Platform-centric startups that generate value by facilitating interactions between two or more interdependent groups digitally transform and disrupt the business environment, leading to significant changes in how people purchase, sell, communicate, and even live. Some of these, such as Uber and Airbnb, have become among the most beloved and successful brands, though they had serious challenges in building up their brands at the early stages due to lack of resources. The purpose of this dissertation is to develop a framework of branding in platform-centric startups by identifying the pillars of brand‐building and linking the relevant factors. This study employs qualitative method to propose a four-level framework including passion, innovation, co-creation, and moralization for brand-building in startups. The novelty of this framework reveals that the locus of brand-building is gradually expanding from the founders to the company, then to the customers, and finally to a larger societal constituency. The framework can assist founders and stakeholders in monitoring the growth of a new venture in the real business world while guiding branding scholars to investigate the discipline of startup branding.

Systembolaget är ett statligt företag som har i uppdrag att reglera alkoholkonsumtionen i Sverige. I detta ska de informera samhället om alkoholens risker, vilket förmedlas genom deras varumärke. Vi fann ett intresse att undersöka hur konsumenterna uppfattar Systembolaget som varumärke i förhållande till detta uppdrag för att på så vis ge en förklaring till imagen, och genom detta skapa en djupare förståelse för Systembolagets varumärkesidentitet. För att ge svar åt studiens syfte är en kvalitativ fallstudie använd som metod. Vidare undersöktes konsumenternas uppfattningar genom intervjumetodik. Empirin analyserades med hjälp av en fenomenografisk ansats, vilket vidare har satts i förhållande till en analysmodell som framkom ur tidigare forskning. Det teoretiska ramverket grundar sig i de senare årens forskning som menar att konsumenterna kan ses som medskapare av varumärket. Därav är teorin anpassat i enlighet med denna forskning och centrerat kring förståelsen att konsumenternas uppfattningar, det vill säga imagen, även påverkar varumärkesidentiten. Resultatet visar på motstridigheter kring Systembolagets varumärkesimage. Respondenterna har generellt positiva upplevelser i kontakt med Systembolaget, men uppfattningarna är starkt präglade av associationer kopplade till företagets statliga uppdrag. Vi finner en stark koppling mellan de olika aspekter som ingår i vår analysmodell, vilken har till syfte att undersöka de olika delarna av imagen. Det finns ett tydligt förhållande dem emellan, och i enlighet med tidigare forskning kan vi se att de påverkar och påverkas av varandra. / Systembolaget is a state owned company with the assignment to control alcohol consumption in Sweden. As a part of this, they shall inform society about the risks of alcohol, which is mediated through their brand. We found an interest to research and analyze how consumers perceive Systembolaget as a brand in relation to this assignment, and thereby create a deeper understanding of their brand image and thus their brand identity. In order to answer the purpose of the study, we have conducted a qualitative case study. Furthermore, we have examined the consumer perceptions through an interview methodology. The empirical data were analyzed using phenomenographic methodology, which lastly has been compared to an analysis model that emerged from previous research. The theoretical framework is based on the later years of research which states that consumers can be seen as co-creators of the brand. Hence, the theory is adapted in accordance with this research and centered on the understanding that consumer perceptions, i.e. the image, also affects brand identity. The result shows inconsistencies in the brand image of Systembolaget. The respondents generally have positive experiences in contact with the brand, but the perceptions are strongly influenced by associations linked to the company's state assignment. We find a strong link between the different aspects included in our analysis model, which aims to analyze the various parts of the brand image. There is a clear coherence between the aspects, and in line with previous research, we can see that they both affect and are affected by each other.

This diploma thesis is focused on strategic brand building of brand Signal. A complex research of all important issues has been made. It is an overall overview of oral care market in CZ, set up Signal status in this market.

Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka förhållandet mellan internt varumärkesbyggande och personal som arbetar på distans. Detta för att hjälpa företag att identifiera utmaningar vid internt varumärkesbyggande vid distansarbete. Genom att identifiera utmaningar ämnar studien att bistå företagen vid internt varumärkesbyggande. Forskningsfrågor: 1. Vilka utmaningar finns det vid internt varumärkesbyggande när personalen sitter på distans? 2. Hur bygger företaget det egna varumärket internt när personalen sitter på distans? Metod: I denna studie har åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts för att samla in empiri. Våra respondenter har sen tidigare en bred kunskap om varumärket och har därför valts ut som lämpliga respondenter. Ett hermeneutiskt synsätt har genomförts för att kunna tolka samt förstå internt varumärkesbyggande vid distansarbete. Studien har genomförts med en kvalitativ forskningsmetod och en induktiv ansats. Slutsats: Våra respondenter har ett väletablerat internt varumärke och det har varit en bidragande faktor till ett lyckat distansarbete. Företag bör bygga upp ett starkt internt varumärke för att lättare kunna implementera distansarbete i sitt företag. Studiens resultat visade även att det finns flertalet utmaningar när det kommer till att bygga internt varumärke när personal sitter på distans. Därav har en egen modell tagits fram för att tydliggöra dessa utmaningar och vi har även identifierat viktiga faktorer som kan underlätta vid internt varumärkesbyggande vid distansarbete. / Purpose The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between internal branding and personnel who teleworks. The study aims to help organizations identify challenges and solutions in internal brand building in teleworking. Reserch question The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between internal branding and personnel who teleworks. The study aims to help organizations identify challenges and solutions in internal brand building in teleworking. Method Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect empirical data. Our respondents have previous knowledge of the brand and have therefore been selected as suitable respondents. A hermeneutic approach has been implemented to be able to interpret and understand internal brand building in teleworking. The study was conducted with a qualitative research method with a mixture of inductive and deductive approach. Conclusion Our respondents have an established internal brand and this has been a contributing factor to successful teleworking. Companies should build up a strong internal brand to iii more easily implement teleworking in their organization. The study's results also showed that there are several challenges when it comes to building an internal brand when having personnel who are at a distance. Hence, a separate model has been developed to clarify these challenges and we have also identified important factors that can facilitate the internal branding of teleworking.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-04-27T12:40:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Elaine Ribeiro de Oliveira.pdf: 1647816 bytes, checksum: 575ccdf56b501b2b3025c19c425b29ad (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-27T12:40:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Elaine Ribeiro de Oliveira.pdf: 1647816 bytes, checksum: 575ccdf56b501b2b3025c19c425b29ad (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-04-20 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / According to the current global economic scenario, marked by hypercompetitiveness, marketing managers have faced great challenges in building strong brands. Whereas, the permanence of trademarks depends on the use of effective and innovative strategies, which are inserted and based on relevant models. In order to do so, it’s also important to consider socioeconomic and cultural issues that have become relevant to brand managers, given their complexity among social actors and the multiplicity of value that further challenges marketing managers. In this premise, this thesis has as its main theme: " The challenge of brand building: Proposal of a model ", which inspires new perspectives for the management and marketing field, and aim to contribute to brand theory and management, in order to elucidate the gaps in the models presented by the authors Aaker and Joamchimstaler (2007) and Keller (2013). In this perspective, the study sought to explore and achieve the goal of proposing a brand building model, in which is presented a research based on a methodological approach, a qualitative study, having as empirical verification strategy the method of study of multiple cases, Through the analysis of Arezzo and Schutz brands. Thus, one can perceive the relevance of the proposed model, after analyzing the content used in the interpretation of the results of the research carried out in this thesis / Diante do atual cenário econômico global, marcado pela hipercompetitividade, os gestores de marketing têm enfrentado grandes desafios na construção de marcas fortes visto que, a perenidade das marcas depende do uso de estratégias eficazes e inovadoras, que estejam inseridas e pautadas em modelos relevantes. Para tanto, há que se considerar ainda as questões socioeconômicas e culturais, que se tornaram fundamentais para os gestores de marcas, dada toda sua complexidade entre os atores sociais, diante da multiplicidade de valor, tornando-se um desafio aos gestores de marketing. Nessa premissa, a presente tese tem como tema: “O desafio da construção das marcas: Proposta de um modelo”, que inspira novos olhares para o campo gerencial e do marketing, buscando contribuir com a teoria e a gestão de marca, no sentido de discutir as lacunas existentes nos modelos apresentados pelos autores Aaker e Joamchimsthaler (2007) e Keller (2013). Nessa perspectiva, o estudo buscou explorar e atingir o objetivo de propor um modelo de construção de marca, apresentando uma pesquisa fundamentada em uma abordagem metodológica de um estudo qualitativo, tendo como estratégia de verificação empírica o método de estudo de casos múltiplos, por meio da análise das marcas Arezzo e Schutz. Assim, pode-se perceber a relevância do modelo proposto, após a análise do conteúdo utilizado na interpretação dos resultados da pesquisa realizada nesta tese

This thesis is about how high level brands communicate their brands to the audience. The thesis consists of analyses of the identity and images of two luxury brands, Gucci and Burberry and two premium brands, Lacoste and Morris. The purpose is to clarify the identity of the brands, by carrying out analysis as well as interviews with key personnel. Furthermore there is an analysis of the advertisement images for the respective brands in order to clarify the brands images. Finally there is an analysis of the alleged conformity between identity and image and also a section about the luxury and premium brand differs, or rather not differ from each other in the identity-image connection. The methods used are Aakers identity system, to establish the respective brands identity. An image analysis with inspiration from Panfosky and leading semoticians are also used to scrutinize the advertising images from the Spring/Summer 2010 campaigns. The results show that there is indeed a good conformation among the brands when it comes to the identity-image connection. The brands identities are thorough and well articulated and the advertisement images are well executed with the identity well in mind which makes for that the campaigns are contributing in building a good brand image among the target audience. There are several areas where the premium brand advertising images congregate with the ones of the luxury brand. / Program: Magisterutbildning i fashion management med inriktning modemarknadsföring

The main purpose of this doctoral dissertation is to investigate factors affecting B2B brand building by applying the brand equity perspective in the professional services context. Three peer-reviewed and published articles and one book chapter examine different aspects related to the enhancement of brand equity and brand building in the B2B context. The first paper entitled “Brand equity in the business-to-business context: Examining the structural composition” (Biedenbach 2012) investigates the structural composition of brand equity and the interrelationships between the dimensions of brand equity in the B2B context. By specifying the multidimensional model, which can be utilized for measuring and managing B2B brand equity, the paper provides initial knowledge on how the companies can build a strong B2B brand across four dimensions of brand equity. The second paper entitled “B2B brand equity: Investigating the impact of contextual factors” (Biedenbach 2010) examines the impact of contextual factors in the organizational decision making process on the formation of B2B brand equity. The book chapter expands knowledge on B2B brand building by portraying how such characteristics of customers as relative size of their company and its industry sector can affect B2B brand building. The third paper entitled “The impact of customer experience on brand equity in a business-to-business services setting” (Biedenbach and Marell 2010) investigates the impact of customer experience on brand equity in the professional services setting. The study clarifies how customer experience can be utilized for building a strong B2B brand. The fourth paper entitled “Brand equity in the professional service context: Analyzing the impact of employee role behavior and customer-employee rapport” (Biedenbach, Bengtsson, and Wincent 2011) examines whether factors related to customers’ perception of employees’ role behavior in terms of customer perceived role ambiguity, role overload, and customer-employee rapport influence the development of brand equity in the professional service context. The paper advances knowledge on B2B brand building by considering the potential role of the company employees and consequences that their behavior can lead to in this process. To conclude, the doctoral dissertation demonstrates that the brand equity perspective can serve as a valuable foundation for theoretically understanding and practically managing B2B brand building.

Background: The brand embodied a set of values and attributes which were appropriate, which stimulated consumer interest, which distinguished brand from others and created a unique piece of property for its owners. From marketing point of view, brands are the means that consumers use to distinguish products and services based on essential and non-essential attributes and they are a source of business’s differential advantage. Furthermore, brands communicate tangible and intangible advantages and are attractive to a range of feeling. In order to make decisions for brand strategy, branding plays an important role. Kotler and Keller (2006) state that a brand is needed because it identifies the product, and the responsibility of the product hence lies in the hands of the makers or producers of the product. Brands are important in both consumer and business-to-business situations, where a decision of purchase is needed. A strong brand can create sufficient higher total returns to shareholders than a weak brand. Brands are at the heart of marketing and business strategy ( Doyle,1998, p.165) and building brand equity or strong brands, is considered to be one of the key drivers of a business success ( Prasad & Dev, 2000; p.22). Problem Statement: What are the promotional strategies company’s uses to create International brand in order to pursue the potential customer in B2C marketing environment?? Purpose:The purpose of the thesis is to investigate how firm employ effective promotional tools and techniques to create and sustain international brand in the customers mind. Research design: Both Qualitative and Quantitative method is applied in this thesis. Primary data is collected from interview (E-mail and telephone) and internet survey, while secondary data is gathered from books, journals, and internet source. Conclusion: The promotional tools capabilities can help businesses to spread the messages to the mass market. It is very powerful technique to be used to increase brand awareness of the organization. We found out those promotional tools such as sales promotion, direct marketing, personal selling, publicity, advertisement, and internet marketing play vital role to create international brand.

Syfte och forskningsfråga Syftet med den här uppsatsen är att analysera på vilket sätt majorbolagen marknadsför sina artister på sociala medier och hur kommunikationer ser ut mellan artist och fans. Detta gör vi genom att undersöka vilket medvetet arbete som ligger bakom marknadsföringen, hur detta påverkar relationen mellan artist och fans samt hur detta följs upp. Uppsatsens forskningsfråga formulerades med syftet i åtanke och blev följande: På vilket sätt använder majorbolagen sociala medier för att etablera varaktiga relationer mellan artist och fans? Metod Vi har valt att använda oss av en kvalitativ forskningsmetod. Insamlingen av material har skett genom primärkällor samt sekundärkällor och det empiriska materialet har skett genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Vårt urval av respondenter var sex personer med olika positioner inom musikbranschen, detta för att få en bredare syn på forskningsområdet. Slutsatser Vi har i vår analys kommit fram till att majorbolagen anpassar sin kommunikation till vart fansen befinner sig, hur de pratar, rör sig men även att låta dem vara delaktiga och interaktiva. I uppsatsens analys framkom det även att majorbolagen är i sin marknadsföring noga med att artisten inte ska finnas på alla kanaler om den inte har en aktiv kommunikation. Det är även en fördel att visa andra intressen än musiken. / Purpose and research questions The purpose of this study is to analyze the way in which major companies promote their artists on social media and what the communication looks like between artists and their fans. We do this by making it clear whether there is an underlying work that affects how the marketing appears between artists and fans and if it is possible to follow up the work. To answer this purpose we have created a research question: How do major companies use social media to establish long lasting relationships between artist and fans? Method We have chosen to use a qualitative research method in our thesis. The collection of material has been through primary sources and secondary sources and the empirical material consists of semi-structured interviews. Our selection of respondents was six people with different positions in the music industry, in order to get a broader view of research. Conclusions We have in our analysis concluded that the major companies adapt their communications to where the fans are, how they talk, move, but also to let them be involved and interactive. In the analysis of the thesis it is also revealed that the major companies in their marketing are making sure that the artist should not be on all channels if it doesn’t have an active communication. It is also an advantage to show interests other than music.

Der Hochschulsport ist an vielen Hochschulen, an einigen wie der Universität Göttingen sogar bereits seit ihrer Gründung, ein wichtiger Bestandteil universitärer Kultur, studentischen Lebens und akademischer Ausbildung. Trotz seiner gesetzlichen Verankerung, der beträchtlichen Reichweite dieser sekundären Hochschuldienstleistung, seines Potenzials als Instrument zur Schaffung von Identifikation und Bindung mit der Hochschule sowie seiner Funktion als vielfach größter inneruniversitärer Begegnungsraum und zentrale Sozialisationsplattform ist der Hochschulsport nur an sehr wenigen Standorten in Deutschland als Profilelement und Imagefaktor der Hochschule entwickelt. Die vorliegende Arbeit geht daher der zentralen Frage nach, ob der Hochschulsport unter den gegenwärtigen hochschulischen Rahmenbedingungen die Voraussetzungen und Kriterien erfüllt, um als Marke der Hochschule entwickelt und positioniert zu werden. Damit einher geht die Frage nach seiner sinnvollen Rolle und Funktion für die Gesamtorganisation. Zur Klärung dieser Fragen werden wesentliche strukturelle und organisatorische Voraussetzungen für den Hochschulsport in Deutschland dargestellt, die theoretischen Grundlagen und besonderen Voraussetzungen des Hochschulmarketings herausgearbeitet, die hochschulsportspezifischen Marktbedingungen beleuchtet und seine institutionellen und zielgruppenspezifischen Mehrwertaspekte systematisch analysiert. Der empirische Teil der Arbeit ist als internationaler Vergleich konzipiert, der die Wahrnehmung des Hochschulsports der Universität Göttingen unter Markengesichtspunkten im Verhältnis zum Universitätssport der University of Western Ontario, der Vergleichshochschule im kanadischen London (Ontario), untersucht. Neben den umfangreichen Literaturbetrachtungen zu den unterschiedlichen zuvor dargestellten Themenbereichen fließen auch die Erfahrungen des Autors aus mehr als einem Jahrzehnt nationaler und internationaler Tätigkeit als ehrenamtliche bzw. hauptberufliche Führungskraft im Allgemeinen Deutschen Hochschulsportverband (adh) sowie im Europäischen Hochschulsportverband (EUSA) in die Arbeit ein. Der internationale Vergleich der universitären Sporteinrichtungen in Göttingen und London basiert auf einer umfangreichen Befragung von Nutzern und Nichtnutzern der jeweiligen Sport- und Bewegungsangebote aus den Jahren 2001/02. Als zentrales Ergebnis dieser Arbeit kann konstatiert werden, dass ein entwickelter Hochschul-sport erhebliche Mehrwertoptionen bietet. Je nach Ausgestaltung der im Rahmen der jeweiligen Hochschulpositionierung sinnvollen Schwerpunkte kann die Institution Hochschulsport inhaltliche Beiträge zur Umsetzung des hochschulischen Bildungsauftrages und zur Gewährleistung einer stärkeren Internationalisierung, aufgrund seines identitätsstiftenden und Bindung schaffenden Potenzials, als Qualifizierungs- und Erprobungsfeld, als Instrument aktiver Gesundheitsförderung und als außercurriculares Hochschulangebot zur sozialen Integration und Freizeitgestaltung liefern. Für die Gesamtorganisation kann er als Standortfaktor und Profilelement beträchtliche Öffentlichkeits- und Imagewirkung erzielen, ein ergänzendes sportliches Exzellenzfeld darstellen und zur hochschulischen Qualitätsorientierung beitragen. Für die Studierenden bietet der Hochschulsport zahlreiche Betätigungsfelder zum Erwerb und zur Erprobung von Kompetenzen, zur ergänzenden Ausbildung von fächer- und jahrgangsübergreifenden Netzwerken sowie für ein aktives Gesundheits- und Stressmanagement. Er hat damit das Potenzial, wesentlich zu wichtigen Studienzielen wie der ganzheitlichen Persönlichkeitsentwicklung, der praktischen Anwendung von theoretisch erlernten Kompetenzen und Fähigkeiten sowie mithin zur Ausprägung einer von den Arbeitgebern geforderten Employability der Studienabsolventen beizutragen. Hinsichtlich der zentralen Frage nach der Markenfähigkeit des Hochschulsports wird gezeigt, dass die Dienstleistung alle Anforderungen zur Positionierung als Marke grundsätzlich erfüllt und damit als Marke der Hochschule vorzugsweise im Rahmen einer Dachmarkenstrategie entwickelbar ist. Unter der Voraussetzung einer am Gesamtkonzept des jeweiligen Hochschulmarketings ausgerichteten Rollenzuweisung mit einer für die Hochschulpositionierung dienlichen Schwerpunktsetzung in dessen Programmangebot und Infrastrukturentwicklung (z.B. Leistungssportorientierung, Gesundheitsorientierung, Fun- und Erlebnisorientierung etc.) kann der Hochschulsport wichtige Beiträge zur hochschulischen Marketingstrategie leisten. Weil er allerdings einen Entwicklungsstand aufweisen muss, der ihn zumindest im nationalen Vergleich als Alleinstellungsmerkmal nutzbar werden lässt, wird gleichzeitig deutlich, dass er eine solche Rolle nur an einer überschaubaren Anzahl von Hochschulen einnehmen kann. Auf einem noch immer unzureichend differenzierten Hochschulmarkt wie derzeit in Deutschland eröffnet sich den Hochschulen damit auch über den akademischen Sport eine Differenzierungsoption, die erhebliches Potenzial birgt.