Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The main question addressed in this research study is ‘How can L’Oréal improve upon their current brand image and subsequent brand positioning amongst Stellenbosch students as their target audience’. It was therefore considered necessary for the author of this research project to effectively be able to uncover the current health of the L’Oréal brand. A brand audit was therefore performed on the corporate L’Oréal brand. Brand audits are qualitative snapshots of the current position of the brand in terms of the current perceptions of the target audience and it is important to perform them on a regular basis as target audiences may evolve over time. Through performing a brand audit, the manufacturers / marketers of the brand in question will gain a better understanding of the current problems, desires and needs of the target audience in question. The information obtained from such an audit is valuable for the organization / brand as it allows them to determine whether a costly and time-consuming process such as a brand repositioning is necessary, as well as providing valuable market research which can lead to a viable and sustainable brand strategy. In order to uncover the health of the brand and determine the perceptions, attitudes and behaviour of the target audience, a deductive approach to this study was employed. A paperbased questionnaire regarding the corporate / product L’Oréal brand was designed by the author and distributed to 444 students located on central campus at the University of Stellenbosch. A statistical significance level of five percent (α = 0.05) was employed when the information collected from the questionnaires was subjected to a series of statistical tests. Six main brand characteristics were investigated during the analysis of the survey data. These include brand awareness, attitude towards the corporate brand, attitude towards the products, level of desire for the brand, behavioural tendencies, and the value proposition. The results from the survey indicated that an overwhelming majority of respondents were familiar with the brand, and also that a large percentage of them had also used L’Oréal products. Along similar lines, the perceptions / attitudes with regards to the corporate and product brand were very, or fairly favourable amongst the respondents. There was a consistent trend amongst ethnic groups, with the white ethnic group being the most familiar with the brand, having the most favourable attitude with regards to the brand and products, and displaying the most positive usage behaviour with regards to the products. The opposite trend was observed for the black ethnic group. It was also determined that as the attitude with regards to the corporate brand increases so too does that of the product brand. This is a favourable situation for L’Oréal as efforts to build corporate brand identity can translate into strong, favourable and unique product associations. In terms of the benefits being sought, the majority of respondents ranked functional and emotional benefits as most important when using personal care products. The author was able to extract from the survey the fact that the black ethnic group had the least awareness and least favourable attitude, perception and behaviour with regards to the corporate and product brand in question. If L’Oréal is able to enhance the brand imagery amongst this target audience, they will surely build a positive brand equity as well as an additional income stream. In addition to this, the author was also able to identify that the emotional bond to the L’Oréal brand was not as strong as it could be. The respondents indicated that their level of desire for the brand was not on par with their expected / anticipated needs and that a personal care brand should fulfil more of these needs. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoofonderwerp van hierdie stuk navorsing is: “Hoe kan L’Oréal hulle huidige beeld en dus ook hulle handelsmerk posisionering tussen Stellenbosch studente as hulle teikenmark verbeter?” Dit is dus as nodig beskou dat die navorser ondersoek moet instel na die huidige gesondheid van die L’Oréal handelsmerk. ‘n Handelsmerk-oudit is dus op die korporatiewe L’Oréal handelsmerk uitgevoer. Handelsmerk-ouditte is kwalitatiewe “foto’s” van die huidige posisie van die handelsmerk in terme van die huidige persepsies van die teikenmark en dit is belangrik dat hulle op ‘n gereelde basis uitgevoer moet word want teikenmarkte evalueer oor ‘n tydperk. ‘n Handelsmerk-oudit kan daartoe lei dat die bemarkers van die handelsmerk ‘n beter begrip sal hê van die probleme, begeertes en behoeftes van hulle teikenmark. Die inligting wat deur die oudit verkry word is vir die organisasie / handelsmerk waardevol want hulle kan daaruit vasstel of ‘n duur en tydrowende proses soos handelsmerk re-posisionering nodig is, en ook kan dien as marknavorsing wat kan lei tot ‘n lewensvatbare en volhoudbare handelsmerkstategie. Om die gesondheid van die handelsmerk asook die persepsies, houdings en gedrag van die teikenmerk vas te stel, is ‘n deduktiewe benadering tot hierdie studie gevolg. ‘n Vraelys oor die korporatiewe / produk L’Oréal handelsmerk is deur die navorser opgestel en onder 444 studente op die sentrale kampus van die Universiteit Stellenbosch versprei. ‘n Statisties sinvolle vlak van vyf persent (α = 0.05) is gebruik toe die versamelde inligting van die vraelyste aan ‘n reeks statistiese toetse onderwerp is. Ses hoof handelsteken kenmerke is tydens die ontleding van die opname-data ondersoek. Dit sluit in merkbewustheid, houding teenoor die korporatiewe handelsmerk, houding teenoor die produkte, begeerte vir die handelsmerk, gedragstendense, en die waarde-proposisie. Die opname het getoon dat die oorweldigende meerderheid van die respondente die handelsmerk geken het en ook dat ‘n groot persentasie van hulle al L’Oréal produkte gebruik het. Die persepsies / houdings tussen die respondente betreffende korporatiewe- en produk handelsmerke was baie of redelik gunstig. Daar was ‘n konsekwente neiging tussen etniese groepe; die wit etniese groep ken die handelsmerk beter, het ‘n meer gunstige houding teenoor die handelsmerk en produkte en toon meer positiewe gebruiksgedrag betreffende die produkte. Die teenoorgestelde geld vir die swart etniese groep. Daar is ook vasgestel dat soos die houding teenoor die korporatiewe handelsmerk verbeter, so ook dié teenoor die produk handelsmerk. Dit is ‘n gunstige situasie vir L’Oréal want pogings om korporatiewe handelsmerk identiteit te bou sal omsit in sterk, gunstige en unieke produk assosiasies. Die navorser het uit die opname geleer dat die swart etniese groep die minste bewustheid en die ongunstigste houding, persepsie en gedrag betreffende die korporatiewe en produk handelsmerk het. As L‘Oréal die handelsbeeld onder hierdie teikenmark kan verbeter, sal hulle ‘n positiewe handelsekwiteit asook ‘n bykomende inkomstestroom kan skep. Die navorser het ook vasgestel dat die emosionele band met die L’Oréal handelsmerk nie so sterk is wat dit kan wees nie. Die respondente het aangedui dat hulle begeerte vir die handelsmerk nie so sterk is as hulle verwagte behoeftes nie en dat ‘n persoonlike sorg handelsmerk in meer van hierdie behoeftes behoort te voorsien.