När en individ identifierar sig med ett varumärke har det visat sig att hen är mer benägen att utföra positiva gärningar gentemot varumärket. Det kan innefatta positive word of mouth, att försvara varumärket vid smutskastning eller intention att köpa produkter från varumärket. För att en identifikation ska uppstå krävs det att en individ kan se delar av sig själv i varumärket eller se en vinning i att identifiera sig med det. En viktig del för varumärket är att visa detta i sin marknadsföring. Till hjälp finns det fem centrala katalysatorer som hjälper till med denna process på olika nivåer. Jag har i denna undersökning isolerat och analyserat dessa i hjälporganisationers marknadsföring för att kunna se hur de används. Vidare används nästan alltid någon form av gestaltning i marknadsföring för att få konsumenten att i större utsträckning förstå budskapet och se det ur berättarens ögon. På det sättet så kan konsumenten lättare ta till sig vad varumärket vill säga och, om kommunikationen är utförd rätt, ges större chans till identifikation. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka om 1) hjälporganisationer använder sig av gestaltning i sin marknadsföring, 2)om de använder sig olika katalysatorer för Consumer Brand Identification och 3) om dessa varumärken är lätta att identifiera sig med enligt dessa teorier. Till hjälp för att ta reda på detta så har studien använt sig utav teorierna kring Consumer Brand Identification, gestaltningsteorin och delar av The prospect theory. Studien har analyserat reklamfilmer från två olika hjälporganisationer: Rädda barnen och Unicef. I studien användes en kvalitativ retorisk analys för att tolka reklamfilmernas manifesta och latenta budskap samt två sammanställningar av strategisk gestaltning och olika katalysatorer för Consumer Brand Identification. Resultatet visade att reklamfilmerna tillsammans innehöll alla de olika katalysatorerna och strategiska gestaltningarna. Det intressanta och anmärkningsvärda var att reklamfilmerna ibland inte använde den strategiska gestaltningen på det sätt som forskningen visat skulle vara det bästa sättet att använda dem på. Vad detta kan bero på kan man bara spekulera om och det gör jag också i slutdelen av denna uppsats. / When an individual identifies with a brand, it has been proved that he or she does to some extent perform positive actions toward the brand. It can include positive word of mouth, defending the brand in mudslinging, or intent to purchase products from the brand. For an identification to occur, the individual has to see parts of her or his soul in the brand. An important part of the marketing strategy is to show the brands values in their marketing. To facilitate this there are five key drivers that help with this process at different levels. I have in this study isolated and analyzed them in humanitarian organizations marketing. Furthermore, there is almost always some kind of strategic framing in marketing, to get consumers to increasingly understand the message and see it from the narrator's eyes. In this way, the consumer can more easily absorb what the brand is trying to say, and if the communication is performed properly, greater the chance of identification. The aim of this study is to investigate whether humanitarian organizations 1) make use of strategic framing in their marketing, 2) make use of driver for Consumer Brand Identification and 3) if those brands are easy to identify with according to these theories. To help determine this, the study used the theories of Consumer Brand Identification, strategic framing theory and parts of The prospect theory. The study has analyzed commercials from two different aid organizations: Save the Children and UNICEF. The study used a qualitative rhetorical analysis to interpret the advertisings manifest and latent messages and two compilations of strategic design and various driver for Consumer Brand Identification. The result showed that the commercials together contained all the various drivers and strategic framing elements. The interesting and noteworthy part was that the commercials did not, in some cases, use the strategic portrayal in the way that research has shown would be the best way to use them. Why this is we can only speculate about, and so I do in the final section of this paper.

Bakalauro baigiamajame darbe nagrinėjamas prekės ženklų „Rasa“ ir „Margarita“ žinomumas: prekės ženklo samprata, prekės ženklo žinomumo samprata, prekės ženklo žinomumo vaidmuo prekės identifikavime, asociacijų vaidmuo prekės ženklo žinomumui, prekės ženklo įvaizdžio vaidmuo prekės ženklo žinomume, prekės ženklo žinomumo įtaka vartotojų lojalumui bei pateikiamas prekės ženklas kaip vertės elementas. Šio darbo tikslas yra ištirti prekės ženklų „Rasa“ ir „Margarita“ žinomumą vartotojų nuomonių aspektu. Tikslui pasiekti buvo vykdomi du tyrimai: kiekybinis ir kokybinis. Kokybiniame tyrime dalyvavo 8 respondentai, o kiekybiniame tyrime 110 respondentų. Apibendrinant abiejų tyrimų rezultatus, galima teigti, kad prekės ženklai „Rasa“ ir „Margarita“ nėra aiškūs – vartotojams, kyla abejonių, kad tai kosmetikos priemonių prekės ženklas. Prekės ženklams „Rasa“ ir „Margarita“ trūksta spalvingumo, jų šriftas - nėra išskirtinis šių prekės ženklų pranašumas. Tačiau vartotojai žino ir atpažįsta prekės ženklus, taip teigia 93 proc., bet naudoja ne visi žinantys šiuos prekės ženklus: 40 proc. respondentų naudoja „Rasa“ prekės ženklu pažymėtus produktus ir 51 proc. naudoja „Margarita“ produktus. Vartotojai šiems prekės ženklams nėra lojalūs, tačiau 46 proc. respondentų rekomenduotų juos savo draugams ir pažįstamiems. Šio darbo rezultatais gali pasinaudoti ne tik bendrovė „BIOK Laboratorija“, bet ir kitos panašaus profilio organizacijos, kurios siekia, kad jų prekės ženklai rinkoje būtų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Awareness of the brands „Rasa“ and „Margarita“ is analysed in the bachelor thesis, i.e., conception of the brand, conception of the brand awareness, the role of the brand awareness in the process of item identification, significance of associations to the brand awareness, the role of the brand image in the brand awareness and influence of the brand awareness upon consumer loyalty. Moreover, the brand is presented as an element of value in the work. The purpose of the thesis is to survey awareness of the brands „Rasa“ and „Margarita“ in the aspect of consumer opinion. In pursuance of achieving the purpose two surveys were conducted: qualitative and quantitative. 8 respondents took part in the qualitative survey and 110 respondents participated in the quantitative survey. When summarizing the results of both surveys it can be stated that the brands „Rasa“ and „Margarita“ are not clearly obvious as the consumers doubt whether these two ones are cosmetic brands. The brands „Rasa“ and „Margarita“ lack flamboyance and their type is not any exclusive advantage of the brands. Nevertheless, the consumers, i.e., 93 percent of the respondents, are aware of these brands and can recognize though not all of them use the products that are marked with these brands. 40 percent of the respondents use the products bearing the brand „Rasa“ and 51 percent of the respondents use the products bearing the brand „Margarita“. The consumers are not brand loyal. Nevertheless, 46 percent of the... [to full text]

Framväxten av flertalet detaljhandelsalternativ har resulterat i att modemarknaden blivit allt mer konkurrensutsatt vilket lämnar konsumenten till oändligt många valmöjligheter. Den föränderliga lojaliteten gentemot varumärken innebär flertalet utmaningar för företag att särskilja sig från mängden och erbjuda konsumenten värde för att därmed ha möjlighet till att upprätthålla en långvarig relation med konsumenten. Under senare tid har det blivit allt mer intressant att undersöka konsumenters ”kärlek” till varumärken och med tiden har begreppet varumärkeskärlek uppstått i forskningssammanhang. Varumärkeskärlek innefattar den grad av passionerad, känslomässig anknytning som en nöjd konsument har för ett visst varumärke. I studien presenteras teorierna Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE), 11 Dimensions of Love Toward a Brand och The Brand Love prototype som behandlar varumärkeslojalitet och varumärkeskärlek. Utefter förutnämnda teorier har författarna sedan utformat ett nytt teoretisk ramverk med sex stycken faktorer som förutsätts för att uppnå varumärkeskärlek. Studiens syfte är att ur ett konsumentperspektiv utforska vilka faktorer som skapar varumärkeskärlek samt hur varumärkesägande företag utefter detta skapar varumärkeslojala konsumenter. Resultatet från de kvalitativa, semistrukturerade intervjuerna och enkätundersökningen visar på att fyra faktorer var starkt kopplade till varumärkeskärlek: Förtroende, Identitetsskapande, Kärleksrelationer samt Upplevd och förväntad kvalité. / The fast evolvement of retail alternatives has resulted in an increasing competition in the fashion market which leaves the customer with a number of options to choose from. The change in loyalty toward brands means that companies have to face many challenges which involves distinguishing themselves from other companies. They have to offer the consumer value and thereby create an opportunity to maintain a long-term relationship with the consumer. In recent times it has become interesting to study consumers “love” towards brands and over time the concepts of brand love has emerged in research contexts. Brand love includes the level of passionate, emotional attachment that a satisfied consumer has for a particular brand. The study presents following theories: Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE), 11 Dimensions of Love Toward a Brand and The Brand Love prototype which manage brand loyalty and brand love. The authors has then used the earlier mentioned theories to create a new theoretical framework with six factors predicted for achieving brand love. The aim of the study is to examine in a consumer perspective which factors that create brand love and how brand-owned companies can create loyal consumers. Through qualitative, semi structured interviews and surveys the results indicates that four factors had a strong connection to brand love: Brand trust, Brand identification, Love relationship and Perceived and expected quality.

Mit der Entwicklung des Social Web, also einem Internet, in dem sich immer mehr Nutzer untereinander auf Kommunikationsplattformen wie Facebook, in Foren und Bewertungsplattformen und auf Microblogging-Diensten wie Twitter austauschen, überschlagen sich Kommunikationsspezialisten mit Ratschlägen für Unternehmen, wie sie die Kommunikation im Internet insbesondere in kritischen Situationen zu gestalten hätten, und diverse Dienstleister bieten die Beobachtung (Monitoring) der Kommunikation über Unternehmen im Internet an. Dieser Entwicklung folgend beschäftigt sich diese Arbeit mit der Beschreibung und Analyse der Kommunikationssituation am Beispiel der „Locationgate“- Affäre (Apple-iPhone-Tracking): Schwerpunkt dieser Arbeit ist die Betrachtung der Kommunikation über Apple in einer für das Unternehmen zumindest äußerlich kritisch erscheinenden Situation. Untersucht wird die Diskussion des medienwirksamen Ereignisses durch Leser1 in Online-Foren zu Artikeln über den Vorfall. Bei anfänglicher Brisanz, die bei dem Thema iPhone-Tracking zu erwarten war, zeigte sich recht schnell, dass zwar in den Leserkommentaren sehr viel und auch sehr kontrovers diskutiert wurde – jedoch für die Marke Apple keine echte Gefahr zu drohen schien, denn die Diskussionen schienen vor allem unter den Nutzern als Fans oder Gegner (Hater) der Marke Apple geführt zu werden. Eine erste quantitative Untersuchung war von einer Auseinandersetzung mit den Möglichkeiten des Monitoring der (Social-Media-)Internetkommunikation über eine Marke/ein Unternehmen, das – meist automatisiert, auf quantitativen Analysen basierend – angeboten wird, motiviert. Diese ergab, dass sich relativ geringe Reaktionen zum Positiven oder Negativen hin auf die Unternehmenskommunikation feststellen ließen. Eine erste qualitative Datensichtung ergab, dass negative Lexeme in den Kommentaren sich nicht unbedingt auf die Marke Apple oder das iPhone beziehen, sondern gegen andere Kommentatoren gerichtet sind, und dass unter den Schreibern ein reger Dialog stattzufinden scheint, der auf starken Gegenpositionen basiert. Somit war eine kritische Situation für die Marke Apple in den Foren nicht gegeben. Aus diesen Betrachtungen ergibt sich die Fragestellung, warum die Unternehmenskommunikation in den Foren kaum auf Interesse stößt bzw. was dort stattdessen stattfindet. Hierzu wird analysiert, wer wie oft und mit wem kommuniziert, indem Dialogparameter wie Länge und Häufigkeit per Schreiber im Gesamtkorpus statistisch betrachtet und die Dialogstrukturen detailliert herausgearbeitet und visualisiert werden. Aufbauend darauf wird auf inhaltlicher Ebene qualitativ beleuchtet, worüber sich die Schreiber insbesondere bezogen auf das Markenimage von Apple austauschen. Darauf aufbauend wird beleuchtet, inwieweit sich eine Markenidentifikation und damit eine Verteidigung der Marke Apple in den Kommentaren ausmachen lässt.

A brand could be considered to be the face of a company. The most visible aspect of a brand is the logo, but there is another perspective widely known, namely brand personality. Previous studies have acknowledged that brands, in the eyes of consumers, can be seen as having personality traits. With this knowledge, it becomes important for managers to understand what type of personality their brands possess and how therelationship between brand personality and consumers, especially their behavior, works. The purpose of this study was to explore whether brand personality has an effect on consumers‟ preference and trust towards a brand, and furthermore, whether brand personality is first influencing brand identification, as an indirect link, on its way towards preference and trust. Another aspect of this study was to make a cultural comparison between Germany and Sweden in order to find out if there are any differences in how consumers from different cultures view brand personality, and if that affects the results for brand identification, preference and trust. The findings will help marketing managers to understand the effects of brand personality, its relationship with the consumer, and moreover if the concept of brand identification is an important aspect in order to increase consumers‟ preference and trust towards a specific brand. A quantitative method was used for this study, since a large sample was thought to be needed. A total of 317 respondents provided answers for this research, out of those 190 were gathered from an online survey, while the remaining 127 answered a standard paper-based questionnaire. 181 of the respondents were German and 136 were Swedish.Two non-probability sampling techniques, snowball and convenience, were used. The questionnaires consisted of 26 questions, 13 for each brand, measuring brand personality, brand identification, preference and trust, using Likert-scales from 1 to 5. Four brands, Apple, Nike, Ikea and Mercedes Benz, were used, each restricted to one page. In order to not provide the respondents with an overwhelmingly number of questions to answer, a split of the questionnaire was made. Two questionnaires, the first with the brands Apple and Nike, and the second with Ikea and Mercedes Benz were conducted. The splitting procedure was also used to provide answers concerning cultural differences. One questionnaire was culturally neutral, while the other was culturally biased, allowing for the exploration of the effects of country of origin and consumer ethnocentric tendencies. The results of this study showed that there were indications of brand personality affecting the level of trust towards a brand among consumers. Especially, correlations were found between the brand personality dimensions of Competence and Sincerity with brand trust and between Excitement and preference. However, the concept of brand identification, as a connecting link, is found to have very weak effects on consumers‟preference and trust. Nevertheless, the findings indicate that brand personality effects consumers‟ preference and trust directly. Regarding the cultural comparison with Germany and Sweden, the responses provided an inconclusive result. In questionnaire one, the answers were fairly similar. The same could be said about questionnaire two, even though German respondents tended to produce higher scores for the brand personalities than Swedish respondents. Overall, by illustrating the results in a graph, it can be determined that the answers from both groups exhibit the same pattern. Furthermore, it was concluded that there were no clear indications of country of origin or consumer ethnocentrism effects.

Abstract Under long-term incandescent competition, the difference of product features of banking business is more and more smaller. Only which could supply service can emerge. To establish difference of wealth management service, the high quality enterprise image to attract consumers is needed besides supplying valuable finance planning and professional financing commissioner¡¦s customer relationship administration. Establishing brand image and good communication with consumers are the principal tools of building wealth management bank. This study reviewed related documents to understand the wealth management service actualities of VIP financing center. The questionnaire in the point view of consumer was used to investigate good brand image of wealth administration for public. In order to set a construct model of brand image and supply marketing policy for banks, demonstration analysis method was also adopted. The results of this study are followed: 1. The bank wanting to create higher brand image should start from brand identification and brand orientation. This result agrees with the brand image definition made by Aaker, Kapferer, Keller and Biel. The brand image means consumers¡¦ cognition of brand attribute, in another words, it was represented due to development of brand orientation, result of communicating action and consumers¡¦ memory associating with brand in thinking. It was believed that, to construct the brand image of wealth management bank should start from brand orientation to brand identification. And careful planning could construct brand image effectively. 2. The bank desiring to construct their brand image from brand orientation effectively should strengthen their wealth administration to satisfy customer¡¦s empirical requirement. For example, preparing perfect service illustration data, sharing initiative timely information, supporting integrated-bill monthly and global market analysis report, evaluating investment performance regularly, establishing faith and interaction between consultant and consumer, and paying much attention to consumers¡¦ requirement such as attitude and timing of treating customer¡¦s opinion.

PURPOSE To explain what impacts brand love. METHODOLOGY Quantitative approach, using online surveys, with a total of 462 participants. Additionally, a qualitative method was applied in the pre-study, using semi-structured in-depth interviews, and a total of 12 respondents. FINDINGS Previous literature lack of concern for parallel studies has a divergent effect in explaining what impacts brand love. A consolidated approach can explain brand love antecedents as the combination of brand evaluation, brand identification, and experience value. In additional findings, brand category has a rather small influence in brand love, and, brand love is a phenomenon not exclusive to one particular brand category. LIMITATIONS The findings of this research account for 50% of explanatory power, further exploration and qualitative tests are needed in order to identify the remaining explanatory power. IMPLICATIONS The results of this research suggest a consolidated model that can be used by researchers to extend the understanding of what antecedes brand love. Additionally, the model is a starting point for avoiding future divergence in literature. For managers, the findings present a three-faceted suggestion on how to use brand love antecedents. ORIGINALITY This study consolidates a divergent field of study, and by doing so, creates a new understanding of what impacts brand love. Additionally, the pre-study has an unorthodox methodological approach, and uses a qualitative method as a screening process, rather than an exploration process.

The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of and associations with the color pink in both a traditional and a modern non-traditional marketing context. That is, what traditional associations do people have with the color pink in contrast to what modern new associations have developed with the color pink as we see it today.The research question presented in the study is: “How is the use of the color pink perceived today in a marketing context in comparison to the traditional associations that the color has had historically?”  The theories of the study are: Associative learning, Sensory marketing and Brand theory. Furthermore, colors in marketing and traditional associations with the color pink are discussed. This is a qualitative study based on 31 semi-structured interviews conducted via face-to-face meeting, Zoom-meeting, and telephone call. The informants were selected based on a convenience sample.In conclusion the study indicates that shades of the color pink is the leading factor in shifting people's behavior toward the color and that currently the color pink represents a creative role in various marketing contexts.

This research aims to examine a framework to test the relationships between consumers' perceptions of a retailer's brand personality and outcome variables (i.e., positive word-of-mouth about and patronage intention toward the retailer) by applying identity and social identity theories to reveal possible factors influencing these relationships in both department and discount retailer image formats. This research hypothesized that retailer brand personality should influence consumers' behavioral outcomes through private and public forms of self-congruity. The more positive the perception of a retailer's brand personality, the higher the private and public self-congruities with the brand personality. In addition, considering the unique, tangible nature of a store's environment, this research suggested that retailer brand identity (RBI), a consumer's perception of oneness with a retailer brand, should play an important role in the retailer brand personality-behavioral outcomes framework by mediating the influences of both private and public self-congruities on various behavioral outcomes. Moreover, the relationships among two forms of self-congruity and perceived RBI should be moderated by the shopping conspicuousness situation (i.e., whether co-shopping with important others or alone and whether shopping in an environment in which one is visible to important others or is relatively secluded) and consumer shopping involvement (i.e., whether consumers see shopping as an important and self-relevant activity). To test the study's hypotheses, data were collected from a sample of 616 general consumers via a self-administered questionnaire provided through the website of an online survey research firm. This research used a 2 (retailer image format) X 2 (shopping situation conspicuousness) between-subjects quasi-experimental design in which subjects were randomly assigned to one of the four treatment groups who read a scenario that provided a description of a retailer image format of either a hypothetical department (n = 311) or discount store (n = 305) and a description that manipulated the shopping situation as being either high (n = 303) or low (n = 313) in shopping conspicuousness. Results revealed that the retailer brand personality scale, adapted from BPS, a brand personality scale developed by Aaker (1997) and other scales specifically used to measure retailer brand personality (Dardin & Babin, 1994; d'Astous & Lévesque, 2003; Helgeson & Supphellen, 2004) comprised two positive dimensions (i.e., Modish and Genuine) and one negative dimension (Inactive). Each dimension influenced the behavioral outcomes of Word-of-Mouth and Patronage Intention differently. Perceived Genuineness was the most influential dimension among the three, exerting direct and indirect influences through increasing Private and Public Self-congruities and overall RBI on both WOM and Patronage Intention. However, Modish had only a direct negative effect on Patronage Intentions whereas Inactive had indirect effects on both behavioral outcomes through a combined (direct and indirect) negative effect on overall RBI. This research also revealed that overall RBI, driven by its affective and evaluative dimensions, fully mediated the influences of Private and Public Self-congruities on behavioral outcomes, suggesting overall RBI as an important factor in the retailer brand personality-behavioral outcomes framework. Moreover, the relationship between Public Self-congruity and overall RBI was found to be stronger in the high Shopping Conspicuousness Situation whereas the relationship between Private Self-congruity and overall RBI was found to be stronger in the department store image format. The moderating role of Consumer Shopping Involvement on the relationships among self-congruities and overall RBI was not significant. Theoretical and managerial implications of these findings and limitations of the study are provided.

In October 2017, the Olympic Committee rendered official its decision to consider electronic sports (eSports) as sports. The global eSports market was valued at nearly 493 million U.S. dollars in 2016, with 80% of the revenues coming from sponsorship. Sponsorship has become an important matter for organizations, since it can be a powerful tool to establish or change a company’s brand image; indeed, more than 600 sponsorship agreements were signed in 2016 in the eSport industry. This paper aims at finding out how do sport and eSport enthusiasts differ in their perception of the brand image of a sponsoring brand. The study was conducted by using combined research methods. First, we used a qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews, in order to get a better understanding of the general context. Then a questionnaire was used to fully understand the differences and similarities between sport and eSport enthusiasts, and to identify the variables that impact the sponsorship response (measured by favour, interest, and use). The variables studied were event image, perceived fit, attitudes towards the brand as a sponsor, brand personality, brand associations, self-concepts and brand identification. The results show that sport enthusiasts are more impacted by factors such as brand identification and self-concepts, while brand associations matter for both groups.