Increased consumer awareness together with the importance of sustainable consumption is currently a highly debated topic. Frequently, the media reports scandals from strong international brands, revealing information regarding deficiencies linked to the brands social sustainability efforts. As a consequence, some consumers are starting to put higher demands on social sustainability by spreading condemnations. This is to prevent injustices such as child labour and modern slavery. The condemnation can be in the form of negative word-of- mouth or by boycotting the brand. This is something that can affect the brand strongly by damaging the consumers perception of the brand, which can be fatal to the consumer-brand relationship. However, this is something that seems to affect some brands to a greater extent than other brands This study explores the strength of Keller’s brand resonance level as a possible explanation to the above mentioned anomality. It shows that brands resonance operates as a countermeasure against negative information in relation to the brands indiscretions regarding social sustainability. Brand resonance can contradict the consumers ethical values and self-imagery, leaving the consumers perception of the brand unscathed. The results showed that brand resonance can become so strong that it can make the consumer abandon their ethical values, even for consumers whom consider themselves as highly ethical. This study has been conducted by a hypothetically deductive methodology. To determine the significance of the result it has been verified with a Z-test that applied a 5% significance level.

Background: To date, there have been several studies conducted on how social media marketing affects customer loyalty. However, they have been narrowed down to specific areas, such as luxury fashion, the airplane industry, and so on. Therefore, there is a literature gap on how social media marketing affects customer loyalty in general. This research seeks to fill that gap though investigating how certain characteristics of social media marketing activities affect customer loyalty in general. Purpose:  The purpose of this paper is to describe the effects social media marketing has on customer loyalty. Methodology:  This research will be conducted by gathering quantitative data through a cross-sectional research design. A survey was performed based on the theoretical concepts in the theoretical framework, which seeks to test the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable. An operationalization was created to showcase the theoretical grounds for each question, where each question is bound to a concept/variable. Students in ages 18-30 were used to define the sample population for this research. Conclusion: The purpose of this paper was to describe the effects social media marketing has on customer loyalty. Due to H1 and H2 being approved, and H3 and H4 being rejected, this paper provides evidence that there is a significant positive impact of the SMMA characteristics of entertainment and interaction on customer loyalty. It was also established that there were two SMMA characteristics that did not have a significant positive relationship with customer loyalty; trendiness and customization.

Greenwashing is a frequent issue within the FMCG industry, such as vague ecological claims and misleading communication. When a brand is accused of greenwashing it is important to understand how to manage this transgression, since both forgiveness and loyalty are concepts that are affected. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis was to investigate how brand forgiveness influences brand loyalty, within the FMCG industry, with the aim of contributing to limited research in this area. Ten interviews were conducted with loyal customers to examine how they felt and experienced two brands after perceived transgressions. The critical incident technique was used during the interviews to remind the customers of the transgressions and obtain a comprehensive view of their narratives. The results indicated that the lack of repair efforts influenced the customers to perceive the brands as dishonest and untrustworthy, which affected their unwillingness to forgive and damaged their trust. Based on the customer's perceptions and feelings regarding the brands and the specific transgressions, brand forgiveness and loyalty were influenced differently. In addition, the customer places high importance on the product quality and their relationship with the brand and would rather stay with the brand instead of switching to another if the quality and/or the relationship is strong.

Background: Organizations desire to create and maintain a strong and long-lasting relationship with their consumers. Firms enjoy many benefits through the loyalty of customers, such as lower marketing costs, increased revenue, and much more. Our study pinpoints two specific elements within brand loyalty that are in need of research: brand longevity, which describes the duration of a brand’s activeness, and customer loyalty to disliked brands. Furthermore, our study tries to identify how consumers add value during their relationship with the video game franchise FIFA. We identified the video game franchise FIFA as a perfect fit for this study; a criticized franchise that has been successful since 1993. Research Purpose: The purpose of this research is to understand why a disliked brand stays successful despite increasing criticisms from critics and consumers. Research Problem: Our study identified a need for further investigation into the concept of brand longevity, brands with a rich heritage would benefit from understanding their assemblage. Furthermore, qualitative research is needed to address the lack of knowledge of loyalty for disliked brands in other cultural and demographical contexts. Finally, more insights about customer value are needed to better understand how firms can evaluate their customers. Research Question: How is FIFA able to attain such longevity, despite receiving strong critics on their annual products? Method: Ontology through a relativistic scope - Epistemology with a social constructionism view - 20 Semi-structured Interviews - Snowball Sampling for gathering participants - Content Analysis for analyzing and coding the data. Conclusion: Our study managed to identify several drivers that keep consumers loyal to FIFA. We also identified how the community of FIFA perceives the environment of the franchise. Finally, the intensity of the value contribution has been outlined to illustrate how consumer differs from each other. Practical Implications: Emerging from our findings, implications are formulated for franchises, brands, and firms in general, both inside and outside of the gaming industry.

A well-crafted, locally adapted customer value proposition (CVP) can aid businesses in attaining loyal customers. The main purpose of this research is to determine the key value components that should be considered for the development of a CVP, for free-floating car sharing services in the Nordic region. This is done by establishing the relationship between deductively identified value components, perceived value, satisfaction, trust, and loyalty.  A research framework is proposed, where the relationships between the different constructs are hypothesised. Quantitative data is collected from existing car sharing users in the Nordic countries, through a self-administered online questionnaire, distributed through a non-probability sampling method. The empirical data is analysed through multiple regression analysis using the software SPSS, and the extension “PROCESS”, as well as additional analysis techniques to ensure data quality. The research findings indicate that perceived convenience, need fit, and a low service price positively impact both perceived value, as well as satisfaction. Satisfaction shows a stronger, positive effect on loyalty than that of perceived value, yet, loyalty is better explained when both constructs are accounted for. Additionally, trust shows to carry a mediating effect between both satisfaction and loyalty, as well as between perceived value and loyalty. Therefore, firms operating within this context should emphasise the customer needs to provide a service which is perceived as affordable and convenient. Finally, efforts should be taken to reduce uncertainty, and promote trust between the service providers, and their users.

Brand loyalty is seen as a repeat purchase and also the ability to recommend services or products. Telecommunication service providers require loyal customers to stay in business. The current thesis examines the impact of how brand function and corporate image create loyalty in North America, Europe, and Africa's telecom service providers. The researcher employed an anonymous online survey in Africa, Europe, and North America. A total of 971 responses were received. Using Partial Least Square regression analysis, the research examined the relationship between the variables: Brand Function, Corporate Image and Loyalty. The study found that brand function and corporate image has a significant positive effect on customer satisfaction. In addition, the research used machine learning algorithm to model the best prediction for consumer recommendation of products and services through their telecommunication service provider to friends and family. / School of Computing / M. Sc. (Computing)

Nowadays, it is very important to study tourist loyalty and its influencing factors in the field of tourism research. After expatiating the importance of global tourism to regional development, this paper introduces the concept of tourism loyalty and its related influencing factors and tries to analyze how tourist loyalty is formed in Gotland tourism, so as to realize the sustainable development of the tourism industry on Gotland. The purpose of this study is to study the influencing factors of tourists' loyalty and to deepen tourists' impression and perception of Gotland. Through quantitative and qualitative research methods, this paper concludes that tourist destination knowledge, tourist perceived evaluation and satisfaction will have a positive impact on tourist loyalty. This paper can provide some references and basis for local tourism stakeholders to formulate tourism development strategies in the future.

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory study was to explain how contextual targeting affects customer attitudes, privacy concerns, trust, and loyalty.  Literature Review: The reviewed literature included concepts that are important within the banking market. Such as attitude (cognitive, affective, and conative), privacy concerns, trust, and loyalty. Based on the literature review the authors proposed six hypotheses that together formed the research model.  Methodology: A positivistic and deductive research approach was adopted in the form of a quantitative research design. Primary data was collected through an online questionnaire created in Google Forms which generated a total of 132 responses. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha, and Pearson's correlation stood as a basis to analyze and interpret the data. Lastly, regression analysis was conducted in order to address the authors' proposed hypotheses stemming from the literature review.  Findings: The study found that contextual targeting had a significant positive effect on the three components of attitudes, cognitive, affective, and conative. Contextual targeting did not have a significant positive effect on privacy concerns, rather a negative effect in this study. Trust and loyalty were significantly positively affected by contextual targeting. The findings implied that contextual targeting positively affected visibility, awareness, preferences among customers of banks as well as their final purchase decision. Also, that contextual targeting affected trust and loyalty towards banks positively implying the positive aspects of utilizing the marketing strategy.  Keywords - Contextual targeting, Attitudes, Cognitive, Affective, Conative, Privacy concerns, Trust, Loyalty

With the technology and internet development, customers are moving towards online shopping, which made the new phenomena of e-loyalty emerge out of traditional loyalty. The literature on e-loyalty has been reviewed, and the most influential antecedents to e-loyalty formation were studied in this research, e-satisfaction, and e-trust. Also, the e-tail quality dimensions were studied in this research, fulfillment/reliability, website design, customer service, and security/privacy since these dimensions majorly affect e-satisfaction and e-trust, contributing to forming e-loyalty. This research describes how e-loyalty is being formed online from a customer’s perspective since multiple processes are involved in the formation. This purpose will be reached by finding out what contributes to forming e-loyalty online from a customer’s perspective. In order to answer this research question and capture the customer’s perspective, a qualitative study was conducted with a deductive approach. Six semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with participants who have online shopping experiences and are e-loyal to any e-commerce website. This thesis resulted in two different processes contributing to forming e-loyalty online from a customer’s perspective. The first process involves e-satisfaction contributing to form e-loyalty, and the second process involves e-trust contributing to form e-loyalty. Both processes have a specific order to form e-loyalty because the factors affect and depend on each other in a particular pattern.

Recent research on links between dimensions of consumer-based brand equity, as well as links to consumer involvement, has shown that it is a significant predictor of purchase behavior. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the affect brands have on consumer involvement. We attempt to investigate how consumer-based brand equity affects the level of consumer involvement. Based on consumer behavior theory and previous research of these areas, gathered primary data (an empirical investigation of students’ attitudes) is analyzed to gain an understanding of how the aforementioned concepts relate to each other. The findings indicate that there are correlations between consumer-based brand equity and consumer involvement, and that there is more to investigate in this area. Suggestions for further research include a similar study with more measured variables for each dimension, and analyzing them separately instead of creating indexes. The results of this dissertation may be useful for marketers and manufacturers of the specific products investigated, as well as products of similar nature, in order to apply focus to the attributes which consumers value most.