Re-branding is an opportunity for marketers of fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs) to reposition the brand and differentiate it from competitor‘s products. However, in spite of the significant opportunities and benefits that re-branding presents if carried out correctly, some marketers simply fail to successfully deliver ‗new‘ brand images to customers, and others are faced with a ‗back-lash‘ from consumers and are forced to revert to the original branding. Since there is a dearth of knowledge on the practical efforts of re-branding FMCGs by the world‘s largest companies, an exploratory study using a mixed methods approach was conducted to understand re-branding at one of the world‘s largest FMCGs companies, namely Nestle SA. More specifically, an investigating was conducted to understand the process Nestlé followed in re-branding its coffee and other beverage brands from 2010 to 2012; the type of re-branding strategy that was used to position and reposition its beverage brands; the importance of retaining a corporate brand name, logo and image when rebranding; and the turnover pattern during the years when re-branding was undertaken. The Nestle managers‘ perceptions on the cost versus the benefits of re-branding were also ascertained. Six managers who represented the marketing, packaging and customer service divisions of Nestle‘s (Escourt) coffee and beverage brands formed the convenience sample of this study. The concurrent mixed methods approach which consisted of two phases was used. A structured questionnaire using opened and closed ended questions were used to conduct interviews with the sample. In addition internal official documentation related to re-branding, namely, policies and turnover reports were reviewed and analysed. It became evident that Nestlé‘s key reason for re-branding is innovation of the coffee and beverage brands. It was also ascertained that Nestlé has a customized re-branding strategy for each product and, the Nestle logo proved to be the most important identifier of the company and is therefore always retained during re-branding. It was also apparent that respondents viewed the benefits of re-branding as outweighing the costs. Furthermore, since the sales fluctuated post re-branding, it was concluded that with respect to the products concerned at Nestle, that there is no direct relationship between re-branding and sales. The implications of the findings for marketers of FMCGs are that they need to be cognizant of the need to change the ‗look and feel‖ of brands over time to keep them relevant and compete effectively. Furthermore, they need to ensure that the changes are gradual, acceptable and relevant, and that all the costs of re-branding are taken into consideration so that an informed decision to re-brand is made. Furthermore, marketers should be aware that re-branding which is not properly carried out can be damaging to the brand, and the importance of social media as a tool to communicate with consumers prior, during and post re-branding should not be underplayed. As with all research studies, this study had certain limitations which restricts the ability to generalize the findings to all FMCGs companies. This was more of a ‗case‘ study, although it involved an international FMCG company. Perhaps a comparative study of re-branding coffee and beverage brands at Nestlé‘s factories in other countries may serve to compare and strengthen the findings. It could also shed light on Nestlé‘s‘ international re-branding strategies, which findings could then be more relevant for generalization. A further limitation of this study is that although internal documents were provided, limitations were placed in terms of the information that could be divulged in this study. This resulted in sales units being estimated from documentation and therefore accurate figures could not be disclosed. Future studies should be anonymously conducted so that more informed recommendations could be made with respect to turnover and expenditure on re-branding. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

A Masters dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of the Master of Commerce (Marketing) in The School of Economic and Business Sciences, at the University of the Witwatersrand. DECEMBER 2015 / Tourism has become one of the most significant export sectors in many developing countries and is purported to be the most viable and sustainable economic option, and in some of these (developing) nations, the main source of foreign exchange returns. It is therefore incumbent on destinations to effectively differentiate themselves especially when considering the increasingly competitive nature of tourism markets and an environment where many places that present similar features are becoming substitutionable. Contemporary urban development literature stresses the significance of place branding as an asset in the effective differentiation and positioning of places. It is noted that while many sources viewed the three main target markets for place branding as companies, visitors and residents, the role of the resident was limited to passive beneficiary as opposed to one of active engagement. Given the pervasion of the “staycation” and the concurrent rise in popularity of the Braamfontein Precinct, this paper will investigate the influence that place branding has had on the region’s perceived image by those within the precinct. Self-administered structured surveys were distributed electronically and using the street-intercept method to individuals aged 18 – 35, who were in the Braamfontein Precinct. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were examined. Path Modeling, Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling were also carried out in order to further analyse the data. The findings with regard to presented city brand, city brand equity and city brand meaning having a positive relationship with city brand image were both supported and significant at a 5% level of confidence. The findings with regard to city brand awareness having a positive relationship with city brand image were insignificant and consequently rejected. The study presents that investment in the presented city brand that goes beyond marketing communications to include city brand properties such as facilities, scenery, heritage and transport (amongst other amenities) will result in a favourable city brand image. It is also important that regional managers do not take a unilateral approach on deciding on a brand meaning but rather a consultative one that will result in involvement and ultimately investment from the various stakeholders. Additionally, the generation of curiosity and interest in the city brand is vital to encouraging customer involvement with the precinct. Digital marketing tools can be employed in this regard; online and search advertising can be used to raise awareness. Finally, social media can be used for customer generated content, allowing for both participation on the consumers’ part and insights on the part of the regional management. This allows for engagement with consumers and provides branding opportunities for the region. / MT2017

Thesis (M.M. (Strategic Marketing))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Business Administration, 2015. / Corporate rebranding has been a topic of study for many years, as exemplified in the work of scholars such as Rosenthal (2003), Simms and Trott (2007), Abratt and Kleyn (2012), and Muzellec and Lambkin (2006). Despite the high level of academic interest in researching corporate rebranding, there has been an overwhelming bias towards its effects on consumers within developed markets. Although the fact that many prior studies have been conducted on corporate rebranding and employee engagement, there is scant research on emerging markets, such as in South Africa. These previous studies did not adopt the Saks (2006) employee engagement model in an emerging market context to investigate the effects corporate rebranding can have on employee engagement in an emerging market context. The chosen case studies are a talent measurement company that underwent a corporate rebranding process in 2011, as well as an advisory company that also went through rebranding in 2013. The two companies fall within the same industry, thus the choice of a single embedded case study. Since the research aims to explore “the how and why”, a qualitative research method was found most fitting. The analysis was based on data collected during 26 in-depth interviews with senior managers, consultants, supportive staff, and marketing professionals. Data from the interviews were analysed using an open-code method in which eight key themes were identified. The researcher triangulated the data collected from the primary interviews, as well as secondary sources such as staff internal drafts, eComms, Q&A sheets, brochures, flyers, and media reviews. The results of Company A (SHL), revealed that not all employees understood the reason for corporate rebranding. Senior levels of management and consultants seemed to understand that the reason for the rebranding was to reposition SHL and combine two companies following a merger with PreVisor. In Company B (EY), the results revealed a similar level of understanding behind the reasons for corporate rebranding. Managers understood the reasons for corporate rebranding as an opportunity to gain new markets and reposition EY. ii According to the cross-case analysis compared to the Saks model of engagement, the corporate rebranding exercise had a positive impact on organisational commitment and organisational citizen behaviour. In terms of intention to quit, a corporate rebranding exercise is more likely to reduce intentions to quit. It was also established that there was no direct impact on job satisfaction due to the SHL and EY corporate rebranding. An unexpected outcome of the research was that during uncertain times of change, such as corporate rebranding, employees with strong loyalty to the brand are more inclined to stay with the brand and see the change through. This loyalty is rooted deeper than the current state of employee job satisfaction and engagement levels and more inclined to the company’s brand. The other interesting outcome was that a corporate rebranding exercise can ignite employees’ spirits and create a positive organisational culture, which is more likely to increase work efficiency and productivity. Even though the research could not link corporate rebranding to job satisfaction, the other contracts of the Saks model, which includes organisational commitment, intention to quit and organisational citizenship behaviour, could be directly linked. Therefore, the outcome of the research identified the reasons for the companies to go through corporate rebranding exercises; namely to reposition the companies and gain new markets. In light of the second research question, which referred to the effects of corporate rebranding on employee engagement, the research revealed that in line with the Saks model of engagement, certain aspects of engagement are enhanced by corporate rebranding and others, just as job satisfaction, have no impact at all. At the end of the study, research implications, limitations, and areas for future research are suggested. / DM2016

Thesis (M.M. (Strategic Marketing))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Wits Business School, 2016. / This study addresses the nature of the relationship between brand citizenship behaviour and its antecedent instigator, strategic internal brand management as they pertain to the quest for distinctive service competencies by firms in the financial services sector. In today’s fast moving technologically accelerated world of commerce and industry, the quest for differentiation and innovation has simultaneously become acute while at the same time significantly more challenging to attain and sustain. Such behoves organisations to identify competency areas that can be leveraged for segment level distinctiveness. For one, the value of a strong brand is well recognised in business and much has been written about the diversity of elements that accentuate the construct of a brand. Being exploratory in nature, the study was guided by a qualitative design. In-depth interviews were conducted with a sample of executives representing the functions of marketing, human resources and operations from a selection of leading South African financial services firms as part of an exploratory investigation. These senior level practitioners were identified in literature as the anchors upon which meaningful strategic initiative emanates. The aspirant attainment of employees who become true citizens of the brand in their behaviour towards customers and other stakeholders was noted to be an outcome of leadership deliberateness in ensuring sustained immersion of employees in an organisation’s culture and values. A model that offers a foundation for the identification of key intra-organisational constructs and processes was proposed as a key outcome of the study. In addition, the study raises awareness of how to frame the scope of aspects that need to be included into an integrated approach to internal brand management to yield employee brand citizenship behaviour and ultimately assist in enhancing an organisation’s differentiation efforts. Keywords: internal brand management, brand citizenship behaviour, brand identity, brand communication, brand leadership, internal marketing, retail financial services. / DH2016

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management of Strategic Marketing, Johannesburg, 2016 / Place branding is defined as the application of marketing techniques and activities, to differentiate and attract interest to promote the social and economic growth of cities, regions and countries. If marketers are to market their respective places effectively, they need to get a sense of the key characteristics that make up a place identity, with particular attention paid to what is perceived or understood as the image. The role of local residents is emphasised in the process of identifying the key attributes that comprise the identity and image of a place. The purpose of this research is to establish the identity of the City of Johannesburg from the perspective of stakeholders responsible for branding the metropolitan and to investigate the perceptions and image of the metropolitan by local residents. The research methodology adopted was a mixed method approach. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with destination marketing practitioners and the results were content analysed to identify key themes. The quantitative study sought to investigate the perceptions and image of the City of Johannesburg held by local residents using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of questions relating to views on place identity, place image and communicated identity. Structural equation modelling was employed in the study for the purpose of analysing the quantitative data. Given the common brand associations made by practitioners and local residents interviewed, one can conclude that the City of Johannesburg is fundamentally South Africa's business hub and associated with opportunities and these associations are unlikely to change and will stay constant as the City goes through various growth cycles. The multi-faceted image of the City of Johannesburg was demonstrated by the different responses elicited from marketing practitioners and local residents. The crime association image does not bode well for the metropolitan and concerted ii efforts are required from all stakeholders involved in marketing the City to deal with the city's negative image / GR2018

M.A. (Marketing Communication) / In this study it is argued that the consumer has evolved and grown into a force that is no longer passive, taking the actions of its brands for granted. They ask questions, challenge and are inherently active, a state of being that is accelerated, facilitated and aided by the Internet and social media. This active stakeholder concept is operationally defined as the pressure exerted by informed consumers to hold brands and organisations responsible and accountable for the well-being of society and the environment, beyond the maximisation of profit, and to expect such entities to be responsive to and in dialogue with consumers as stakeholders of brands and organisations. It is questioned, at the same time, to what extent South African brand leaders have stayed current and informed with regard to this new breed of active consumer stakeholder, and whether Corporate Social Responsibility practices are not often used as a smokescreen to ‘greenwash’ actions. The study aimed to address the research problem by linking the key concepts of corporate social responsibility, stakeholder theory, normative stakeholder theory, corporate social responsiveness, stakeholder activism, stakeholder communication and accountability in an attempt to ascertain to what extent the active consumer stakeholder concept has taken root in strategic communication activities of 50 brand leaders in the country, and to develop a measuring instrument for brands to evaluate to what extent they are attuned to the active consumer stakeholder concept. The research methodology made use of reliability tests and cluster analyses, themes were established based on an extensive literature review. Ultimately, the tool was comprised of a series of Likert-type questions, a ranking question and three open-ended questions which added depth to the other elements of the tool. The findings indicate a lack of congruence, within the sphere of South African brand leaders, with regards to the notion of the active consumer stakeholder. However, they also suggest an assimilation, and move to congruence, through a connection between the nuances that exist at both ends of the stakeholder continuum i.e. shareholder theory and stakeholder theory. Doing good will ultimately be equated with making money.

Thesis (MA (Political Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / This thesis aims to assess what perceptions a sample population of Dutch students in Amsterdam have of South Africa from a broad range of social, political and cultural indicators. Until now, research into the existent perceptions regarding South Africa in the international community has been limited, which has implications for the formulation of its branding strategies and the possibility of their successful implementation at a crucial stage in the development of the country’s international reputation. Based on a theoretical framework which assumes the potential of nation branding for developing states, this thesis aims to provide an assessment of several historical and contemporary challenges faced by Brand South Africa, the most salient of which are linked to the fundamental need for consistency in the promotion of the nation’s identity. This analysis introduces the empirical research upon which the study is based and thereby explains the ambiguous nature of South Africa’s post-Apartheid brand identity.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Strategic Marketing. Johannesburg, March 2017 / Brand trust has been in decline for a number of years (Eggers, O’Dwyer, Kraus, Vallaster, & Güldenberg, 2013; Gerzema, 2009; Gilmore & Pine, 2007; Schallehn, Burmann, & Riley, 2014). According to Eggers et al., (2013), this has been attributed to many possible causes; the most prevalent being a breakdown between the promises made by brands and what they actually deliver. As a result, consumers are growing increasingly sceptical and they find themselves unable to believe brand claims (Eggers et al.,, 2013). Brand authenticity has been referred to as the perfect antidote to this problem (Gerzema, 2009). It is synonymous with honesty (Morhart, Malär, Guèvremont, Girardin, & Grohmann, 2015), sincerity (Beverland, 2005a; Fine, 2003; Napoli, Dickinson, Beverland, & Farrelly, 2014; Pace, 2015), and trust (Eggers et al.,, 2013); and is a key success factor for brands today (Brown, Kozinets, & Sherry, 2003; Gilmore & Pine, 2007). Authentic brands are deeply committed to their values and to delivering on their promises (Eggers et al.,, 2013; Morhart et al.,, 2015). Morhart et al., (2015) state that to enhance the perception of authenticity, brands should come across as more “human”, as doing so makes it easier for consumers to recognise the inherent values of the brand. Due to a rebirth in traditional, wholesome values, consumers are growing increasingly fond of humanised brands and they now even relate to brands in the same way they relate to people (Brown, 2010; Fournier, 1998; Kervyn, Fiske, & Malone, 2012; Malone & Fiske, 2013). It has been said that brands that are succeeding in a time when brand trust is at an all-time low, are those that are fostering meaningful relationships with their customers by coming across as “human” (Kervyn et al.,, 2012; Malone & Fiske, 2013; Marshall & Ritchie, 2013). This research set out to examine the humanisation of brands, particularly in a world where authenticity is becoming increasingly popular and brand trust, increasingly rare. It was hoped that an empirical investigation would help to define the implications of this growing trend in brand management. The study was conducted in South Africa, where historically there has been a major breakdown of trust between its citizens and the institutions that have been entrusted to lead them (Lekalake, 2015; Marais, 2011; Moeng, 2015; Steenkamp, 2009). The study was grounded in theory that has roots in the field of social psychology. In interpersonal relationships, Cuddy, Fiske, and Glick (2007) found that people make judgements about others based on the evaluation of two dimensions: warmth and competence. The Brands as Intentional Agents Framework (BIAF) (Kervyn et al.,, 2012) theorises that this is consistent with people and brands. Consumers evaluate brands on the same basis of warmth and competence: where warmth is the belief that the brand has good intentions, and competence, the belief that the brand has the ability to carry out those intentions. (Kervyn et al.,, 2012). Expressions of warmth and competence enhance the perception that a brand is humanlike (J. Aaker, Vohs, & Mogilner, 2010; Kervyn et al.,, 2012; Malone & Fiske, 2013). An extensive literature review was conducted on brand authenticity, perceived warmth, perceived competence and brand trust - revealing strong connections between these four constructs. The research problem was three-fold. First, the intention was to establish and evaluate the dimensions of brand authenticity in South Africa, postulated as originality, continuity, credibility and integrity (according to recent studies in the literature). Second, the intention was to then determine whether brand authenticity has a positive impact on brand trust. Brand trust was postulated as having two dimensions, brand intentions and brand reliability, as per Delgado-Ballester (2004). Third, the intention was to resolve whether perceptions of warmth and competence then mediate the relationship between brand authenticity and brand trust. This study adopted a quantitative methodology whereby a self-completion questionnaire was distributed using face-to-face data collection procedures. The sampling frame consisted of frequent flyers of one of seven domestic airlines that fly within South Africa’s borders, namely: South African Airways (SAA), Mango, British Airways (BA), Kulula, Safair, Blue Crane and Cemair. The study used a convenience sample of passengers at Bidvest airport lounges in four major cities, and at Lanseria, a smaller airport in Johannesburg. The questionnaire design included a construct measurement section where respondents were asked to rate their perception of the selected brand’s authenticity, warmth, competence and trust. The data collection returned an impressive 355 usable responses, made up predominantly of business travellers. Partial least squares (PLS) was used to examine the data and factor analysis revealed four important findings. First, the analysis showed three new factors, different to the four postulated dimensions of brand authenticity. They were Original, Ethical and Genuine. Second, brand trust was found to be one-dimensional, and not two-dimensional as postulated. Third, although a revised model of six constructs (original, ethical, genuine, warmth, competence and brand trust) displayed both internal reliability and convergent validity, discriminant validity could not be proven due to critically high correlations between the constructs. The high levels of similarity rendered the constructs indistinguishable in a causal model and as a result, the hypotheses could not be tested using the data that was collected. Finally, an additional analysis showed significant differences between the results of South African Airways (SAA) and some or all of the other airlines on all the constructs. As SAA was not viewed in a positive light, this study identified SAA as an outlier brand. The findings of this research proved to be very interesting, and have major theoretical and managerial implications. As brand authenticity was measured as a second-order construct, it could not be said with certainty that original, ethical and genuine are dimensions thereof. However, the literature certainly suggested that they might be. Authenticity has been linked to any semblance of originality (Vann, 2006); an honourable set of values (Beverland, Lindgreen, & Vink, 2008); and that which is genuine, real and true (Arnould & Price, 2000; Beverland & Farrelly, 2010; Grayson & Martinec, 2004; Molleda & Jain, 2013). Moreover, a recent study by Akbar and Wymer (2016) proved originality and genuineness to be dimensions of brand authenticity and their findings strongly support those of this study. The unexpected results of this research also confirm that brand authenticity is highly contextual and subjective – its meaning is dependent on the consumer’s personal experiences and their unique understanding of what is authentic (Beverland & Farrelly, 2010; Bruhn, Schoenmüller, Schäfer, & Heinrich, 2012; Fritz, Schoenmueller, & Bruhn, 2017; Leigh, Peters, & Shelton, 2006; Molleda & Jain, 2013). This study reiterates that brand managers wishing to enhance perceptions of authenticity, must adapt their approach for their specific brand in specific contexts and be very cognisant of their customers unique interpretation of authenticity. The lack of discriminant validity between the six constructs in the revised path model (original, ethical, genuine, warmth, competence and brand trust) was the most noteworthy finding of this research, as it has serious theoretical and managerial implications. This finding indicates that consumers view these constructs as one and the same, and they are deeply interconnected. This could be attributed to the strong literary overlaps between them, as many of these constructs have almost identical definitions and key traits (for example: honesty, sincerity, benevolence, capability, and reliability). As a result, this research makes an important contribution to advancing the Brands as Intentional Agents Framework (BIAF) (Kervyn et al.,, 2012). It suggests that the BIAF should be expanded to include constructs beyond warmth and competence, as expressions of all six constructs contribute equally to the perception that a brand is human. This research concludes with the Human Brand Model (HBM); a model that provides practical guidelines as to how managers can use the insights from this study to build human brands. To enhance the perception that a brand is more human, managers must use expressions not only of warmth and competence, but of originality, ethicality, genuineness and trust as well. The six dimensions work along a continuum: if one is elevated, so too are the others; but if one is tarnished, the others are negatively impacted too. The result is that no single dimension can be ignored in this process. Brand managers must understand that efforts to build a human brand far surpass the marketing team. This process requires the mobilisation of every department in the organisation and the commitment of the highest levels of leadership. This research set out to establish whether the human brand is simply a buzzword in marketing, or an idea that has both academic and managerial value. The idea that brands have evolved into animate entities is not yet widely accepted in academic literature. However, this research makes an important contribution to advancing the existing theory on brand perception and current views on brand anthropomorphism. It also provides some guidance as to the exact mechanisms that can be used to build human brands. The findings demonstrated that the human brand is an idea that is real, and one with value for both academics and practitioners, leaving room for much further research. / MT2017

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Strategic Marketing / The cosmetic industry over the years has proven to be one of the fastest growing and most profitable industries globally. In the male cosmetic industry, male grooming, metrosexual and dapper trends have rapidly expanded across global communities and, in recent years, have become a leading trend amongst South African men. These emerging trends subsequently shaped the way businesses and companies expanded product lines and developed marketing strategies. It is imperative that we understand what marketing capabilities companies require to stay abreast of local trends in order to gain a market share and strong brand presence in these expanding categories. Companies invest significant financial resources on marketing in order to have a compelling value proposition against competitors. Understanding the customer and what aspects of brand equity resonate with customers would ensure that companies have a streamlined customer centric marketing plan that meets the customers’ needs and addresses the accurate emotional touch points to capture the customer and encourage resilient repurchase intention. Four hypotheses are posited and in order to empirically test them a sample data set of 208 was collected in South Africa. The results indicate that brand loyalty, brand awareness, perceived quality and brand association positively influences repurchase intention of male branded cosmetic products in South Africa in a significant way. Drawing from the study’s findings, managerial implications are discussed and limitations and future research directions are suggested. / MT2017

D.Phil. (Marketing) / Despite the extensive research undertaken in the subject area of services marketing, much is still unknown about services internal marketing, specifically internal marketing mix elements and how they affect brand awareness in services organisations. This study attempted to address this limitation. The study revolved around eleven internal marketing mix elements and their influence on brand awareness dimensions in the South African car rental industry. Services organisations of which car rental companies are an example playa vital role in South Africa's economy, as services organisations contribute 74% to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GOP). Car rental companies like many other services organisations, are operating in a complex and extremely competitive environment. In order to attract and retain external customers, car rental companies need to focus on programmes to enhance their services delivery. Employees are the most valuable asset of an organisation, especially in the services environment. Internal marketing programmes aimed at employees are crucial to motivate them to improve service delivery to external customers. The four traditional internal marketing mix elements, namely internal product, price, promotion and place, as well as the three services internal marketing mix elements, namely internal people, process, and physical evidence are well known in product and services markets. However, this study contributed to the body of knowledge by adding four recent internal marketing mix elements, namely internal personal relationships, packaging, positioning and performance. Brand awareness refers to the strength of a brand's presence in the customer's mind. Awareness is measured according to the different ways in which customers remember a brand, ranging from recognition (exposure to the brand) to recall (What can be recalled about the brand) (Aaker, 2004:10). Brand awareness recall is associated with three dimensions, namely trustworthiness, overall evaluation and loyalty. In order to establish the influence of the eleven internal marketing mix elements on the brand awareness as perceived by the customers of selected car rental companies, an empirical investigation was conducted. The primary objective of this study was to determine the perceived influence of the different elements of internal marketing on the brand awareness as perceived by selected car rental customers in South Africa. Avis First Car Rental and Hertz were prepared to participate in this study. Combined they have a market share of more than 55%, thus it was believed that they were a fair representation of the car rental industry in South Africa. Probability sampling in the form of directly proportional stratified sampling was used in terms of selecting only customers of the three car rental companies, not including employees. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of internal marketing on the brand awareness perceived by customers, therefore, only customers were selected for the purpose of the study. The sample unit included customers who rented cars from the Avis, First Car Rental and Hertz over a period of three months, namely November 2010 untit January 2011. The sampling elements were customers who rented vehicles at airports, nameLy OR Tambo, Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth, East London, George, Nelspruit, Kimberley and Lanseria and city branches, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth, East London, George, Nelspruit and Kimberley. The required sample size of respondents was between 375 and 750 and the- actue* sample size was 581. The measuring instrument was a questionnaire that included a current and ideal situation. The main technique for analysing data was structural equation modelling and equivalence testing to determine if there was any difference between the status quo and ideal situation as perceived by car rental customers. The empirical investigation conducted among customers of Avis, First Car Rental and Hertz revealed that significant positive relationships existed between the services internal marketing element process and brand recognition, trustworthiness, overall evaluation and loyalty; as well as between the recent internal marketing element internal performance and trustworthiness, overall evaluation and loyalty. These relationships imply that if car rental companies improve their internal process and performance, the brand awareness of the car rental company would improve. Other internal marketing mix elements that positively influenced brand awareness were people (employees), physical evidence, personal relationships, packaging and positioning. Based on the positive relationships described above, as well as the strong influence internal process and performance have had on brand awareness, a model as guideline to car rental companies was developed. The purpose of the model is to emphasise internal marketing elements on which car rental companies should focus to improve brand recognition, trustworthiness, overall evaluation and loyalty amongst their customers. The model was tested and proved to be applicable to both the status quo and ideal situation. In addition to the model, the study indicated that car rental companies should implement strategies to improve their internal marketing programmes. These strategies will contribute to improvement of employees' satisfaction and subsequently customer satisfaction. Satisfied customers will remain customers of their car rental company and ultimately profits and competitiveness of the particular car rental company will prosper. Eventually employees, customers and car rental companies and the whole economy of South Africa will benefit.