Although every organisation disposes of a corporate identity, it is not a given that the organisation will also have a corporate brand. Corporate brands refer not only to the visual corporate identity elements such as the name, the logo and the corporate colours but also reflect the associations that the internal and external interest groups attach to the organisation. The staff members of the organisation are regarded as the ambassadors of an organisation’s corporate brand which they should live and express in their work and actions. For that reason it is important that the corporate brand should be well established within the organisation itself. The North-West University (NWU) was established in 2004 as the result of a merger between the former Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education and the University of the North-West. The North-West University consists of four business units, viz. the Institutional Office, the Mafikeng Campus, the Potchefstroom Campus and the Vaal Triangle Campus. Because of the diversity of the erstwhile institutions, there were several serious implications for the North-West University. One of these was the development and the subsequent suitable management model, given the distance between campuses, and the other would the design and establishment of a corporate brand for the institution, given the culture and background of the former institutions. The result has been the use of a hybrid model with regard to the over-arching corporate brand of the North-West University to the extent that each campus has developed its own separate corporate brand. Although various studies have been done in the field about corporate brands, to date no study has been undertaken about the situation at the North-West University. Against this background it was possible to formulate the following general research question. What are staff members’ perceptions of, respectively, the corporate brand and corporate brand management of the North-West University and the Potchefstroom Campus? For the purposes of this study semi-structured interviews were conducted with management of the Institutional Office and the Potchefstroom Campus directly involved in the application of the corporate brand. A quantitative electronic questionnaire was also sent to all academic, administrative and support staff members of the Potchefstroom Campus. The study indicates that the management of the Institutional Office and of the Potchefstroom Campus in some instances hold differing views about the corporate brand of the North-West University and the Potchefstroom Campus. In contrast to this the study indicated that the staff members of the Potchefstroom Campus gave recognition to the fact that the Potchefstroom Campus had their own corporate brand, but that it is regarded as part of the over-arching corporate brand of the North-West University. The study also indicated that the North-West University and the Potchefstroom Campus corporate brands consisted of different components and that the management of corporate brand depended on the leadership of senior management, but that each staff member played a role in living and establishing the different corporate brands. / MA (Communication Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Although every organisation disposes of a corporate identity, it is not a given that the organisation will also have a corporate brand. Corporate brands refer not only to the visual corporate identity elements such as the name, the logo and the corporate colours but also reflect the associations that the internal and external interest groups attach to the organisation. The staff members of the organisation are regarded as the ambassadors of an organisation’s corporate brand which they should live and express in their work and actions. For that reason it is important that the corporate brand should be well established within the organisation itself. The North-West University (NWU) was established in 2004 as the result of a merger between the former Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education and the University of the North-West. The North-West University consists of four business units, viz. the Institutional Office, the Mafikeng Campus, the Potchefstroom Campus and the Vaal Triangle Campus. Because of the diversity of the erstwhile institutions, there were several serious implications for the North-West University. One of these was the development and the subsequent suitable management model, given the distance between campuses, and the other would the design and establishment of a corporate brand for the institution, given the culture and background of the former institutions. The result has been the use of a hybrid model with regard to the over-arching corporate brand of the North-West University to the extent that each campus has developed its own separate corporate brand. Although various studies have been done in the field about corporate brands, to date no study has been undertaken about the situation at the North-West University. Against this background it was possible to formulate the following general research question. What are staff members’ perceptions of, respectively, the corporate brand and corporate brand management of the North-West University and the Potchefstroom Campus? For the purposes of this study semi-structured interviews were conducted with management of the Institutional Office and the Potchefstroom Campus directly involved in the application of the corporate brand. A quantitative electronic questionnaire was also sent to all academic, administrative and support staff members of the Potchefstroom Campus. The study indicates that the management of the Institutional Office and of the Potchefstroom Campus in some instances hold differing views about the corporate brand of the North-West University and the Potchefstroom Campus. In contrast to this the study indicated that the staff members of the Potchefstroom Campus gave recognition to the fact that the Potchefstroom Campus had their own corporate brand, but that it is regarded as part of the over-arching corporate brand of the North-West University. The study also indicated that the North-West University and the Potchefstroom Campus corporate brands consisted of different components and that the management of corporate brand depended on the leadership of senior management, but that each staff member played a role in living and establishing the different corporate brands. / MA (Communication Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Over recent years, the concept of brand value has increasingly gained prominence in a variety of contexts. This is primarily due to a brand’s ability to increase profits through a promise of value delivered to customers, which makes it a valuable intangible asset to organisations. A brand’s value can, however, only be managed properly if it is measured and understood so as to ensure optimal growth and survival in an ever-changing, volatile marketplace. This realization has prompted investigations into the assessment of the financial value of a brand in both business/marketing research and practice. However, contrary to customary brands such as products or services, the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA) is a uniquely fused brand, since it operates as a non-profit, member-driven organisation in the private sector of the Southern African inbound tourism industry. This intricate brand structure inevitably necessitates a more specific premise and subsequent measure of brand value, since it cannot be confined to financial value alone. In the light of this, the main purpose of this study was to develop a brand value model for SATSA to examine the value created by this brand and how it is experienced by its members. To date, the majority of research endeavours have focused on the financial value of a brand. Given the essence of this organisation, brand value ought to encompass a range of aspects other merely financial value. The recent downtrend in membership numbers also highlights the need for determining the value members derive from this specific organisation. Knowledge regarding the brand’s value can serve as a means to improve the current value proposition, thereby enabling an increase in satisfaction and loyalty, growth in membership, and overall organisational sustainability. However, research in brand value specifically for non-profit, member-driven organisations such as SATSA, and in the South African tourism industry is particularly limited. In addition to the latter, no formal measuring instrument currently exists whereby brand value can be measured in such a unique context. It is therefore essential for an organisation such as SATSA to identify specific dimensions of brand value and, to determine which dimensions are most likely to influence members’ perceptions of value by examining the relationships between dimensions, to enable maximum leverage of the brand. Therefore, to achieve the above mentioned and the goal of this study, a comprehensive review of the marketing and tourism/non-profit literature was performed, subsequent to which the research was conducted in two phases. The first phase focused on the construction of a measuring instrument to identify the key aspects that contribute to brand value. Expert knowledge, opinion and consensus were obtained relating to the appropriateness of items to be included in the questionnaire. Based on the latter and the literature review, a total of 53 items were deemed acceptable to measure brand value in this particular context. These items formulated in phase 1 were then included in the final questionnaire and measured together with questions pertaining to the business profile of members in phase 2. Phase 2 focused on analysing brand value from members’ perspective. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed online to all members included in the SATSA database (n=718). A total of 268 questionnaires were completed. To address the goal of this study, selected statistical techniques were employed. Two separate factor analyses were performed on the brand value and brand equity dimensions respectively, which revealed reliable and valid factors, and were used as constructs in the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analysis to develop the model. Other statistical techniques included correlations, ANOVAs, and an independent t-test to examine the influence of selected business profile aspects on brand value. The results of the study confirmed that brand value for organisations such as SATSA is, in fact, multifaceted. Brand value in this context therefore consists of financial value, professional trust value, organisational value, network value, social engagement value, in conjunction with brand equity, which is important for developing and sustaining the brand. Professional trust value was also revealed to be a major facet of SATSA’s brand value that requires attention on various levels. The contributions of this research are threefold: From a theoretical point of view, this study is one of the first to identify multiple aspects that specifically contribute to brand value for a non-profit member-driven organisation in the context of tourism, and even more so in a South African context. The development of this model is thus a significant contribution to literature and can be further analysed and tested by other researchers. Secondly, from a methodological point of view, this study sets a benchmark in South African tourism brand value research by designing a reliable questionnaire that measures multiple value aspects for the first time in this context; as well as the construction of a model that captures multiple facets of brand value and reveals unique relationships between specific facets of brand value and brand equity. Thirdly, from a practical perspective the research indicated the current status of SATSA’s brand value, and also equips SATSA with a model that enables them to effectively manage brand value and realise what specifically contributes to increased brand value levels for this organisation. This model can also be tested for organisations with similar brand structures, but also for profit-driven organisations. The information obtained from this study can be applied to conduct a comprehensive assessment of brand value for non-profit, member-driven organisations in the South African tourism industry to encourage value-based management and enable a more proficient value offering. This should lead to optimal member satisfaction, growth in membership numbers and the continuous sustainability of such organisations in South Africa given the competitive operational environment. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Over recent years, the concept of brand value has increasingly gained prominence in a variety of contexts. This is primarily due to a brand’s ability to increase profits through a promise of value delivered to customers, which makes it a valuable intangible asset to organisations. A brand’s value can, however, only be managed properly if it is measured and understood so as to ensure optimal growth and survival in an ever-changing, volatile marketplace. This realization has prompted investigations into the assessment of the financial value of a brand in both business/marketing research and practice. However, contrary to customary brands such as products or services, the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA) is a uniquely fused brand, since it operates as a non-profit, member-driven organisation in the private sector of the Southern African inbound tourism industry. This intricate brand structure inevitably necessitates a more specific premise and subsequent measure of brand value, since it cannot be confined to financial value alone. In the light of this, the main purpose of this study was to develop a brand value model for SATSA to examine the value created by this brand and how it is experienced by its members. To date, the majority of research endeavours have focused on the financial value of a brand. Given the essence of this organisation, brand value ought to encompass a range of aspects other merely financial value. The recent downtrend in membership numbers also highlights the need for determining the value members derive from this specific organisation. Knowledge regarding the brand’s value can serve as a means to improve the current value proposition, thereby enabling an increase in satisfaction and loyalty, growth in membership, and overall organisational sustainability. However, research in brand value specifically for non-profit, member-driven organisations such as SATSA, and in the South African tourism industry is particularly limited. In addition to the latter, no formal measuring instrument currently exists whereby brand value can be measured in such a unique context. It is therefore essential for an organisation such as SATSA to identify specific dimensions of brand value and, to determine which dimensions are most likely to influence members’ perceptions of value by examining the relationships between dimensions, to enable maximum leverage of the brand. Therefore, to achieve the above mentioned and the goal of this study, a comprehensive review of the marketing and tourism/non-profit literature was performed, subsequent to which the research was conducted in two phases. The first phase focused on the construction of a measuring instrument to identify the key aspects that contribute to brand value. Expert knowledge, opinion and consensus were obtained relating to the appropriateness of items to be included in the questionnaire. Based on the latter and the literature review, a total of 53 items were deemed acceptable to measure brand value in this particular context. These items formulated in phase 1 were then included in the final questionnaire and measured together with questions pertaining to the business profile of members in phase 2. Phase 2 focused on analysing brand value from members’ perspective. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed online to all members included in the SATSA database (n=718). A total of 268 questionnaires were completed. To address the goal of this study, selected statistical techniques were employed. Two separate factor analyses were performed on the brand value and brand equity dimensions respectively, which revealed reliable and valid factors, and were used as constructs in the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analysis to develop the model. Other statistical techniques included correlations, ANOVAs, and an independent t-test to examine the influence of selected business profile aspects on brand value. The results of the study confirmed that brand value for organisations such as SATSA is, in fact, multifaceted. Brand value in this context therefore consists of financial value, professional trust value, organisational value, network value, social engagement value, in conjunction with brand equity, which is important for developing and sustaining the brand. Professional trust value was also revealed to be a major facet of SATSA’s brand value that requires attention on various levels. The contributions of this research are threefold: From a theoretical point of view, this study is one of the first to identify multiple aspects that specifically contribute to brand value for a non-profit member-driven organisation in the context of tourism, and even more so in a South African context. The development of this model is thus a significant contribution to literature and can be further analysed and tested by other researchers. Secondly, from a methodological point of view, this study sets a benchmark in South African tourism brand value research by designing a reliable questionnaire that measures multiple value aspects for the first time in this context; as well as the construction of a model that captures multiple facets of brand value and reveals unique relationships between specific facets of brand value and brand equity. Thirdly, from a practical perspective the research indicated the current status of SATSA’s brand value, and also equips SATSA with a model that enables them to effectively manage brand value and realise what specifically contributes to increased brand value levels for this organisation. This model can also be tested for organisations with similar brand structures, but also for profit-driven organisations. The information obtained from this study can be applied to conduct a comprehensive assessment of brand value for non-profit, member-driven organisations in the South African tourism industry to encourage value-based management and enable a more proficient value offering. This should lead to optimal member satisfaction, growth in membership numbers and the continuous sustainability of such organisations in South Africa given the competitive operational environment. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014