Corporate Social Responsibility has grown in importance of the present society and therefore becomes a meaningful operation for companies today. Since the society is structured by consumers, companies have been forced to adapt this concept in their work, by the reason of keeping and gaining the consumers. For companies to be able to do so, they have to understand their customers and be aware of the different consumers purchase intention. These intention have shown to differ in regard of different industries, which is why this study have chosen to focus on the food industry, where the criticisms for the CSR initiatives are high. Consequently, the purpose of the study is to describe how consumers’ in the food industry perceive CSR and to explore how the perceived CSR affects their purchasing intention. Two research questions were made and to be able to answer these, relevant theories was established. The research was conducted using a quantitative study and a descriptive approach to analyze the collected data. The collection of data was made through nine interviews, divided into three involvement level for the reason of including all kinds of consumers. The results found that the general brand appearance is reflected in the companies’ products and therefore made their purchase based on this. The consumers perceived it hard to gain credible knowledge of companies CSR which leads them to make their purchase based on responsible certified labelling or recognition of the products instead. The consumers have a higher credibility for the negative information about companies. They therefore acts with CSR as a purchase criterion of this as they exclude products from this kind of companies. The consumer did however not act with CSR as a purchase criterion if the price was too high, as this was of a greater importance than CSR for the consumers. Because of the low information level and the low credibility, the consumers rather makes their decision based on what they perceive as less irresponsible instead of what they perceive as responsible. Keywords: CSR, Corporate Social Responsibility, Consumer perception, Consumer awareness, Consumer values, Consumer attitudes, CSR purchase criterion

This thesis explores the relationship between designer intent and consumer response. A novel approach to evaluate the degree of correspondence between designer intent and consumer perceptions has been proposed. The empirical results have shown the influence of consumers’ cultural backgrounds on the way they perceive semantic and symbolic product personalities (characteristics of a product and its owner, respectively), comparing British and Japanese consumer groups. Semantic product personalities are more likely to be universally perceived and more easily intentionally elicited from consumers than symbolic product personalities. The research project consists of a pilot study (Phases I) and an experiment (Phase II) in which mixed methods of interview and survey are employed. Phase I seeks to explore the in-depth understanding of a designer’s thoughts by interviews, and to develop and test newly elaborated consumer surveys termed Designer-driven semantic differentials and Consumer-driven adjective selection. The findings have been considered to construct an analytical framework, characterised by Agreement among consumer perceptions and Correspondence between designer intent and the consumer perceptions, for evaluation of designers’ elicitation of intended product personalities from consumers. Phase II conducts a statistical examination of the impact of cultural difference on consumer perceptions under experimental conditions. The perception of target and non-target consumer groups as categorised by nationality were gauged by Designer-driven semantic differentials and Personality selection, specifically perception of USB sticks designed by three different designers. The survey results are analysed by using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and Chi-squared test within the analytical framework. Subsequently, the results from Phase I and II are extensively discussed based on a framework based on brand personality and Affect Control Theory, both of which may involve potential impact on the development of design research into product development with emotional attachment. The scene is set for future research opportunities based on the approach and findings of this study.

Aim The aim of the study is to test the relationship between augmented reality and the Swedish millennials’ purchase intention of shopping goods. Methods A survey was distributed online to Swedish millennials (born between the years of 1982 and 2000). Non-probability sampling was conducted in order to collect primary data by making use of convenience and snowball sampling. A total amount of 408 valid responses were collected which were analysed by correlation, linear regression and moderation regression analyses. Results The variables related to augmented reality (product perception, risk perception, augmented reality experience, hedonic experience and utilitarian experience) were found to be significantly related to the consumers’ purchase intention. The relationship between product perception and purchase intention was found to be moderated by the online experience with augmented reality. However, no proof was found that perceived risk when shopping online is moderated by using augmented reality. Conclusion Augmented reality can be used as a tool to enhance the consumers’ perception of the offered product and therewith raise the online purchase intention of Swedish millennials for shopping goods. The efficiency and informative aspects that augmented reality can provide are especially appreciated. Therefore, this study can recommend online retailers to introduce an augmented reality strategy in order to raise Swedish millennials’ purchase intention of shopping goods and therewith increase the sales numbers.

nÃo hà / O varejo de alimentos à o segmento de maior destaque na economia brasileira, com estimativa de crescimento de 8% em 2012, o que denota um mercado de alta atratividade, considerando que a expectativa de crescimento do paÃs à de 2%, com inflaÃÃo de 5%. Este desempenho atrai investidores internacionais, fazendo com que as grandes redes varejistas mundiais ingressem no paÃs, adquirindo, realizando fusÃes ou inviabilizando a permanÃncia dos pequenos supermercados que, como forma de se manterem no mercado, buscam associaÃÃo em Centrais de NegÃcios. A Central de NegÃcios cearense SUPER REDE tem destaque nacional, sendo apontada pela AssociaÃÃo Brasileira de Supermercados â ABRAS, como a maior Central de NegÃcios do paÃs no item faturamento hà 03 anos consecutivos. Uma das estratÃgias adotadas pela SUPER REDE na composiÃÃo de seu mix de produtos à a marca prÃpria. O presente estudo tem como objetivo principal analisar a percepÃÃo da marca prÃpria SUPER REDE com base nas dimensÃes propostas por David Aaker, no que diz respeito à Lealdade, Qualidade Percebida, Conhecimento da Marca e AssociaÃÃes de Marca por parte do consumidor. O estudo realizado caracteriza-se como exploratÃrio e descritivo, de natureza qualitativa, com revisÃo bibliogrÃfica dos temas transversais e levantamento de dados por meio de questionÃrios estruturados, com perguntas abertas e fechadas. A percepÃÃo de valor à considerada um diferencial com forte efeito na decisÃo de compra. Os resultados encontrados mostram-se relevantes, na medida em que sinalizam a importÃncia, a interligaÃÃo e o efeito das dimensÃes no negÃcio, constituindo-se contribuiÃÃo para a academia e para Centrais de NegÃcios com marca prÃpria.

Syfte Syftet med denna studie är att få en ökad förståelse för hur kännedomen omglobalaoch butikers egnavarumärken påverkar en konsuments uppfattning av en produkt. Metod En kvantitativ metod har utförts genom två experiment som kompletterats med en enkät. Data har analyserats med hjälp av deskriptiv statistik, t-test och en korrelationsanalys där resultaten tagits vidare in i en diskussion som har ageratunderlag för studiens slutsats. Resultat och slutsats Både varumärkeskännedom och smakupplevelse påverkar konsumenters uppfattning om det globala och butikskapade varumärket. Konsumenterna går efter smakupplevelse och föredrar den smak de tycker bäst om medan varumärkeskännedomen påverkar den redan upplevda smaken sombättre eller sämre beroende på hur hög eller låg kännedomen är. Uppsatsens bidrag Min studie bidrar till att öka förståelsen för vilken påverkan varumärkeskännedom och smakupplevelse omglobalaoch butikers egna varumärken kan ha på enkonsuments uppfattning av colaprodukter. / Aim The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding towards how the knowledge of global brands and store brands effect a consumer’s perception of a product. Method A quantitative method has been conducted through two experiments, supplemented with a survey. Data has been analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test and a correlation analysis where the results have been carriedout into a discussion that has acted as support for the study ́s conclusion. Results and conclusion Both brand awareness and taste experience affect consumers' perceptions of the global brand and store brand. Consumers prefers the product they think tastes thebest and the affect brand awareness has is thatthe already experienced flavor of the product either perceives to tastebetter or worse depending on the strength of the awareness. Contribution My study helps to increase understanding of what impact brand awareness and taste experience of a global and a store brandhave on a consumer's perception of cola products.

Abstract  Background: Due to recent geopolitical issues, ethnocentrism has had a noticeable rise. However, the effect of consumer ethnocentrism on purchase intentions has received little prior research. An especially noticeable lack of previous research is within intangible products such as services. The ethnocentric consumer is assumed to be biased towards products and services from his or her own country and reluctant to consume products from abroad. An industry that is often disregarded in business research is the aviation industry. In 2022, Swedish and Finnish airports oversaw a total of approximately fifty-five million passengers, making it a large business with little attention directed towards it. The industry is fragile concerning economic cycles and especially brittle in external challenges such as the covid pandemic. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of consumer ethnocentrism on purchase intentions towards home national airlines through shaping individual perceptions of home national airlines and how this effect is moderated by the status of frequent fliers and gender.  Method: This study uses a quantitative research method, based on an online survey with 132 respondents in Sweden and Finland. We test our research model with seven research hypotheses based on the survey data.  Findings & Contributions: Our findings indicate that individual ethnocentrism directly increases the purchase intention of Swedish and Finnish consumers towards home national airlines and indirectly enhances the purchase intention of Swedish and Finnish airline consumers by increasing consumers’ perceptions. Our study also reveals that the positive effect of individual ethnocentrism on consumer purchase intention towards home national airlines is weaker among frequent fliers. However, our study does not find differences in the effect of individual ethnocentrism between males and females. In terms of research contributions, our thesis gains a better understanding of the effect of individual ethnocentrism on consumers’ purchase intention by investigating the mediators and moderators and contributes to the research on consumer behaviours.

Syfte: Syftet med detta examensarbete är att skapa förståelse för hur det miljömässiga innehållet i mejerikooperativet Arlas hållbarhetsrapport för 2021 påverkar unga konsumenters uppfattning om företaget med utgångspunkt i legitimitetsteorin. Metod: Studien utgår från en kvalitativ forskningsmetod där datainsamling har skett genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med tolv mejerikonsumenter. Insamlade data har sedan sammanställts genom en tematisk analys vilken har följt Braun och Clarkes (2006) upplägg. Resultat och slutsats: Studien visar att mejerikonsumenter påverkas positivt av den miljömässiga informationen som avslöjas i Arlas hållbarhetsrapport 2021. Ett flertal respondenter förändrade sina uppfattningar om företaget till det bättre efter upplästa citat. Några konsumenter ifrågasatte dock vissa måls rimlighet och trovärdighet då efterlevnad av hållbarhetsmål ansågs vara väsentligt. Samtliga nämnda slutsatser går i linje med vad som beskrivs i legitimitetsteorin.  Examensarbetets bidrag: Studien bidrar med ökad förståelse kring hur unga konsumenter upplever mejerikooperativet Arla utifrån företagets hållbarhetsrapport för 2021 och om den miljömässiga informationen därifrån bidrar till ökad legitimitet. Undersökningens resultat bidrar även med teoretisk kunskap vilken kan vidareutvecklas och ligga till grund för fortsatt forskning inom området. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Ett förslag till fortsatt forskning är att applicera samma tillvägagångssätt som använts i denna studie på andra branscher utanför mejeriindustrin. Det kan även vara av intresse att studera andra intressentgrupper för att sedan jämföra resultaten. Vidare kan studien breddas genom att ta hänsyn till fler perspektiv i hållbarhetsrapporten för att få in fler aspekter. / Aim: The purpose of this thesis is to create an understanding of how the environmental content of the dairy cooperative Arla’s sustainability report affects young consumers’ perceptions of the company based on the legitimacy theory.   Method: The study is based on a qualitative research method where data collection has taken place through semi-structured interviews with twelve dairy consumers. The collected data has then been compiled through a thematic analysis which has followed Braun and Clarke’s (2006) approach.   Result and Conclusions: The study shows that dairy consumers are positively affected by the environmental information revealed in Arla’s sustainability report 2021. Respondents emphasized that their perception of the company changed for the better after hearing the quotes. Some consumers questioned the reasonableness and credibility of certain goals, compliance with sustainability goals was considered essential. All conclusions relate to what is described in legitimacy theory.  Contribution of the thesis: The study contributes to an increased understanding of how young consumers experience the dairy cooperative Arla based on their sustainability report for 2021 and whether the environmental information from it contributes to increased legitimacy. The results from the study provided theoretical knowledge, which can be further developed in continued research. Suggestions for future research: A proposal for further research is to apply the same approach used in this study to other companies outside the dairy industry. It may also be of interest to study other stakeholder groups and compare the results. Furthermore, the study can be broadened by including more perspectives in the sustainability report to include more aspects.

Background: In the topic of marketing, Artificial Intelligence has a tremendous influence on social media. Deepfake technology which is a product of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) is the tool that simplifies the creation of hyper-realistic videos. In general, this technology has been used in identification thefts, pornographic, propaganda, and spreading misinformation. Thus, this study wonders about the possibility of using this technology in marketing. Therefore, this study focuses on Consumer perception connected to concepts such as Consumer attitude, Consumer trust, and Brand authenticity  Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how customer attitude, consumer trust, and brand authenticity are influenced by deepfake videos to understand consumer perceptions towards deepfake videos.  Methodology: This abductive master’s thesis employed a qualitative approach to collect empirical data. Drawing inspiration from semi-structured interviews, questions were formulated for use in five focus groups comprising a total of 24 participants. Thematic analysis was employed as the research methodology to code and categorize the transcriptions. The data obtained from the focus groups were transcribed and coded using Delvetool.  Findings: Consumer perception on the use of deepfake technology in marketing, noting both opportunities and concerns. While deepfake offers potential for brand expansion and streamlined content creation, its illegal use poses societal risks. Participants expressed mixed feelings about deepfake technology, finding it both impressive and daunting. For marketing, deepfake simplifies content creation but must be used legally and aligned with brand identity. Transparency and credibility are crucial to shaping consumer attitudes and trust, which in turn affect brand authenticity. Misuse of deepfake content can harm brand image and credibility, leading to negative consumer perceptions and behaviors. Ultimately, whether perceived positively or negatively, deepfake use influences consumer behavior, either fostering brand loyalty or eroding trust and advocacy.

Master of Science / Department of Agricultural Economics / John A. Fox / The concept of animal cloning was first introduced to the public’s attention in 1996 with the birth of “Dolly the Sheep,” the first mammal to be cloned. Now, after more than a decade the technology has reached a point of feasibility on a commercial scale. With the publication of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration risk assessment on animal cloning in 2008, a report that concluded that the technology was safe and posed no risk to consumers, the issue has received renewed attention. In this thesis I use survey data to examine attitudes to the use of cloning in animal food production among samples of college students in the U.S., Ireland, France, Honduras, and China. Stated likelihood of consuming meat products from cloned animals is correlated with individual characteristics including socio-demographic variables (gender, and farming background) and attitudinal variables measuring concern about various food technologies. In addition, using ordered logit modeling, we examine how respondents might change their probability of consuming cloned products after being provided with information about scientific assessments about the safety of cloning and possible price reductions for cloned products. The analysis shows that: a) respondents in the U.S. and Honduras were more likely than those in other countries to indicate that they would consume cloned products, b) on average, respondents in all countries increased their stated likelihood of consuming cloned products when informed that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Food Safety Authority had assessed cloned foods as safe for human consumption, and c) individuals who were opposed to cloning on moral grounds were significantly less likely to consume cloned product and furthermore were less likely to respond positively to information about the safety of cloning.

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to identify particular features and attributes  that communicate quality in printed advertisements in order to further understand consumer perception of these quality features. Background: Nowadays, cultural images of youthfulness are promoted by media and advertising. Previous research indicate that price, brand name and store names are the most influencing features concerning the quality perception for consumers. However, advertising permits consumers to have access only to a specific level of information regarding the product. Printed advertisement do not present the common attributes such as price or store name that permit to evaluate quality. Therefore this study will examine the features and attributes that communicate quality in printed advertisements from the consumer’s perspective. Method: The purpose of this thesis was fulfilled by conducting a magazine content analysis of advertisements and by conducting interviews with women in the age between 45-60 years old. To analyze the results, theories connected to quality perception and advertising were used. Conclusion: Three interrelated categories were identified to play a significant role in the quality perception: credibility, exclusivity and emotions. When in accordance with each other and in balance, the presence of these categories influence the quality perception. / Syfte: Syftet med den här studien är att identifiera särskilda faktorer och attribut som kommunicerar kvalité i tryckt reklam i syfte att vidare förstå konsumenters uppfattning av dessa kvalitetsattribut. Bakgrund: Nuförtiden främjas bilder av ungdomlighet i media och reklambranschen. Tidigare studier indikerar att pris, varumärke och butiksnamn är de faktorer som mest påverkar  konsumenters kvalitetsuppfattning. Dock tillåter reklam konsumenter att ha tillgång endast till en specifik nivå av information angående produkten. Tryckt reklam presenterar inte allmänna attribut såsom pris eller butiksnamn som tillåter utvärdering av kvalité. Därför kommer den här studien att granska faktorer och attribut som kommunicerar kvalité i tryckt reklam från konsumentens perspektiv. Metod: Syftet med den här studien blev uppfyllt genom utförandet av en innehållsanalys av anti-age reklamer i tidningar och genom intervjuer med kvinnor i åldern mellan 45-60 år. Till analysen av resultaten användes teorier med anknytning till kvalitetsuppfattning och reklam.  Slutsats: Tre sammanhängande kategorier var identifierade att spela en betydande roll i kvalitetsuppfattning: trovärdighet, exklusivitet och känslor.  När i enlighet med varandra och i balans, gör närvaron av dessa kategorier att kvalitetsuppfattningen påverkas.