Many Chinese car companies have attempted to invest in and purchase famous Swedish companies, which attracted a lot of attention of the media, particularly in Sweden and America. The investment is a complex transaction when companies from two countries are involved and are much different. This difference is the starting point for this study. This thesis aims to analyze the image of China in Swedish and American media. The study suggests that the representation of China in three newspapers is deeply rooted in ideology. Theories on media representation are applied and used in a qualitative analysis in order to present how the image of China is constructed. Through analyzing the twenty-five selected samples to explore how the media understood the Saab event and how they understood Chinese financial power. The main theoretical concept of the thesis is ideology, which is used to analyze the potential meanings of the Swedish and American notions of China. The findings show that both positive and negative images of China were portrayed by Swedish and American media. Furthermore, Chinese political leaders played an important role in the economic activity were also a central theme.

Research questions:   What are the brand images and brand identities of Renault Trucks, Novembal/Tetra Pak and IKEA? Is there a brand gap? How does country-of-origin have an effect on the perception of the brands? How does the respondent’s sex have an importance in the perception of the brand and the effect of country-of-origin? Purpose:   The purpose of this thesis is to describe, compare and analyze the existence of brand gaps and the effect of country-of-origin with the final intention to provide management recommendations for the studied companies. Method:   A quantitative consumer survey of 42 subjects was collected and analyzed. In addition, interviews were conducted with three Swedish companies, as well as an interview with the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Lyon. Aaker’s (1997) Big Five model was used in the analysis. Conclusions:    The study demonstrated the brand identities and brand images of the companies. A brand gap is widely present. Aaker’s (1997) model had to be modified and includes new dimensions and traits. Country-of-origin (COO) plays a role in 100% of the consumers’ perception and purchasing process. COO bias, ethnocentrism and animosity are present and play a role in the 42 consumers’ attitudes and purchase decisions in Rhone-Alps. Men      and women have different attitudes and degree of ethnocentrism towards the effect of country-of-origin (COE).