ett mottagarperspektiv och en innehållsanalys, bidrar denna studie med kunskaper kring hur organisationer använder sig av Instagram. De teorier som använts är framförallt Kevin Lane Kellers kundbaserade varumärkesvärde, kommunikationsteorier så som Stuart Halls kodning/avkodning och semiotiska teorier så som Roland Barthes mytologi. Metoderna som använts är en kvalitativ innehållsanalys för att etablera varumärkesvärdet hos vardera organisation, och fokusgruppsintervjuer för att identifiera mottagarnas uppfattningar på Instagram. Resultaten av studien är att båda organisationerna som undersökts använder inlägg på Instagram som misstolkades av intervjudeltagarna. Andra inlägg hade bra bilder med dålig koppling till texten vilket ledde till att inläggen var missvisande. Linas matkasse försökte skapa en relation med sina mottagare, medan ICAs matkasse hade en mer professionell känsla och främst marknadsförde sina produkter. Slutsatserna var att båda organisationerna behöver vara mer medvetna om vilka deras mottagare är och interagera med dem genom att använda ett mer interaktivt förhållningssätt på Instagram.

This dissertation examines between-brand price premiums from an information processing perspective. A literature review is conducted in which price premiums are shown to depend on consumer's ability, motivation and opportunity to process information relevant to making between-brand judgments of value. A conceptual model is developed that incorporates these three constraints on brand information processing, but focuses on the antecedents of the motivation construct. An experiment is conducted that tests the effects on information processing of four antecedents to motivation: involvement, brand evaluation motive, economic concern, and need for cognition. Results show that involvement interacts with motive in its effect on information processing amount, but not on processing style. Need for cognition is positively related to both amount and style of processing, but the economic concern results were mixed. Finally, implications of the results are discussed and future research directions suggested. / Ph. D.

This study examines the impact that the rebranding of Dunkin' Donuts to Dunkin' has on brand perception, specifically in Generation Z and Millennials through the lens of social identity theory. Factors studied include visual brand identification, brand loyalty, purchasing habits, and perception of brand equity. Forty-four (N=44) students participated in four focus groups looking at these variables. The findings showed that social identification with Dunkin' is formed through personal brand experience, although participants were resistant to self-categorization with Dunkin'. The findings also demonstrated that social identification decreased slightly through the visual rebranding, but did not create any reported impact on purchasing habits. It was also reported that the level of social identification was based off of perception of brand value and quality. Finally, participants demonstrated that there was an impact on social comparison through participants questioning Dunkin's values as an organization. Given that the sample was all Millennial and Generation Z consumers, this study also determined that company values are important to these cohorts. It also suggested that perceived modernization of a brand can positively impact brand equity, and that communication of rebranding changes to the public are an important step of a successful rebrand. Practical implications of this research are also discussed. / Master of Arts / This study examines the impact that the rebranding of Dunkin' Donuts to Dunkin' has on brand perceptions, specifically among Generation Z and Millennials through the lens of social identity theory. Social identity theory guides the understanding of how Generation Z and Millennials perceive Dunkin' through its rebranding. Factors studied include visual brand identification, brand loyalty, purchasing habits, and perception of brand equity. Forty-four (N=44) students participated in four focus groups looking at these variables. The findings showed that social identification with Dunkin' is formed through personal brand experience, although participants were resistant to self-categorization with Dunkin' Given that the sample was all Millennial and Generation Z consumers, this study also determined that company values are important to these cohorts. It also suggested that perceived modernization of a brand can positively impact brand equity, and communication of rebranding changes to the public are an important step of a successful rebrand. Practical implications of this research are also discussed.

Yes / The current research is concerned with identifying and testing the role of three main predictors: consumer involvement, consumer participation, and self-expressive brand on the customer brand engagement (CBE). The customer brand engagement is treated in the current study as multidimensional constructs comprising three main aspects: cognitive processing (CP), affection (AF), and activation (AC). It was also proposed a direct influence for these three aspects of CBE on consumer-based brand equity (CBBE). Using online surveys, we gathered data from fans/followers of mobile phone service providers, via Facebook fan pages in Jordan. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling. Based on structural equation modelling analyses (SEM), it was supported that CBE aspects were largely predicted by the role of consumer involvement (INV), consumer participation (COP), and self-expressive brand (SEB). However, we find that activation impact one dimension of the CBBE dimensions, namely, brand loyalty. Further, we find that brand awareness/associations affect perceived quality but not brand loyalty. To validate the CBE scale, future studies could investigate the impact of the scale using other social media platforms for different brands. The limited amount of empirical research on CBE was the motivation behind this research. In particular, there is no study that has investigated the main predictors of CBE and its consequences over developing context by proposing and testing the association between the antecedents of CBE with the dimensions of CBE, which in turn affect the dimensions of CBBE.

Titel: “Sveriges bästa plats att bo på” - En fallstudie om kommunens positionering och utveckling av platsvarumärkesvärde. Nivå: Examensarbete på grundnivå (kandidatexamen) i ämnet företagsekonomi. Författare: Elvira Plötz och Linnea Selberg Handledare: Lars-Johan Åge Datum: 2024 – maj Syfte: Syftet med studien är att värdera hur en kommun genom strategiskt arbete utvecklar långsiktig varumärkespositionering och platsvarumärkesvärde. Studien baseras på ett forskningsgap och behandlar två forskningsfrågor. Hur uppfattar en kommun att de kan arbeta med platsvarumärket för att skapa en långsiktig positionering? Hur effektivt är arbetet med att utveckla platsvarumärket för kommunen? Metod: Studien har en kvalitativ metod, en abduktiv forskningsansats och är en fallstudie om platsvarumärket Piteå. Empiriska data har samlats in utifrån semistrukturerade intervjuer och officiella dokument, med ett målstyrt urval baserat på arbetsuppgifter och relevans. Data har transkriberats, bearbetats till kategorier och komprimerat för att teoretiseras. Resultat och slutsats: Forskningen visar att olika komponenter krävs för en långsiktig positionering. Utvecklingen av platsvarumärken bör ses som en effektiv investering, däremot finns det svårigheter med att mäta aktiviteters inverkan. En kombination mellan en varm och kall marknadsföringsstrategi är fördelaktigt. Examensarbetets bidrag: Kandidatuppsatsen bidrar med teoretisk förståelse att positioneringen baseras på platsvarumärkesvärde. Positioneringen blir en strategisk plan för bevarandet och utvecklingen av platsvarumärkesvärde. Vidare att politiken har en betydande roll för platsvarumärket. Kommunens huvudsyssla är varm marknadsföring, där kall marknadsföring är ett effektivt komplement för att nå potentiella invånare. Forskningen framhåller platsvarumärksarbetet likt en investering som genererar resurser. Det praktiska bidraget är att en gemensam positionering inom kommunen måste finnas för att skapa trovärdighet och effektivitet. Samt att det i nuläget inte går att mäta aktiviteters inverkan, utan att värdera olika aktiviteter ger direktiv till arbetet. Förslag till framtida forskning: Vi rekommenderar att studera möjligheter att mäta aktiviteters effekter på platsvarumärkesvärde samt påverkan kall och varm marknadsföring har på individer. / Title: “Sweden ́s best place to live in”- A case study on the municipality ́s positioning and development of place brand equity. Level: Student thesis, Bachelor Degree in Business Administration  Authors: Elvira Plötz and Linnea Selberg Supervisor: Lars-Johan Åge Date: 2024 – May  Aim: The purpose of the study is to evaluate how a municipality, through strategic work, develops long term brand positioning and place brand value. The study is based on a research gap and addresses two research questions.  How does a municipality perceive they can work with the place brand to create a long-term positioning? How effective is the work in developing a place brand for the municipality?  Method: The study has a quality method, an abductive research approach and is a case study of the place brand Piteå. Empirical data has been collected through semi- structured interviews and official documents, with a purposive sampling based on job roles and relevance. The data has been transcribed, processed into categories, and reduced for theorization.  Results and conclusions: The research shows that various components are required for long-term positioning. The development of place brands should be seen as an effective investment; however, there are difficulties in measuring the impact of activities. A combination of a warm and cool marketing strategy is beneficial.  Contribution of the thesis: The bachelor ́s thesis contributes to theoretical understanding by stating that positioning is based on place brand value. Positioning becomes a strategic plan for preserving and developing place brand value. Furthermore, politics plays a significant role in the place brand. The municipality ́s main activity is warm marketing, where cold marketing is an effective complement to reach potential residents. The research highlights place branding work as an investment that generates resources. The practical contribution is that a unified positioning within the municipality is necessary to create credibility and efficiency. Additionally, it is currently not possible to measure the impact of activities, but evaluating various activities provides guidance for the work.  Suggestions for future research: We recommend studying the possibilities of measuring the effects of activities on place brand value as well as the impact of cold and warm marketing on individuals.

面臨現今資訊爆炸的年代，經常可以看到廠商透過報章雜誌、電視廣告、網路媒體與粉絲團發送廣告訊息，過去理論與研究發現，專注在品牌權益的公司能夠因為打造了一個強勢的品牌，帶給企業更多的附加價值，亦能夠確保消費者在消費相同產品時較穩定可靠的特色、利益及品質。 本研究以質化研究方法為主，透過深度訪談的方式與次級資料之應用蒐集個案公司相關資訊，並採用Keller(1993)提出的顧客為本品牌權益模型(CBBE)之打造強勢品牌四個步驟為主，以行銷方案執行分析為輔，進行品牌權益打造之分析，最後歸納出結論並給予建議。 研究發現個案公司在品牌覺察的廣度有待加強，在社群的經營上面也乏善可陳，這樣會使得消費者在現今網際網路的時代，因為網路上眾多的資訊，減少了消費者接觸產品資訊與廣告，使品牌共鳴的效果無法有效達成。 而本研究提供以下四點建議給予個案公司做為參考，以提高品牌共鳴： 1. 建構更高的品牌辨識：加強品牌覺察廣度，投入資源教育消費者，與教育機構合作以產生更高的共創價值。 2. 經營品牌社群：投入資源加強社群網站經營，讓粉絲能夠有互動的空間。 3. 共同品牌槓桿借用輔助聯想：與形象良好的品牌聯名推出新款油漆。 4. 贊助體育賽事、活動或是團隊：台灣體育活動風行，可以在體育賽事、團隊給予贊助，提高品牌知名度與建立良好形象。 / We are experiencing an explosive growth of information nowadays. Consumers are overwhelmed by a vast array of information and are more likely to switch away the brands they used. Theories and past studies have found out that companies focusing on brand equity building can bring more added values to both company and consumers. This research tries to use the CBBE (Customer Based Brand Equity) model by Keller (1993) and marketing strategy performance analysis to analyze the brand equity of Dulux Taiwan. The research was conducted by qualitative methods, in-depth interview and secondary data analysis. In the end, the research concluded practical advice to Dulux for reference. According to the result, Breadth of Dulux brand awareness and operation of social media needs to be strengthened. Excessive amount of information on the Internet leads to low-contact between product information and advertising with consumers. As a result, the brand resonance effects cannot be effectively reached. The following are four suggestions concluded by this research as reference to Dulux: 1. To Construct higher brand recognition: Strengthen breadth of Dulux brand awareness by investing resources to educate consumers and may consider co-creating with education institutions. 2. To manage on-line brand community: Enhance the interaction with consumers by increasing investment to operate the social media. 3. To leverage secondary brand associations—Co-branding: launch new products with high reputation companies. 4. To sponsor sports events, activities or team: Because of the enthusiasm for sports activities in Taiwan, sponsorship is a good way to increase brand awareness and establish a good image.