Det är idag vanligt med företag som använder sitt befintliga varumärke för att nå nya målgrupper för att öka sin lönsamhet. Ett sätt att göra detta är att introducera produkter i en ny prisklass, en så kallad vertikal brand extension. Problemet är det att det är oklart exakt hur detta påverkar konsumenternas uppfattning om varumärket och vilka faktorer som spelar roll. Denna uppsats behandlar prestigens påverkan på konsumenternas uppfattning av varumärket vid en vertikal brand extension för företag inom den högteknologiska sektorn. Anledningen bakom att vi har begränsat oss till den högteknologiska sektorn är att det saknas empiriska undersökningar som behandlat denna bransch. All föregående datainsamling och analysering har tidigare behandlat för många branscher samtidigt vilket lett till ett resultat som inte nödvändigtvis är rättvisande för den högteknologiska. Det finns teori som hävdar att det bör vara skillnad på branscherna men det saknas relevant data för att bekräfta detta. Vi har samlat in egen primärdata genom att hålla öppna gruppintervjuer med två fokusgrupper uppdelade i två ålderssegment. Vi har valt att utgå ifrån två välkända märken som uppfattas har olika hög prestige; Apple och Asus. Vår undersökning kommer fram till att varumärken som är uppfattade att ha hög prestige har lättare att gå upp i prisklass än ett företag som uppfattas ha lägre prestige. Omvänt så har ett företag som har låg prestige lättare att gå ner i prisklass än ett företag som har hög. Dessutom finner vi att fler och fler konsumenter köper datorer baserat på funktion vilket minskar vikten av prestige inom den högteknologiska sektorn. / Every so often companies take use of their brand equity to expand to new markets and target audiences. A common strategy to do so is to introduce products in a different price class, also known as vertical brand extensions. The problem is that it is unknown how this affects the consumer’s evaluation of the brand and which factors that contributes to this effect. This thesis deals with the effects of prestige on consumer’s evaluation of vertical brand extensions in the high-technology sector. The reason for choosing the high-technology sector is that there is a lack of empirical research dealing with it separately. All recent data and analysis includes a wide variety of sectors which has resulted in conclusions that may not be relevant for the sector of our interest. Theory exists that argue that there should be a difference between these sectors but there is no evidence to prove this. We have collected our own primary data by conducting two open group interviews with two focus groups divided into two age segments. The research and questions have been formed around a couple of well-known brands; Apple and Asus. Our conclusion is that highly prestigious brands have a higher probability to succeed at introducing more expensive products than a brand with lower prestige. Brands with lower perceived prestige may likewise have a higher probability to succeed at introducing a cheaper product than their higher-prestige counterparts. Furthermore we find that more consumers base their buying decision on function rather than prestige which reduces prestige’ relevance within the high-technology sector.

Intresset för lyxprodukter har ökat runt om i världen vilket också blivit allt mer framträdande i Sverige. Marknaden för lyxprodukter har de senaste åren förändrats och banat väg för en ny kategori av lyx tillgänglig för en globalt växande medelklass. Den nya kategorin benämns ofta som new luxury vilket innebär en åtkomlig kategori av statusgivande produkter som är lägre i pris än de traditionella lyxprodukterna. Allt fler lyxföretag väljer att expandera för att kunna nå en bredare kundbas och tillämpar därför produktlinjeutvidgning eller varumärkesutvidgning. En alltför omfattande expandering kan dock innebära risker eftersom den uppfattade exklusiviteten hos ett lyxföretag kan gå förlorad. Många underlinjer riktar sig mot en yngre kundbas och Generation Y har visat sig vara en fördelaktig målgrupp att rikta sig mot på lyxmarknaden.Denna studie har som syfte att bidra med teoretisk kunskap kring vilka lyxprodukter svenska kvinnor av Generation Y konsumerar och vilka attityder och värderingar de har kring lyxkonsumtion och lyxvarumärken inom kategorierna traditionell lyx och new luxury. Det tycks finnas en brist på forskning i Sverige som behandlar kopplingen mellan Generation Y och lyxkonsumtion, varvid denna studie fyller en viktig kunskapslucka. Åtta semi-strukturerade intervjuer utfördes med kvinnor i åldrarna 20-26 som är konsumenter av lyxprodukter. Resultaten visar att svenska kvinnor av Generation Y främst konsumerar lyxprodukter i form av accessoarer och framförallt handväskor. Det framgår även att överexponering av ett lyxvarumärke frammanar negativa attityder och att de lätt tröttnar på det om de ser det för ofta och om det används av personer utanför deras referensgrupp. Utifrån kategoriseringen av traditionell lyx och new luxury kan vi se att svenska kvinnor av Generation Y är medvetna om skillnaderna mellan kategorierna. Dock gjorde de inte någon medveten skillnad mellan underlinjer och modervarumärken vilket innebär att dessa delar samma image och kvalitetsuppfattning hos svenska kvinnor av Generation Y.

Background: During the last decade or so the century old bespoke tailors on Savile Row have become the epitome of luxury brands as far as menswear is concerned. At the same time, the different establishments on Savile Row have started to modernise themselves through various means to better fit into today’s fast paced retail-market. Aims of the research: The purpose of this research is to discover what factors have played part in keeping the founders of Savile Row, Henry Poole & Co., modern and relevant throughout the years. Methods: This research was conducted as a qualitative single case, case study. The data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with upper management and other available published sources and then analysed with the help of former research in relevant areas. Results: It was found that the brand of Henry Poole & Co. stayed true to their origins as a bespoke tailor and that modernising is something that has not been forced upon the company and brand but should more be seen as a continuous process where each new generation bring something new to the company. The company had adapted modern ways of communication such as social media and a responsive website and also incorporated step down line extensions, where they sell ready-to-wear and made-to-measure garments in China and Japan. This is a way to develop their brand into other segments but they still kept their original brand vision intact as being a pure bespoke tailor located on Savile Row and kept their different business operations on a distance. Contributions: This thesis has opened up doors to an area that has not had much interest from the academic world. It hopefully gives way for new research ideas, but it has also highlighted management tools and best practices that has contributed to the success of a more than two century old company.

Only a few industries face challenges regarding sustainability to the same extent as the fashion industry being one of the largest consumer industries and the second most polluting industry in the world. These challenges are encouraged by the fast fashion business model, which is dominant in the sector and relies on the quick responsiveness to latest fashion trends while maintaining low prices, encouraging more consumption and shorter product life cycles. On the other side, a consumer shift towards more environmental consciousness can be observed leading to most fast fashion brands integrating sustainability in various forms into their products and services. A path that many fast fashion brands take in order to become more sustainable is the strategy of green branding through green brand extensions. Green brand extensions (GBEs) involve the application of an established brand name to new and greener products due to environmental considerations of the brand and can be divided into green line extensions (GLEs) and green category extensions (GCEs). Due to identified research gaps concerning how green brand extensions change consumer attitudes as well as the relationship between brand loyalty and the green image of brands, the following research question got developed to gain in-depth in consumer behavior in the fast fashion industry related to green brand extensions: RQ: How do green brand extensions of fast fashion brands affect the consumers’ parent brand attitude and brand loyalty? This primary study that aims to answer the research question was conducted following a deductive research approach and adopting a quantitative research design through collecting data by means of a web questionnaire. Thereby, the brand attitude of fashion consumers on green line and green category extensions as well as the relationship to brand loyalty got investigated focusing on Generation Y and Z as largest consumer groups of fast fashion. The main results of the study are that the introduction of a GLE by a fast fashion brand generally leads to a more positive brand attitude and a slightly improved brand loyalty of consumers towards the parent brand. However, when introducing a GCE, the launch has rarely a positive effect on the brand attitude and brand loyalty of consumers towards the parent brand. The relationship of GLEs and brand attitude is thereby moderated by the environmental concern of consumers as well as their friends and by the initial brand attitude towards the fast fashion brand. The relationship of GLEs and brand loyalty on the other hand is only moderated by environmental concern of consumers and the initial brand attitude. Looking at GCEs and their relationship with brand attitude as well as brand loyalty, it is influenced and moderated by the age of consumers, the environmental concern of their friends as well as consumers’ initial brand loyalty towards the parent brand.