Background: The authors tentatively believe they have identified a new trend within branding, where an established brand launches a new and innovative product that is somehow related to the brand’s core values, interactively through a complementary marketing communication video. Support for the relevance to further investigate the identified trend can be found in academic literature. Due to today’s competitive marketplace, several researchers emphasize the importance to further explore and evaluate creative customer-based brand equity-building strategies. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explore the identified trend and whether this identified trend can assist in building customer- based brand equity. The authors of this thesis use the Volvo LifePaint campaign as a case for the study. The research questions concerns what associations consumers make to the launched product when being exposed to its complementary marketing communication video, and whether these associations are transferable to the brand. Method: The method of this research was qualitative and the primary data collection was collected through 10 semi-structured interviews, as well as observations through netnography. Conclusion: Based on the findings from the case study, the authors conclude that the identified trend may serve as a creative branding strategy for an established brand, to assist in building customer-based brand equity. However, the authors noticed that unfavorable associations also may be created and transferred, which potentially can harm the brand.

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to provide a holistic understanding of how Facebook is used by professional team sport organizations to strengthen customer based-brand equity and how these attempts are perceived by the customers with a focus on the derived benefits. Frame of reference: Customer-based brand equity is conceptualized, modified and employed to the realm of Facebook. Moreover, a communication model is modified in order to link marketing communications in a hypermedia environment with customer-based brand equity.  Methodology: An abductive approach is chosen and a collective case study applied as research strategy. The selected cases are Manchester United and Arsenal London. Firstly, quantitative content analysis is used to analyze the Facebook pages of both cases. Secondly, eleven semi-structured interviews are conducted to understand the customer’s perception of and values associated with the respective club’s Facebook page. Conclusions: The findings of this thesis show that a firm’s usage of Facebook as a medium of communication can strengthen customer-based brand equity. While in both cases most Facebook content evolves around product related posts, it is found that the clubs communicate slightly different. Arsenal posts significantly more non-product related content involving fans than ManU. The communication tool that is most intensively used by both organizations is the link, forwarding users to the official website. The identified benefits on behalf of the interviewees embrace fan identification and peer-group acceptance as well as socializing/companionship, emotions and entertainment. Visuals have been identified as important among the sample. Customers strongly value content that evolves around non-product related posts that focus on fans, while fan integration is generally demanded in a more qualitative manner

Problematization: Studies  indicate  that there  is  a  lack  of  strong  brands  among  the  Swedish mobile  network  operators.  Problems  of  retaining  customers  are  common  among  the  big operators. Few studies on brand equity for intangible products have been done.   Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate which factors  influence  brand equity in the Swedish service sector of mobile network operators.   Theory: This  paper is  limited  to  one  aspect  of  brand  equity,  namely  customer  based  brand equity. Common  constructs of  customer  based  brand  equity are:  brand  awareness,  brand associations, brand loyalty, and perceived quality.    Methodology: The  data  was  collected  with  self-administered  delivery  and  collection questionnaires, which were distributed among university students.   Data: 400 questionnaires were handed out and 363 responses were valid.   Results  and  Conclusion: This  study  indicates  the  importance  of  brand  associations,  brand loyalty, and brand trust for establishing customer based brand equity among the Swedish mobile network operators.

Given the rise of social media and the growing importance of influencers on consumer behavior, gaining an understanding of how influencers and the practice of influencer marketing impact the brand from the consumer's perspective is crucial. Additionally, a significant amount of companies compete for consumers' attention in today's market. Consequently, it is essential to comprehend how to foster strong brand equity in order for brands to compete. A research gap identified in this study is the lack of research examining the four dimensions of brand equity in relation to influencer marketing considering source credibility and brand-endorser fit. Earlier studies have focused on dimensions of brand equity separately, not taking all of them into account. Additionally, academic research has to be undertaken to enhance our understanding of influencer marketing.  Considering the research gaps, this study aims to develop a deeper understanding and extend the knowledge of how influencer marketing on Instagram affects different aspects of customer-based brand equity considering source credibility and brand-endorser fit on Generation Z consumers through the research question: How does influencer marketing through brand-endorser fit and source credibility on Instagram influence customer-based brand equity among Generation Z consumers?  The study employed a qualitative research methodology, and ethical considerations were given constant thought during the course of the study's execution. The theoretical framework presents theories focusing on influencers and influencer marketing, brand-endorser fit, eWOM, source credibility, and brand equity. Ten semi-structured interviews with people from Generation Z were carried out in order to collect the data. All of the interviews focused on the consumers' experiences of influencer marketing on Instagram and the impact it has had on their perceptions of brands, which were then examined thematically. The qualitative study has provided extensive insights into how Generation Z consumers perceive the impact of influencer marketing on brand equity. The findings indicate that influencer marketing has an impact on each of the dimensions of brand equity, both positive and negative, through the factors of source credibility, brand-endorser fit, exposure, and eWOM. The analysis discloses that a good fit between the brand and the influencer, followed by the perceived credibility of the influencer through either trustworthiness, expertise, or attractiveness, or all of them, can foster positive eWOM and a positive view of the brand. Exposure has shown to have a beneficial effect on awareness of a brand but, incongruously, a negative effect on perceived quality. It also showed how strong the brand is perceived to be will impact influencer marketing has an effect on the dimension of brand equity.  In addition to theoretical contributions, the thesis offers implications for managers and marketers by providing a deeper understanding of how the use of influencer marketing affects the brand. The thesis offers managers insightful information that can be used to create effective marketing strategies in order to compete in today's market by helping them understand how customers perceive the impact of influencer marketing on brands.

Due to highly competitive destination markets, destination branding techniques are becoming popular among destination marketers. The destination marketers tend to leverage their destination brand value to other products associated with the destination brand (referred to as brand extension). This thesis investigated how customer-based brand equity for a tourist destination can be transferred to products associated with a destination brand. Specifically, the effect of destination image on preference for products associated with a destination brand was investigated. The relationship between destination image, consisting of a cognitive component and an affective component, and preference for products associated with the destination brand was examined. Also, the relationship between tourists' destination preference and preference for products associated with a destination brand was investigated. Both cognitive image and affective image of destination are positively related with preference for products associated with a destination brand. It is revealed that preference for destination is also positively related to preference for products associated with a destination. / Master of Science

Introduction: Counterfeiting is considered as the crime of the 21st century. A highly affected market of counterfeits is the market of luxury branded goods. These goods are bought by consumers who want to express their social class and belonging by being admired, recognized and accepted by other people. The counterfeits of luxury brands that flourish on the market makes it possible for anyone to be a luxury brand user which is against the core of luxury brand, which strives for a low distribution to keep the demand high to be able to keep the consumer associations of luxury brands.   Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to create knowledge of how counterfeit products affect the consumer perception of luxury brands. Methodology: The research approach was a deductive, quantitative research and the data was collected through a questionnaire distributed through Facebook and the internal e-mail of the Linnaeus University. The sample frame was generation Y in Sweden. A total of 432 completed questionnaires were collected and was the foundation for the analysis and result.   Conclusion: The consumers' perception of counterfeit products have a negative effect on the consumer perception of luxury brands. Both the consumer's brand associations and how consumers perceive the quality of luxury brands are affected by counterfeit products. However, what the consequences are of this negative relationship cannot be answered by the result of this thesis.

Thesis (MTech (Marketing))--Cape Technikon, 2002. / Brand image has long been recognised by marketers and brand researchers alike as an important concept in marketing. Brand image as defined by Keller (1993), is complex and consists of perceptions about a brand as reflected in memory by the brand associations held in consumer memory. These brand associations are the other informational nodes linked to the brand in memory and contain the meaning of the brand for consumers. Brand image in turn will impact on customer-based brand equity which Keller (1993) defmes as the differential effect that overall brand knowledge has on consumer response to the marketing effort of a brand. This study investigates the importance and relevance of brand image and its impact on customer-based brand equity in a high-involvement purchase, using the MBA market as the field of study. Based on the findings of the research conducted by Markinor (2001) regarding the perceptions of business schools by MBA graduates in South Africa, the writer developed an Integrated Brand Management Model which will serve as a conceptual framework for managing the "brand gap", defined as the gap that exists between brand identity (as proposed by the organisation), and brand image (as perceived by the consumer). Furthermore, the model illustrates the dimensions of brand identity that need to be managed on an ongoing basis by brand managers to ensure the success of a brand, and the resultant impact that this management process will have on the various dimensions of brand equity.

Konkurrensen bland företag har blivit allt hårdare och det har således blivit svårare för företag att utmärka sig gentemot konkurrenter. Företag måste därför differentiera sig för att bli ihåg komna av konsumenterna, och de företag som erbjuder identiska produkter och tjänster måste arbeta än mer intensivt för att utmärka sig. Ett sätt för företag att differentiera sig är genom varumärkesdifferentiering. Av den anledningen har syftet med denna studie varit att få förståelse för i vilken utsträckning konsumenter kan urskilja företag som agerar på homogena marknader. Denna studie använde sig av teorier som har fokuserat på varumärkesdifferentiering. Brand Equity och Customer-based Brand Equity är teorier som främst ser till konsumenters varumärkesmedvetenhet, deras associationer, hur de uppfattar kvaliteten och lojaliteten de känner gentemot ett varumärke. Baserat på teorierna som användes, tillämpades huvudsakligen en kvalitativ metod. Detta då det ansågs mest lämpligt för att få en sådan djup förståelse som möjligt för fenomenet, vilket genomfördes via fokusgrupper. Däremot har även kvantitativa inslag använts genom en enkätundersökning, vilket bidrog med en övergripande insikt och hittade områden som belystes mer ingående i fokusgrupperna. Studien visade initialt att konsumenterna trodde att de kunde urskilja företag som agerar på homogena marknader och de uttryckte starka åsikter och tankar gentemot dem. Vad s omdäremot framkom i denna studie var motsatsen till detta. Slutsatser som kan dras från denna studie var att konsumenterna i själva verket var ovetande om vilket företag de faktiskt besökte och kunde därav inte urskilja dem. Vilket tyder på att konsumenter inte är kapabla till att urskilja företag som agerar på homogena marknader. Funderingar väcktes därav kring hur viktig varumärkesdifferentiering verkligen är på homogen marknader.

The green trend has exploded on the skin care market, as it is the fastest growing sector in the world market compared to other green cosmetic products. However, previous literature has primarily focused on cosmetics rather than skin care, which is why this study uses an exploratory and qualitative approach to study the attitudes Swedish consumers have towards skin care brands. The study aims to test the applicability of Keller’s (2001) Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) model pyramid in a growing brand segment, to understand which aspects of green skin care brands consumers find to be important. Furthermore, this study provides managerial implications to help brands develop marketing strategies on how to strengthen the consumer-brand relationship. The findings indicate that there are opportunities for green skin care brands to increase their brand equity with the help of Keller’s brand building blocks. However, the findings suggest that green skin care brands need to focus on strengthening how consumers perceive the price and performance of green skin care products in order to establish a strong brand. Ultimately, the study presents a revised CBBE model that highlights the established subdimensions of green skin care brands and those that are in need of improvement.

With the internet's rampage, the possibilities for consumer-driven distribution of information are massive. One way to use this inter-consumer approach is to encourage existing customers, or ambassadors, to invite their friends and family to become a part of the brands success. But how can companies motivate existing customers to play a more important role in the brand expansion? The purpose of this thesis is to explore the motives and triggers for existing customers to invite friends, to become new customers. This by combining the empirical data collected from telephone interviews and web surveys, with theories on brand equity and inter-consumer marketing. To delimit the thesis, only motives connected to the marketing of premium products with a high customer involvement have been analyzed. For this purpose, Mackmyra Svensk Whisky AB was chosen. The empirical delimitation of this thesis is thus the customers of Mackmyra. The results showed that the motives that are perceived motivational differ from person to person. The incentives identified as more prevalent than others were access to unique products, priority to limited editions, possibility to experience the company from the inside, invitations to exclusive events, price reductions and points to exchange for merchandise.The identified incentives were segmented. After the segmentation, every company should carefully consider which segments to target, as those best suited for incentive programs differs from case to case.