Existing studies on happiness in consumer research argued that brands should contribute to consumers’ happiness through experiences, yet they have failed to discuss how individual brand experience dimensions could contribute to consumer happiness, leading to increased brand loyalty and price premium. Bridging brand experience and consumers’ orientation to happiness literature together, this thesis theoretically argues and empirically proves that brand experience could influence brand loyalty and price premium through the mediating effect of consumer happiness. Survey data collected from 1086 participants based on their restaurant dining experiences in the UK show that each brand experience dimension affects consumer behaviour outcomes differently. Relational brand experience contributes the most to happiness, brand loyalty and price premium, followed by emotional brand experience. The findings support the mediating role of happiness and its orientations between brand experience dimensions and consumer behaviour outcomes. Further, the result validates the three different orientations to happiness in a consumption context, and demonstrates that pleasure is the dominant route to happiness, compared to meaning and engagement. The thesis aids new light to existing understanding on brand experience and happiness. Marketers are recommended to focus their effort on delivering certain brand experience dimensions more effectively. For restaurant brand managers, relational and emotional brand experience dimensions are considered most important to acquire customers brand loyalty and price premium.

Esta tese investiga a relação simbólica entre cor e marca, manifestada na comunicação visual estratégica marcária, e os vínculos de sentido que (co)produz junto aos públicos. Os objetivos são: identificar, analisar e classificar os modos em que as cores significam marcas (os potenciais efeitos da cor sobre os indivíduos-consumidores) e os usos estratégicos da cor, pelas marcas (as funções para as quais as marcas utilizam as cores) e, relacionando os modos e os usos, propor uma tipologia dos discursos cromáticos de marca, inspirada na tipologia semiótica do discurso, de Charles W. Morris (1946). A literatura transdisciplinar acadêmica e de prática de mercado foi combinada com os achados da pesquisa de campo - entrevistas em profundidade (com especialistas em comunicação, gestão e design de marcas), visitas de observação e coleta de artefatos físicos e digitais. Foram delimitados cinco modos da cor significar uma marca (atentivo, designativo, apreciativo, prescritivo e transformativo) e quatro principais usos que as marcas fazem das cores (informativo, avaliativo, incitivo e sistêmico). Ao final, foram distinguidos e exemplificados 13 tipos de discursos cromáticos de marca, conforme o modo e o uso proeminentes, que se revelaram interdependentes e não excludentes / This thesis investigates the symbolic relationship between colors and brands, manifested in strategic visual communication, and the signification it (co)produces with the audience. The research purposes are to identify, analyze and classify the modes in which colors signify brands (the potential effects of color on consumers) and the strategic usages of color by brands (the purposes for which brands use colors) and, relating the modes and the uses, to propose a typology of brand chromatic discourses, inspired in the semiotic typology of discourse, by Charles W. Morris (1946). The transdisciplinary academic and industry literature was combined with the field research findings - from in-depth interviews (with brand communicators, managers, and designers), participant observations, and physical and digital artifacts collection. Five color modes of signifying a brand (attentive, designative, appraisive, prescriptive and transformative) and four primary color usages by brands (informative, valuative, incitive and systemic) are distinguished. Finally, 13 types of brand chromatic discourse, interdependent and non-exclusive, are delineated and exemplified, according to their dominant signification and use.

Esta pesquisa propõe uma investigação sobre as mudanças incorporadas, a partir da introdução do branding no escopo dos projetos de construção de identidade de marca, à metodologia dos projetos de construção de identidade visual corporativa dos principais escritórios de design brasileiros especializados neste segmento. O principal objetivo é compreender a contribuição e as mudanças causadas pelo branding - uma disciplina proveniente das escolas de administração e marketing - na metodologia de projetos de identidades visuais, uma vez que a maioria dos designers brasileiros teve sua formação pautada sob os princípios e conceitos da escola racionalista e funcionalista de design, em um pensamento muito mais voltado para o caráter visual e pragmático de uma marca do que para o estratégico e subjetivo. A partir de uma abordagem qualitativa, foram investigadas as trajetórias dos principais escritórios de design brasileiros especializados na criação de identidades visuais e a evolução da metodologia por eles empregada nos últimos 40 anos, em quatro estudos de caso, para observar se a inclusão do branding representou uma mudança de paradigma dos pontos de vista metodológico e mercadológico, para o campo do design em relação à prática anteriormente adotada nos projetos de identidade visual sem branding. A análise dos resultados dessa pesquisa pretende documentar um novo estado da arte no campo do design de identidades visuais e contribuir para ampliação do repertório conceitual do designer, disseminando novos conceitos e fundamentos teóricos sobre branding, que possam conduzir este profissional a uma atuação mais estratégica e especializada. Há, ainda, o intuito de enriquecer a bibliografia sobre as relações entre marca, identidade visual, identidade corporativa e branding na concepção, construção e gestão de marcas corporativas no campo do design gráfico. / This research proposes to investigate changes that were incorporated to the methodology of visual identity projects ever since branding was instituted as part of its scope in major Brazilian design studios specialized in this segment. The purpose is to understand how branding - a concept that originated from management and marketing - may have contributed and changed the methodology of projects of visual identity, considering that most Brazilian designers were taught according to principles and concepts of the rationalist and functionalist school of design, which was more committed to the visual and pragmatic features of the brand than to its strategic and subjective aspects. From a qualitative approach, this work examines the paths of major Brazilian design studios, specialized in visual identity projects, and presents four case studies about the evolution of their methods over the last 40 years. The intention is to understand if the incorporation of branding represented a paradigmatic shift to methodological and market perspectives in the field of design, compared to formely adopted practices in visual identity projects that did not include branding. The analysis of research results aims to document a new state of the art in the field of visual identity design, and to contribute to the expansion of the tþeoretical repertoire of the designer, disseminating new concepts and principles of branding that may lead such professional to a more strategic and specialized performance. Furthermore, this work intends add to the bibliography about relationships between brand, visual identity, corporate identity and branding under the conception, construction and management of corporate brands in the field of graphic design.

A presente pesquisa apresenta um estudo em torno do cross-branding, parceria entre duas ou mais marcas a fim de lançarem um produto e/ou serviço, e da cocriação de coleções no varejo de moda brasileiro. O cross-branding vem sendo bastante utilizado no mercado e é uma das ferramentas de marketing em evidência. O objetivo principal deste trabalho é identificar - a partir de uma discussão em torno do fast-fashion e da moda como resultado da expressão contemporânea - como se dá a estratégia do cross-branding, bem como suas influências no desenvolvimento de coleções. O trabalho é realizado a partir de uma revisão bibliográfica em torno da história da indústria da moda, conceitos em desenvolvimento de produtos, reflexões sobre inovação, cocriação e o varejo atual. Foi possível discutir não só como se dá o cross-branding, como também os reflexos advindos da utilização da estratégia no varejo de moda. Foram realizados estudos de casos das coleções cápsulas das lojas de departamento C&A e Riachuelo, frutos de cross-brandings com marcas e estilistas brasileiros. / This research presents a study about the cross-branding, partnership between two or more brands willing to launch a product and / or service, and the co-creation of collections in brazilian fashion retail. The cross-branding has been often used in the fashion market and is one of the marketing strategies in evidence. The goal is to identify, from a discussion about fast-fashion and fashion as a result of contemporary expression, how is the strategy of cross-branding as well as their influences on the development of fashion collections. The work is done from a literature review about the history of the fashion industry, product development concepts, reflections on innovation, co-creation and nowadays retail. It was possible to discuss how the crossbranding works, as well as the reflections arising from the use of strategy in fashion retail. Case studies of capsule collections of department stores, as Riachuelo and C&A, the result of cross-brandings with Brazilian designers and brands, have been conducted.

Este trabalho aborda diversos aspectos da extensão de marcas. A construção de marcas fortes tem sido uma alternativa para criar diferenciação e vantagem competitiva. O sucesso em um determinado mercado costuma ser decorrente de fatores que vão além do próprio produto; a percepção do consumidor sobre uma marca é formada por um complexo conjunto de associações onde coexistem aspectos racionais, funcionais e objetivos, bem como elementos emocionais, subjetivos e abstratos. A marca representa um código, um resumo de todas estas associações e percepções, e o posicionamento psicológico da marca influencia a decisão de compra dentro de uma categoria. Muitas empresas adotam as extensões de marca como uma estratégia de crescimento, o que resulta em uma proliferação de marcas estendidas para categorias adicionais de produto, categorias muitas vezes sem similaridade com a categoria original da marca. O objetivo principal e razão de ser da extensão é a transferência de valores da marca original para o novo produto, encurtando os caminhos que ele deve percorrer para sua consolidação e aumentando suas chances de sucesso. Entretanto, há diversos casos de extensão onde a marca não passa de um nome que caracteriza a origem do novo produto ou, pior ainda, sua aplicação naquela categoria resulta na erosão de seu significado. Sendo assim, este trabalho busca trazer referências que indiquem se faz sentido estender uma marca para outras categorias. A metodologia adotada consiste em duas etapas: uma de revisão bibliográfica, que aborda os principais aspectos da extensão de marca-suas motivantes, vantagens e riscos, resultados de pesquisas anteriores, o processo de avaliação pelos consumidores, a reciprocidade da marca estendida na marca original; e uma etapa de verificação de uma realidade específica usando a visão de uma empresa-alvo de estudo de caso. Os resultados apontam para uma relação entre o posicionamento psicológico da marca e sua extensão para categorias próximas e distantes daquela onde a marca se originou, indicando a possibilidade de que quanto mais filosófico o posicionamento da marca, isto é, menos vinculado ao produto em si e seus aspectos funcionais, maior sua capacidade em ser aplicada em categorias de produto diferentes da categoria original. À medida que a dissimilaridade entre o produto original e o estendido aumenta, é cada vez menos freqüente e intensa a transferência de valores de marca. Os valores transferidos para categorias mais dissimilares, ou seja, os valores de maior alcance de extensão, têm natureza predominantemente subjetiva ao invés de racional ou vinculada a atributos de produto. Os resultados também sugerem que os atributos e benefícios considerados relevantes dentro de cada categoria funcionam como um filtro para a transferência de associações, ressaltando a influência do contexto da categoria da extensão no processo. / This study analyzes many aspects of brand extension. Building strong brands is seen as an opportunity to create differentiation and competitive advantage. Success in certain markets is a result of factors beyond the product itself; brand consumer perception is formed by a complex set of associations of rational, functional and objective aspects as well as emotional, subjective and abstract elements. A brand represents a code, a summary of all these associations and perceptions. The psychological positioning of a brand influences the purchase decision inside a category. Many companies implement brand extensions as a growth strategy. This results in a huge list of extended brands to additional product categories, many times without any similarity to the original brand category. The main reason and objective of an extension is transferring brand equity from the original product to the new one, reducing the path towards product consolidation and improving its chances for success. Nevertheless, there are many cases when brand extension is nothing more than just a name that reminds the product\'s origin or, even worse, its application in a certain category will result in loosing brand value and meaning. Based on this assumption, this study aims at bringing new references that indicate if it makes sense to extend a brand to other categories. The adopted methodology consists of two phases: one is a reviewed bibliography about the main aspects of extension - its motivations, advantages and risks, earlier researches results, consumer evaluation process and reciprocal effect of the extended brand over the original one; and second, the verification of an specific case study with a target company. Results point out a relation between brand\'s psychological positioning and its extension to closer and farther categories in relation to the original brand. It indicates that the more philosophical the brand positioning, meaning little association to the product itself and its functional aspects, the bigger its capacity of being applied to product categories different than the original one. As soon as dissimilarities grow in between the original product and the extended one, the least frequent and intense is the brand equity transfer. Values transferred to less similar categories, or, values of bigger extension capacity have a subjective nature instead of rational one linked to product attributes. Results also suggest that relevant attributes and benefits in each category works as an associations transferring filter, reinforcing the category content influence over the extension process.

The current market for apparel retail goods is continuously getting more competitive due to the increasing amount of actors in the field. In order to stand out in the complex and dynamic market branding has emerged to be companies’ top priority because brands are increasingly becoming more valuable assets to companies’ business performance. However, the topic of brand management usually lacks the consideration regarding practical aspects because of the questions of academics’ access and exposure to the field. Also, it has been said that one of the common obstacles in the Finnish apparel and textile industry is the lack of knowledge in branding and thus, more should be known about branding and the common perceptions of individuals who are working with branding. In light of the above, the purpose of this thesis is to discover and expand knowledge on how Finnish apparel brand managers currently perform branding when managing a Finnish apparel brand. This study is composed of a literature review and an empirical research. In the literature review, issues related to branding are investigated. Brands, brand managers’ work tasks and the changes in today’s branding environment are all considered. In the empirical research the data was collected through semi-structured interviews with five Finnish apparel brand managers, who are managing a Finnish apparel retail brand. Three central themes, a general understanding of an apparel brand and branding, brand managers’ work related tasks and brand managers’ main challenges in branding, were formed based on the various perceptions that research participants associated with branding and managing an apparel brand. The thematic orientations were similar between all of the participants, but some different perceptions occurred when studying the themes in more detail. Finnish apparel brand managers perceive an apparel brand from slightly different angles but they attach similar characteristics to their managed brands such as Finnishness, sustainability and story-telling. All of the Finnish apparel brand managers focus on creating and maintaining an identity for a trademark or products that are offered and ensuring consistency and clarity in all actions around the managed brand. In order to maintain the Finnish apparel brands, the Finnish apparel brand managers carry out several work tasks that revolve around the brand. Also, Finnish apparel brand managers take the branding environment into consideration while managing a Finnish apparel brand including for instance the effects of digitalization and sustainability issues. The challenges of branding are related to implementation of the brand strategy and to communicational issues of the brand message. The findings of this study may assist the practitioners in the field in understanding the importance of branding from a broad perspective and analyzing the managed brand as an integral part of the ever changing branding environment. Also, the results may help to understand the value of establishing a consistent brand strategy as well as understanding the importance of the consumers.

Det första steget, i en produktiv kompetensförsörjning, är att attrahera arbetskraften. För att lyckas med detta är det fördelaktigt om en organisation bearbetar sitt arbetsgivarvarumärke. Detta arbetsgivarvarumärke ger ett löfte om upplevelsen av anställningen till potentiella kandidater. Syftet med detta examensarbete är att undersöka hur sex olika civilingenjörsstudenter uppfattar attraktionskraft och vilka faktorer som är betydelsefulla. En organisation valdes ut, där civilingenjörer tillhör målgruppen, och där attraktivitet studerades från tre rekryterares perspektiv. Examensarbetet genomfördes med en kvalitativ metod samt med en hermeneutisk och abduktiv ansats. Det insamlade materialet tolkades därefter tematiskt och kodades företrädesvis med en data-driven kodning. Examensarbetets resultat visar att det finns ett antal faktorer som har betydelse för attraktionskraften hos ett företag. De faktorer som ökar attraktiviteten enligt de intervjuade civilingenjörsstudenterna är: Varumärke, Image och Arbets- och företagsprofil. Företagets miljö bedömdes vara viktigt men inte avgörande. Den faktor som inte var viktig för attraktiviteten var Kompensation, i form av ekonomisk ersättning. Resultatet visar också att det finns skillnader mellan studenternas och rekryterarnas uppfattning av attraktivitet gällande faktorer såsom arbetsprofil och image. Ett antal utvecklingsområden hos företagets arbete med att attrahera ny arbetskraft presenteras, till exempel: exponering av varumärke och hantering av image och företagsrykte. / Attracting a talented workforce is the key element of keeping the supply of skills as efficient as possible. To succeed in this effort an organization should work actively with its employer brand. The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to investigate how six different civil engineering students perceives attractiveness and which factors are of greatest importance. An organization was selected and attractiveness is studied from the perspective of three recruiters. The study was conducted with a qualitative method and with a hermeneutic and abductive approach – the collected data was then interpreted thematically. The results of the study show that there are a number of factors that are important for the attractiveness of an organisation. The factors that increased the perceived attractiveness according to the students were: Brand, Image and Work and Company profile. The company’s environment was considered important but not crucial. Financial compensation was not important for the attractiveness. The results also show that there are differences between the students and the recruiters’ perceptions of attractiveness, regarding factors such as work profile and image. Development areas in the company’s work with attracting talented workforce are presented, such as: brand exposure and management of image.

Syftet med denna studie var att på uppdrag av en global industriorganisation undersöka högskole- och universitetsstudenters upplevelse av organisationens externa employer brand vid en decentralisering. Studien byggde på åtta intervjuer med materialvetarstudenter, tillika potentiell framtida arbetskraft. Data analyserades utifrån en kvalitativ tematisk analysmetod. I resultatet framkom sex olika teman som enligt respondenterna är relevanta att ta hänsyn till vid en decentraliseringsprocess. Dessa sex teman är Ekonomi; Organisationsstruktur; Chefer och styrning; Kommunikation; Kultur och klimat samt Karriärmöjligheter.  Resultatet visade att en tydlig kommunikation inom och mellan enheterna är nödvändig för att kunna lyckas med decentraliseringsprocessen. I resultatet framkom även vikten av chefernas ansvar vid decentraliseringen, där ökad självständighet kräver kompetenta personer på chefspositioner. Organisationsstrukturen möjliggör kortare beslutsvägar vilket innebär större inflytande hos de anställda, där en starkare kultur kan rota sig. Vidare påtalades även risken för ökad konkurrens mellan enheterna samt försämrade karriärmöjligheter. / The purpose of this study was, on behalf of a global industry organization, to investigate the experience of university students concerning external employer brand in a decentralization process. The study was based on eight interviews with material science students, which are their potential future employees. The data was analyzed on the basis of a qualitative thematic analysis method. The results revealed six different themes that, according to respondents, are relevant to take into account in a decentralization process. These six themes are Economy; Organizational structure; Managers and management; Communication; Culture and climate and Career opportunities. The result showed that explicit communication, within and between the units, is necessary to succeed in a decentralization process. The result also revealed the importance of the managers' responsibility in decentralization, where increasing independence requires competent people as managers. The organizational structure enables quicker decision-making with more influence for the employees, where a stronger culture can appear. Furthermore, the risk of increased competition between the units and the inferior of career opportunities was pointed out by the respondents.

Studiens syfte var att undersöka hur employer branding kan användas för att attrahera och behålla volontärer med specialiserad kompetens inom en organisationform som är beroende av kompetens. Ytterligare ett syfte var att undersöka upplevelsen av ett aktivt arbete med employer branding för att attrahera och nehålla volontärer. Det genomfördes sammanlagt sex intervjuer med volontärarbetare på en volontärorganisation. Resultatet visade på fyra upplevda huvudteman som kunde sammankopplas med respondenternas val av volontärorganisation. Dessa teman kunde också kopplas samman med organisationens attraktivitet. Det framkom i resultatet att respondenternas kompetens inom organisationens inriktning skapade ett upplevt intesse för verksamheten och var en viktig faktor i valet av volontärorganisation. Det framkom också att en personlig koppling samt personliga fördelar inom organisationen var av stor betydelse för respondenterna. Det framgick av intervjuerna att uppfattningen av organisationen som strukturerad ansågs vara en positiv aspekt i fråga om att stanna kvar inom organisationen. Slutligen framkom det att den allmänna kännedomen om organisationen skapade motivation hos volontärerna / The study's purpose was to examine how employer branding can be used to attract and retain volunteers with a high skill level in an organization that depends on skills. Another purpose was to explore the experience of active work with employer brandingto attract and retain volunteers. Six interviews were conducted with volunteers in a volunteers organization. The result showed that there were four main percevied themes that could be linked to the respindent's choice of a volunteers organization. These themes could also be linked to the organization's attractiveness. The result showed that there were four perceived main factors that could be associated with respondent's choice of volunteers organization. It also emerged that a personal connection and personal benefits of the organization was of great importance to the respondents. It was clear from the interviews that the perception of the organization as structured was considered a positive aspect in regards to remain in the organization. Finally, it appeared that the general awareness of the organization created motivation for the volunteers.

This paper discuss the conditions which may allow local brands to outperform global ones in order to show that there is a higher chance for local brands to succeed than what is commonly thought. Together with current globalization trends, global brands are expanding everywhere as they build on their high level of economic resources and rich experiences in various markets. Even though global synergy is sometimes important for customers, it might cause the death of local brands which have a unique value for domestic customers. The aim of this study is to offer valuable insights into the decision-making process that determines whether or not a local brand can be kept within an MNC's portfolio, as well as to discuss the hope and opportunities of local companies in their struggle to compete with global corporations. It will be shown that LCs remain to play an important role in the development of the domestic market, which is why companies should not give up on them that easily. The decision-making process of LCs is therefore also outlined in this research paper.