The aim of this study is to examine whether search engine marketing may influence consumers’ brand awareness in terms of brand recall and brand recognition. The theoretical background derives from the definition and rationale of brand awareness. The study is further based on a theoretical outline of search engine marketing and its components. Furthermore, the Hierarchy of Effects Model is used in order to describe the steps a company may influence consumers in their purchase process. In order to capture consumers’ reasoning and behaviour in the search engine context, a two-way study approach was conducted. Firstly, by letting ten participants conduct a log related to their search engine behaviour, spanning for a period of ten days. Secondly, by conducting semi-structured interviews, using their logs as a base for further discussions. Results from this study show that search engine marketing can have an effect on consumers’ brand awareness by creating initial awareness or by building upon existing awareness. Secondly, in the context of unknown brands, the results show that it had a particular strong effect on brand recognition among the participants. Thirdly, it appeared that SEM can work as a gateway for brands and an enabler for building a brand attitude amongst its potential customers. Lastly, the website experience is a crucial step for brands in order to positively influence consumers in their purchase process.

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory study is to extend the knowledge of how to develop an employer value proposition that conveys an attractive employer brand. Literature Review: Literature reviewed for this study includes the concepts of employer brand, employee value proposition, and different aspects of work attributes (i.e. interest value, social value, economic value, development value, and application value) that together form perceived employer attractiveness. Further literature that is reviewed includes the concepts of attitudes and the hierarchy of effects. Methodology: A mixed-method approach with a deductive logic of inquiry was adopted for this explanatory study, for which primary data of both quantitative and qualitative nature were collected from engineers, through the conduction of web-based self-completion questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Findings: The study found that the involvement and motivation level behind the hierarchy of effects had a significant impact on the perceived value of one of the categories of the work attributes reflecting the employer's attractiveness, whilst the perceived value of the other work attributes included in the study were not expected to increase or decrease in combination with the intensity towards job search activities. It was also found that the attitudes towards the behavior of applying for a job, measured through the involvement and motivation level towards job search activities, were shifting within the target group, hence influencing their perceived employer attractiveness. Further on, the study showed a consistent high perceived value of all work attributes that were studied, in terms of what work attributes to include in the employer value proposition. Meanwhile, a multidimensional nature of the perceptions on employer attractiveness was also acknowledged, which hence could be crucial in developing an employer value proposition that stands out on the employer market.

Brand awareness and its establishment among consumers has been a central theme in previous research on marketing as it is proven to indirectly induce purchase. It is thus seen as crucial for marketers to establish brand awareness. However, a research gap is apparent in regard to creating brand awareness among Generation Z. More specifically, this study focuses on which communication channel that is best suited for establishing brand awareness for this generational cohort. Hence, the purpose of this study is to explicitly analyse the linkage between these variables and provide a guideline for companies targeting Generation Z. To obtain a deeper understanding, previous research has been reviewed and an extensive data collection has been conducted including two methods; interviews and a survey to obtain empirical evidence and valuable insights. The qualitative data was of main focus with the quantitative data gave more of an overview. By combining and evaluating the empirical findings in relation to previous research and theory we could identify patterns and relationships that eventually led to the conclusion and final results of this thesis. The initial results concluded from this study underlined the importance of brand awareness since it was the first step for the purpose of inducing purchases. In addition, the results also highlight the importance of building upon brand awareness to establish brand liking as it will provide for the increase of purchase intention. For establishing brand awareness when targeting Generation Z, Instagram is a means of preference and should be considered as part of a mix of various communication channels in using integrated marketing communications.

The paper examines Meta ads in the adult education field. The ads are selected based onfour main criteria, ads with creatives that show people in the profession of the intendededucation, ads that the audience can quickly identify as an educational program, creativeswith a high signal-to-noise ratio and creatives with only one point of focus in the pictures.The ads are analyzed through a semiotic analysis and then the subject of a survey todetermine how they score in regards to informativeness, entertainment, irritation and speedof processing. The paper finds a connection between ads with a high CTR (Clickthroughrate) and high scores in the survey in “informative” and “fast to process” ads. The mainlimitation of the paper is the low amount of partakers in the survey, coupled with the methodof scoring ads based on a survey instead of in their natural habitat, not accounting forbanner blindness and other phenomena related to social media and the web.