In China, an increasing number of individuals and companies are adopting microblogging, a popular form of social media, in order to connect and interact with other people, and recent online events indicate the power of microblogging in Chinese society. Holding the belief that microblogging brings out the interactive nature of new media as well as the audiences, many companies are exploring microblogging in order to better communicate with their audiences. However, very little is known about how those brands use microblogging to promote themselves and what the audiences’ preferences are on this platform. Employing uses and gratifications and feminism theories, this study examined how fashion brands use Weibo.com, one of the main microblogging platforms in China, to promote themselves and what the Chinese women, the main audience of both Weibo.com and fashion brands, ask for from fashion brands’ tweets. The quantitative content analysis of the tweets of three major fashion brands, namely Burberry, Louis Vuitton, and Bvlgari, shows the general pattern of how microblogging are being deployed. A further investigation was conducted through ethnographic content analysis in order to examine the implicit values conveyed by fashion brand’s tweets and the audiences’ preferences towards these values. Results from the analyses revealed that the prevailing topics covered in the fashion brands’ tweets included their products, related celebrities, and the brands’ events or projects, and fashion brands usually combined several topics in one tweet in order to provide more information to the audiences. Taken a deeper look at the latent message of the tweets, fashion appears to play a positive role in emancipating contemporary Chinese women.

Nestlé belongs to leading food and beverages companies in the world for almost 140 years. Throughout the time of its existence it expanded geographically and broadened its product portfolio. Nowadays, Nestlé delivers its products to 130 markets worldwide and manages a wide portfolio of both food and nonfood products. To the success of Nestlé company contribute high-quality products based on long-term research and development, as well as accurate planning and strategic management decisions about launching new brands into the market and precise planning of brand expansion into international markets. The objective of this diploma thesis is to analyse strategies, which Nestlé company uses for successful managing of international, regional and local brands.

The thesis Impact Analysis of Music Events of Selected Beverage Brands describes the way certain beverage companies use music events to communicate with customers and how event marketing contributes to raising public awareness. The theoretical part focuses on marketing and commercial communication and also on event marketing and its relation to a brand. In the practical part, which is based on a research conducted by means of a questionnaire, the impact of events on end consumer's brand perception is analysed. This analysis is accompanied by an expert interview with a Jägermeister representative, followed by opinions of other professionals who give their point of view.

This dissertation highlights the infrequently discussed role of the entrepreneur as founder of disruptive brands creating new categories often in a stealth-like manner. A recent corporate entrepreneurial response being pursued by Fortune 100 corporations’ renown for their branding prowess is examined in the dissertation called strategic brand venturing. Strategic brand venturing (SBV) is a boundary-spanning activity whereby large firms access disruptive brands and entrepreneurial marketing know-how through equity investments in entrepreneurial brands. Using an abductive logic, eleven practitioner-based dimensions of SBV are iteratively refined through comparisons with intersection literature and venturing literature and theory, to arrive at a conceptual model. In the process, comparisons are also made between technology venturing and brand venturing. This model is empirically tested and refined within and across seven case studies from six subsidiaries of global consumer packaged goods corporations in the United States. The final model borrows from prior venture capital and corporate venture capital models but caters for the exigencies of brands and entrepreneurial founders. The model also acknowledges the role of antecedents and the role of influential exogenous communities such as consumers and retailers. Using a realism philosophical perspective, deeper structures and generative mechanisms are uncovered related to strategic and political context factors. The positive benefits through partnership with brand entrepreneurs, and the potential contribution to heightened corporate entrepreneurship in large firms is highlighted. The dissertation concludes with propositions and suggestions for future research as well as implementation implications for practitioners.

The role that brands play in the lives of consumers has changed dramatically over time, from purely functional to instrumental, symbolic and hedonic in nature. Literature supports that brands are major contributors to, and reflections of, consumer identities. Despite this, literature referring to adolescents, brands and identity is lacking. Adolescents are emerging as the most brand-orientated, consumer-involved and materialistic generation in history. This research sought to understand the role of brands in adolescent identity through: i) sourcing literature to understand the role of brands in the formation and manifestation of adolescent identity, and ii) empirically deepening our understanding of how adolescents use brands to form and manifest their identities in an emerging market context. In a qualitative research study using focus groups, the views of four high- and low-income groups of female adolescents were investigated, compared and contrasted. Differences and commonalities were evident among groups around current brands owned versus brands aspired to, whether brands are consumed for the self or for others, and the role of reference groups. The findings showed differences between the high-income groups, suggesting that variances exist due to differing social standings. The findings further suggested commonalities between the low- and high-income adolescents from a lower social standing. These findings suggest the importance and need for further research in understanding the adolescent consumer psyche and proposes ethical considerations on the part of marketers. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Young Black professionals (Buppies) have taken the South African market by storm. These individuals and their parents come from suppressed and poverty-stricken pasts. Since the abolishment of the Apartheid regime, they have been provided with remarkable prospects and have been given the opportunity to participate in the economy. They are a vastly growing consumer segment. However, very little information is available on their needs, desires and motivation. With their newfound wealth and higher-paying professional positions they are now able to spend money on luxury items and in so doing, express how far they have come to the outside world. The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe this dynamic market’s motivations to consume. In order to provide more insight, research was done on their motivation to engage in conspicuous and or status consumption. Previously, these constructs were used interchangeably. However, later research conducted by O’Cass and McEwen (2004) proved these constructs to be empirically different. By determining Buppies’ motivation to engage in conspicuous and or status consumption; this study contributes to the fields of consumer motivation, marketing and retail. It provides insight into the driving force behind the purchasing decisions of this emergingmarket. The theoretical background to the study comprises of a literature review providing detail on conspicuous consumption and status consumption. Some additional information is also provided on studies conducted in the past relating to the motivation to engage in these forms of consumption. The information gathered on conspicuous and status consumption is then used to formulate a conceptual framework and the research objectives in which all of the key concepts and their relationships are clearly outlined. Exploratory survey research design was employed in this study to provide insights into Buppies’ conspicuous and status consumption of clothing brands. The sample consisted of 246 (n=246) Black urban consumers between the ages of 24 and 36, living in Gauteng and currently working in a professional position. Non-probability sampling methods were employed, which included purposive and snowball sampling. Respondents completed an online self-administered questionnaire. To further ensure an appropriate sample, the online questionnaire was also distributed in paper-based format. Since a quantitative research approach was utilised the questionnaire was structured in such a way as to obtain descriptive and inferential statistical data. The questionnaire was then distributed to Buppies, after which descriptive and inferential statistics were used to accurately describe the phenomena. The results of the study indicated that Buppies are more inclined to be motivated by aspects of status consumption than that of conspicuous consumption. Buppies proved to be very aware of the image that they project and how they are seen by others thus indicating that they are motivated by high self-monitoring. The results also indicated that although Buppies do enjoy being part of a group, they do not necessarily desire to communicate their belonging to a specific reference group by utilising clothing as a social cue. / Dissertation (MConsumer Science)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Consumer Science / MConsumer Science / Unrestricted

The brand behind the garment is what gives the product popularity, relevance to the consumer, and overall profitability. As time passes, markets are becoming flooded with more brands that inherently provide the commodities. As a result, fashion marketers must put more time and investment into stipulating ways for which their brand can reach a select target consumer and enhance repeat purchase intentions with their competitive differentiations. As their efforts engage, an experiential perspective emerges in the fashion industry. By comparing fashion brands and their different distribution channels, the objectives of this study are to identify consumers’ perceptions of fashion brand experience dimensions and experience types, and to investigate the effect of brand experience dimensions and types on brand resonance. Upon extending Schmitt and Brakus, Schmitt, and Zarantonello’s experience dimensions and types, in conjunction with Keller’s brand resonance model, 12 out of 20 hypotheses confirm the significant impact of consumers experiences on brand resonance by analyzing the data (n = 374) from a university in the United States. Sensory and affective experiences are primary factors for establishing fashion brand association, while cognitive and relational driven experiences lead to establishing fashion brand loyalty. Sensory, affective, and relational experiences affect both product and store type experiences, while only product experience affects brand resonance. With the depiction of different brand effects, this study concludes that while Forever 21 may focus on relational experiences with the consumer, Gap utilizes positive cognitive experiences to develop a link to brand loyalty and fashion product reliability.

Diploma thesis is about loyalty concept of customer in brand research. Thesis is divided into 2 parts. First part is theoretical introduction into concept of brand loyalty - definition of main terms, analysis of loyalty concept, historical context, possible methods of measurement and chosen theoretical approaches of various authors. Follows overview of measurement methods used by chosen market research agencies for loyalty measurement in practice. Those methods are derived from given theoretical approaches. Practical part consists of own loyalty research by mostly used methods. There were 3 methods used - Loyalty method by Millward Brown, TRI*M used by Aisa agency and Net promoter score, that is often used by companies for "self made" loyalty research. The aim is to compare results of those 3 methods of loyalty measurement. The same sample of respondents was used - the same people in the same time with the same attitude to chosen brand. Results were compared to each other and enriched by several discussions.

Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Communication Science at the University of Zululand, 2011. / This study explores how new technologies are being adapted to advance and retain their market segment.

The foremost argument of this research is that self concept is of fundamental influence in the choices consumers make when purchasing luxury clothing brands. The objective of this research was to determine the relationships between self concept and the experience, attachment and loyalty that consumers have towards brands. The research further sought to confirm the role that identity theory plays in brand consumption. Sixty-nine respondents were surveyed via an electronic tool to understand how they view the role that self concept plays in the experiences they encounter with clothing brands. Experts were also interviewed to gain deeper insights into brands and the importance that communication and branding strategies play in developing brands for consumption. Ttests and bivariate regression was performed in order to determine relationships amongst the constructs. The findings show that consumers place a relatively high importance on the brand experience and self concept constructs. Marketing and advertising companies have an enormous responsibility to ensure that the right messages are communicated to consumers in order to give consumer a positive brand experience. A robust brand strategy and Communications strategy plays a pivotal role in successful delivery of the essence and image of luxury brands. Identity and self concept theory are central to understanding consumer behaviour and consumption decisions. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted