Med det ökade användandet av visuellt baserade sociala medier har Instagram blivit en viktig plattform för företag att skapa och stärka relationer med sina kunder. Genom att skapa innehåll baserat på kundens behov kan öka kundengagemanget vilket i sin tur har stor påverkan på kundrelationen och företagets försäljning. Denna studie avser att undersöka vilket innehåll som skapar högt respektive lågt engagemang på företaget Estrids Instagram-konto @Heyestrid och vilka behov som innehållet vill tillfredsställa för användaren. Tidigare forskning analyserar vilka faktorer som visar på ökad popularitet vid varumärkes inlägg och värdet i att engagera kunder. Metoden som tillämpas i denna studie är en kvantitativ innehållsanalys och sedan användes de teoretiska utgångspunkterna för att analysera insamlad data. Teorin utgick från bland annat användarmodellen och dubbel processteori. Empirin bestod av två månaders inlägg på Estrids Instagram-konto och sammanlagt 104 inlägg analyserades. Engagemanget mäts genom medelvärdet av antalet gillningar och kommentarer på inläggen och innehållet kategoriserades utifrån kategorierna underhållning, information, tävling, produkter, influencer och övrigt innehåll. Resultatet visade att inlägg som innehåller tävlingar hade högst engagemang via både gillningar och kommentarer. Därefter kom produkter, övrigt innehåll och information. Lägst engagemang hade kategorin influencer. Användarmodellen visar att de genomgående behoven som Estrid vill försöka fylla för kunden är det emotionella, kognitiva och socialt integrerande behovet. / With the increasing use of visually based social media, Instagram has become an important platform for companies to create and strengthen customer relationships. By focusing on producing content that the customer wants, customer engagement will rise which has a major impact on both the customer relationship and the company’s sale. This stydy aims to investigate which content creates high and low engagement on the company Estrid’s Instagram account @Heyestrid and to see which needs the content tries to satisfy for the user. Previous research analyzes the factors that show increased popularity of brand contributions and the value of engaging customers. The method used in this study is a content analysis and the collected data was analysed using collected theory such as uses and gratification theory and dual process theory. Two months worth of posts were analysed with a total of 104 posts from Estrid’s Instagram account. The engagement were measured by likes and comments and content were divided in the categories; entertainment, information, competition, products, influencers and other. The results showed that posts containing competitions had the highest engagement followed by products, information and other content. The entertainment category was the most published but had the second lowest engagement. The category influencers had the lowest engagement. According to the uses and gratifications theory the needs that Estrid wants to fulfill are the emotional, cognitive and socially integrated needs.

Dagens digitala teknologi och sociala medier har alltmer satt sin prägel inom handeln och detta beror främst på att majoriteten människor idag har en smartphone där man ständigt är uppkopplad och aktiv inom sociala medier. Sociala medier används idag även av de flesta handelsföretag inom detaljhandeln och fungerar som en plattform där man kan nå ut till en större och bredare publik. Trenden växer och yttrar sig i att fler plattformar bildas och därav sätter press på småföretag för att kunna sticka ut bland mängden. I detta skede blir det därför allt viktigare för småföretag att vara aktiva på sociala medier för att väcka ett behov hos kunderna och fånga upp deras intresse vilket kan göras genom att publicera en variation av aktiviteter. Aktiviteterna kan inkludera marknadsföring med senaste nyheter och trender, tävlingar och även personliga inlägg. Detta engagemang ska fungera som en vägledning för att sedan locka och leda sina följare in till den fysiska butiken eftersom det är där köpet genomförs. Studien har utformats via en kvalitativ forskningsmetod med en abduktiv ansats som utgångspunkt. Studien innefattade totalt sex intervjuer varav fem av de var fysiskt på plats medan den sjätte var via telefon. Intervjuerna bidrog med det empiriska materialet i syfte att kunna få fram en analys där vi jämförde den teoretiska referensramen med det empiriska materialet. Ur analysen kunde vi se ett samband och resonerade fram vilka aspekter som sociala medier bidrog med för småföretag när de ska kommunicera sina aktiviteter och locka kunderna in till den fysiska butiken. Resultatet av studien yttrade sig i att sociala medier är ett viktigt hjälpmedel för småföretag då det inkluderar en gratis marknadsföring och att man kan nå ut till fler kunder och även utanför det geografiska området butiken befinner sig i. Kommunikation, interaktion och respons är viktiga faktorer för småföretag när de ska eller etablerar sig via sociala medieplattformar. Studiens resultat redogör även för småföretag vikten av att ständigt vara aktiv på sociala medier, publicera varierande aktiviteter, engagera sig i kunder genom att interagera och få feedback. När dessa aspekter interagerar ökar chansen för företagen att bygga långsiktiga kundrelationer. / Today's digital technology and social media have increasingly left their mark on commerce and this is mainly due to the fact that the majority of people today have a smartphone where they are constantly connected and active in social media. Today, social media is also used by most retail companies in the retail trade and acts as a platform where you can reach a larger and wider audience. The trend is growing and is reflected in the fact that more platforms are being formed and as a result put pressure on small companies to be able to stand out among the crowd. At this stage, it therefore becomes increasingly important for small companies to be active on social media in order to arouse a need in customers and capture their interest, which can be done by publishing a variety of activities. Activities can include marketing with the latest news and trends, contests and even personal posts. This commitment should serve as a guide to then attract and lead their followers into the physical store because that is where the purchase is made. The study has been designed via a qualitative research method with an abductive approach as a starting point. The study included a total of six interviews, five of which were physically in place while the sixth was by telephone. The interviews contributed with the empirical material in order to be able to obtain an analysis in which we compared the theoretical frame of reference with the empirical material. From the analysis, we could see a connection and reasoned out which aspects social media contributed to small companies when they have to communicate their activities and attract customers to the physical store. The result of the study was that social media is an important tool for small businesses as it includes free marketing and that you can reach more customers and also outside the geographical area the store is in. Communication, interaction and response are important factors for small businesses when they are going or establishing themselves via socialmedia platforms. The results of the study also explain to small companies the importance of being constantly active on social media, publishing various activities, engaging with customers by interacting and receiving feedback. When these aspects interact, companies' chances of building long-term customer relationships increase.

In the past decade, the energy markets within the European Union haveincreasingly been deregulated as a means to promote increased competition, andthereby efficiency, on these markets. As a result of this, several energy institutionshave been forced to become unbundled from their parent companies and toinstead form smaller separate entities. Contracts that previously were guaranteedare now subjected to public competition and in order to not risk decreasing in size,these companies must now find new ways to grow and generate new business. To study this, a case study was conducted at a Swedish energy servicescompany who recently has been unbundled from one of the largest Swedish gridowners. Specifically, the research focused on what companies in maturebusiness-to-business services contexts can do to increase their sales. The studywas conducted primarily through gathering qualitative interview data bothinternally and externally, but secondary data from surveys were also used. The findings indicate that the case company should focus on pursuing a combinedstrategy of market penetration and service/product penetration to increase sales.In addition, the company should continue to invest substantially into relationshipmarketing practices in order to build long-term potential for growth. Specifically,the findings indicate it should improve its communication and relationshipinvestment towards its customers. Furthermore, it should adopt appropriatestrategies to reduce the switching barriers of its prospective customers. The findings contribute to the understanding of how companies in similarsituations as the case company can act in order to drive growth. The studyprovides further empirical data in a field that has received relatively little academicattention. The author also suggests venues for future research in the concludingchapters.

The aim of this study is to understand how co-branding can be strategically implemented and its relevance in small business customer relationships. The study serves as a guide for small businesses striving to strengthen their brand and improve their customer relationships through strategic utilization of co-branding. By enhancing knowledge about co-branding as a strategy, businesses can identify opportunities and challenges of successfully implementing the strategy in their operations. The theoretical foundations of the study include areas of brand equity, co-branding and relationship marketing. Using a qualitative method and across-sectional study design, we conducted semi-structured interviews with five companies and seven consumers to obtain multiple valuable perspectives and viewpoints on the research topic. Based on the empirical research, the findings indicate that consumers value quality, company values, long-term relationships, personalized offers, and trust in brands. Consumers also view brand collaborations positively but emphasize the importance of clear objectives and beneficial partnerships. The companies reported that collaborations can provide broader reach, expand the target audience, increase market share and sales, and facilitate insights sharing and trust building. The prospects for successful collaborations highlights long-term commitment and strong relationships as key components for successful partnerships. Based on the previous mentioned information and the study’s results, the conclusion is that the establishment and management of brand equity play a central role in creating a stable customer base, requiring strategic implementation of the brand process early on to effectively communicate the brand and its identity. Small businesses have several advantages that gives them opportunities to implement co-branding as a strategy, where they can contribute with significant resources to other larger businesses with an interest in exchange through exposure. In relation to their customers, the importance of quality, long-term commitment, trust and strong values is emphasized as factors that need to remain stable in the implementation of a co-branding strategy.

The purpose of this study is to contribute with a survey of how Swedish public libraries are using social media in their work. The study also provide insight into how the Swedish public libraries worked with social media during the corona pandemic. There are four research questions: How do Swedish public libraries use social media in their operation? What kind of posts do Swedish public libraries post on social media? How do librarians relate to social media as a work tool? Have Swedish public libraries changed their strategies for how they work with social media during the pandemic? Prior research is divided into seven paragraphs starting with what applies to public libraries and municipalities when it comes to communication.   The theoretical framework is made up of a combination of relationship marketing and communication theory. The method used in this study is a semi-quantitative survey supplemented by a qualitative content analysis. The result shows that the Swedish public libraries use social media. The main purpose of social media for the Swedish public libraries is marketing of the public library´s services and events. Few of those who worked with social media had any formal education other than shorter courses. Librarians are generally positive about social media, but not everyone contributes with ideas about content to post on social media or participate in the posts. Many reported that they had more time for social media during the corona pandemic and they got to be creative in creating posts when much of the regular operation was discontinued. However, there were also those who reported they had nothing to post during the corona pandemic and they used social media less. During the pandemic, when borrowers and visitors no longer came to the libraries to the same extent, public libraries focused on customer relationships and relationship building. This is a two years master’s thesis in Library and Information Science.

No / This book examines prominent issues in the Emerging Markets (EM) from a variety of disciplines in order to make useful societal contributions through knowledge exchange. EMs offer enormous opportunities, but realizing them is both challenging and risky due to inherent uncertainties of such markets. EM’s also have unique characteristics that makes them different from developed countries. This causes implications for both theory and practice. These markets necessitate substantial adaptations of developed theories and approaches employed in the Western world. This book investigates problems specific to emerging markets, and identifies new theoretical constructs, hypotheses (re)development, and emphasizes institutional contexts. The chapters in this book establish new conceptual and theoretical paradigms from multidisciplinary perspectives concentrated in the areas of information systems, electronic government, and digital and social media matters. The book focuses on topics in these areas such as digital enterprises, sustainability, telemedicine, and Information Communication Technology (ICT) and surveys the potential challenges and opportunities that may arise. These concepts and topics covered in this book are vital for making the global economy more equitable and sustainable.

Thesis (M. Tech. (Business Administration )) - Central University of Technology, Free State, / Traditionally, commercial banking in South Africa has been dominated by the big four namely Amalgamated Banks of South Africa (ABSA), First National Bank (FNB), Nedbank, and Standard Bank. Although still dominated by the big four, other smaller banks such as Capitec and African Bank have made inroads into retail banking. This situation arose due to liberalization of the financial services sector since democratisation in South Africa in 1994 which has paved the way for proliferation of the banking industry. This has in turn led to intense competition among banks for customers. Banks in South Africa therefore have the uphill task of retaining their existing customers whilst acquiring newer ones. As a result, South African banks are being compelled to become more customer focused/ oriented. Meanwhile, a key component of most initiatives to become more customer-oriented is the successful implementation of customer relationship management (CRM). A compelling view of CRM is that organisations generate a great deal of data about customers that they can use to build customer profiles in order to serve them better. South African banks therefore need to adopt and implement innovative CRM strategies to maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace. Most banks have a section that only deals with business clients. This is referred to in banking parlance as Business Banking. One of the critical elements of Business Banking is the high level of relationship banking – a service designed to meet the financial needs of clients through the development of a long-term relationship. This type of service delivery is unique and expensive compared to the traditional retail bank delivery system. As a result, the bank must be in position to monitor the profitability of each relationship to ensure that the right clients are serviced in the right way and are meeting the required value proposition. Therefore, if the South African banks in general need to adopt and implement effective CRM strategies, then the need is even greater for the Business Banking section in order to survive in the marketplace. Absa Business bank went through an operating model change in 2011 which necessitated some structural changes including changes in its CRM practices. Mindful of the value of retaining existing customers and attracting new ones, Absa would want to know whether its current CRM practices are effective in ensuring that customers become more loyal to Absa business bank. In general terms, this study investigated the concept of CRM and its influence on customer loyalty and retention. Specifically, the study investigated Absa Business Bank’s CRM practices in relation to customer loyalty and retention using primary data from employees, management, and customers from the Eastern Cape Region in South Africa. The results of the study are very revealing. Among others, the study shows that bank staff commitment to offering excellent service; building trust with customers; communicating with customers in a timely manner; and proactive conflict handling are important for bank image, customer word-of-mouth behaviour towards the bank and these ultimately influence bank customer retention and loyalty. On the basis of evidence from the study it is safe to conclude that customer loyalty can be attributed to CRM and more specifically those aimed at building trust, demonstrating commitment to service, communicating with customers in a timely, reliable and proactive fashion, and handling conflict efficiently. This report contains the major findings of the study alongside recommendations for practice and further research.

Thesis (M.Tech.) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2006

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The high degree of extant commoditisation of organizations and their value propositions in the financial services industry has necessitated organizations in the industry to seek differentiation from the competition. Innovation has generally been accepted as a way for organizations to create differentiation by adding value to the organization. Until recently the focus of innovation activities has been limited to the product or the service of the organization. Recent emphasis has however shifted the innovation mandate to more holistically consider the total experience the customer has when interacting with the organization. This study concerns itself with the organizational activities required to innovate the customer experience. The main argumentation adopted by the thesis suggests that organizations need to constantly leverage their connectivity, forward and backward in value systems, across organizational boundaries to enhance the customer experience innovatively. Leveraging the organization's connectivity creates advantages for both radical and incremental innovation management to thereby improve and sustain the organization's profitability. The study commences by critically analysing the total customer expenence and then describing how the customer experience can create differentiation for the organization. The second part of the study scrutinises innovation literature to gain an understanding of how and where organizations can benefit in the management of innovation. The third part of the study reveals multi-channel management as a method that can be utilised to deliver the customer experience innovatively and benefit the organization in the continuous innovation of the customer experience. The study culminates in a preliminary model that conceptualises the leveraging of connectivity in the innovation process necessary within the organization for the innovation of a differentiated customer experience. Limitations of the study are described, and recommendations are made for both further research and the application of the study to the business environment. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ondernemings in die finansiële dienste industrie ondervind huidiglik dat hul waardeproposisies relatief maklik in kommoditeite verander. Dit noodsaak ondernemings in hierdie industrie tot toenemende innoverende differensiasie om daardeur 'n voorsprong op konkurrente in die mark te verkry. Innovasie word algemeen aanvaar as die manier waarop organisasies waarde kan toevoeg om sodoende differensiasie te bewerkstellig. Tot onlangs was die fokus van innovasie-aktiwiteite beperk tot die produk of diens van 'n onderneming. Die moderne tendens is dat die klem in die innovasiemandaat verskuif om die totale ervaring in die interaksieproses tussen onderneming en kliënt holisties te benader. Hierdie studie konsentreer op die organisatoriese aktiwiteite wat benodig word in die innoveering van die kliënt se ervaring. Die hoof argument wat deur die tesis aanvaar word, beklemtoon dat ondernemings deurlopend hul konnektiwiteit voor- en terugwaarts in die waardesisteem, moet hefboom oor organisatoriese grense heen, om daardeur die innovasieproses van die kliënte-ervaring te bevorder. Om die onderneming se konnektiwiteit op hierdie wyse te hefboom, skep voordele vir beide radikale en inkrementele innovasie bestuur waardeur die onderneming se winsgewendheid volgehou en verbeter kan word. In die aanvang van die studie word gepoog om die totale verbruikerservaring krities te analiseer; daarna word uiteengesit hoe die kliënte-ervaring vir die onderneming differensiasie kan skep. Die tweede deel van die studie ondersoek literatuur wat betrekking het op innovasie om daardeur te verstaan hoe en waar ondernemings voordeel kan trek uit die bestuur van innovasie. Die derde deel van die studie stel multikanaal-bestuur voor as 'n metode om die beoogde kliënte-ervaring te weeg te bring, maar ook as 'n manier om die onderneming te bevoordeel in die deurlopende innovasie van die verbuiker se ervaring. Die studie resulteer in 'n voorlopige model wat die hefboom van konnektiwiteit in die innovasie proses vir 'n gedifferensieerde kliënte-ervaring konseptualiseer. Ten slotte word die beperkings van die studie omskryf en aanbevelings word gemaak vir beide navorsingsdoeleindes, en die toepassing van die studie tot die praktiese sakeomgewing.

本研究鑒於行銷對非營利組織之重要性、文教類基金會為台灣基金會的主要類型、關係行銷的研究方興未艾、關係行銷對於非營利組織所能發揮之利益，以文教基金會或教育事務基金會為研究對象，探討其所採用的關係行銷策略、所知覺的關係行銷品質、關係行銷策略與品質之間的關係。研究者採用問卷調查法，以自編之「非營利組織關係行銷策略與關係品質調查問卷」為研究工具，以符合本研究目的之300家文教基金會或教育事務基金會為研究對象，共發出600份問卷，扣除無效問卷後，共回收453份，回收率為75.5%。。預試階段共回收123份預試問卷，正式施測共回收453份正式問卷。 本研究獲致結論如下： 一、 我國非營利組織整體關係行銷策略之運用現況仍有待改進，就各層面而言，以「建立策略」與「維繫策略」運用現況較佳，而「提升策略」運用現況較差。 二、 我國非營利組織整體關係品質介於「普通」及「經常如此」之間，就各層面而言，以「關係承諾」程度最高，「關係滿意」與「關係信賴」現況較差。 三、 「宗教背景」及「治理與領導方式」是影響基金會關係行銷策略之重要環境因素。 四、 「成立年限」與「服務項目」是影響基金會關係行銷策略與關係品質之重要環境因素。 五、 基金會成員之「年齡」及「教育程度」是影響基金會關係行銷策略之重要人口因素。 六、 基金會成員之「宗教信仰」、「職務性質」及「工作報酬」是影響基金會關係行銷策略與關係品質之重要人口因素。 七、 非營利組織關係行銷策略能正向影響關係品質。 本研究對文教類基金會提出如下建議： 一、 基金會領導者宜瞭解非營利行銷與營利導向行銷之根本性差異，並重視關係行銷對非營利組織之重要性。 二、 基金會應主動提高服務或財貨的附加價值，使「正規服務」提升至「感動服務」。 三、 基金會應重視並維護捐助者的權益，並使產品或服務符合捐助者期待，以增進捐助者對基金會的關係信賴及滿意。 四、 無論何種特性的基金會，均應重視關係行銷策略及關係品質對非營利組織之重要性，以追求組織永續競爭力。 五、 基金會宜體認到關係行銷策略的運用程度愈高，其關係品質也愈高。 六、 教育行政機關可扮演文教基金會的交流平台，提供不同性質基金會之間對話與合作的機會，進而提高基金會之關係品質。 最後，本研究分別對後續研究就研究對象、研究變項與研究方法提出建議。 / In this study, in view of the importance of marketing to non-profit organizations, cultural and educational foundations as the main types of Taiwan's foundations, relationship marketing research in the ascendant, the interests developed by relationship marketing in regard to non-profit organizations, the researcher took cultural and educational foundations or educational matters foundations as the research objects to explore the relationship marketing strategies they use, the quality of relationship marketing they perceive, and the relationship between relationship marketing strategies and quality. The researcher used questionnaire survey methods, used self-designed "the questionnaire of relationship marketing strategies and relationship quality of non-profit organizations" as a research tool, used 300 cultural and educational foundations or educational matters foundations that meet the purpose of this study as the research objects. And the researcher issued a total of 600 copies of questionnaires, excluding invalid questionnaires, and 453 copies were recovered and the recovery rate is 75.5%. A total of 123 pre-test questionnaires were Recovered at the pre-trial stage, and a total of 453 formal questionnaires were recovered at the formally measuring stage. The researchers got the following conclusions in this study: 1. The current use situations of the overall relationship marketing strategies of non-profit organizations in Taiwan are still to be improved. For each level, the current use situations of "building strategy" and "maintaining strategy" are better, but "upgrading strategy" is worse. 2. The overall relationship quality of non-profit organizations in Taiwan is between "common" and "often so". For each level, the level of "relationship commitment" is the highest, but the current statuses of "relationship satisfaction" and "relationship trust" are worse. 3. "Religious background" and "ways of management and leadership" are the important environmental factors that impact relationship marketing strategies of foundations. 4. "The fixed number of years of establishment" and "service items" are the important environmental factors that affect relationship marketing strategies and quality of relationship of foundations. 5. The "age" and "educational level" of the members of foundations are the important demographic factors that affect relationship marketing strategies of foundations. 6. The "religion," "nature of the duties," and "work remuneration" of the members of foundations are the important demographic factors that affect relationship marketing strategies and quality of relationship of foundations. 7. Relationship marketing strategies for non-profit organizations can positively affect relationship quality. This study brings up the following suggestion for cultural and educational foundations: 1. Foundation leaders should understand the fundamental differences of non-profit marketing and profit-oriented marketing and value the importance of relationship marketing for non-profit organizations. 2. Foundations should actively improve the added values of the services or currency and finances to make "regular services" upgrade to "moving services." 3. Foundations should value and maintain the interests of donors and make products or services meet the expectations of donors to enhance donors’ relationship trust and satisfaction to the foundations. 4. No matter what kind of characteristics foundations belong to, they should value the importance of relationship marketing strategies and relationship quality for non-profit organizations to pursue the sustainable competitive power of organizations. 5. Foundations should realize that if the use level of relationship marketing strategies is higher, the relationship quality will be also higher. 6. Educational administrative authorities may play the roles of exchange platforms of cultural and educational foundations to provide opportunities of conversations and cooperation between different natures of foundations and thereby increase the quality of relationship between foundations. Finally, this study respectively brings up some recommendations for research objects, research variables, and research methods of the follow-up studies.