Background: In consumer culture, marketing communications is recognised as a communication system that shapes and provides resources for our understandings of the world. Arguably, those accounts channel and reproduce only dominant ideologies, which contributes to that understanding being narrow, by stigmatising those idiosyncrasies that exist beyond generally accepted norms of consumption. In relation to clothing and children’s socialisation, that stigma becomes treated differently, in a violent manner, compared to those who dress accordingly to the norms. Nevertheless, a solution for the issue is commonly sought in consumers, and not in marketers. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine Finnish marketing communication practitioners’ perceptions of the phenomenon and responsibility of brand and clothing-related bullying, and to explore activities that are associated with inhibiting the bullying behaviour. Additionally, pedagogical marketing communications is discussed in relation to the other prevention activities to explore how the concept is interpret by marketing practitioners. Method: The research was interpretivist and qualitative by nature. A method of semi-structured interviews was chosen to explore marketing communication practitioners’ perceptions of the subject matter. Findings: The findings of this study indicate that marketing communication practitioners do not consider children as competent, but rather as vulnerable social beings when it comes to consumer life. Being perceived as such, the practitioners view parents, society and marketers responsible for providing solutions to the complex phenomenon, which according to the practitioners has ultimately stemmed from the structural development of societies in which digitalisation and social medias play an integral part. Contribution: The research has three identifiable implications on both theoretical and practical fields of fashion and marketing. First, it gives valuable information on how marketers view children as a market. Second, it provides a new, marketer’s viewpoint of to look at the phenomenon. Third, it recognises the marketers to have their roles as consumers beyond their roles as marketplace authoritatives.

The advent of digital cameras, including those in smartphones, has caused an upheaval in the photo industry that led to the bankruptcy of Kodak and the closure of most independent photo stores. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore marketing strategies that specialty photo retailers in the United States have used to grow revenues after the shift to digital imaging technologies. The conceptual framework of this study was Rogers's diffusion of innovations model specifying typical movement of information through communications channels in a social system over time. Data sources included semistructured interviews with 5 photo retailers, photos of facilities and pointof- sales displays, website pages, and social media. Data were analyzed using inductive coding of phrases and words from interviews, followed by identification of common themes. Additional data gleaned from participants' displays, websites, and other documents supported interpretations of themes through methodological triangulation. Strategies that the 5 participating retailers used to grow revenues were manifest in 3 major themes: adoption of new technologies, market segmentation, and marketing communications. Study participants described various strategies to acquire customers including the use of technology (e.g., enterprise-level management systems), defining market segments underserved by competitors, and customizing marketing communications for specific targeted segments. A viable retail channel can produce social change by providing sources of information on new products that can enhance consumers' lives and create economic growth via new jobs.

Background: World economy of the 21st century places high demands on national economic systems. Governments implement various initiatives to enable a more effective cooperation between universities and industries in order to increase competitiveness of their economies. Science Parks represent one type of such initiatives. It is assumed that they support regional economic growth by means of technology transfer from university to industry. Science Parks usually incorporate incubation programs, which enable creation of NTBFs by university staff and students. Science Parks have to ensure its organizational development by providing paid services, especially in form of incubator program. Therefore, Science Parks are regarded in our research as service companies. In order to enable creation of NTBFs Science Parks have to be able to attract talented researchers and students. In our research, we focus on students and consider them as potential customers for Science Parks. Previous research focusing on the problem of students’ attraction to these organizations is scarce. We implement marketing communication theory to address the problem of students’ attraction to Science Parks. Aim: Our research is set to identify content for a marketing communication strategy of a science park, which considers students as potential customers. Theoretical background/Methodology: In order to fulfill the aim of the research we implement case study strategy. We collected primary and secondary data. The case organization is presented by Dalarna Science Park (located in Borlänge, Sweden), where we collected secondary data. It was incorporated in our research as handout materials that enabled Focus Group discussions. Focus groups with students from Dalarna University presented the source of primary data. Question guideline for focus groups was based on principles of marketing communication theory, which we used as the primary theory of the research. Conclusions: Results indicate that students regard business incubator services of a Science Park as useful for those who have business ideas. It can be considered as positive prerequisite for a marketing communication strategy. In order to attract students with ideas of starting own ventures, a Science Park should engage students into various events, such as workshops, discussions and seminars. The organization should constantly inform students about its nature and activities and create an image of a young successful entrepreneur, which students are attracted to. For this purpose a Science Park can use Internet as means of both spreading its messages to students and enabling WOM recommendations among them.

The sport industry has become an enormous cultural and economic force across the globe. Yet it is one that is largely understudied in regards to public relations. In the United States, intercollegiate athletics—particularly football and men’s and women’s basketball—garners a tremendous amount of attention from media, the government, sports fan communities, merchandisers and scholars. However, there is scant research on public relations within intercollegiate athletics departments. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to learn how intercollegiate athletics directors (ADs) from National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I institutions with major basketball programs understand public relations, overall and in the context of men’s and women’s basketball coaches. For this study, a phenomenological approach was used. Twelve ADs were interviewed, and their transcripts were analyzed using comparative analysis procedures. The findings show that the overall understanding of public relations to the participants is integrated impression management: a combination of image, message, and action/interaction. The ADs associated public relations with marketing, branding, communication, media relations, community/university relations, fundraising and crisis management. They expressed a range of responsibility within their organizations for public relations, as well as related issues and challenges. They also associated some specific responsibilities and challenges regarding public relations to the context of men’s and women’s basketball coaching. The results of this study imply that despite some scholars’ insistence that public relations is a distinct discipline from marketing, executives do not necessarily separate the two. The findings of this study aid in understanding how public relations might be evolving within intercollegiate athletics. Learning how those with power and influence in this industry understand public relations can help intercollegiate athletics departments with the root and ramifications of some major challenges. For scholars, this presents an opportunity to test and develop theory, as well as to identify trends, changes and solutions for public relations in an industry with cultural power and influence.

Could you tell me how many marketing messages you've seen or heard since you woke up this morning? Probably the answer is no. Messages stemming from advertising, promotions, PR, direct marketing, and salesmen are everywhere. We encounter them on our way to work, in newspapers and magazines, stores and restaurants, when watching our favorite sports, looking out of an airplane window, or even while socializing with friends. As a consumer, it is impossible to keep track of everything marketers are trying to tell us. This abundance of marketing messages is often referred to as clutter. Clutter makes consumers less likely to pay attention to marketing messages. What is more, clutter breeds avoidance behavior and skepticism, which makes consumers more likely to actively resist marketing messages. This thesis sets out to further our understanding of marketing communications in a cluttered environment. The thesis comprises five articles in which issues of clutter are empirically investigated. Specifically, conventional wisdoms regarding slogans, media choice, and PR are put to test in more ecologically valid settings than what has been used in previous research. By including these settings, our understanding of marketing communications in the presence of competing messages is improved. Whereas clutter to date is mostly considered a challenge for advertising, the thesis broadens the perspective by showing that clutter is a challenge to, and consequence of, all types of marketing communications. By offering a framework for understanding clutter, the thesis provides support for marketers trying to make sense of message competition and what it means for their marketing communications. It also provides ideas of how to face the clutter challenge – or even benefit from it. / Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2008 Sammanfattning jämte 5 uppsatser

Today advertisers face the challenge of securing advertising effectiveness by producing advertisement that gets the consumers’ attention and shape their attitudes and behavior. One suggested way to reach these objectives is creativity. Both advertising industry professionals, awards, effectiveness reports and research support this notion that what makes advertising effective is creative excellence. However, research has shown that advertising professionals seems to have little formalized understanding about how advertising creativity work and how it is defined and measured. Current research need to better understand the response to creative advertisements by documenting how advertising professionals and consumer assess and value creativity. By applying new perspectives and new theories this thesis investigate the effects advertising creativity has on consumers. The thesis reviews the academic research on advertising creativity and contributes with five articles to increase the understanding of advertising creativity and how perceptions of creativity influence advertising effectiveness. In so doing, it plays a part in advertisers understanding and use of advertising creativity. / <p>Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan i Stockholm, 2012. Sammanfattning jämte 5 uppsatser.</p>

As the title insinuate, this essay illustrate Event Marketing as a marketing instrument, and how it can be used as a tool to facilitate brandbuilding and improve relationships. We have come to the understanding that Event Marketing is in the course of constant development. It seems like Event Marketing as a marketing tool is starting to get its well-merited position in the marketing mix throughout the world, since companies and other organisations have realized that Event Marketing is a powerful tool for differentiation. We have also seen that Event Marketing in the business world lately has come to be more important for building and maintaining relationships, as well as carrying marketing messages. In this essay we discuss Event Marketing in three sections; brand, relationships, and customer experience. Among these topics, inter alia Integrated Marketing Communications, Sensory Marketing, and Service-dominant Logic are presented. The three sections are ultimatley supposed to establish a part of the entirety of Event Marketing. This essay is a commission from the building company Skanska in Sweden, with the purpose of throwing a new light on their customer-oriented event Skanskadagen in the south-east district of the Swedish market. We have performed eleven qualitative interviews; nine with management and personnel within Skanska, and two with event managers from two different bureaus in Sweden. As a complement to these interviews, we have studied literature, documents, and articles – with and without a scientific basis. The conclusions and recommendations are presented in chapter 8.

This is a thesis on how established brands can enhance their strength, interestingness, and vitality. A threat to contemporary established brands is that they may in fact be too well established to be interesting and stimulate curiosity among consumers. A managerial fixation in maintaining consistency in brand communications may have put a straitjacket onto advertising executions for established brands. Therefore, managers for established brands facing communication objectives of enhanced salience in memory, better top-of-mind awareness, and greater consumer interest in the brand, may need to devise communication strategies in ways which are different – and even considerably different – from what they used to execute in the past. This thesis examines one such way – communications which are incongruent with consumers' established brand associations. In this thesis, I seek to challenge the popular adage in maintaining consistency in brand communications, by examining effects of brand incongruent communications for established brands from a schema congruity theory perspective. I do this in a series of six articles, each highlighting different types of brand-incongruent communication elements and effects on consumer memory and evaluations. Whereas conventional advertising wisdom, as well as traditional literature on brand management, would discourage a conduct which goes against established brand associations, this thesis argues that – for established brands – the employment of communication executions which challenge existing brand associations may actually improve marketing communication effectiveness. The aim of this thesis is to spur insight among academics and practitioners into the advancement of established brands. I argue that methods, which are successful to build brand equity for new brands, may be less effective when the objective is to enhance brand equity and consumer interest in already well established brands. The results of the studies presented in this thesis imply that the popular tendency of embracing consistency in brand communications may have to be revisited since brand-incongruent communications can generate more attention, better memory of ads and brands, improve evaluations and purchase intentions, as well as enhance brand associations and brand interest. / <p>Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2009 Sammanfattning jämte 6 uppsatser</p>

Despite the globalization and cultures’ convergence, it is scholarly recognized that cross-cultural issues are important in a business context, especially for companies extending their activities internationally. However, existing theory does not provide an explicit answer of how cultural differences between countries influence customers’ perception of different aspects of marketing communication mix. That is why the underlying task of the current paper is to investigate if cross-cultural differences within the same geographic region are big enough to affect customers’ perception of marketing communication mix used. To facilitate a data collection, Central and Eastern European region represented by Ukraine and Czech Republic were chosen. As a reference tourism industry was used, due to its’ current significance, scale and global nature. Data was collected by conducting secondary and primary research, both having quantitative nature. Secondary data was collected through statistical offices and official on-line sources. For the primary research purposes a questionnaire survey was conducted among pre-defined target audience in Czech Republic and Ukraine. 300 responses obtained provided a solid basis for the further analysis.  Based on the relevant theory and secondary research findings four hypotheses were developed to address the research question “Does cross-cultural differences within Central and Eastern Europe affect the marketing communication mix in a specific industry?”. The study results provided that cultural differences exist not only between different regions, but also found within the same geographic region. When considered from marketing perspective, they are significant enough to influence customers’ preferences and perceptions of different aspects of marketing communication mix. The results obtained are specific for a particular case, so they can not be applied to some other countries. However, when it comes to marketing communication perceptions, the results can be used as guidelines by other industries then tourism

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