Problemformulering och syfte: Vad gör egentligen att städer måste marknadsföra sig som ett varumärke? Det finns de som påstår att teknikens frammarsch och globaliseringen i världen har gjort att städer måste tävla mot varandra för att vara attraktiva turistmål, arbetsplatser och kulturellt viktiga platser att besöka (Riza, Doratli & Fasli, 2012:293). Turismen exempelvis är viktig då det direkt och indirekt skapar olika arbetstillfällen för regionen, vilket i sin tur hjälper till med att skapa högre skatteintäkter (Gertner & Kotler, 2002:255). Det gör att städer skapar olika strategier för att kunna sälja och marknadsföra sig själva på en global marknad (ibid.;294).
Syftet med uppsatsen är att förklara varför Sundsvall arbetar med sitt eget varumärke, samt varför representanter för staden anser att det är nödvändigt.
Metod och material: Samtalsintervjuer med 4 personer som har anknytning till varumärket Sundsvall - Norrlands Huvudstad. Tillgång till offentliga handlingar samt grundläggande undersökningar som har berört varumärkesarbetet i Sundsvall sedan 2009.
Huvudresultat: Anledningen till att Sundsvall behöver jobba med sitt varumärke är för att kunna skapa tillväxt i kommunen, enligt svaren från respondenterna. Tillväxten behövs för att kunna få fler företag att etablera sig i Sundsvall, för att få fler att flytta till Sundsvall och för att kunna sätta mer människor i arbete. En respondent har också lyft upp frågan om skatt i anslutning till detta, att Sundsvallsborna behöver vara fler för att kunna bidra till de olika viktiga samhällsfunktionerna som finns i kommunen. Sundsvall är en stad som behöver kommunicera sina konkurrensfördelar och marknadsföras för att kunna locka nya företag till regionen då svaren från respondenterna pekar på att de inte tror att företag har Sundsvall som första alternativ vid olika etableringar.

This thesis explores the intersection between city planning in Winnipeg, Manitoba and branding the city as a creative city, by examining several key Winnipeg planning documents, which are interpreted as enacting the collective drive to develop - and brand - Winnipeg as a Creative City. Inspired in particular by the work of Charles Landry, this study reveals how Winnipeg’s creative city identity and approach is actively crafted and defined through local planning discourses. The research seeks to expand and enrich the dialogue around the creative city, using a creative city-making framework, to encourage a more holistic and inclusive approach to what rates as a creative city, and what merits recognition as creative and creativity in a city planning context. Some of the creative themes found in Winnipeg of interest to planners include a commitment to collaboration, integration, participation and the desire to operationalize creativity within municipal governance. / May 2016

Musik idag är inte enbart en skiva eller en konsert. Det är en enorm industri som bara växer och där artister och band tidigt ses som varumärken. Hårdrocken är en genre med starka normer, traditioner och strukturer, särskilt kring kvinnans roll inom genren. Medan musikbranschen i Sverige prioriterar jämställdhetsarbetet ses hårdrocksbranschen inte alls ta frågan med samma prioritet och genren ligger sämst till när det kommer till kvinnors representation på inom livescenen. Vad händer med kvinnorna inom scenen och hur påverkar de rådande strukturerna deras varumärken? Genom att studera detta område i ett varumärkesperspektiv vill vi få fram vilka strukturer som förekommer kring den yrkesverksamma, professionella kvinnan som är musiker inom hårdrocksscenen och hur den möjliggör, begränsar eller på annat sätt upplevs och arbetas med i ett varumärkesperspektiv. För att få svar på vår frågeställning valde vi att utföra kvalitativa intervjuer med aktörer inom branschen i Sverige. Sex stycken musiker som är kvinnor och fyra stycken från olika bolag inom genren. Genom att intervjua ett fåtal aktörer kunde vi få en djupare förståelse för hur strukturer påverkar och upplevs och även om strukturerna ens förekommer inom den svenska scenen. Vi valde ut områden som var viktiga för att besvara frågeställningen Hur upplevs och framställs varumärket hos kvinnor som är musiker inom den svenska hårdrocksscenen? och identifierade dessa till: varumärke, identitet, fält, habitus och genusidentitet och maktstrukturer generellt mellan könen men även specifikt för hårdrocksgenren. Vi presenterade även tidigare forskning inom området för genus och hårdrock respektive genus och varumärke för att se vilka tidigare strukturer som upptäckts. I vår studie fick vi fram att många av de strukturer som rådde inom hårdrocksscenen även reproducerades i varumärkesarbetet. Stora kunskapsluckor och en brist på medvetenhet hos aktörer i branschen ledde till att stort ansvar för varumärket låg på musikerna själva. Att som musiker se sig som ett varumärke var hos våra respondenter delade meningar om. Mindre än hälften var direkt positiva, resterande såg sig inte alls som varumärke eller var delade till att vara det. Det som var gemensamt för alla att det inte fanns något aktivt varumärkesarbete. I kombination med tidigare identifierade strukturer och det krav som ställs när musiker blir en offentlig person med ett ansikte utåt orsakade två typer av begränsningar: begränsning av utrymme och begränsning av identitet. Dessa i sin tur bidrog till en press att kvinnor inom branschen upplevde sig behöva vara betydligt bättre än männen, trots det får de inte samma status och värde / Today’s music isn’t just about records and concerts. It’s a huge industry that’s growing larger by the minute where artists and bands early on are viewed as brands. Heavy metal is a genre with clear and strong standards, traditions and structures. Particularly when it comes to women’s role in the genre. While the music industry in general in Sweden prioritize gender equality the heavy metal genre doesn’t prioritize this issue. The heavy metal scene have the lowest representation of women on their live scenes. What happens to the women in this genre and how does this affect the prevailing structures of their brands? By studying this area in a brand perspective, we want to bring out the structures that exist around the ‘professional female musician’ in the heavy metal genre. We also want to see how this might enable or limit their brands and also how other industry professionals manage and experience their brands To answer our question, we chose to conduct interviews with six female musicians and four industry professionals in form of managers, booking agents and record labels. These interviews were able to give us a deeper understanding of how these believed structures work or if they even exist at all in the Swedish heavy metal scene. We identified five areas that would help us answer our research question; How female musicians brands are presented and experienced by others in the Swedish heavy metal scene? These areas were gender identity, brands, industry, ideals and power structures between the genders in general but also more specific for the heavy metal scene. We also presented previous research in the area of gender and heavy metal but also in the area of gender and brands, this was to see if any structures had been discovered previous to our study. In our study we found that many of the prevailing structures were reproduced in the branding of the female musicians. There were large gaps in the knowledge and awareness from the industry professionals working with branding which lead to the musicians taking over the branding themselves. There was different opinions when it came to if the musicians saw themselves as brands or not. Less then half had a very positive attitude and the remaining female musicians didn't see themselves as brands or had split opinions about wanting to be a brand. They all had one thing in common, there was no direct or clear work structure when it came to branding the musicians. In combination with previous identified structures and the requirements that come with being a public figure we saw two types of limitations: limited space and limited identity. These two types of limitations contribute to the pressure that a lot of female musicians feel in the heavy metal genre. The musicians feel like they have to prove themselves to be twice as good as their male counterparts and they still don’t get the same amount of respect or value in the industry.

Seminario para optar al grado de Ingeniero Comercial, Mención Administración / Hoy en día son los jóvenes profesionales quienes se están transformando en los protagonistas del mercado laboral, trayendo consigo, nuevas ideas y motivaciones, distintas a generaciones anteriores; algo que debiese ser entendido por las organizaciones para poder aprovechar sus habilidades, y contrario a lo que se podría pensar, no se logra a cabalidad hoy en día, existiendo altos niveles de rotación o fuga de talentos. Es así como las empresas debiesen ajustar su propuesta de valor de empleo conociendo cuales son los intereses puntuales de la Generación Y para el caso Chileno. La investigación realizada busca determinar cuáles son las dimensiones que debiesen ser tomadas en cuenta en las prácticas de Employer Branding, en cuanto a atracción y retención de jóvenes profesionales. A través de una investigación de tipo exploratoria se encuestó a jóvenes profesionales pertenecientes a la “Generación Y” y sus preferencias por dimensiones previamente determinadas gracias al marco conceptual y caracterización de los jóvenes, desde esta y gracias a un análisis multivariado se determinó la validez de estas dimensiones, a su vez que analizo el peso relativo de estas dimensiones en la decisión de trabajar en una empresa o no, contrastado con variables demográficas. La investigación determino la validez de siete dimensiones las cuales pueden ser agrupadas en dos grupos, las que llamaremos Dimensiones Críticas y Dimensiones Complementarias al momento de tomar la decisión si trabajar en una empresa o no.

With the LPGA's 'Drive On' campaign, Dr. Kelly Price says "the brand of the LPGA is alive and well"... but it hasn't always been that way.

A Masters dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of the Master of Commerce (Marketing) in The School of Economic and Business Sciences, at the University of the Witwatersrand. DECEMBER 2015 / Tourism has become one of the most significant export sectors in many developing countries and is purported to be the most viable and sustainable economic option, and in some of these (developing) nations, the main source of foreign exchange returns. It is therefore incumbent on destinations to effectively differentiate themselves especially when considering the increasingly competitive nature of tourism markets and an environment where many places that present similar features are becoming substitutionable. Contemporary urban development literature stresses the significance of place branding as an asset in the effective differentiation and positioning of places. It is noted that while many sources viewed the three main target markets for place branding as companies, visitors and residents, the role of the resident was limited to passive beneficiary as opposed to one of active engagement. Given the pervasion of the “staycation” and the concurrent rise in popularity of the Braamfontein Precinct, this paper will investigate the influence that place branding has had on the region’s perceived image by those within the precinct. Self-administered structured surveys were distributed electronically and using the street-intercept method to individuals aged 18 – 35, who were in the Braamfontein Precinct. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were examined. Path Modeling, Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling were also carried out in order to further analyse the data. The findings with regard to presented city brand, city brand equity and city brand meaning having a positive relationship with city brand image were both supported and significant at a 5% level of confidence. The findings with regard to city brand awareness having a positive relationship with city brand image were insignificant and consequently rejected. The study presents that investment in the presented city brand that goes beyond marketing communications to include city brand properties such as facilities, scenery, heritage and transport (amongst other amenities) will result in a favourable city brand image. It is also important that regional managers do not take a unilateral approach on deciding on a brand meaning but rather a consultative one that will result in involvement and ultimately investment from the various stakeholders. Additionally, the generation of curiosity and interest in the city brand is vital to encouraging customer involvement with the precinct. Digital marketing tools can be employed in this regard; online and search advertising can be used to raise awareness. Finally, social media can be used for customer generated content, allowing for both participation on the consumers’ part and insights on the part of the regional management. This allows for engagement with consumers and provides branding opportunities for the region. / MT2017

Thesis (M.M. (Strategic Marketing))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Business Administration, 2015. / Corporate rebranding has been a topic of study for many years, as exemplified in the work of scholars such as Rosenthal (2003), Simms and Trott (2007), Abratt and Kleyn (2012), and Muzellec and Lambkin (2006). Despite the high level of academic interest in researching corporate rebranding, there has been an overwhelming bias towards its effects on consumers within developed markets. Although the fact that many prior studies have been conducted on corporate rebranding and employee engagement, there is scant research on emerging markets, such as in South Africa. These previous studies did not adopt the Saks (2006) employee engagement model in an emerging market context to investigate the effects corporate rebranding can have on employee engagement in an emerging market context. The chosen case studies are a talent measurement company that underwent a corporate rebranding process in 2011, as well as an advisory company that also went through rebranding in 2013. The two companies fall within the same industry, thus the choice of a single embedded case study. Since the research aims to explore “the how and why”, a qualitative research method was found most fitting. The analysis was based on data collected during 26 in-depth interviews with senior managers, consultants, supportive staff, and marketing professionals. Data from the interviews were analysed using an open-code method in which eight key themes were identified. The researcher triangulated the data collected from the primary interviews, as well as secondary sources such as staff internal drafts, eComms, Q&A sheets, brochures, flyers, and media reviews. The results of Company A (SHL), revealed that not all employees understood the reason for corporate rebranding. Senior levels of management and consultants seemed to understand that the reason for the rebranding was to reposition SHL and combine two companies following a merger with PreVisor. In Company B (EY), the results revealed a similar level of understanding behind the reasons for corporate rebranding. Managers understood the reasons for corporate rebranding as an opportunity to gain new markets and reposition EY. ii According to the cross-case analysis compared to the Saks model of engagement, the corporate rebranding exercise had a positive impact on organisational commitment and organisational citizen behaviour. In terms of intention to quit, a corporate rebranding exercise is more likely to reduce intentions to quit. It was also established that there was no direct impact on job satisfaction due to the SHL and EY corporate rebranding. An unexpected outcome of the research was that during uncertain times of change, such as corporate rebranding, employees with strong loyalty to the brand are more inclined to stay with the brand and see the change through. This loyalty is rooted deeper than the current state of employee job satisfaction and engagement levels and more inclined to the company’s brand. The other interesting outcome was that a corporate rebranding exercise can ignite employees’ spirits and create a positive organisational culture, which is more likely to increase work efficiency and productivity. Even though the research could not link corporate rebranding to job satisfaction, the other contracts of the Saks model, which includes organisational commitment, intention to quit and organisational citizenship behaviour, could be directly linked. Therefore, the outcome of the research identified the reasons for the companies to go through corporate rebranding exercises; namely to reposition the companies and gain new markets. In light of the second research question, which referred to the effects of corporate rebranding on employee engagement, the research revealed that in line with the Saks model of engagement, certain aspects of engagement are enhanced by corporate rebranding and others, just as job satisfaction, have no impact at all. At the end of the study, research implications, limitations, and areas for future research are suggested. / DM2016

Thesis (M.M. (Strategic Marketing))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Wits Business School, 2016. / This study addresses the nature of the relationship between brand citizenship behaviour and its antecedent instigator, strategic internal brand management as they pertain to the quest for distinctive service competencies by firms in the financial services sector. In today’s fast moving technologically accelerated world of commerce and industry, the quest for differentiation and innovation has simultaneously become acute while at the same time significantly more challenging to attain and sustain. Such behoves organisations to identify competency areas that can be leveraged for segment level distinctiveness. For one, the value of a strong brand is well recognised in business and much has been written about the diversity of elements that accentuate the construct of a brand. Being exploratory in nature, the study was guided by a qualitative design. In-depth interviews were conducted with a sample of executives representing the functions of marketing, human resources and operations from a selection of leading South African financial services firms as part of an exploratory investigation. These senior level practitioners were identified in literature as the anchors upon which meaningful strategic initiative emanates. The aspirant attainment of employees who become true citizens of the brand in their behaviour towards customers and other stakeholders was noted to be an outcome of leadership deliberateness in ensuring sustained immersion of employees in an organisation’s culture and values. A model that offers a foundation for the identification of key intra-organisational constructs and processes was proposed as a key outcome of the study. In addition, the study raises awareness of how to frame the scope of aspects that need to be included into an integrated approach to internal brand management to yield employee brand citizenship behaviour and ultimately assist in enhancing an organisation’s differentiation efforts. Keywords: internal brand management, brand citizenship behaviour, brand identity, brand communication, brand leadership, internal marketing, retail financial services. / DH2016

Thesis (M.M. (Strategic Marketing))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Business Administration, 2014. / In the last two decades, South Africa has witnessed a series of reforms in the telecommunications industry, including the corporate rebranding efforts undertaken by major telecommunications corporates. In April 2011, Vodacom, following the increase in ownership in 2009 by Vodafone, launched its new image. With the corporate rebranding, Vodacom kept its name, but effected changes to the logo, slogan and colour scheme. The rationale for keeping the name is the fact that Vodafone’s presence in Africa is far smaller than Vodacom’s. Vodacom holds power and position in the marketplace in South Africa and Africa. In addition to changing its brand colours from the familiar green and blue to red, the brand colour of UK-based Vodafone, which owns 65 percent of Vodacom, it has also assimilated Vodafone’s teardrop logo. The purpose of this research was to investigate the drivers of corporate rebranding and the impact of corporate rebranding on brand equity of South African brands. The research used quantitative data. There were 134 respondents, with 109 completed questionnaires, from a convenience sample who were all employees of Vodacom. The survey was administered through an online portal and analysed using descriptive statistics and principal component analysis. The main findings confirmed 9 of the 10 drivers of corporate rebranding identified in previous literature. The outcome of the research also summarised these drivers into 2 fundamental factors, namely corporate structure and strategy, and macroeconomic factors. The brand equity of the Vodacom brand has been adversely impacted following a rebranding exercise. The old brand is represented by three factors that corresponded with Aaker’s model (Aaker, 1991). These factors are brand awareness, perceived quality and brand loyalty. The new brand was represented by a factor labelled ‘infant brand’. Macroeconomic factors were perceived to the most significant drivers of corporate rebranding.

Background: Family businesses are shaping the world’s economy through contributions to establishing jobs, creating wealth, and competitiveness, correspondingly being influenced by the quality of the business environment. Family business branding is useful to understand how to leverage their unique resources and create a competitive advantage, these being shaped by the context. The historical events and economic factors of Romania are influencing the decision of family firms to portray their family in their branding endeavours in order to become more competitive. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to understand the reasoning behind the Romanian family companies’ decision to promote their family aspect in their brand and how do family business identity, image, and reputation relate to the brand in the context of Romania. For guidance, two research questions were developed in order to gain valuable and significant insights for this thesis. Method: Ontology – Relativism; Epistemology – Social constructionism; Approach – Inductive; Design – Exploratory; Methodological choice – Qualitative; Time Horizon – Cross-sectional; Strategy – Case-study; Data collection – In-depth Interviews; Sampling – Non-probability Purposive Samples based on criteria (eleven respondents); Data Analysis – Content Analysis. Conclusion: From findings, it can be concluded that the context of Romania has a direct impact on family businesses and on how they are conducting their family brand promotion. Even though it is considered to have a positive impact, few Romanian family businesses actively market themselves as a family business. The predominant factors affecting the decisional processes, which are shaped by the contextual effects according to the three brand dimensions, have been comprised in a model of influential factors.