Molntjänster i olika former har fått en allt större roll för IT-drift inom många organisationer. Framförallt grundat i det faktum att molnteknik bidrar till förbättrad drift genom tillgång till ökad skalningsförmåga, vilket möjliggör att organisationer på ett flexibelt sätt kan hantera snabba förändringar vid inkommande arbetsbelastning. Att implementera egen lokal IT kräver även en hög kapacitet och stark resurstillgång, faktorer som inte alltid finns till hands. Beskrivna anledningar tillsammans med effekterna av Covid-19 pandemin har gjort att implementering och bruk av molntjänster ökat.  Fördelarna kommer dock inte utan nackdelar, molntjänster erbjuds ofta via molnleverantörer, vilket i sig inte behöver innebära en riskfaktor. Molntjänsternas struktur går däremot att koppla till en uppsjö av relaterade säkerhetsrisker, vilka till största del måste hanteras av leverantören. Konsumenten blir således beroende av att leverantören bibehåller säkerheten i molnet, ett stort förtroende placeras därmed till en extern aktör. Detta arbete fokuserar därför på att analysera hur konsumenten upplever förtroendet till leverantörens förmåga att bibehålla säkerheten relaterat till de säkerhetsrisker som kunnat kopplas till molntjänster. För att undersöka konsumentens upplevda förtroende till leverantören har en fallstudie med intervjuer som datainsamlingsmetod genomförts, fokus låg på att undersöka individer verksamma inom IT-branschen relaterat till molnfrågor.  Resultat visade på att förtroendet till leverantören i generell bemärkelse är högt, konsumenten litar på leverantörens förmåga att skydda tjänsterna mot intrång och bibehålla tillgängligheten. Vanligen rör det sig om stora välkända aktörer, konsumenten upplevde att detta talade för kapacitet och därmed en säkrare tjänst. Komplikationer uppkommer snarare kring juridiska aspekter och vem som äger tillgång till data, i detta anseende ansågs leverantörerna som mindre förtroendeingivande.

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.

Background: The increasing reliance on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in personalized marketing has reshaped consumer interactions in the digital era. With technological advancements, there is a growing need to explore how AI-driven personalization influences consumer behavior, particularly in satisfaction, loyalty, and ethical considerations. Purpose: This thesis investigates the impact of AI-driven personalized marketing on consumer perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. It aims to understand how trust and ethical considerations such as data privacy and algorithmic bias influence consumer responses and engagement with personalized marketing. Method: Employing a quantitative approach, this study integrates quantitative analysis from surveys conducted on 100 participants. This method provides a comprehensive understanding of the implications of AI-driven personalization. Statistical tools like SPSS were used for data analysis, ensuring rigorous examination of the collected data. Conclusion: The findings reveal a nuanced response to personalized marketing. While AI-driven personalization can enhance consumer engagement and satisfaction, transparency and ethical considerations are critical in securing consumer trust and loyalty. The study underscores the importance of ethical marketing practices and the need for continuous adaptation to technological advancements to align with consumer expectations and ethical standards. This research contributes to academic discussions on personalized marketing and offers strategic insights for integrating technological advancements with consumer-centric approaches in marketing practices.

Studien behandlar fenomenet av datainsamling i försäljningsfrämjande syfte och dess upplevda effekt på personlig integritet för konsumenter. Digital marknadsföringsteknik är en central del av dagens marknader och involverar diverse IT-lösningar för att optimera marknadsföringskampanjer och försäljningsprocesser men även i produktutveckling. Denna undersökning syftar till att studera kundupplevelsen i relation till behandlingen av personlig integritet i e-handelsföretag inom klädbranschen som bedriver datainsamling i vinstsyfte. Problemet som ligger till grund för undersökningen är bristfällig kunskap om datainsamling på individnivå, vilket resulterar i att företag kan använda informationen i kommersiellt syfte för att optimera försäljningsprocessen utan kundens vetskap. Godkännande av integritetspolicy och användarvillkor utan förståelse för innebörden kan resultera i att kunders personliga uppgifter blir en handelsvara och kan upplevas vara integritetskränkande. Frågeställningen lyder därav “Hur upplever höginkomsttagare i Stockholms län, åldrarna 25-34, att deras personliga data behandlas av e-handelsföretag i klädbranschen som samlar in personliga data i kommersiella syften?”. Studien baseras på en social kartläggning som undersökningsstrategi, vilket förutsätter omfattande och detaljerad skildring för verkligheten för att kartlägga i det sociala samhället. Forskningsmetoden, som inkluderar semistrukturerade intervjuer med höginkomsttagare i Stockholms län i åldern 25-34 år, syftar till att söka beteende- och konsumtionsmönster inom den målgrupp som konsumerar mest online i Sverige. Detta för att belysa samband och olikheter över inställningen till behandling av personlig integritet och därmed alstra en djupare förståelse av mänskligt beteende, med hjälp av en tematisk analysmetod. Baserat på tidigare forskning visar integritetsparadoxen att konsumenter tillåter företag att samla in personuppgifter i utbyte mot att den insamlade datan genererar relevanta fördelar med avseende på skräddarsydda annonser. Black Box Society är ett fenomen som inbegriper användningen av algoritmer för att kunna påverka användare i föredragen riktning utan deras vetskap. Resultaten av denna studie belyser viss tilltro gentemot e-handelsföretag, men även oro vid försäljning av tredjepartsdata. Sammantaget är konsumenter medvetna om att datainsamling sker i samband med personlig marknadsföring, men visar mindre förståelse för exakt vilken data som samlas in och insamlingen sker. Denna begränsade förståelse beror förmodligen på att integritets- och användarvillkor upplevs som svårförståeliga vilket hindrar medvetenheten om omfattningen av datainsamling. Dessutom anmärks skillnader i attityder till behandling av personuppgifter då vissa av intervjuobjekten i målgruppen visar en positiv attityd till personliga erbjudanden och vissa menar på att det varken är nödvändigt eller önskvärt, men tolererat. / The study addresses the phenomenon of data collection for sales promotion purposes and its perceived impact on personal privacy for consumers. Digital marketing technology is a central aspect of today's markets and involves various IT-solutions to optimize marketing campaigns, sales processes, and product development. This research aims to examine the customer experience regarding the treatment of personal privacy in e-commerce companies within the clothing industry that engage in data collection with profit purposes. The problem underlying the investigation is the lack of knowledge about individual-level data collection, which allows companies to use the information for commercial purposes to optimize the sales process without the customer's awareness. Approval of privacy policies and terms of use without understanding their implications can result in customers' personal information becoming a commodity and perceived as an invasion of privacy. Therefore, the research question is: "How do high-income individuals, aged 25-34, in Stockholm county perceive the treatment of their personal privacy by e-commerce companies in the clothing industry that collect personal data for commercial purposes?". This study is based on a social survey that presumes an extensive and detailed description of reality in order to map the social community. The research method involves semi-structured interviews with high-income individuals aged 25-34 in Stockholm county to explore their behavioral and consumption patterns. This specific target group represents the highest online consumers in Sweden, aiming to shed light on connections and variations in attitudes towards the treatment of personal privacy and thereby generate a deeper understanding of human behavior, using thematic analysis. Based on earlier research, the integrity paradox shows that consumers allow businesses to collect personal data in exchange for the collected data to generate relevant benefits with regards to personalized ads. Black Box Society is another phenomenon that involves the use of algorithms in order to affect users in a desired direction without their knowledge. The results of this study indicate a certain level of trust towards e-commerce companies, but also concerns regarding the sale of third-party data. Overall, consumers are aware that data collection occurs in the context of personalized marketing but show limited understanding of the exact data collected and the methods of collection. This limited understanding is likely due to the perceived complexity of privacy policies and terms of use, hindering awareness of the extent of data collection. Additionally, differences in attitudes towards the treatment of personal information are observed, as some interviewees in the target group display a positive attitude towards personalized offers, while others consider it unnecessary and undesirable, yet tolerated.

Storytelling is one of the most creative, powerful and effective tools of modern marketing strategies and communication. Due to the expansion of social media, storytelling has become a popular marketing and sales tool that may affect consumer behavior. This research has been conducted from a storytelling perspective with the purpose of finding the correlation between consumer reviews and consumer purchasing behavior. This study focuses on consumer stories which are reflected in terms of product reviews and ratings. Where the correlation between these reviews and ratings and their effects on overall product sales are investigated. The study answers the question, “If reviews & rating have a correlation with consumer purchasing behavior in digital marketing, and if so then how this correlation could be defined?” The data collection and tests have been conducted in a practical environment. The German online stores have been used as the main mode of data collection. Depending on the nature of the data, the quantitative analysis approach has been adopted. By conducting real-time sales data tests, this study fills the gap in previous consumer research studies. The in-depth analysis of results show the correlation between consumer reviews and product sales. The results have revealed that consumer reviews may influence overall product sales and help a consumer in purchasing decision. / Storytelling är ett av de mest kreativa, kraftfulla och effektiva redskapen i modern marknadsföring. På grund av den ökande användningen av sociala medier har storytelling blivit ett populärt redskap för att påverka konsumenternas beteende. Denna studie har utförts från perspektivet av storytelling med syftet att finna en korrelation mellan kundrecensioner och kundernas köpbeteende. Studien fokuserar på kundernas historier som reflekteras i recensioner och betyg, där korrelationen mellan recensioner och betyg och övergripande försäljning undersöks. Studien syftar till att besvara frågan ”Om recensioner & betyg har en korrelation med kundernas köpbeteende i digital marknadsföring, och om så hur kan korrelationen definieras?” Datainsamlingen och testandet har utförts i en praktisk miljö. Tyska online butiker har använts som huvudsaklig metod för datainsamling. På grund av strukturen på data har en kvantitativ analys metod använts. Genom att genomföra tester i realtid, har denna studie kompletterat tidigare forskning kring kundbeteende. Den fördjupade analysen av resultaten visar att det finns en korrelation mellan kundrecensioner och försäljning. Resultaten har visat att kundrecensioner kan påverka försäljningen av produkter och hjälpa en konsument i ett köpbeslut.

Lack of trust is argued to be one of the key reasons behind buyers’ reluctance to purchase online. In mobile commerce (m-commerce), gaining initial trust upon the first visit from prospective consumers highly depends on the design of the website. However, the number of qualitative empirical studies investigating what and how website characteristics affect initial trust in an unfamiliar m-commerce website remains limited. The aim of this thesis was thus to gain a deeper understanding of the influence of website characteristics on initial consumer trust in a m-commerce website, to provide insights for designers. An exploratory case study of the mobile version of an e-vendor’s website was conducted and qualitatively examined through Think-Aloud sessions and semi-structured interviews. By thematically analyzing the data, the following website characteristics were identified as influencing initial trust in an unknown m-commerce website: purposeful and clear visual design, internal design consistency, mobile adaptation and reading experience, content quality, similarity and expectations, social proof and external validation. Based on the insights, the study further provides recommendations to practitioners on how to design trustworthy m-commerce websites, both as support in the design pro-cess and for evaluation purposes. / Brist på förtroende anses vara en av de viktigaste orsakerna till att köpare tvekar att handla online. Att få initialt förtroende vid potentiella konsumenters första besök inom mobil handel (m-commerce) beror mycket på webbplatsens design. Antalet kvalitativa empiriska studier som undersöker vad och hur webbplatsens egenskaper påverkar initialt förtroende för en okänd m-handelswebbplats är dock fortfarande begränsat. Syftet med denna avhandling var således att få en djupare förståelse för hur webbplatsens egenskaper påverkar konsumenternas initiala för-troende för en mobil handelswebbplats, för att ge insikter till designers. En undersökande fall-studie av mobilversionen av en e-handlares webbplats genomfördes och undersöktes kvalitativt genom Think-Aloud-sessioner och halvstrukturerade intervjuer. Genom att tematiskt analysera den insamlade datan identifierades följande webbplatsegenskaper att påverka initialt förtroende för en okänd mobil handelswebbplats: målmedveten och tydlig visuell design, internt konsekvent design, mobilanpassning och läsupplevelse, innehållskvalitet, likhet och förväntningar, socialt bevis och extern validering. Baserat på insikterna ger studien rekommendationer till designers om hur man kan utforma pålitliga m-handelswebbplatser, både som stöd i designprocessen och för utvärdering.

網際網路的成長，促使電子商務快速發展。然而，回顧電子商務的市場現況，即使網路購物規模不斷成長，但是卻仍有54.9%的網路商店未能達到損益平衡，主要原因在於激烈的市場競爭環境導致商品毛利率降低，獲利速度減緩。因此，資策會認為網路商店若想在競爭市場中脫穎而出，網站的技術安全必須值得消費者信任。 　　消費者不願意在網路上購買商品或服務，是因為缺乏對網路購物相關安全性的信任與缺乏對網路上企業可靠性的信任。因此，如何建立消費者對網路商店的「信任」，是企業獲得顧客的關鍵因素。 　　過去文獻指出，信任信念能藉由改善網站的結構性確保來提升，且消費者對網站的信任信念會影響到其信任網站的態度。因此，本研究根據文獻探討的方式找出Cialdini影響力模式及其所會影響的消費者信任信念的各個構面，並利用此模式作為結構性確保的實驗變數來設計網站，從中操弄各項實驗變數以探討各種不同影響力原則影響消費者信任信念之效果。接著，再進一步分析各個信任信念分別如何影響消費者的信任態度，以全盤了解消費者初次瀏覽網路商店網站時，利用Cialdini影響力模式所歸納的網站結構性確保所影響之效果。 　　本研究透過實驗室實驗法模擬網路商店的購物情境，並操控不同Cialdini影響力原則所設計的結構性確保，研究結果發現： 1. 除了「好感」原則的結構性確保外，網站中其餘的結構性確保在消費者瀏覽網路商店時，皆會正向影響到消費者的信任信念。 2. 消費者的「認知診斷」、「認知保證」、「認知信心」、「認知能力」、「認知可靠」、「認知嚮往」等信任信念的各個構面，會正向影響消費者的「信任態度」。 / The e-commerce environment has developed rapidly with the fast growth of Internet. However, by reviewing the market status of e-commerce, there were still 54.9% of Internet shops which couldn’t make the profit and loss balance even the internet shopping was growing constantly. The environment was so competitive that the profit margin of product reduced and the rate of making profits slowed down. Therefore, the Institute for Information Industry advised internet shops to enhance their internet security of websites if they wanted to stand out from the competitive environment. 　Consumers are not willing to purchase the products or services due to the lack of trust in the security of the website and credibility of the internet shops. For this reason, the key to gain the consumers is how to make them trust the internet shops. 　Past researches indicated that the consumer’s trusting beliefs can be enhanced by improving the structural assurance of the website. In addition, these trusting beliefs were positively related to the trusting attitude toward the website. Therefore, we identified the constructs of the trusting beliefs which could be affected by Cialdini’s Influence Model from literature review. We used this model to design the structural assurances of the website as experimental variables to probe the differences of consumer’s trusting beliefs under the model’s principles. Furthermore, we understand the effect of structural assurance by analyzing how the constructs of trusting beliefs affected consumers’ trusting attitude when consumers visit the Internet shop at the first time. 　This research manipulated the principles of Cialdini’s Influence Model to design the structural assurance of website and simulated the situation of internet shopping via laboratory experimentation. The research result was shown as below: 1.　The structural assurances designed by Cialdini’s Influence Model were positively related to the trusting beliefs of consumers except the “Liking” principle. 2.　The constructs of consumer’s trusting beliefs were related to the trusting attitude toward the website positively and respectively.

According to a study at Linköping University, students who study programming need additional assistance beyond the help provided in the course. According to the same survey, the majority of these students indicate that they would pay for private tuition in programming. At the same time, there are students who believe they have the competence to teach others in programming and could consider of doing this against financial compensation. To meet these needs of students, a solution tested in this thesis resulted in the development of a web application to create a C2C platform where students can meet up to exchange knowledge within programming. The development of the web application is varied by design and functionality substantiated by scientific theories. During the project, user testing is performed to get opinions from the potential target group. The work mainly focuses on answering the research questions regardingconsumer trust of the web application’s design. The report shows that it is possible to develop a web application according to the above criteria.

This thesis explores consumer perceptions of corporate sustainability, particularly how the removal of product accessories for environmental reasons is perceived. It highlights the importance of concrete evidence like eco-labeling to support sustainability claims. The study delves into the balance consumers strike between eco-friendly intentions and practical needs like price and functionality, revealing a conflict between idealism and pragmatism. Additionally, it examines how social and cultural factors, including reference groups and family upbringing, shape attitudes towards sustainability. The research emphasizes that companies need to connect with consumers' deeper values to promote sustainable consumption effectively. In conclusion, it underscores the need for genuine transparency and the alignment of corporate actions with consumers' personal values and social contexts to encourage more responsible and sustainable consumption.

本研究之目的在於探究何謂完整之網路企業自律機制？目前廣為採用之信賴標章、規範承諾、網路評分等網路企業自律機制，何者能夠得到消費者信任？網路企業如何透過不同的自律機制，使得消費者認知其交易安全與資訊隱私已被保護？網路消費者如何經由認知其交易安全及資訊隱私已被保護，進而產生其對於網路企業之信任?信賴標章、規範承諾、網路評比等網路企業之自律機制，何者較能夠得到網路消費者的信任？ 過去研究極少著墨於網路自律機制對於消費者信任之影響，本研究除了希望對於缺乏資源及品牌聲譽之網路企業有所啟發外，也探討網路企業在既有的法律、管理及技術之環境架構下，應如何取得消費者信心，並以文獻探討、問卷分析及個案討論與分析等方法來驗證網路自律機制對於消費者信任之影響。 在文獻探討上，本研究針對國內外學者對保護資訊隱私及交易安全之制度及作法、企業自律機制之規範及作法、消費者信心等相關研究加以歸納，並輔以國內外個案研究，一方面摘要學者對以上議題的研究成果與看法，一方面彙整相關文獻，進而發展出本研究相關之研究假設。並從文獻彙整摘要中，提出研究架構及假設，並就各構面及假設之變數賦予操作型定義，選定適宜之統計方法予以檢測，且根據前測問卷之結果，於全省各地進行717份之問卷調查及回收作業。回收之問卷均透過檢查、編碼、整理，並進行樣本特徵、信度與效度分析，進一步驗證及解釋各研究假設。 除了定量分析外，本研究亦由十個與問卷相關的個案中，研究該些網路企業之營運模式、產品、服務及交易流程，了解其自律機制與消費者保護之作法，進而與統計分析相關的資料做交叉分析，並對應先前之研究假設，以進一步分析網路企業自律機制、消費者保護構面與消費者信任之間的關係。 本研究結果包含三部份，分別為自律機制(信賴標章、承諾規範、網路評比)與消費者保護(資訊隱私保護認知、交易安全保護認知)之關係、消費者保護與消費者信任之關係、自律機制與消費者信任之關係；最後提出五項管理意涵，包括網路企業得到消費者信任之重要因素及關鍵因素、網路企業如何建立專屬的自律機制及消費者保護機制、進而發展值得信賴的網路購物環境。 / The objective of this article is to study on what a complete self-regulatory mechanism of an internet business is, The article also explore if the existing online self-regulatory mechanisms including trustmarks, commitments and rankings are able to get trust of consumers, in order to let consumers recognize their personal data and security of online transactions being protected, thus consumers are able to trust the internet business they deal with? Which of the above existing self-regulatory mechanisms is more capable to get trust of consumers? Even though limited literatures focus on the impact of online self-regulatory mechanisms to trust of consumers, by methodology of literature reviews, quantitative research and case studies, this article not only contributes to internet businesses with limited resources and brand awareness, but also contributed to those internet businesses, under a framework of regulations, management and technology, willing to get trust of consumers. There are also hypotheses to testify relationships between online self-regulatory mechanisms, consumer protection (of personal data and security for online transactions) and trust of consumers. After reviews on literatures of various self-regulatory mechanisms, internet data privacy, transactional security, consumer protection, trust of consumers, this article proposes a research framework including 3 main hypotheses, 3 independent variables, 2 intermediary variables, 1 dependent variables and their operational model. To testify the hypotheses, this article collected 717 samples of survey around the island and 10 case studies. Utilizing multiple regressions and related statistics analyses, most of the hypotheses are supported. Comparing with 3 dimensions of transactional process, self-regulatory mechanisms and consumer protection, 10 cases are found similar to the testing result of hypotheses, but also remained spaces of improvement. At last, this article concludes with 5 managerial implications, including key successful factors and critical factors to get trust of online consumers, how to build a proprietary self-regulatory and a consumer protection mechanisms, thus to set up a complete trustworthy online shopping environment.