Abstract This research is designed to see the level of innovativeness of fashion brands in terms of being sustainable. It also aims to find out if there is a relation between business models and innovativeness within sustainability of fashion brands. Following the literature review, desk research, consumer survey and expert interviews are carried out. Desk research is made through web pages of fashion brands and some organizations. The information from the web pages revealed a lot about the current sustainability actions. In this desk research, 10 companies are examined in regard to their sustainability actions, to learn about what has been done and to see what can be considered as innovative in terms of sustainability. Following the desk research, a consumer survey is designed to explore the consumer opinion on the topics of sustainability and innovation. A consumer survey of 100 people is conducted at the Swedish School of Textiles. Due to the need for conscious knowledge about sustainability and innovation, people who studies or works in the textile school is specifically chosen as a cluster. The sample is called “Informed consumers” and is believed to have savvy about innovation and sustainability. How sustainability actions of brands are perceived, how consumers evaluate fashion brands and what they understand from “innovativeness” are some questions explored in the survey. Results are given via frequency distribution charts and maps. Following the survey, 5 interviews are made with contacts from the companies to study the issue also from the perspective of the business world. These expert interviews are verbally structured and are explained within the research. The method of interviews is qualitative research method and the result provides the reader an insight. To propose an assessment method for fashion companies, “The Innovation within Sustainability Index” is constructed. Although this index is inspired by some current environmental index models, the final model is original and includes the consumer perspective as well as author’s own evaluation on the innovative sustainability actions of the fashion companies. The companies which are evaluated in the index are: H&M, Lindex, Gina Tricot, Zara, Acne, Filippa K, Patagonia and Nike. At the end, it was not possible to point out significant relation between business models and innovativeness within sustainability. However, this result may differ when the model is applied to larger samples. / Program: Master Programme in Fashion Management

Today’s postmodern consumer culture is embedded with consumption and products are now used for their symbolic properties. Possessions have become so important for us that they have become a part of our extended selves and forms of differentiation between individuals and groups of people. The purpose of this research was to gain a better understanding of the role of fashion brands in the identity construction of adults. The objectives of the research focused on how an individual’s identity of self is constructed with the help of fashion brands, especially in social environments, and how an individual’s social identity is formed through fashion brands and in- and out-groups. The topic is discussed while uncovering brand symbolism and relationships. Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) was used as a theoretical framework in this research. Focus group studies were chosen as a research method and total of three focus group discussions with participants aged between 19 to 32 years were held in Helsinki, Finland. The consumption of fashion brands was found to have a relevant role in the construction of an adult’s identity. Consumption of particular fashion brands was used to communicate personalities and identities, and relationships with fashion brands were found to become especially important in social situations. Fashion brands also stand central in the formation of in- and out-groups and friends were found to have the biggest influence over consumption choices. In-groups were found to form between people with interests towards the same fashion brands and unfavourable fashion brands were associated with members of out-groups. Adults were found to categorise people into groups based on the brands they wear and prevailing stereotypical mental images. Individual self-expression through fashion brands was found high, although given the concept of a salient identity, individuals were often found to conform to the expectations of the in-group. Most importantly, individuals and in-groups stated differentiation from out-groups to be a priority. / Program: Master programme in Fashion Management

To dress in used clothes is no longer considered as unfashionable. The acceptance of thesecond hand market has increased over the years. Vintage clothing has becomefashionable because you get the opportunity to create your own individual style. Vintagehas been given status. It has become a trend. You no longer call second hand clothing“second hand”; people tend to call it vintage even though it’s not.Our aim with this study is to determine whether or not vintage is a brand. We start fromthe consumer’s perspective when we examine the status and image as vintage received byconsumers. Later we compare the image of vintage with theories about brands and brandbuilding. Our aim is to find out if vintage can be named as a brand.Our study is qualitative and we have chosen to conduct qualitative interviews withvintage consumers in the state of New York. The essay has a hermeneutic and ahypothetical deductive research approach. The hypothetical deductive research approachsuited us well because we assumed that vintage is actually a brand name.We found that vintage is actually a brand name. The benefits the consumers consider thatvintage gives them can be compared with the added value a brand gives the consumer. Itis difficult to find a suitable definition of what a brand is. Even with the big marketingauthors disagree. According to Grönroos, Aaker and Kotler et al definition we believethat vintage is a brand and that is also our conclusion. Finally we think that thedefinitions of a brand are outdated and should be updated. This essay is conducted inSwedish. / Program: Textilekonomutbildningen

AbstractBackground: Countries can be seen as brands (nation brands) with brand values that transmitto the country’s products. Country-of-origin (COO), the brands nationality, links the productto an associative network of cultural shared national stereotypes. Through associating thebrand with a country or a region, the credibility of the brand can increase and strengthen thebrand. Therefore COO is used in marketing to position a brand.Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine how luxury fashion brands communicatetheir national identity through analyzing their advertising. The brands examined in the studyare the French brand Chanel and the British brand Burberry. To be able to answer the researchquestion, the brands’ advertising campaigns were analyzed to see whether they contain abrand personality built on a national stereotype or if there is a clear national theme or storieslinking to the national identity.Methodology:The national stereotypes of the two countries were examined through a pilotstudy. The advertising campaigns were analyzed by using an analyze model that wasdeveloped from image analyzing theories. It was then connected to the theory and the nationalstereotypes that evolved from the pilot study.Results: The results revealed in this study shows that the two different brands use theirnational identity in different ways. While Burberry has a clear British theme in theirmarketing, Chanel uses stories to link their brand personality with that of the founder CocoChanel, whom is associated with the stereotype of France. / <p>Sammanfattning</p><p>Bakgrund: Länder kan ses som varumärken (nation brands) som har varumärkesvärden som</p><p>överförs till ländernas produkter. Country-of-origin (COO), varumärkets nationalitet, länkar</p><p>produkten till ett associativt nätverk av kulturellt delade nationella stereotyper. Genom att</p><p>associera ett varumärke med ett land eller en region, kan trovärdigheten för varumärket öka</p><p>vilket förstärker varumärket. COO kommuniceras därför i reklam för positionering.</p><p>Syfte: Huvudsyftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur lyxvarumärken inom mode</p><p>kommunicerar sin nationella identitet genom att analysera deras reklamkampanjer. De</p><p>varumärken som studerades var franska Chanel och brittiska Burberry. För att svara på syftet</p><p>prövades om varumärkenas personlighet bygger på den nationella stereotypen.</p><p>Reklambilderna analyserades även för att se om det finns ett tydligt nationellt tema eller</p><p>berättelser som länkar till den nationella identiteten.</p><p>Metod: Genom en förstudie undersöktes de olika ländernas nationella stereotyper.</p><p>Reklambilderna analyserades med hjälp av en analysmodell som utvecklades från</p><p>bildanalysteorier. Analysen kopplades till teorin samt de nationella stereotyper som</p><p>framkommit genom förstudien.</p><p>Resultat: Resultatet och det som framkom i studien var att de olika varumärkena använder sig</p><p>av sin nationella identitet på olika sätt. Medan Burberry har ett tydligt brittiskt tema i sin</p><p>marknadsföring, använder Chanel berättelser som länkar varumärkespersonligheten till</p><p>grundaren Coco Chanel, som kan sammankopplas med den franska stereotypen.</p><p>Program: Textilekonomutbildningen magister</p>

AbstractThe fashion industry is today one of the most interesting, exciting and fast-moving industriesin the world. On the streets we can see people wearing all kind of brands, both fast fashionbrands and luxury brands. Some people mix different brands, while some people stick toeither fast fashion or luxury brands. Today people wear different brands to express theirpersonal style but also social and class relationships.The purpose of this study is to find out why some consumers prefer to purchase luxury brandsinstead of fast fashion and what added value is given to them so they choose luxury. It alsodeals with what kind of people purchase luxury brands and if there are any differences. Tosucceed with this study I have therefore made a qualitative study where interviews were madewith several store managers at luxury brand stores in central Stockholm and observations.I found from this research that the consumers of luxury brands purchase luxury because of thequality that they receive and the service. The consumers are very quality conscious andbelieve it is more sustainable to purchase something that has good quality than buyingsomething that is cheap with poor quality. They also choose luxury brands because ofexpertise from the personnel, and personal contact between the store assistants and theconsumer. Consumers purchase a whole concept when they choose luxury. They chooseluxury because of the experience they receive that cannot be given at fast fashion stores.I also found from this research that there is a mixture of consumers who purchase luxurybrands. There is all kind of consumers, everything from upper class, brat wannabes, andmiddle class, younger consumers to old grand parents. Some purchase luxury brands for thequality and some for the status it gives them.Besides of why consumers choose luxury brands and what consumers who actually purchase Ifound that consumer of luxury brands have changed in the past ten years. It used to be onlyupper class but more and more luxury brands have widen their target group by offeringproducts that are less expensive so more people can afford it, but still in the frame of what isluxury.Key definitions: Fast fashion, luxury brands, upper class, brat wannabes, and social class. / Program: Magisterutbildning i fashion management med inriktning modemarknadsföring

We want to identify the factors of how to maintain a luxury fashion brand. To do this, we have to find what characterizes a real luxury brand. We want to go into depth and find the underlying and often invisible aspects within a luxury brand. The characteristics of a luxury brand are that the majority has their production in-house and provide high quality, made by an experienced and eccentric designer. The luxury brands have a distinct and clear image and identity. The brands are available in both stores and online shops and their offered products are in the high price sector. To maintain a luxury brand, the involvement and control of fabric, production and quality is essential. The designer must maintain the right appearance, image and identity in every step of the business. Moreover, a combination of different marketing channels is good to use, as it is a way to reach a large amount of people. If the luxury company decides to use social media, the engagement is vital. Regarding the distribution channels, a luxury brand should have an online shop and regular stores. Yet, it is important that the price reflect the products value. / Program: Magisterutbildning i Fashion Management

Att bygga framgångsrika varumärken är ingen enkel uppgift. Förutom tålamod och uthållighet kräver det ett enormt engagemang och erfarenhet, breda kunskaper och en stor portion mod och kreativitet. Precis som Aaker (2010) förutser, så är de klassiska kommunikationskanalerna idag inte ensamma om konsumenternas uppmärksamhet. Den tekniska utvecklingen innebär att nya, digitala marknadskanaler växer fram och skapar nya sätt för företagen att kommunicera med konsumenterna. Hur ett företag väljer att bygga sitt varumärke, vilka värden man adderar och vilka sätt man kommunicerar blir därför allt viktigare.Syftet med denna studie är att klarlägga i kombination med teori, vilka dimensioner och arbetssätt som skapat framgångsrika varumärken. Studien syftar också till att sammanfatta hur specifika tillvägagångssätt kan tillämpas på andra företag, för att effektivt kunna arbeta med varumärkesbyggande. Det empiriska materialet har hämtats ifrån fem olika kvalitativa intervjuer som genomförts med företag av varierande storlek, mätt i omsättning och antal anställda. Materialet har sedan jämförts med framstående teorier inom marknadskommunikation för att på så sätt ge läsaren möjlighet att också själv på ett enkelt sätt jämföra teori med empiri.Resultaten ifrån studiens analys tyder på att det finns dimensioner som varit särskilt viktiga i ett företags framgång, däribland ledarskap, långsiktighet och företagskultur. Samtidigt ger resultatet av studien en tydlig antydan om vilka områden som i framtiden kommer att betyda mycket för en marknadskommunikatörs arbete med att bygga starka varumärken. / Program: Civilekonomprogrammet

Syfte: Syftet med studien är att analysera och beskriva hur ett företag kan arbeta med varumärkesutvidgning samt identifiera framgångsfaktorer, motgångar och bakomliggande orsaker som kan förekomma vid en varumärkesutvidgning.Metod: Vår studie utgår främst från den kvalitativa metoden. Inledningsvis presenteras ett ramverk för lämplig teori för att vidare kompletteras med intervjuer. Den empiriska delen består av kvalitativa intervjuer med företagen King Salming AB, Salming Sport, Peak Performance, Björn Borg och L`Homme Rouge.Slutsats: Vi har funnit stöd i, att teorin som avser varumärkesutvidgning kan användas i verkligheten. Samtliga bolag följer en varumärkesstrategi där kärnvärden och territorium utgör basen för en varumärkesutvidgning. I de fall där varumärkesutvidgningen inte fungerat som tänkt är det också avståndet till kärnvärdet och territoriet, som är ett av det återkommande problemet. Med ovanstående analyser och slutsatser redogör vi för att en varumärkesutvidgning kan följa två vägar. Den goda cirkeln där utvidgningen ligger i linje med varumärkets kärnvärden och territoriet. En ökad försäljning ger ökad exponering och varumärket stärks och fortsatt utvidgning blir lättare etc. Den andra vägen, den onda cirkeln, utgör att fel kärnvärden exponeras och försäljningen går ner på sikt samtidigt som varumärket försvagas. Det finns därför anledning till att ha en formell process för varumärkesutvidgning där företaget säkrar att man kommer in i den goda cirkeln.Purpose: The objective of this study is to analyze how companies can work with bran extensions and to describe the factors of success, setbacks, and underlying causes that can occur in a brand extension.Methodology: Our study is mainly based on a qualitative method. The empirical part is based on qualitative interviews with the companies King Salming AB, Salming Indoor Sports, Peak Performance, Björn Borg and L`Homme Rouge.Conclusion: We have found support in that the theory concerning brand extension may be used in real life. All companies apply a brand strategy by which core values and territory serves as the base for a brand extension. Where brand extension has not worked as intended, one of the recurring problems is the distance to the core value and the territory. On basis of the above analysis and conclusions, we report that a brand extension follows two paths. The virtuous circle where the extension is consistent with the brand&apos;s core values and the territory. Increased sales give increased exposure and the brand becomes stronger and further extension is easier, etc. The other way, the vicious circle, is that the wrong core values is exposed and sales will decrease over time, whilst the brand is weakens. Therefore, there is reason to formalize the process for brand extension by which the company is ensured to enter into the virtuous circle. / Program: Textil produktutveckling med entreprenörs- och affärsinriktning

Este trabalho apresenta um estudo, conceitual e empírico, objetivando examinar a gestão da marca do produto ao longo da cadeia, desde o fabricante até o consumidor final, sob a intermediação do canal varejista. A revisão da literatura abordando os conceitos relevantes à estratégia de marketing do fabricante e do varejista permitiu um melhor entendimento sobre os aspectos que interferem na gestão da marca. A pesquisa empírica exploratória, estudo de caso, investigou a marca Votomassa da Votorantim Cimentos por meio de vinte e sete entrevistas pessoais, com executivos do fabricante, varejistas, balconistas e clientes dos lojistas e, através da observação nos pontos de venda. Foram identificados pontos estudados na literatura, principalmente no que se refere ao desenvolvimento de relacionamentos, a gestão de canais e a venda ao consumidor final, todos com possíveis interferências na gestão da marca. Particularmente, foram identificadas as implicações que percepções dos atores que integram os vários elos da cadeia podem gerar. O trabalho contribui para avançar nos conceitos e processos pertinentes ao tema em estudo, tendo por foco a cadeia fabricante ? intermediário ? comprador no ramo de material de construção, a partir de uma perspectiva consolidada e holística, evidenciando uma série de ferramentas de marketing que permitem aprimorar o processo estratégico da gestão da marca pelo fabricante. / The study presents a conceptual and empiric vision examining the product brand management throughout the value chain, from the manufacturer to the end consumer, with the intermediation of the retail channel. The theory that supported the study was based on manufacturer and retailer marketing strategy concepts, leading to a better understanding of aspects that may interfere on brand management. An exploratory research was made, as a case study on Votomassa from Votorantim Cimentos, using twenty seven personal interviews with manufacturers\' executives, retailers and their employees, consumers and point of sale observations. This research resulted in the identification of some aspects studied on the literature review, mainly referring to relationship development, marketing channels management, and selling to final consumers, all with possible effects on brand management. It pointed out particularly the implications that perceptions from players on different links of the chain can generate. The main contribution of the present study is the improvement of the concepts and processes related to the theme, focusing on the chain manufacturer ? intermediate ? buyer in the building industry, from a consolidated and holistic perspective, highlighting the marketing tools that can make the strategic brand management process more efficient for the manufacturer.

A conjuntura tecnológica atual confere profundas mudanças na política, na economia e nas relações sociais, sendo a ubiquidade da informática um dos principais vetores de difusão dessa transformação. O design gráfico, evidentemente, está sujeito a essa interferência, e as marcas mutantes, que são identidades visuais que alteram de modo sistemático sua forma, cor ou tipografia, parecem ser uma expressão dessa modificação. O escopo deste trabalho consiste na investigação da percepção de pesquisadores, profissionais e clientes do design gráfico acerca das oportunidades e dos riscos da escolha por essas identidades visuais mutantes. Para tanto, foi realizada uma pesquisa bibliográfica com vistas a se compreender a história e o contexto atual das identidades visuais, além de uma análise qualitativa, por meio de entrevistas, para tentar entender em que medida as identidades visuais mutantes conseguem transmitir, com clareza, a essência das organizações que as utilizam e identificar para quais setores econômicos esse tipo de marca é mais indicado. / The current technological environment confers profound changes in politics, economics and social relations, being the ubiquity of computing one of the main vectors of dissemination of this transformation. The graphic design is, of course, subject to this interference, and the mutant brands, which are visual identities that systematically alter its shape, color and typography, seem to be an expression of this change. The scope of this work consists on the investigation of the perceptions of researchers, professionals and clients of graphic design related to the opportunities and risks of choice for these mutants visual identities. Therefore, a literature review with a view to understand the history and current context of visual identities was performed, and a qualitative analysis, through interviews, to try to understand to what extent the changing visual identity can convey, with clarity, the essence of the organizations that use them and to identify to which economic sectors this kind of brand is most appropriate.