Background: Critical conditions to become an attractive supplier of knowledge based IT-services in the B2B market are many. Besides the fact of supplying a service of high quality one must as a supplier communicate values which are understandable and desirable for a new buyer. Buying a knowledge based IT-service involves several risks; the consultant might not have sufficient knowledge or have difficulties understanding the corporate culture and collaborating with other staff within the client’s organization. Since services are intangible offers and it can be intricate to put right price level for something which can only be evaluated when the project is finished, puts severe strain on suppliers competing with other companies in the same market when looking for new clients. The question is whether a supplier’s corporate brand can play a decisive role for buyers when choosing between similar offers from numerous companies? Problem formulation & main purpose: To examine if a supplier’s corporate image has a significant impact on a company’s buying decision of knowledge based IT services. Method: Case study, interviews Conclusion:  A strong corporate image can reduce the notion of several risks and increases the feeling of security and confirmation of making the right decision when choosing a new supplier. Hence it is critical to deliver what the brand promise offers. A long buying process is time consuming and hence costly and naturally a shorter buying process is preferred. Buyers tend to listen to recommendations from other companies’ which already have experience from working with the supplier. Therefore it is important to continually work on relations with existing customers to retain a good image. A buyer can perceive a knowledge based IT-service as a low involvement offer but still fear the fact that it involves many risks. A supplier’s strong corporate image can decrease such thoughts.

Technology is becoming easy to imitate day by day thus the companies involved in technology need to invest on the soft points like branding. This will give a competitive advantage over the competitors which is not possible to imitate. Thus the overall purpose of this thesis is to investigate that how a company evolved b2b selling can establish corporate brand. So three research questions were addressed: What are the major components of corporate brand building process? How to establish corporate brand image with the customer? How effective corporate communication can enhance the corporate brand? To reach the solution, Norden machinery as a case company was also studied. A theoretical framework was synthesized, based upon the different models and theories regarding the corporate brand building. The framework guided the authors through the entire research process. Our empirical findings shows a quest in Norden to develop a corporate brand and during the analysis we found that the  in some areas case company is following the components of brand building process that were described in the theoretical framework but there are some areas where the Norden has to improve as well. Thus based upon the analysis it is concluded that a company can establish a corporate brand by following the brand building components vision, culture, brand objectives, brand personality, brand essence, creating brand image and corporate communication.

Företags ansvar för sin omvärld är ett högaktuellt ämne som diskuteras i media och i företag. Hållbarhetsarbete är något som stora företag förväntas syssla med och företagets varumärke påverkas i allt större grad av dess hållbarhetsarbete. Utvecklingen av nya kommunikationsvägar, som internet, mobilt bredband och sociala medier, har inneburit att kraven på transparens hos företag har ökat och det upplevs som tvivelaktigt om företagen inte kommunicerar sitt ansvarstagande externt. Svårigheten med hållbarhetskommunikation är att nå ut med vad företaget gör så att den bild som skapas i så stor utsträckning som möjligt stämmer med verkligheten, och inte uppfattas som ett förskönande åtagande. Syftet med denna studie är att skapa förståelse för hur kopplingen mellan hållbarhet, kommunikation och varumärke ser ut samt identifiera framgångsfaktorer för att skapa ett hållbart varumärke. Studien har genomförts som en kvalitativ fallstudie av projektet One Tonne Life, som genomfördes av Vattenfall i samarbete med flera andra partnerföretag 2009-2011. Vattenfall ser detta projekt som ett exempel på lyckad hållbarhetskommunikation och det är därför ett intressant fall att studera för att utveckla teorier kring hur företaget bör arbeta. Ett företags varumärke är inte begränsat till dess logga och grafiska profil, utan handlar om företagets identitet och personlighet. Företagets varumärke kan ses som en sammanvägning av flera olika identiteter, där verklig, kommunicerad, uppfattad, utlovad, kulturell, ideal och önskad identitet är de sju som används i denna studie. En analysmodell har tagits fram som beskriver sambandet mellan hållbarhetsarbete, hållbarhetskommunikation och varumärke. När hållbarhetsarbetet är helt integrerat i företagets strategi och kommuniceras genom att involvera intressenterna i kommunikationen, kan arbetet med hållbarhet inte skiljas från kommunikationen om hållbarhet. Det är endast med detta arbetssätt som företagets varumärke kan byggas av hållbarhet. Denna studie visar att ett företags varumärke påverkas av alla företagets aktiviteter, vilket innebär att företagets hållbarhetsarbete och hållbarhetskommunikation ska vara oskiljbara för att kunna användas för att bygga ett starkt varumärke. Lärdomar ur fallstudien visar på vikten av att 1) arbeta med ett relevant hållbarhetsproblem, 2) synliggöra sitt arbete och sätta det i ett större sammanhang, 3) arbeta tillsammans med andra för att kunna lösa komplexa frågor och förbättra trovärdigheten, 4) involvera mottagaren i kommunikationen, 5) kommunicera ett budskap genom många kanaler, 6) paketera inhållbarhetsarbetet i en intressant historia samt 7) arbeta med att förankra hållbarhetsarbetet internt. / Corporate social responsibility is a highly relevant subject discussed in media and business. Larger companies are expected to deal with sustainability questions and the corporate brand is highly affected by their sustainability work. The development of new communication channels, such as the internet, mobile broadband and social media, has led to increased demands for transparency and companies who do not communicate their responsibility externally are seen with suspiciousness. The difficulty with sustainability communications is to communicate to the public what the company is doing in terms of sustainability. The communication must create an image of the company that is as close to reality as possible and not being perceived as a manipulating PR trick. The purpose of this study is to understand the link between sustainability work, sustainability communication and corporate brand. It also aims to identify success factors for creating a sustainable corporate brand. The study was conducted as a qualitative case study of the project One Tonne Life, conducted by Vattenfall in collaboration with several other partners in 2009-2011. The One Tonne Life project is seen by Vattenfall as a good example of a successful sustainability communication, which makes it an interesting case to study in order to develop theories about how a company should work. A corporate brand is not limited to its logo and graphic profile, but consists of identity and personality. The corporate brand can be seen as a combination of several different identities. In this study we have chosen to focus on seven identities: actual-, communicated-, conceived-, covenanted-, cultural-, ideal- and desired identity. An analytical model was developed to describe the relationship between sustainability, sustainability communications and corporate branding. When sustainability is fully integrated into the company’s strategy and when it is communicated by involving stakeholders in the communication, the work and communications are inseparable. It is only with this approach that the corporate brand can be built for sustainability. This study shows that the corporate brand is influenced by all the company’s activities, which means that the company’s sustainability efforts and sustainability communications must be indistinguishable in order to be used to build a strong corporate brand. Findings fromthe case study concludes the importance of 1) working with a relevant sustainability issue, 2) making the work visible and put in context, 3) working with others to solve complex issues and improve the credibility, 4) involving the recipient in the communication, 5) communicating the same message through multiple channels, 6) packaging the sustainability efforts into an interesting story, and 7) gaining support for sustainability efforts internally. When following these factors, the sustainability work can be integrated into the corporate brand.

Diss. Stockholm : Stockholms universitet, 2008.

The aim of this study is to make a theoretical contribution vis-à-vis the main determinants of international student identification with a middle ranking business school corporate brand. The findings of this study are of foundational significance in theory building terms. A substantive theory of international postgraduate student identification in UK middle ranking business school corporate brands is introduced. This theory was found to be underpinned by five attractiveness dimensions: brand similarity, brand distinctiveness, association with a metropolitan city brand, country brand and university physical campus. The findings showed that brand similarity, brand distinctiveness, association with a metropolitan city brand, country brand and university physical campus are the main corporate brand identification dimensions of international postgraduate students – in terms of attractiveness – of a middle ranked business school (Brunel Business School). Whilst the tuition fees were a constituent part of the initial theoretical framework, this variable was not shown to have a significant effect on middle ranking business school corporate brand attractiveness. The findings also showed that brand distinctiveness and the country brand had a direct positive effect on international postgraduate student identification. Moreover, brand similarity, brand distinctiveness, metropolitan city brand, country brand and university physical campus affect international postgraduate student identification indirectly through the mediating effect of middle ranking business school corporate brand attractiveness. Whereas the effects of brand distinctiveness and country brand on international postgraduate student identification are partially mediated, and the effect of metropolitan city brand is fully mediated, tuition fees have an inverse, unmediated effect on international postgraduate student identification. A test of alternative moderating effect showed that the effects of brand similarity, brand distinctiveness, association with a metropolitan city brand, country brand, university physical campus and tuition fees on international student corporate brand identification were not moderated by the effect of middle ranking business school corporate brand attractiveness. This study – focusing on a middle ranking business school corporate brand, internationalisation/international marketing– appears to be the first of its kind. It is one of the first attempts to provide a theoretical undertaking regarding the main determinants of international student identification with a middle ranking business school corporate brand. The instrumental contributions of this study stress the efficacy of business school managers in focusing on corporate brand building and corporate brand communication activities. Whilst the statistical generalisability of the findings generated from a single case study is limited, the insights are analytically generalisable.

Esta dissertação de mestrado procurou compreender como a marca institucional de empresas do setor supermercadista brasileiro varejo de alimentos foi impactada pela sustentabilidade, especificamente por práticas ambientais. A pesquisa analisou como as três maiores empresas do setor adaptaram-se às pressões por um varejo mais sustentável e como ocorreu a comunicação institucional do Grupo Pão de Açúcar, do Carrefour Brasil e do Walmart Brasil ao utilizarem as práticas sustentáveis ambientais na construção e consolidação de suas respectivas marcas institucionais. As práticas ambientais verificadas foram classificadas em: comercialização de produtos verdes, gestão de resíduos, construções sustentáveis e preservação do meio ambiente. Devido às alterações no cenário econômico e social do século XX surgiram tendências que pressionaram o sistema capitalista regente para uma gestão socioeconômica mais sustentável. A compreensão das mudanças, suas implicações e consequências na marca institucional das três principais empresas do setor é o objetivo principal desta pesquisa acadêmica. / This dissertation sought to understand how the corporate brand of companies in the Brazilian supermarket sector food retailing was impacted by sustainability, specifically by environmental practices. The research examined how the three largest companies of this sector was adapted to the pressures for a more sustainable retail and how occurred the corporate communication of Pão de Açúcar Group, Carrefour Brazil, Walmart Brazil when sustainable environmental practices are used in the construction and consolidation of their corporate brands. The environmental practices observed were classified as: marketing of green products, waste management, sustainable construction and environmental preservation. Due to changes in the economic and social scene of the twentieth century, trends came to press the ruling capitalist system to a more sustainable socio-economic management. The understanding of all changes, their implications and consequences in corporate brand of the three main companies in the sector is the main objective of this academic research

The shift from product- to corporate branding have resulted in a wider reach for organizations: containing both internal- and external stakeholders, that have resulted in that a corporate brand has to bear in mind of the importance of presenting itself as a cohesive brand throughout the different stakeholders. This in turn can be accomplished through corporate communication strategies. It is further crucial for a corporate brand to ensure that the stakeholders share the same corporate identity. A highly recognized tool to strengthen the brand is referred to CSR activities that come with potential benefits in terms of corporate reputation.

Ambition of the thesis is to identify and evaluate tools that companies use to build and strengthen its employer brand in the external labour market, and internally among its employees and apply the theory of building employer brand on concrete company. The theoretical part of the thesis focuses defining brand as such, its theory and components moving through corporate brand to definition and concept of employer brand and its elements and ways of building an employer brand. The methodology of work consists of analysis of dedicated literature and papers on the topic and publicly available information about chosen company. In practical part, the thesis analyses concrete company and its employer brand using external and internal questionnaire research.

Bakgrund: För att bygga ett starkt varumärke krävs det att det interna varumärket genomsyrar hela organisationen. För att lyckas med detta måste företagen arbeta med sitt interna varumärke vilket innebär att de skall behandla sina medarbetare som sina interna kunder. Det krävs att företagen arbetar med sin organisationskultur och vision för att säkerhetsställa att medlemmarna i organisationen har en enhetlig uppfattning. För att lyckas med detta krävs det även att organisationen har en väl fungerande intern kommunikation. Tidigare studier belyser att det är viktigt för företag att arbeta med sitt interna varumärke, däremot finns det brist på tidigare forskning kring området franchisebolag och hur ledningen arbetar med det interna varumärket. Dessutom finns det väldigt lite forskning kring hur medarbetarna uppfattar det interna varumärket och hur det leder till engagemang. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur ledningen arbetar med det interna varumärket i ett franchisebolag samt hur detta uppfattas av medarbetarna. Metod: Studien utgår från en deduktiv ansats och genom en kvalitativ forskningsstrategi genomfördes totalt nio semistrukturerade intervjuer med ledare och medarbetare inom organisationen. Det insamlade empiriska materialet analyserades med hjälp av en tematisk analys.  Slutsatser: Studien visar att franchisebolaget inte har en uttalad strategi för det interna varumärket. Trots detta har företaget lyckats att skapa en enhetlig syn på företagsvarumärket genom en organisationskultur och vision som medlemmarna kan identifiera sig med. Ytterligare en slutsats är att organisationskulturen och visionen har en direkt påverkan på medarbetarnas engagemang som uttrycks genom begrepp som gemenskap, tillit och öppenhet. Dessutom kan den interna kommunikationen ses som ett nyckelverktyg för franchisebolaget och deras framgång för att engagera medarbetarna. / Background: To build a strong brand, it is necessary for the internal brand to involve the entire organization. To succeed in this, companies must work on their internal brand, which means treating their employees as their internal customers. Companies need to work on their organizational culture and vision to ensure that members of the organization have a unified understanding. To succeed in this, it also requires a well-functioning internal communication within the organization. Previous studies highlight the importance for companies to work on their internal brand, however, there is a lack of previous research on franchise companies and how the management deals with the internal brand. In addition, there is a lack of research on how employees perceive the internal brand and how it leads to engagement. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate how the management works with the internal brand in a franchise company as well as how this is perceived by the employees Method: The study is based on a deductive approach and through a qualitative research strategy, a total of nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with leaders and employees within the organization. The collected empirical material was analyzed using thematic analysis. Conclusions: The study finds that the franchise company does not have a pronounced strategy for the internal brand. Despite this, the company has managed to create a unified view of the corporate brand through an organizational culture and vision that members can identify with. Another conclusion is that the organizational culture and vision have a direct impact on employee engagement expressed through community, trust, and openness. In addition, internal communication can be seen as a key tool for the franchise company and their success in engaging employees.

This DBA thesis explores the development of a corporate brand in a transitional economy, a previously under-explored context. The work employs a qualitative exploratory case-study research strategy involving a leader in the FMCG industry in Albania. This helps to set a positive example for the rest of the industry in the context of a transitional economy. Agna Group, the case study in focus, is a FMCG company operating in a domestic market, thus contributing to further insights in the area of corporate brand development and management from a business context which has been under-explored to date, as main focus of corporate branding has been on MNCs. A conceptual framework of corporate brand building and management is initially introduced, and its relevance in the transitional economy of Albania is further explored. The research benefits from the privileged access of the researcher in the case study organization, and the triangulation of a variety of data collected through in-depth interviews, documentation, and observations. The research advances our knowledge and practice of corporate brand building and management by adding to empirical work in the area. It indicates the constructs and practicalities involved in corporate brand development and management in a transitional economy context. This is an important contribution as the literature to date has predominantly focused on developed countries, i.e North America and Western Europe. The research showcases the six main constructs involved in corporate brand development and management and the three main drivers behind them. Research indicates that corporate brand building and management is strongly impacted by culture, as well as market context influence.