The area of Brand Equity has received considerable attention during the past twenty years. The importance of a brand emanates from the fact that brand recognition and positive associations with it create value for companies and consumers. This value is called Brand Equity and translates into monetary value. Until now, there is scant research on brand equity for online retailers to test whether theoretical frameworks developed for offline companies apply to online businesses. The study is an attempt to bridge this gap by developing and testing a comprehensive brand equity model with selected drivers (customer support and a mix of functionality and fulfilment marketing efforts) and sources (awareness, association of value and trust, and loyalty) of brand equity. Grounded in a traditional offline consumer-based brand equity framework, a research model (at the aggregate level) for assessing brand equity of online companies is developed and tested using structural equation modelling (SEM). Several key findings are reported: First, a measurement model based on dimensions of awareness, associations of value and trust, and attitudinal loyalty seem to fit the data well. Measures have adequate reliability, convergent and discriminant validity. Secondly, from the SEM application, only value association and loyalty are potent determinants of brand equity. Third, awareness, trust and value associations contribute indirectly to create brand equity. Fourth, the hierarchical hypothesized relationships between the sources of brand equity are confirmed. The final best-fitting (calibrating) model derived from the subjects that had bought from the online businesses under study was validated across a sample of subjects. Simultaneous model comparison using structural equation (by means of Chi square difference) confirms the tenability of the calibrating model. To test for the probability than an incorrect model will be rejected, power analysis was calculated. The results indicate that the likelihood of rejecting the hypothesis of exact and close fit equals 1.0. The second phase of the study involved brand analysis at the individual level. According to the calculations Amazon obtains slightly higher brand equity than eBay and puts it in first place, eBay is in second place, followed by Dell in third. CDNow is the worst performer and obtains consumer-based brand equity below average. The study offers contributions to both academia and business in several ways.

<p><em>Aim:</em> This study deals with Brand Management after acquisitions. Since this subject is still quite unexplored, a case study backed the theoretical review in order to answer the two research questions. Furthermore, the work educes a model which shows the ascendancies that are involved in the field of Brand Management after acquisitions. It is the aim to reveal the necessity of strong branding for acquired companies and the importance of the continuity of their presenting brand values. I hope this paper adds new knowledge in the Brand Management sector in connection with acquisitions and gives the reader a proper understanding about the issue._<em></em></p><p>_{<em>Method:</em> The study occupies a theoretical and an empirical study. The theory}part presents a selection of theories and models developed by scholars in the field of business administration. While the first research question concerning brand equity after acquisitions is addressed in the theoretical review in chapter 3, the second question regarding brand image is mainly discussed during the empirical part. The data for the latter was primarily obtained by a case study which is a qualitative method and occupies interviews and discussions.</p><p><em>Result:</em> Brand Management has become a key issue for companies and is a sensitive subject in the context of Merger and Acquisition. Hence, it is a challenge for the acquirer and the acquired company to manage control and adapt to the new situation. Brand equity as a key asset of Brand Management is the amount of loyalty a customer has towards a brand and it is certainly influenced by such transactions as M&A. In the real-life comparison of the specific case it proved to be successful for the acquirer to maintain the autonomy of the acquired brand and continue the meaning of the brand. In addition, the loyalty of the customers is of great importance to assure a smooth process of the business operations.</p><p><em>Suggestions for future research: </em>Due to the current situation and constant changes it would be interesting to repeat the study some time in the future for a final conclusion. Furthermore, since the findings for the empirical part of this study are based on a strong acquired brand, it would be interesting to investigate the case of another company of weaker nature, and maybe of a different branch. The high profile of the target firm and its strong brand values had a remarkable influence on the revelations of this study.</p><p><em>Contribution of the thesis: </em>The result of this study helps companies to maintain their brand values during an acquisition. The research adds new knowledge in the brand management sector in connection with acquisitions, and it is useful for companies which are involved in M&A activities.</p><p> </p>

<p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p>

Aim: This study deals with Brand Management after acquisitions. Since this subject is still quite unexplored, a case study backed the theoretical review in order to answer the two research questions. Furthermore, the work educes a model which shows the ascendancies that are involved in the field of Brand Management after acquisitions. It is the aim to reveal the necessity of strong branding for acquired companies and the importance of the continuity of their presenting brand values. I hope this paper adds new knowledge in the Brand Management sector in connection with acquisitions and gives the reader a proper understanding about the issue. Method: The study occupies a theoretical and an empirical study. The theory part presents a selection of theories and models developed by scholars in the field of business administration. While the first research question concerning brand equity after acquisitions is addressed in the theoretical review in chapter 3, the second question regarding brand image is mainly discussed during the empirical part. The data for the latter was primarily obtained by a case study which is a qualitative method and occupies interviews and discussions. Result: Brand Management has become a key issue for companies and is a sensitive subject in the context of Merger and Acquisition. Hence, it is a challenge for the acquirer and the acquired company to manage control and adapt to the new situation. Brand equity as a key asset of Brand Management is the amount of loyalty a customer has towards a brand and it is certainly influenced by such transactions as M&amp;A. In the real-life comparison of the specific case it proved to be successful for the acquirer to maintain the autonomy of the acquired brand and continue the meaning of the brand. In addition, the loyalty of the customers is of great importance to assure a smooth process of the business operations. Suggestions for future research: Due to the current situation and constant changes it would be interesting to repeat the study some time in the future for a final conclusion. Furthermore, since the findings for the empirical part of this study are based on a strong acquired brand, it would be interesting to investigate the case of another company of weaker nature, and maybe of a different branch. The high profile of the target firm and its strong brand values had a remarkable influence on the revelations of this study. Contribution of the thesis: The result of this study helps companies to maintain their brand values during an acquisition. The research adds new knowledge in the brand management sector in connection with acquisitions, and it is useful for companies which are involved in M&amp;A activities.

Syftet med denna undersökning är att fastställa konsumenters uppfattning om SAS varumärkesattribut och utröna vilka av dessa som har påverkats av den ekonomiska kris som företaget genomgick under hösten 2012. Metoden utgjordes av en tvåstegsmodell med fokusgrupp som inledande stadie i studien i syfte att ta reda på vilka attribut konsumenter associerar med SAS, samt en enkätundersökning för att ta reda på huruvida det har skett en förändring i uppfattningen om dessa attribut tillhörande SAS. Teoretisk anknytning har tagit utgångspunkt i Aakers (2002) modell för varumärkeskapital samt teorier om attribut och konsumenters uppfattning. Resultatet visar att ingen stor förändring i uppfattningen har skett kring den övergripande uppfattningen om SAS, dock kunde tendenser till förändring i uppfattning anas om ett antal av SAS varumärkesattribut. I undersökningen framkom att lojala kunder hade en mer positiv uppfattning om SAS efter krisen i jämförelse mot icke-lojala kunder, att SAS EuroBonusklubbmedlemmar hade en mer positiv uppfattning om SAS efter krisen i jämförelse mot icke-medlemmar, samt att yngre respondenter i högre utsträckning upplevde att deras uppfattning om SAS var mer negativ efter SAS senaste kris jämfört mot äldre.

I Sverige råder det hög konkurrens och låg kundrörlighet på bankmarknaden samtidigt som många banker har dålig kunskap om vad de ska erbjuda för att locka till sig nya kunder. Ett specifikt segment som Swedbank är intresserade av att locka till sig är universitetsstudenter. I dagsläget erbjuder Sveriges stora banker enbart klassiskt finansiella mervärden till dessa studenter. Detta innebär att bankerna inte särskiljer sig, vilket i sin tur gör att studenterna inte lockas till att byta bank eftersom samma mervärden redan erbjuds hos deras nuvarande banker. Därmed finns det en möjlighet att utforska nya mervärden som en student kan tänka sig att byta bank för. Detta för oss in på följande problemformulering: - Vad för mervärde eller vilka mervärden ska en bank erbjuda universitetsstudenter (18-26 år) vid Umeå Universitet för att få dem att byta från sin nuvarande bank, samt varför är dessa mervärden av betydelse för studenterna och för banken? Vid skapandet av denna uppsats har vi berört teorierna ”Mervärde”, ”Brand Loyalty- &amp; Illoyalty”, ”Lifestyle Branding &amp; Marketing”, ”Pioneers” och ”Blue Ocean Strategy”. Vidare har vi arbetat både kvalitativt (fokusgrupp) och kvantitativt (enkätundersökningar). Fokusgruppen utfördes med fyra stycken fjärdeårselever vid Umeå universitet där vi undersökte vad för mervärden en bank bör erbjuda till universitetsstudenter. De erhållna mervärdena prövade vi sedan i enkätundersökningen. Enkäten fördelades ut till 121 stycken studenter vid alla de fyra olika fakulteten vid Umeå universitet med ett fokus på att ta reda på vilket eller vilka mervärden den generella studenten kunde tänka sig att byta bank för. När datainsamlingen var klar gjordes en analys av resultatet där vi tog reda på varför vissa mervärden är av betydelse för studenterna och Swedbank. I arbetets slutsats kom vi fram till följande: Det vi har kommit fram till är att det existerar två starka mervärden som kan göra att universitetsstudenter kan tänka sig att byta bank. Dessa mervärden är Rabatt på studentlitteratur och Rabatt på gymkort. Detta grundar sig att mervärdena både har en betydelse för Swedbank och universitetsstudenterna, vilket skapar vinster för båda parterna. Detta för att Swedbank kan få nya och lojala kunder samtidigt som studenterna kan erhålla mervärden som passar deras livsstil.

Background: During the last decade, retail businesses have realized the importance of creatinga strong brand to be able to differentiate in a fierce market. However, having a strong brand isno longer enough to survive in the long run and gain a large customers base. Especially in theretail and fashion industry where many products fulfill the same need for the customer, making it important to adapt to changes on the market and stand out in the crowd. This has lead to the wide variety of brands that can be found and an intensified competition. Therefore, the key factor for building a long-term relationship is through customer brand relationship. A literature review showed that the most important variables needed to build this relationship are brandexperience, brand satisfaction and brand trust. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate how brand experience, brand satisfaction and brand trust effect brand loyalty in Växjö, Sweden. Hypotheses:H1: Brand experience has a positive effect on brand loyalty.H2: Brand satisfaction has a positive effect on brand loyalty.H3: Brand trust has a positive effect on brand loyalty. Method: This study was based on a deductive and quantitative research approach withempirical data conducted from 239 respondents to either accept or reject the stated hypotheses. Result and conclusion: According to the empirical data, the stated hypotheses were acceptedand imply that 41.2 percent of brand loyalty can be explained by brand satisfaction, brand trustand brand experience. However, for retail businesses within the fashion industry to ensurebrand loyalty from the customers, brand satisfaction is the main focus.

Iconic brand is a new topic in the field of branding that has started to attract researchers’ attentions; yet, it is still mostly discussed in the non-academic field. Brand community is also an evolving topic in marketing. These two new concepts are the focuses of this research. The main subject of this research is to explore the componential factors of iconic brand and brand community and the influences of the former ones on the latter ones. Even though there are few books and articles related to iconic brand, so far no quantitative research has been conducted. Thus, in this study, quantitative method is used to explore the componential factors of iconic brand. The same method is applied to brand community as well to explore the impacts of iconic brand on brand community. This research also accounts for a fact that cultural differences of the three countries (Sweden, Taiwan, and Vietnam) may affect respondents’ perceptions on the factors of iconic brand and brand community, as well as the impact levels between them. This study starts with examining the relevant literatures of branding, iconic brand, brand community, and cultural aspects of branding. Then, the hypotheses and research model are proposed based on theories. Questionnaires are distributed to Swedish, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese respondents in accordance with convenience sampling and snowball sampling. A total collection of 486 accepted questionnaires (which includes 171 questionnaires from Sweden, 163 ones from Taiwan, and 152 ones from Vietnam) is coded and analyzed by using SPSS and AMOS. Factor Analysis (EFA and CFA) and Cronbach’s Alpha are used to test the measurement reliability and consistency. Together with them, other statistical techniques, such as ANOVA and SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) are employed to test the proposed hypotheses. Semi-structured interviews are then conducted, based on the results of quantitative analysis, with six dynamic consumers from the three countries to explore further the cultural differences for the topic in Sweden, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The results show that iconic brand has three componential factors: brand personality, brand myth, and brand storytelling, while brand community has two factors: brand loyalty and emotional attachment to brand community. Also, the findings reveal that brand personality has the most positive impacts on brand loyalty while brand storytelling has the lowest positive impact on brand loyalty. Other impacts of iconic brand’s factors on brand community’s factors are positively moderate. Furthermore, both quantitative and qualitative results confirm the hypotheses of cultural differences in respondents’ perceptions (in the three countries) on iconic brand’s factors, brand community’s factors, and the positive impact levels between them.

Abstract Problem statement – what factors determine brand loyalty in Smartphone? Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine causal antecedent factors leading to brandloyalty in the Swedish Smartphone market Theory – theoretical review and critical analysis of academic journals related to dependantand independent variables and conceptual model is formulated. Methodology - Quantitative approach is used to quantify the relationship between dependantand independent variables based on the proposed theoretical model that delineates therelationships between dependant variable brand loyalty and the independent variablescustomer satisfaction, perceived quality, brand experience, brand image, brand switching costand product involvement. Data – In total 200 responses were collected through a structured interview from UppsalaUniversity, Uppsala central train and bus station and two big shopping centers in Uppsala (S: tper galleria and Forum galleria). Apple and Sony Ericsson brand users are interviewed in thedata gathering process, 100 respondents for each brand Findings – the analysis suggest brand image, product involvement and customer satisfactiondetermined brand loyalty in Apple brand, whereas customer satisfaction was the onlydeterminate factor in Sony Ericsson brand

The global shipments of smartphones will be more than four hundred fifty million, and it will overtake handset and become the mainstream in 2011. The fact is that there are more and more choices for customers to choose. It not only many brands, but also varieties of operating systems are provided with consumers.In this trend, is brand image still important factor that contributes to the consumers choosing the smartphones? For customers having had smartphones, how the brand image affects their loyalty? Therefore, this study attempts to find out the linear relationship between brand image and brand loyalty, In addition, it takes involvement and the operating systems into consideration. The research also intends to focus on whether the effects of the involvement adjust this or not and look for a difference of linear relationship between the two operating systems-android and ios. The scope of this research includes the customers owning smartphones in Taiwan. Moreover, the method of the study is sending on-line and paper questionnaires at the same time, and the number of the valid questionnaires is 261.In this study, brand image are divided into three perspectives by factorial analysis, functional benefits, symbolic benefits, experiential benefits. Brand loyalty consists of behavioral loyalty and attitudinal loyalty. The involvement is composed of importance, symbolic value, and risk.The research uses regression analysis to verify the linear relationship between brand image and brand loyalty. Furthermore, put brand image, brand loyalty, involvement into the regression analysis, and through multiple stepwise regression analysis to find out the factors which contribute to linear relationship. The result reveals that there is a linear relationship between the brand image and brand loyalty. In addition, linear relationship between different operating systems is also different, and especially the functional brand influences significantly on brand loyalty.