Guerrilla marketing is a relatively new way of doing marketing. It is initially used by small companies and/or individuals allowing them to act like large companies. However, more and more large companies use Guerrilla marketing these days. The usage of Guerrilla management can bring advantages but can also increase risks. At this moment little research is done about the way how large companies manage the reputational risk associated with Guerrilla marketing. This is a problem in both science and practise. The purpose of this thesis is therefore to contribute to the understanding of how large companies manage the possible reputational risk that Guerrilla marketing and the communication of Guerrilla marketing brings along. This research is based on several theories, both emerging and dominant about Guerrilla marketing, Viral Marketing, Buzz marketing, Reputational risk and Reputational Risk Management. To do the research, in-depth interviews were held with experts when it comes to managing reputational risk and new marketing tools of four large companies based in Sweden. The analyses show that large companies manage the increasing reputational risks in some extend. Main findings are that the companies do not monitor Guerrilla marketing processes and do not have a central coordination for reputational risk management. This shows that not all companies are really aware of the risk that new marketing tools bring along and do not have a solid reputational risk management.

Die Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, welche Motive Konsumenten dazu verleiten, soziale Medien im sogenannten "Web 2.0" aktiv oder passiv zu nutzen. Hierbei liegt das Augenmerk insbesondere auf soziodemographischen und psychologischen Merkmalen der Nutzer. Als zentrales Ergebnis der Arbeit kann herausgestellt werden, dass sich die befragten 188 Personen insgesamt anhand von zwei Dimensionen: Aktivität vs. Passivität und soziale Motivation vs. individuelle Motivation in 5 Gruppen beschreiben lassen. Mithilfe klassischer und neuer Marketing-Instrumente (z.B. Virales Marketing) lassen sich diese Gruppen zielgenau ansprechen.

Reklamspel är ett verktyg inom reklambranschen, en bransch som undergått stor förändring under senare års digitala utveckling. Denna förändring uppmanar ständigt till bredare kunskap och högre förståelse hos både skapare och användare. Syftet med uppsatsen var att påbörja ett ramverk för skapandet av “bra” reklamspel. För det krävdes att ordet “bra” definierades och kunde förstås så att även diskussionen kring spel och reklam förbättrades. Det material som uppsatsen grundats i kommer från en två månader lång praktik där ett reklamspel producerades och från det designdokument som digitalbyrån North Kingdom lämnade efter sitt reklamspel, The Coke Zero Game. Med kvalitativa metoder samlades resultat in och jämfördes mot en teoretiskgrund byggd på kunskap inom marknadsföring, interaktions- och speldesign, användbarhet och uttryck ofta använda i spelsammanhang. Detta ledde efter analys tillslutsatser i form av ett ramverk på egenskaper som reklamspel bör sträva efter. / An advergame is a tool for the business of advertisment, a business which has during the past years of digital evolution gone through a lot of change. This change demands greater knowledge and a better understanding amongst both the creators and users of the games. The purpose of the thesis was to initiate a framework for the creation of “good” advergames. For this the word “good” needed to be defined and understood so that also the discussion regarding games and advertising could improve. The material which the thesis was based on originated from an advergame created during a two month long internship and from the design document that the digital agency North Kingdom released after their advergame, The Coke Zero Game. With qualitative methods, results were collected and later on examined against a theoretic base of knowledge surrounding marketing, interaction- and game design, useability and common expressions used in the context of games. After the analysis the conclusions narrowed down into a framework of qualities that an advergame should strive for.

本研究是根據Feick和Price等學者在傳統實體通路所作的「市場行家」相關研究為出發點，希望在網際網路的世界中也能夠證實「網路市場行家」的存在；「網路市場行家」會因應網際網路的傳播特質，展現他們的市場影響力，故本研究可以視為「市場行家理論」在網際網路環境下的應證與延伸。 本研究所定義的「網路市場行家」，不但積極上網搜尋多元化的商品資訊以及新商品或新品牌的訊息，同時也較常在網路上消費，另外他們每週上網時數高達23.8小時，平均訂閱7.7份免費電子報，也較有意願訂閱付費電子報。 「網路市場行家」對於網路行銷人員的意義在於，他們是「電子口碑」傳播的種子，因為他們平時轉寄電子郵件的頻率比一般人高，同時「網路市場行家」認為市場訊息是重要並值得轉寄給其它人，其中他們最重視的是「特價訊息」，其次才是「產品品質」。而「網路市場行家」最常接觸的行銷管道依次為：閱讀熟人轉寄的電子郵件，其次是收到電子折價券、參與網路促銷贈獎活動、閱讀電子郵件廣告，最後才是點選橫幅廣告。 「網路市場行家」不僅傳遞有用的消費資訊而已，研究也發現他們對於身邊的人在購買「書籍雜誌」的決策上，具有意見領袖影響特質；而「男性網路市場行家」在「電腦硬體及周邊」上具有意見領袖特質，而「女性網路市場行家」則對於「室內休閒娛樂」方面具有意見領袖的影響力。至於在新上市商品的早期購買行為方面，「網路市場行家」會比別人早一步購買「書籍雜誌」類商品，至於其它新商品方面，他們仍是最好的市場訊息的代言人。 「網路市場行家」喜歡蒐尋市場資訊，又較常因人際之間轉寄電子郵件而傳播市場資訊，故他們所傳播的「電子口碑」對於消費行為具有不可忽視的影響力。本研究應證「網路市場行家」特質的存在，不但初步建立「電子口碑傳播」的研究基礎，也延伸了傳統「市場行家」理論的意涵。

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Master of Technology: Marketing, Durban University of Technology, 2017. / Social networking is the use of dedicated websites and applications to interact with other users sharing interests, activities, backgrounds or real life events. The use of social media has been predominantly reported among young adults, accounting for about 93% of all users. Social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Skype are member based Internet communities that permit users to share views, perceptions and ideologies. Social media influences youth development, most especially among the millennials who invest approximately seven hours per day with media. More so, the social media shapes the millennials perception, ideology and principles. Bearing this in mind, this tool can serve as an effective tool for bringing both social awareness among youths and the society at large. Therefore, this study sought to determine how Facebook can be used as an effective social awareness tool among millennials. The current study focused on Facebook as it has the highest number of subscribers globally, and also due to its wide acceptance among South African Millennials in tertiary intuitions. Questionnaires were distributed to a total of 400 undergraduate students. These included 150 students from the Durban University of Technology, 125 from the Mangosuthu University of Technology; and 125 from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The study revealed that millennials are digital natives and their lives are basically lived through the internet and technology. Based on the findings the majority of millennials spend between at least two to well over six hours every day on social media. This proves that Facebook as a social network can be used to reach out and provide much needed information to millennials. / M

To paraphrase an old bromide, "you are what you consume." Consumers derive their sense of self through products, brands, performances and a host of other meaning-laden materials that they consume. The marketing literature has long recognized possessions as an extension of the self-concept. Although hundreds of studies have examined the linkage between consumption and the self, surprisingly few have examined a related phenomenon - the relationship between the self-concept and word of mouth (WOM). A handful of studies have demonstrated the use of WOM to enhance the consumer's self-image, but most extant research focuses on how the act of engaging in WOM is used to build the self-concept. To date there has not been an extensive examination of the process by which WOM transfers the meaning of a product, brand, advertisement or narrative from one consumer to another as part of identity construction. This dissertation attempts to answer the following research questions: 1. Do self-concept and identity motivate consumers to engage in electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM)? 2. Is there a conceptual model to represent the effects of message characteristics, product/brand characteristics and individual personality differences on the self-enhancement value of eWOM and resulting eWOM behaviors? A conceptual model was proposed and, using an experimental research design, hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results suggest that self-concept and identity indeed motivate consumers to engage in eWOM, and a number of brand and message traits comprise eWOM's self-enhancement value. This dissertation both contributes to the theoretical understanding of eWOM and assists managers in developing marketing strategy. The use of WOM for identity construction remains an understudied area in marketing when compared to the consumption of products as self-expression. This research provides suggestions for practitioners in harnessing the potential of eWOM as a marketing strategy through message development and targeting of lucrative segments with viral campaigns.

Die Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, welche Motive Konsumenten dazu verleiten, soziale Medien im sogenannten "Web 2.0" aktiv oder passiv zu nutzen. Hierbei liegt das Augenmerk insbesondere auf soziodemographischen und psychologischen Merkmalen der Nutzer. Als zentrales Ergebnis der Arbeit kann herausgestellt werden, dass sich die befragten 188 Personen insgesamt anhand von zwei Dimensionen: Aktivität vs. Passivität und soziale Motivation vs. individuelle Motivation in 5 Gruppen beschreiben lassen. Mithilfe klassischer und neuer Marketing-Instrumente (z.B. Virales Marketing) lassen sich diese Gruppen zielgenau ansprechen.

The thesis Possible approaches to the viral marketing in new media and its use in Czech Republic is concerned with one of the marketing strategies from foreign authors point of view. On the basis of related theories it describes the importance of viral marketing in order to point out the strengths and weaknesses of this method of promotion. The first part deals with the introduction of new media and specific ways of promotion in cyberspace. The following parts describes the related fields, word of mouth, memetics and information cascades. The actual view of viral marketing is given on the basis of publications by Seth Godin Douglas Rushkoff and Henry Jenkins. Part of the work deals with the measurement and analysis of viral marketing, which outlines the possible mathematical formula describing viral spread. After a theoretical introduction describes possible methods of viral marketing, which is clearly shown on the example of several Czech campaigns. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

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Uppsatsens syfte är att kartlägga hur nio svenska turistföretag ser på sociala mediers och konsumentens roll inom marknadsföring online. Vidare vill uppsatsförfattarna analysera potentiella effekter av virala marknadsföringskampanjer. Detta utifrån fyra teoretiska ramverk: webb 2.0, word-of-mouth, viral marknadsföring samt social valuta. I uppsatsens analys besvaras tre frågeställningar: hur ser turistföretagen på marknadsföring genom sociala medier, vad har konsumenternas sociala nätverk för betydelse i turistföretagens virala marknadsföring, samt vilka är de upplevda effekterna av virala marknadsföringskampanjer? Uppsatsens empiri baseras på data insamlad via nio semistrukturerade intervjuer. De generella resultaten visar på att konsumentens sociala nätverk online har en stor betydelse för företagens marknadsföring online, konsumenterna äger varumärket genom att de i sina sociala kanaler kan sprida både positiv och negativ word-of-mouth till det sociala nätverket. Sociala medier är en viktig faktor i turistföretagens marknadsföring och företagen måste idag vara närvarande på sociala medier då allt fler konsumenter befinner sig online. Studien har även visat att företagen endast upplever positiva effekter av företagens virala marknadsföringskampanjer. Kampanjerna leder till att konsumenterna integreras i marknadsföringen och sprider företagets varumärke till dess sociala nätverk. I och med detta bildas en positiv relation mellan företag och konsument. / The aim of this essay is to identify how nine Swedish tourism companies view the role of social media and the consumer in online marketing. Furthermore, the authors will analyze the potential effects of viral marketing campaigns. This is based on four theoretical frameworks: web 2.0, word-of-mouth, viral marketing and social currency. The analysis answer three questions: how tourism companies looks on marketing through social media, what consumer social networks importance of tourism businesses viral marketing, and what are the perceived effects of viral marketing campaigns? The essays empirics are based on data collected through nine semi-structured interviews. The overall results show that the social networks of consumers have a great significance for the companies’ online marketing. Through their social media channels, consumers can spread both positive and negative word-of-mouth to their social networks, this has the effect that consumers now can be said to own the companies’ brands. Social media is an important element of the tourism companies’ marketing strategies. Consumers increasing usage of social media means that companies today must be present online. Furthermore, the study has shown that tourism companies have only seen positive effects of their viral marketing campaigns. The campaigns have the effect of consumers integrating with the companies’ marketing and spreading the companies’ brands within their social networks. This creates a positive relation between company and consumer.