Background: In the XX Winter Olympics 2006 in Torino the Swedish Olympic Team succeeded by winning 14 medals. The best result that Sweden has ever made during a Winter Olympics. The happiness was shortly after mixed with disputes between the Swedish Olympic Committee and Swedish companies. There were companies who wrongly had used the trademark ‘OS’ in their marketing campaigns. The disputes happened because the use of the protected trademarks concerning the Olympic Games are reserved only to the Swedish Olympic Committee’s sponsors. Title: Seeking Opinions Concerning… - the Swedish Olympic Committee and its Trademarks. Problem: What attitudes do people hold towards the Swedish Olympic Committee after the XX Winter Olympics 2006? Purpose: The study aims to get an understanding about if people’s attitudes towards the SOC and its trademarks have changed after what has been written and said in media after the XX Winter Games 2006. In order to reach this understanding I will look at people’s knowledge about the SOC’s trademark, their prior knowledge and thoughts and finally their prior knowledge about the ‘Olympic pizza’. Theory: By going from an initial description of the factors that make up a good brand and the different meanings to the word ‘brand’, the reader is taken through different steps to finally in the end see how attitudes are created. Method: The study was done with a quantitative method through questionnaires, looking at the problem from the perspective of the Committee who are the ones affected by the results of the study. The collection of data was done through a non-random convenience selection in the community of Storuman with a total number of 76 respondents. Further, the study has a positivistic view and a deductive approach. Result: The results were that the respondents’ first thought about the Swedish Olympic Committee was mostly indifferent, it seems like they did not have an opinion. Digging deeper it seems like after what has happened in the media the respondents’ attitudes have changed. There was not a big difference however in the number of people who had had an attitude change after the ‘Olympic pizza’ story compared to those who had not. The ones who had experienced attitude changes had had them towards the negative side.

Program Course: MIMA‐International  Marketing,  Master  Thesis  EF0705   Title  name:   Brand Positioning: The case study of Castello Banfi in Hong Kong   Authors:   Jacopo Nicolò Longhi (851016-T097)                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Pham Thi Diep Linh  (851020-T141) Tutor:    Konstantin Lampou Problem:                      What should be a position for Castello Banfi brand in Hong Kong market? Purpose:   Theoretically, the main purpose of this paper is to study the approach to the positioning of a brand. Practically, the case study of the Banfi brand in Hong Kong market will be studied. Attempts will be made throughout this work in order to identify which position Banfi brand has to achieve for its competitiveness in Hong Kong, and so, the result of the project will be of practical use to the company. Methodology and Methods:  The realist stance will be used to conduct the study. Concerning the data sources, various sources of data have been used. Questionnaire and interviews were used as primary data to collect information about Castello Banfi and its situation in Hong Kong market, as well as the customer needs in Hong Kong. Secondary data, such as online journal, company’s annual report, and websites are also used to collect information regarding the Italian wine industry, the company and its competitors.  Secondary sources like literature are also used for referencing theories and concepts. The main research model is adapted from Kapferer’s. Main concepts are Brand Positioning, Brand Identity. Conclusion:    The positioning of the brand is formed with the study of three main factors which are the competition environment, the target market, and the benefits the brand stands for. Positioning a brand in a specific market is not only to strengthen the distinctive features that the company has to differentiate from the competitors, and also appealing to that market, but it also has to be aligned with the Brand Identity of that brand. In Banfi’s case, it can be concluded that by strengthening the ‘high-class wine consumers’, ‘Tuscan experience’, and ‘value for money’ in the positioning of Banfi, the brand is promising to gain competitive advantage in the market. Key  words:   Castello Banfi, Hong Kong, brand positioning, brand identity, wine.

As globalization has contributed to the increased availability of foreign products across global markets, it is nowadays believed by some that a prerequisite for being able to compete on increased competitive levels is to adapt a global perspective. In this sense, marketing strategies aimed at promoting brands and products must be designed to function even on a global scale. Whereas it has in the past been useful to associate brands and products to specific nations in order to create an exotic appeal, it is questionable if such a marketing strategy would be of use today.   With this in mind, this thesis aims to answer why associating a brand to a nation would be used as a marketing strategy and how such an association would be expressed in practice by having performed a single case-study of the company of Orrefors Kosta Boda and its two brands’ marketing activities.   What this study concludes is that the main reason as to why Orrefors Kosta Boda’s two brands are associated to Swedish attributes, which are both positive and unique, is that there is a belief that this strategy allows the brands to be differentiated from other brands, and hence increases both brands’ equity. In addition, this study concludes that associations to Swedish attributes are developed by using a combination of two strategies, namely those of the country-of-origin strategy which serves to emphasize upon the products’ Swedish origin in terms of production and quality, and the culture-of-brand-origin strategy which is aimed at communicating culture-based symbolic attributes assigned to, amongst many, the brands’ heritages.

Westra Wermlands Sparbank är en fristående Sparbank som är verksam i västra Värmland med huvudkontor i Arvika. Bankens affärsidé bygger på att vara lokala, finnas nära till hands för sina kunder och verka för bygden. För att kunna bedriva denna typ av enskild bankverksamhet behövs ändå en omfattande infrastruktur och produktsortiment. Att utveckla egna IT-system och exempelvis fonder är inte tänkbart då detta skulle bli alldeles för dyrt. Genom ett samarbete med storbanken Swedbank löses tidigare nämnda problem, men samarbetet genererar i ett annat problem, nämligen att Swedbank inverkar på Westra Wermlands Sparbanks varumärke och identitet. Syftet med denna uppsats är därför att få en djupare förståelse för varumärkeshanteringen hos Westra Wermlands Sparbank och att undersöka de effekter som uppkommer internt och externt vid ett företagssamarbete, som exempelvis det med Swedbank.   För att få förståelse och kunskap inom ämnet har vi fördjupat oss i teorier kring varumärkets funktioner, brand equity, brand identity – brand image samt kommunikation. Denna teori användes växelvis med metoden då ett abduktivt angreppssätt valdes. Studien är uppbyggd på kvalitativ data utifrån en personlig intervju och tre stycken fokusgrupper. Kontentan i uppsatsen är att Westra Wermlands Sparbank huvudsakligen jobbar teoretiskt rätt internt med uppgiften att hantera sitt varumärke. Vi ifrågasätter dock den något knapphändiga hanteringen av feedback från kampanjer och kundrespons. Den uppfattning som konsumenterna har av varumärket skiljer sig markant från person till person, samtidigt finns det en synbar okunskap hos merparten av respondenterna om banken och dess verksamhet. Externa faktorer såsom samarbetet med Swedbank, referensgrupper m.m. har en betydande roll för den generella uppfattningen, men vi kan likväl inte utesluta att banken själv alltid agerar helt korrekt utåt i sin marknadsföring.

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Syfte Syftet med detta arbete är att beskriva och analysera hur Company TEN bygger och kommunicerar sitt varumärke och hur de uppfattas av andra företag. Avsikten är att även beskriva och analysera hur företagets nätverksrelationer används och bidrar till varumärkesmarknadsföringen. Med detta syfte utvecklades även två forskningsfrågor: Hur kan ett litet bolag bygga upp ett starkt varumärke och image i musikbranschen? Hur sköter och nyttjar ett litet bolag nätverksrelationer gentemot andra företag för att bygga upp ett starkt varumärke i musikbranschen?   Metod Denna uppsats är av en kvalitativ fallstudieundersökning med något av en abduktiv karaktär. Fallstudieföretaget jag valt är Company TEN, ett mindre musikbolag som arbetar med 360-avtal. Jag har genomfört sex intervjuer, varav tre är med anställda inom företaget och tre är med intressenter till företaget. Fem av dessa genomfördes face-to-face och en via Skype.   Slutsatser Genom den empiriska analysen samt i slutdiskussionen framkommer vad som är vitalt för att skapa ett starkt varumärke – varumärkesidentitet och positionering. Company TEN har haft en klar vision sedan start, men vad som kunnat identifieras är att företaget inte nyttjat profilen de skapat, det nätverk som finns samt utvecklingen av den virtuella världen, tillräckligt väl för att tillåta det egna varumärket växa. Företaget kan, efter tio år, påverka hur pass väl deras varumärke kommuniceras på marknaden, både via en varumärkesstrategi, nätverket som skapats samt i den virtuella världen.   Nyckelord: Varumärke, identitet, positionering, nätverk, virtuella världen, kommunikation, varumärkesstrategi. / The purpose of this work is to describe and analyze how Company TEN built and communicate their brand and how they are perceived by other companies. And the intention is to describe and analyze how corporate network relationships are used and contributes to their brand marketing. With this aim I’ve developed two research questions: • How can a small company build a strong brand and image in the music industry? • How can a small company manage and use their network relationships with other companies to build a strong brand in the music industry? This paper is a qualitative case study investigation with somewhat of an abductive nature. The company I have chosen to study is Company TEN, a small music company that works with 360 contracts. I have conducted six interviews, three of the employees within the company and three's with stakeholders of the company. Five of these were conducted face-to-face and one via Skype. Through the empirical analysis, and in the final debate it’s revealed what is vital to create a strong brand - brand identity and positioning. Company TEN has had a clear vision from the start, but what has been identified is that they have not been able to use the profile they have created, the network's and the development of the virtual world, well enough to allow the own brand to grow. The company can, after ten years, affect how well their brand is communicated in the market, both through a brand strategy, through the network created and in the virtual world with all its possibilites.

Traditionell marknadsföring tycks ha allt svårare att nå konsumenter. När flera vill göra sig hörda samtidigt blir det svårt att sticka ut och göra sig sedd. När någon kommer med något nytt, gör andra likadant. Ett sätt att sticka ut är genom att vara originell och ha en unik varumärkesidentitet, eftersom den är svår att kopiera. Evenemang kan också fungera som varumärken. De arrangeras ofta av flera olika organisationer, vilket gör att varumärkes-identiteten påverkas av många viljor. Syftet med den här studien är att ta reda på hur ett evenemang med flera olika organisationer arbetar med sin varumärkesidentitet för att kommunicera en enhetlig bild av evenemangsvarumärket. Eftersom kärnvärden är en viktig del av varumärkesidentiteten är syftet också att undersöka hur dessa återspeglas i ett evenemangs kommunikation via dess hemsida, som är ett effektivt sätt att nå konsumenter. För att besvara syftet gjordes en fallstudie med intervjuer och innehållsanalys. Vår studie visar att för att lyckas framgångsrikt med ett evenemang med flera bakomliggande organisationer är det en klar fördel att ha endast en drivande organisation som sköter det praktiska arbetet och att de andra endast bistår med ram- och/eller regelverk. Den drivande organisationen måste ha en tydlig organisationsstruktur och klara roller eftersom det under-lättar beslutsfattandet. Evenemangsorganisationen behöver arbeta aktivt med varumärket, både internt och externt, för att evenemangsupplevelsen (serviceprocessen) ska förmedla rätt bild av varumärket och leva upp till de löften som getts i de planerade kommunikations-budskapen, till exempel via annonser. Ett starkt varumärke behöver kontinuerligt ses över för att spegla varumärkets värderingar och samtidigt vara aktuellt. Studien tydliggör att kärnvärden ska vägleda det interna arbetet så att den externa kommunikationen sänder rätt budskap, även om de externt ska vara indirekta. En evenemangshemsida ska representera varumärket i både struktur och innehåll, och därför är det viktigt att kärnvärdena återspeglas i användarvänligheten, samt i bild och text. / It seems like it is becoming increasingly more difficult for traditional marketing to reach consumers. When several companies and the like simultaneously want to be heard, it becomes difficult to stand out from the crowd and be seen. When someone comes with something new, others copy that. One way to stand out is to be original and have a unique brand identity, since it is harder to copy. Events can also act as brands. They are often arranged by various organisations, which mean that the brand identity is influenced by many. The purpose of this study is to determine how an event with various organisations involved works with the brand identity in order to communicate a coherent image of the brand. Since the core values are the foundation for the brand identity, the purpose is also to examine how these are reflected in an event’s communication via its website, which is an effective way to reach customers. To fulfil the purpose of this paper, a case study with interviews and content analysis was conducted. Our study shows that to succeed with a successful event, with several underlying organisations, there is a clear advantage in having only one organisation that manages the practical aspects of the event. The other organisations provide frames and/or set of regulations. The event organisation must be provided with a clear organisational structure and distinct roles, to facilitate the decision making. The event organisation has to actively work with the brand, both internally and externally, to convey the right image of the brand during the event experience (service process). Further, the event organisation has to make sure that the promises made in the planned communication, such as advertisement, are kept. A strong brand needs to be revised to reflect the brand values and to be up-to-date. The study clarifies that core values shall guide the internal work so that the correct message is conveyed in the external communication, where the core values are expressed indirectly. A website for an event should represent the brand in both structure and content. It is therefore important that the core values are reflected in usability as well as in pictures and text.

The idea of this thesis originates from the stand point that the understanding of who you are, who you want to be and what impression you actually make, is the start of a successful reciprocal relationship. The thesis solves two tasks. First, it offers a methodology of measuring brand image and brand identity and therefore contributes to the development of the research base. Second, presenting a case-study of a small scale company it applies the methodology and analyzes the congruency between brand image and brand identity from the communication perspective of SMEs. In a result the developed methodology is tested and a contribution to the deeper understanding of brand nature is made.

Background: When it comes to brand communication, gaps can arise. These occur when the brand management’s view of the brand does not match the customers’ Brand image. In order to prevent reputation crises brand managements need to monitor the Brand identity and Brand image and identify possible gaps. Purpose: To identify and analyse what communication gaps that can occur between a company’s Brand identity and customers’ Brand image. Research question: What communication gaps can occur between a company’s Brand identity and the customers’ Brand image? Theory: Marketing Communication, Sender-Receiver model, Brand image and Brand identity focusing on Personality, Positioning, Vision &amp; Culture and Relationship. Method: A case study of the Swedish food company Coop was conducted to investigate the relationship between their Brand identity and the customers’ Brand image. The case study was conducted in two steps; firstly, information concerning Coop’s Brand identity was gathered through in-depth interviews. Secondly, a questionnaire was handed out to Coop’s customers to see whether their Brand image was consistent with Coop’s Brand identity. The aim was to find similarities and dissimilarities between data and thereby identify communication gaps. Results: Several communication gaps were identified between Coop’s Brand identity and the customers’ Brand image when it came to the concepts of Personality, Positioning, Vision &amp; Culture and Relationship. Coop experiences most communication gaps in Relationship, they has not managed to create close relationships with their customers.

This study investigates if a company’s brand identity can be used to influence public authorities in public procurement by possible discretions in the procurement rules, and the importance of this meaning increased business opportunity. The subject of the work, branding in public procurement, is unexplored and may be of interest to a larger market. The study approaches an inductive, explorative, single case study. Literature studies forms a theoretical framework that is combined with interviews with representatives from both public authorities and a company. The study finds that a company can use the part of Brand Identity named Image. To be successful, a company’s image expresses what is important and desired from an authority: security, trust, long-term focus and stability. This reduces the authority’s perceived risk and increases its security, and makes the company a more attractive choice. The study also finds that it is impossible to directly influence an ongoing procurement process. The study is limited to the defense market and procurement of large technical advanced systems, not commodity products. The study focuses on the direct relations between the procuring authority and the tendering industry. It will not discuss the involvement of political forces and their actions, e.g. counter-trade. Possible future research is the following suggestions: Investigation of how political forces have impact on international/ intergovernmental business. This could include the correlation between the size and magnitude of the procurement and political involvement. Investigation of the relationship between the compliance of international procurement rules, the favoring of domestic suppliers, and a nation’s position on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. A third extension of this work is to extend its scope to encompass other products or business areas, and make the result more general. The study contributes with knowledge about how branding has influence on public procurement. The result may be of interest to companies, active in the defense market, wanting to increase their competiveness, and for authorities that wish to improve their ability to implement good procurement practices.