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In an ever changing world, consumers are less and less responsive to traditional advertising, which creates a challenge for marketers, as they need to constantly develop new marketing communication tools to make a lasting impression on current and potential consumers. Consumers of the twenty first century are described as emotionally acting individuals, and has led to a increase in creative and emotional marketing communication tools, for example sponsorship, which is an increasingly important element of an integrated marketing communication strategy. Because of the value sponsorship can have for a business, and the high costs involved in this marketing initiative, it is imperative to examine variables that might be influential, in order to apply this promotional activity to the business’ advantage (Belch & Belch 2007:12; Hartland, Skinner & Griffiths 2005:164-173; Nicholis, Roslow & Dublish 1999:365-387; Pham & Vanheule 1997:407-417). Because of the important effect of sponsorship, marketing managers seek clarity in respect of which events to support and to link their business’ brand with or not. There is however little guidance in literature available on which events to sponsor and how to exploit resources efficiently and effectively (Crimmins & Horn 1996; Speed & Thompson 2000). Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify factors that might influence sponsorship initiatives within corporate businesses in South Africa. The variables that was identified for the study at hand was marketing related variables namely branding, marketing ethics and green marketing, and human resources related variables namely, corporate culture, values and employee empowerment. In order to determine the influence of the predetermined variables on sponsorship, an empirical investigation was conducted. The positivistic (phenomenological) approach was used in this study as the aim was to determine whether a relationship exists between selected independent variables and the dependent variable, via the intervening variables, using statistical analysis. In order to gather primary data, selfadministered questionnaires were issued to 182 respondents by means of convenience and snowball sampling of which the results were analysed to arrive at conclusions regarding the research in question. The empirical analysis of the data followed the following statistical steps: exploratory factor analysis to test the validity of the measuring instrument, Cronbach Alpha correlation coefficients to confirm the reliability of the questionnaire, SEM goodness-of-fit, multiple regression analysis to test the hypothesised relationships between the independent, intervening and dependent variables, ANOVA and descriptive statistics. The main findings of this study suggest that branding and green marketing have a significantly positive relationship with sponsorship, indicating the importance of a business’ brand and environmental awareness in terms of its emotional marketing initiatives. These relationships iIn an ever changing world, consumers are less and less responsive to traditional advertising, which creates a challenge for marketers, as they need to constantly develop new marketing communication tools to make a lasting impression on current and potential consumers. Consumers of the twenty first century are described as emotionally acting individuals, and has led to a increase in creative and emotional marketing communication tools, for example sponsorship, which is an increasingly important element of an integrated marketing communication strategy. Because of the value sponsorship can have for a business, and the high costs involved in this marketing initiative, it is imperative to examine variables that might be influential, in order to apply this promotional activity to the business’ advantage (Belch & Belch 2007:12; Hartland, Skinner & Griffiths 2005:164-173; Nicholis, Roslow & Dublish 1999:365-387; Pham & Vanheule 1997:407-417). Because of the important effect of sponsorship, marketing managers seek clarity in respect of which events to support and to link their business’ brand with or not. There is however little guidance in literature available on which events to sponsor and how to exploit resources efficiently and effectively (Crimmins & Horn 1996; Speed & Thompson 2000). Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify factors that might influence sponsorship initiatives within corporate businesses in South Africa. The variables that was identified for the study at hand was marketing related variables namely branding, marketing ethics and green marketing, and human resources related variables namely, corporate culture, values and employee empowerment. In order to determine the influence of the predetermined variables on sponsorship, an empirical investigation was conducted. The positivistic (phenomenological) approach was used in this study as the aim was to determine whether a relationship exists between selected independent variables and the dependent variable, via the intervening variables, using statistical analysis. In order to gather primary data, selfadministered questionnaires were issued to 182 respondents by means of convenience and snowball sampling of which the results were analysed to arrive at conclusions regarding the research in question. The empirical analysis of the data followed the following statistical steps: exploratory factor analysis to test the validity of the measuring instrument, Cronbach Alpha correlation coefficients to confirm the reliability of the questionnaire, SEM goodness-of-fit, multiple regression analysis to test the hypothesised relationships between the independent, intervening and dependent variables, ANOVA and descriptive statistics. The main findings of this study suggest that branding and green marketing have a significantly positive relationship with sponsorship, indicating the importance of a business’ brand and environmental awareness in terms of its emotional marketing initiatives. These relationships imply that, according to respondents, if these two aspects improve within the business, so could its sponsorship initiatives. Interestingly, it was established that ethics was insignificant in terms of a business’sponsorship initiatives. Corporate culture and values had a positive relationship with sponsorship, and employee empowerment proved to be negatively related to Sport and Broadcast sponsorship, with no significant relationship with Education and Community sponsorship. Additionally, the empirical investigation revealed that the ethnicity of respondents exerted an influence on the perception employees have regarding ethics, employee empowerment and Sport and Broadcast sponsorship within the businesses they are employed at. As this study assisted in the development of sponsorship strategies for businesses to implement, it will have a direct benefit to marketers and businesses in general so that sponsorship initiatives can be directed in such a way to maximise the return on investment for a business. The implications of this study will be of great value to marketing managers as sponsorship is such an important marketing strategy and communications tool which impacts on the overall business objectives.mply that, according to respondents, if these two aspects improve within the business, so could its sponsorship initiatives. Interestingly, it was established that ethics was insignificant in terms of a business’ sponsorship initiatives. Corporate culture and values had a positive relationship with sponsorship, and employee empowerment proved to be negatively related to Sport and Broadcast sponsorship, with no significant relationship with Education and Community sponsorship. Additionally, the empirical investigation revealed that the ethnicity of respondents exerted an influence on the perception employees have regarding ethics, employee empowerment and Sport and Broadcast sponsorship within the businesses they are employed at. As this study assisted in the development of sponsorship strategies for businesses to implement, it will have a direct benefit to marketers and businesses in general so that sponsorship initiatives can be directed in such a way to maximise the return on investment for a business. The implications of this study will be of great value to marketing managers as sponsorship is such an important marketing strategy and communications tool which impacts on the overall business objectives.

M.A. (Marketing Communication) / Communication in the 21st century has been defined as a practice through which members of society achieve shared meanings through the exchange of information, so that the making and managing of meaning creates a shared understanding of a social reality. Recent research emphasises the strong influence of communication platforms such as the media which encapsulates social thought, social discourse and reflects social reality, notwithstanding the prolific digital media as one of the most intriguing benefits of 21st century communication, specifically in the arena of brands and brand awareness. As such, a brand is a promise made by its owners to its consumers, creating brand perceptions and expectations as conveyed by the story of the brand through its various forms of communication. More specifically, media content significantly contributes to consumer perceptions and aspirations to interact with a brand because 21st century media in collaboration with the brand and media-savvy 21st century consumer creates awareness of a social reality such as brand consumption, by influencing public interest on specific characteristics such as the iconicity of a brand, thus setting the agenda for public discourse on the brand. As such the brand achieves an optimal competitive advantage, which contributes to its iconicity or collective high regard that the media find difficult to ignore, thus the application of the principles of the agenda-setting theory, which implies that the media is a fundamental contributor to social thought and discourse, creating public conversation and interest in the brand, ideally infusing the market with profitable awareness of the brand. In acknowledgement of the recognition of the African Development Bank as Africa’s premier development finance institution and as such, an iconic brand, this study addresses the research problem which explores how the African Development Bank uses its iconic branding in order to establish profitable brand awareness among its public sector clients.

El objetivo principal de esta tesis es el desarrollo de un plan de entrada al mercado peruano para las tiendas BubbleGummers, marca infantil perteneciente a la empresa de calzado Bata, con experiencias exitosas de este formato en Chile y Colombia. La oportunidad detectada se basa en la ausencia de participantes en el mercado con una propuesta integral de ropa, calzado y accesorios infantiles. Ante esta situación, la propuesta comercial de BubbleGummers se orienta a cubrir las necesidades de vestimenta infantil mediante productos de excelente calidad, con diseños innovadores y divertidos, además de su aroma a chicle como elemento diferenciador con respecto a las marcas competidoras. Esta tesis se ha desarrollado de acuerdo con las pautas de la investigación exploratoria y de la investigación concluyente. La primera, nos proporcionó los datos cualitativos necesarios para comprender la situación del calzado y ropa infantil en el país. La segunda, nos ayudó a conocer las características, preferencias, hábitos de compra de los potenciales clientes y consumidores, así como la estimación de la demanda. A través de la ejecución de cuatro focus groups (tres con madres de familia y uno con niños) y una encuesta a 398 madres, se estableció un mercado objetivo de mujeres de entre 28 y 45 años, con hijos de 1 a 8 años de edad, que vivan en Lima, pertenecientes a los segmentos B2 y C1. De acuerdo con la investigación de mercado se descubrió que los aspectos más valorados por las madres encuestadas eran la calidad de las prendas, así como su diseño y precio. Se debe resaltar, además, que el 86% de las madres encuestadas indicó su preferencia por realizar las compras de prendas y calzado en un solo lugar; el 87% conocía la marca BubbleGummers; y el 82% mostraba una predisposición favorable a comprar en una tienda de esta marca. El proyecto sugiere la implementación de 4 tiendas en Lima Metropolitana al final del primer año. Luego del análisis de la demanda y las proyecciones de venta, contempladas en un período de 5 años, se obtiene que los indicadores económicos que ofrece el proyecto son atractivos, ya que se muestran resultados positivos desde el segundo año y un retorno de la inversión positivo desde el tercer año, de 4%, y al término de los primeros cinco años de 105%. El análisis del valor actual neto (S/ 289.802) supera las expectativas con una tasa de descuento alta (28%), lo que sustenta la viabilidad del proyecto. Finalmente, la presente tesis sugiere que de considerarse la implementación del modelo, se deberán plantear futuras investigaciones respecto de los tres factores críticos de éxito: tendencias del mercado, nuevas ubicaciones y gestión del riesgo.

This study generated a substantive theory of retail mall brand image construction on the part of consumers for a retail mall in Hong Kong. The primary source of data was generated from face-to-face interviews, and analysed using a grounded theory methodology. From this analysis key categories emerged which provided the foundation for the substantive theory. The theory of retail mall brand image construction proposes that consumers associate the retail mall with a particular stratum of society, through a series of interpretive processes that attach personal and social meaning to the mall. The resultant ‘brand image’ conceptualizes the mall as an integral and representative part of that social stratum and, in consequence, there is an associated series of consumer actions, behaviours, and appearances deemed to be expected and appropriate for that mall. Based on this conceptualization there is a resultant ‘character frame’ - a set of socially acceptable parameters governing action, appearance and behaviour – from which a variety of identities can be adopted or assumed that are considered appropriate to the brand image. Consumers can then determine whether these available identities resonate with their own personal values – either through simple compatibility or through more aspirational desires - and thus their response to these identities ii determines whether they accept or reject the positioning of the mall as ‘suitable’ or desirable to themselves. On a theoretical level this study articulates the link between brand image, social position, and consumer culture, and can be seen to contribute to two of the four areas of theoretical interest to consumer culture theorists, namely the area of mass-mediated marketplace ideologies and consumers' interpretive strategies and, secondly, the field of consumer identity projects. In addition the study addresses the gap in branding literature relating to consumer processes for developing (retail mall) brand images. The implications of this study for professional practice are two-fold. Firstly, they can be seen to benefit the marketing of places and place-related products by providing additional knowledge regarding the consumer brand image construction. Secondly, they have the capability to inform and thus improve the design quality of the built environment.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Within the service industry, the brand is portrayed directly through the people within the organisation. Employees operating by the company’s central value system will live the values of the brand in their daily activities. A company that focuses on aligning their brand values and company culture as a strategic differentiator will be in a position to gain a competitive advantage. This study was conducted within Hollard Namibia and investigated if an alignment exists between the brand values and company culture and if so, to what extent. The investigation comprised a literature study on the alignment between brand values and company culture and included the concepts of organisational culture, models on organisational culture, brand as an equity, brand values, and brand alignment. Quantitative research methodology was applied to evaluate the existence of an alignment. A questionnaire designed by the Barrett Value Centre was used to collect the data. The results of the survey would then illustrate if there is an alignment and if it can be used as a strategic differentiator. The research proved that aligning your brand values and company culture can be used as a method to enhance an organisation’s competitive advantage and create successful future sustainability. This strategic alignment focus is not a once-off action plan. As the business changes, so must the values be amended to follow the changing demands of the employees and the industry it services. The research also proved that the stagnated gross profit margins in Hollard can be due to the absence of an active internal branding process within the organisation. After finalising the research assignment, it was concluded that the personal values, current cultural values and desired culture values of Hollard’s employees differ from each other. A high level of entropy was found and there was only a small alignment between the brand values and organisational culture within the organisation. The study recommends that the leadership team of Hollard Namibia develops and implements a strategic brand value awareness programme. This strategic plan must incorporate a culture of employee centricity within the organisation. Hollard Namibia (Pty) Ltd will maintain and extend its competitive advantage if it implements the suggested changes.

Orientador: Ana Sílvia Lopes Davi Médola / Banca: Maria Eugenia Porem / Banca: Maria Clotilde Perez Rodrigues / Resumo: Na sociedade midiatizada, o discurso publicitário está fortemente inserido no cotidiano do público, seja por um comercial na televisão, um anúncio impresso no jornal ou um jingle no rádio. Entretanto, a profusão dos meios passou a demandar novas ações e estratégias discursivas para que as marcas fortaleçam seus vínculos com os destinatários. No contexto em que as relações de comunicação são regidas pela lógica de uma cultura de participação, a adoção de recursos que envolvem vivências e experiências relacionadas aos produtos constitui uma importante estratégia de promoção de identificação com as marcas. Sob o olhar da semiótica discursiva, o presente trabalho analisa ações audiovisuais da marca Nivea, "Nivea Doll" e "Anúncio Protetor", de modo a compreender as estratégias enunciativas utilizadas nessas campanhas publicitárias que visam propiciar a vivência de experiências e intensificar o engajamento e o sentimento de participação do público não apenas pelo inteligível, mas também pela percepção sensível / Abstract: In mediatic society, the publicity speech is strongly placed in the public daily life, either by a television commercial, a print ad in the newspaper or a jingle on the radio. However, the profusion of media media began to demand new action and discursive strategies for brands to strengthen its links with the recipients. In the context in which communication relations are rulled by the logic of a culture of participation, the adoption of tools involving experiences related to products are an important identification promotion strategy with brands. under the gaze of discursive semiotic, this paper analyzes audiovisual actions of Nivea brand. "Nivea Doll" and "Anúncio Protetor", in order to understand the enunciatives strategies used in these publicity campaigns that aim to provide the experiences and increase engagement and sense of public participation not only for intelligible, but also the sensitive perception / Mestre

Orientador: Edson Roberto Scharf. / Dissertação (Mestrado em Administração) - Programa de Pós-Graduação em Administração, Centro de Ciências Sociais Aplicadas, Universidade Regional de Blumenau, Blumenau,

Thesis (DBA)--City University of Hong Kong, 2009. / "Submitted to College of Business in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Business Administration." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-153)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2007. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 194-203). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.