Previous research regarding the effectiveness of signalling via brand name has focused on when and how any brand-building cost incurred, will be rewarded by future profit. In contrast to this seller-incentive perspective, this study examines how the buyer interprets the signal via brand name, the effectiveness of signalling via brand name in terms of buyer value perspective, and how the buyer's reaction toward the signal impacts on the seller's decision to adopt the signalling strategy. Signalling theory and concepts from consumer-based branding research are used to suggest how to evaluate the effectiveness of signalling via brand name in the context of the consumer market, wherein information is asymmetric. Findings from online trading experiments, using the methodology of experimental economics, demonstrate that the function of brand fluctuates according to which market conditions prevail for brand and price, the extent of brand differentiation, and the magnitude of brand-building cost. This suggests an alternative way to measure the value of a brand to the buyer.

The aim of this master thesis is to is to present the company P&P Jewelry Ltd., it's activities and to describe the current way of building brand Lilien Czech Jewelry, as well as an analysis of key markets and on the basis of the results to draft a new strategy of brand building. The first theoretical chapter deals with the specifics of brand building in the offline and online environments. The next part contents presents the company P&P Jewelry Ltd., it's project Lilien Czech Jewelry and markets on which the jewelery is exported. The following chapter focuses on the analysis of the competitiveness of the brand on the most important markets for by using the PEST analysis and the Porter's five forces model. The fourth part analyzes contemporary brand building strategy of the brand Lilien Czech Jewelry. In conclusion of this thesis is analysis of research of customers perception of the brand.

The Diploma thesis is focused on marketing and semiotics and the use of these two fields combined. In the course of the thesis, we will deal with the analysis of single visual marketing modes and the overall impact on perception of the brand and also its ́ building by linking these elements. In the thesis, we will focus on the Gunter Kress ́ theory of multimodality and, in this context, we will focus on the contents of the Brand manual, which is the key to brand building. Attention will be paid to semiotic analysis of logos, utilization of images and photos, colors and fonts and other components important for creating a visual marketing strategy. In the empirical section, two similar brands will be introduced, on which the single modes will be demonstrated and analyzed. Although the two brands are similar to each other, one has a clearly recognizable brand identity, while the other brand is failing. Also, the second brand obviously does not follow the Brand manual. By analyzing and comparing the visual content of these two brands, we will be able to detect errors that may be critical to brand building and may have a negative impact on the perception of the potential clients with the result of brand extinction. In the result of the thesis, we should be able to confirm the importance of using...

Companies today are faced with competitive markets where a large number of similar products and services are offered, which leads to companies with strong brands gaining competitive advantage, as brands facilitate consumers rational decision-making. Previous studies explore the importance of a well-established brand and how to build a strong brand identity through brand identity management (BIM). The studies explain that BIM builds the foundation for wellbeing in the workplace, which in turn is reflected to the customer. Previous studies are aimed at different industries and the purpose of this study is to analyze the importance of a strong brand identity in the fast food industry to contribute more knowledge in that specific industry. The study is deductive with a qualitative approach and thus a qualitative case study has been conducted of Bastard Burgers to answer the research questions, in order to analyze how a company in the fast food industry works with BIM to deliver the brand promise and what result this has on the employees. The results show that brand identity is a crucial factor for companies in today's fast food industry as well as the quality of the food and service. To have a strong brand identity, you need a brand with a personality that is evident through the visuals such as the restaurant's appearance, clothes and logos. The results of the study show that working with BIM strengthens employees' identification with the organization. This in turn results in the employees being more likely to spread positive word-of-mouth, being satisfied with their job and are willing to do the little extra in the workplace.

Over recent years, the concept of brand value has increasingly gained prominence in a variety of contexts. This is primarily due to a brand’s ability to increase profits through a promise of value delivered to customers, which makes it a valuable intangible asset to organisations. A brand’s value can, however, only be managed properly if it is measured and understood so as to ensure optimal growth and survival in an ever-changing, volatile marketplace. This realization has prompted investigations into the assessment of the financial value of a brand in both business/marketing research and practice. However, contrary to customary brands such as products or services, the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA) is a uniquely fused brand, since it operates as a non-profit, member-driven organisation in the private sector of the Southern African inbound tourism industry. This intricate brand structure inevitably necessitates a more specific premise and subsequent measure of brand value, since it cannot be confined to financial value alone. In the light of this, the main purpose of this study was to develop a brand value model for SATSA to examine the value created by this brand and how it is experienced by its members. To date, the majority of research endeavours have focused on the financial value of a brand. Given the essence of this organisation, brand value ought to encompass a range of aspects other merely financial value. The recent downtrend in membership numbers also highlights the need for determining the value members derive from this specific organisation. Knowledge regarding the brand’s value can serve as a means to improve the current value proposition, thereby enabling an increase in satisfaction and loyalty, growth in membership, and overall organisational sustainability. However, research in brand value specifically for non-profit, member-driven organisations such as SATSA, and in the South African tourism industry is particularly limited. In addition to the latter, no formal measuring instrument currently exists whereby brand value can be measured in such a unique context. It is therefore essential for an organisation such as SATSA to identify specific dimensions of brand value and, to determine which dimensions are most likely to influence members’ perceptions of value by examining the relationships between dimensions, to enable maximum leverage of the brand. Therefore, to achieve the above mentioned and the goal of this study, a comprehensive review of the marketing and tourism/non-profit literature was performed, subsequent to which the research was conducted in two phases. The first phase focused on the construction of a measuring instrument to identify the key aspects that contribute to brand value. Expert knowledge, opinion and consensus were obtained relating to the appropriateness of items to be included in the questionnaire. Based on the latter and the literature review, a total of 53 items were deemed acceptable to measure brand value in this particular context. These items formulated in phase 1 were then included in the final questionnaire and measured together with questions pertaining to the business profile of members in phase 2. Phase 2 focused on analysing brand value from members’ perspective. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed online to all members included in the SATSA database (n=718). A total of 268 questionnaires were completed. To address the goal of this study, selected statistical techniques were employed. Two separate factor analyses were performed on the brand value and brand equity dimensions respectively, which revealed reliable and valid factors, and were used as constructs in the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analysis to develop the model. Other statistical techniques included correlations, ANOVAs, and an independent t-test to examine the influence of selected business profile aspects on brand value. The results of the study confirmed that brand value for organisations such as SATSA is, in fact, multifaceted. Brand value in this context therefore consists of financial value, professional trust value, organisational value, network value, social engagement value, in conjunction with brand equity, which is important for developing and sustaining the brand. Professional trust value was also revealed to be a major facet of SATSA’s brand value that requires attention on various levels. The contributions of this research are threefold: From a theoretical point of view, this study is one of the first to identify multiple aspects that specifically contribute to brand value for a non-profit member-driven organisation in the context of tourism, and even more so in a South African context. The development of this model is thus a significant contribution to literature and can be further analysed and tested by other researchers. Secondly, from a methodological point of view, this study sets a benchmark in South African tourism brand value research by designing a reliable questionnaire that measures multiple value aspects for the first time in this context; as well as the construction of a model that captures multiple facets of brand value and reveals unique relationships between specific facets of brand value and brand equity. Thirdly, from a practical perspective the research indicated the current status of SATSA’s brand value, and also equips SATSA with a model that enables them to effectively manage brand value and realise what specifically contributes to increased brand value levels for this organisation. This model can also be tested for organisations with similar brand structures, but also for profit-driven organisations. The information obtained from this study can be applied to conduct a comprehensive assessment of brand value for non-profit, member-driven organisations in the South African tourism industry to encourage value-based management and enable a more proficient value offering. This should lead to optimal member satisfaction, growth in membership numbers and the continuous sustainability of such organisations in South Africa given the competitive operational environment. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Over recent years, the concept of brand value has increasingly gained prominence in a variety of contexts. This is primarily due to a brand’s ability to increase profits through a promise of value delivered to customers, which makes it a valuable intangible asset to organisations. A brand’s value can, however, only be managed properly if it is measured and understood so as to ensure optimal growth and survival in an ever-changing, volatile marketplace. This realization has prompted investigations into the assessment of the financial value of a brand in both business/marketing research and practice. However, contrary to customary brands such as products or services, the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA) is a uniquely fused brand, since it operates as a non-profit, member-driven organisation in the private sector of the Southern African inbound tourism industry. This intricate brand structure inevitably necessitates a more specific premise and subsequent measure of brand value, since it cannot be confined to financial value alone. In the light of this, the main purpose of this study was to develop a brand value model for SATSA to examine the value created by this brand and how it is experienced by its members. To date, the majority of research endeavours have focused on the financial value of a brand. Given the essence of this organisation, brand value ought to encompass a range of aspects other merely financial value. The recent downtrend in membership numbers also highlights the need for determining the value members derive from this specific organisation. Knowledge regarding the brand’s value can serve as a means to improve the current value proposition, thereby enabling an increase in satisfaction and loyalty, growth in membership, and overall organisational sustainability. However, research in brand value specifically for non-profit, member-driven organisations such as SATSA, and in the South African tourism industry is particularly limited. In addition to the latter, no formal measuring instrument currently exists whereby brand value can be measured in such a unique context. It is therefore essential for an organisation such as SATSA to identify specific dimensions of brand value and, to determine which dimensions are most likely to influence members’ perceptions of value by examining the relationships between dimensions, to enable maximum leverage of the brand. Therefore, to achieve the above mentioned and the goal of this study, a comprehensive review of the marketing and tourism/non-profit literature was performed, subsequent to which the research was conducted in two phases. The first phase focused on the construction of a measuring instrument to identify the key aspects that contribute to brand value. Expert knowledge, opinion and consensus were obtained relating to the appropriateness of items to be included in the questionnaire. Based on the latter and the literature review, a total of 53 items were deemed acceptable to measure brand value in this particular context. These items formulated in phase 1 were then included in the final questionnaire and measured together with questions pertaining to the business profile of members in phase 2. Phase 2 focused on analysing brand value from members’ perspective. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed online to all members included in the SATSA database (n=718). A total of 268 questionnaires were completed. To address the goal of this study, selected statistical techniques were employed. Two separate factor analyses were performed on the brand value and brand equity dimensions respectively, which revealed reliable and valid factors, and were used as constructs in the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analysis to develop the model. Other statistical techniques included correlations, ANOVAs, and an independent t-test to examine the influence of selected business profile aspects on brand value. The results of the study confirmed that brand value for organisations such as SATSA is, in fact, multifaceted. Brand value in this context therefore consists of financial value, professional trust value, organisational value, network value, social engagement value, in conjunction with brand equity, which is important for developing and sustaining the brand. Professional trust value was also revealed to be a major facet of SATSA’s brand value that requires attention on various levels. The contributions of this research are threefold: From a theoretical point of view, this study is one of the first to identify multiple aspects that specifically contribute to brand value for a non-profit member-driven organisation in the context of tourism, and even more so in a South African context. The development of this model is thus a significant contribution to literature and can be further analysed and tested by other researchers. Secondly, from a methodological point of view, this study sets a benchmark in South African tourism brand value research by designing a reliable questionnaire that measures multiple value aspects for the first time in this context; as well as the construction of a model that captures multiple facets of brand value and reveals unique relationships between specific facets of brand value and brand equity. Thirdly, from a practical perspective the research indicated the current status of SATSA’s brand value, and also equips SATSA with a model that enables them to effectively manage brand value and realise what specifically contributes to increased brand value levels for this organisation. This model can also be tested for organisations with similar brand structures, but also for profit-driven organisations. The information obtained from this study can be applied to conduct a comprehensive assessment of brand value for non-profit, member-driven organisations in the South African tourism industry to encourage value-based management and enable a more proficient value offering. This should lead to optimal member satisfaction, growth in membership numbers and the continuous sustainability of such organisations in South Africa given the competitive operational environment. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This thesis deals with problems of brand piracy. The main objective is to evaluate the current situation in the various types of piracy, focusing on product piracy especially in the forms of counterfeiting and product imitation. The work consists of a theoretical and a practical part. The first chapter of this part concentrates on the general overview of brand policy. The important role and the value of the brands very much influence the purchasing behavior of consumers and support the presence of non-original products. The second theoretical part is further dedicated to the different types of piracy and legal protection of brands falling under the scope of intellectual property rights. To achieve a more comprehensive view, the practical part considers attitude, shopping behavior and opinions of Czech consumers on this issue.