Loyalty management has emerged over recent years as a topic of significant importance in both academic and practitioner discourse, articulating the benefits of an extended relationship with key stakeholders including, but not limited to, customers, employees and shareholders. This research explores the theory and practice of loyalty management from a communications perspective. The thesis attempted to discover how the integration or non-integration of internal and external communication affects the communication of loyalty, in addition to how loyalty management contributes towards the organisation�s perceived creation of value. In doing so, it also examines how the practice of customer relationship management (CRM), integrated marketing communication (IMC) and the use of information and communication technology (ICT) plays a role in the communication of loyalty. The research entailed a three-year ethnographic study of a business-to-business financial services organisation specialising in vehicle fleet leasing and management services, comprising a review of relevant academic literature; and participant observation, focus group studies, qualitative surveys and document analysis. Besides evaluating loyalty management from a communications perspective, the thesis contributes towards the body of knowledge on Australian organisations from an organisational culture perspective, as well as exploring communication beyond the traditional boundary of within the organisation itself. Unlike most loyalty management approaches, the holistic stance considers other stakeholders besides customers, in detail. The study does not seek to establish validity and generalisability. Rather, the mainly interpretist approach preserves the form and content of human behaviour by detailing descriptions of the concrete experience of life within a particular culture and of the social rules, patterns and perceptions that constitute it. The findings showed that organisational communication has to be integrated and cohesive to enable the effective management of loyalty. Furthermore, the results confirm that the notion of organisational boundaries comprising �internal� and "external" communication is limited. Involved protagonists, acting together from within and external to an organisation, create, sustain and manage meanings through the use of signs and symbols within a particular context to form a unique culture or community. In addition, the notion of loyalty and the creation of value for the consequent success of the organisation is an important and valid perception for most of the stakeholders. For this organisation, the use of ICT and practice of CRM and IMC has varying degrees of impact, mainly enhancing the communication of loyalty. The detraction of value is caused primarily by the fragmentation of communication between the stakeholders, in addition to the existence of sub-cultures with conflicting needs.

<p><strong>Bakgrund och problem: </strong>Bloggen som marknadskommunikationsverktyg har ökat de senaste åren. Företag har börjat kommunicerar budskap via bloggtexter med förhoppning om att öka dess trovärdighet och därmed effekt, vilket väckt en debatt angående produktplacering och smygreklam. Hur kan företag tillämpa bloggen som marknadskommunikationsverktyg utan att gå emot svensk lag och vad finns det egentligen för risker och möjligheter med detta?</p><p><strong>Syfte: </strong>Syftet med uppsatsen är att kartlägga företags tillvägagångssätt att avsiktligt använda privata bloggar i sin marknadskommunikation samt identifiera eventuella risker och möjligheter med detta.</p><p><strong>Metod: </strong>Vår studie bygger på en kvalitativ metod där vi genomfört blogganalys av Sveriges tio största privata bloggar. Vi har vidare intervjuat 15 företag som är verksamma med marknadskommunikation via dessa bloggar. Sekundärdata har samlats in genom litteratur, artiklar och elektroniska källor.</p><p><strong>Slutsats:</strong> Företag använder bloggen som ett komplement till traditionell media. Marknadskommunikationen via dessa tillämpas i form av banners, tävlingar och sponsring av olika aktiviteter. Produktsponsring har på senare tid blivit populärt för att på så sätt hamna i bloggens text, vilket ses som det mest trovärdiga budskapet. De möjligheter som företag ser med detta kommunikationsverktyg är att budskapet blir trovärdigt och mer personligt då bloggaren ses som en inflytelserik person som många ser upp till. Det är även ett mätbart och relativt billigt verktyg att tillämpa för att nå en specifik målgrupp. Risker som företag reflekterat över är främst att bloggen är ett okontrollerat forum där företagen lämnar ut varumärket till konsument och därmed tappar kontrollen över vad som kommuniceras till marknaden. Bloggen som kommunikationsverktyg kommer fortsätta växa så länge bloggarna har många läsare och företag därmed kan nå ut till specifika målgrupper. Nya trender och förändringar på marknaden kommer medföra att bloggen utvecklas eller tar ny form för fortsatt interaktiv aktivitet på internet.</p><p><strong>Förslag till vidare forskning:</strong> Det som vi funderat över under studien gång är hur konsumenter ser på att företag samarbetar med bloggare. Att tillämpa en kvantitativ metod för att genomföra en sådan studie skulle vara intressant för kunna applicera resultatet på en större population och därmed utläsa mer djupgående effekt av kommunikationen.</p> / <p><strong>Background and problem: </strong>The blog as a marketing tool has increased in recent years. Companies have started to communicate messages through blog texts with the hope to increase their credibility and thus power, this has raised a debate on product placement and hidden advertising. How can companies apply blog communication as a marketing tool without violating the law and what are the risks and opportunities of this approach?</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The aim of this paper is to map and identify companies’ ways of deliberately using private blogs in their marketing strategy and how to deal with potential risks and opportunities sprung from this form of marketing.</p><p><strong>Method:</strong> Our study is based on a qualitative approach in which we implemented an analysis of the ten largest private blogs in Sweden. We also interviewed 15 companies who are active in communicating through these blogs. Secondary data were collected through literature, articles and electronic sources.</p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Companies are using blogs as a complement to traditional media. Commercial communications through these blogs are applied in the form of banners, contests and sponsorships of various activities. Product sponsorship has recently become a popular way for companies to end up in the blog text, which is seen as a more credible medium. The opportunities companies see with this communication tool is that the message is credible and more personal because bloggers are seen as influential people who many look up to. It is also a measurable and relatively inexpensive tool to use to reach a specific audience. Risks that companies are aware of are the fact that a blog is an uncontrolled forum where company brand care is outsourced to the blogger and then viewed by the end consumer. This creates a loss of control over what is communicated to the market. The blog as a communication tool will continue to grow as long as blogs have many readers and therefore can reach out to specific target groups. New trends and market changes provide incentive for continued evolution and development of the blog, or will make the blog shift shape into a new form for further interactive activity on the Internet.</p><p><strong>Proposal for further research:</strong> What we thought about during our research is how consumers look at the companies’ collaboration with bloggers. To implement a quantitative research study would be interesting. By doing so we would be able to better understand the profound effect blog marketing has on the population.</p>

<p>Aim: The aim of this thesis has been to try to answer the question of how an IT based marketing information system support the formation of business and product related strategies and when and how such a system should be integrated in a company</p><p>Method: Analytical meta-study of published literature condensed through a SWOT analysis and combined with a qualitative evaluation of questionnaires directed to companies with experience of developing and implementing marketing information systems.</p><p>Result & Conclusion: Company size and market volatility decides the time of implementation of a marketing information system. Implementation should be initiated top-down in order to secure full organisational inertia. The approach should be holistic and tailor-made for each specific organisation. Users should fully integrated in development and implementation.</p><p>Suggestions for future research: Supplementary work could be carried out in trying to quantify how a marketing information system affect the new product time to market and the strategic mismatch to real market development, hence the efficiency of such a system. Another question of interest is the organisational inbound resistance to change, how this resistance affect the implementation of a marketing information system and how to overcome the boundaries it poses.</p><p>Contribution of the thesis:This thesis contributes with a general framework that sustains the implementation of a marketing information system. It answers the initial questions that a manager has, standing before the possible implementation of such a tool.</p>

<p>Storytelling, an important part of human communication, is being increasingly used by companies to communicate their values and build trust and connection with employees and customers. A good story can create emotions and feelings among the audience, can simplify and transmit complex messages. In contrast to the conventional informative and lecture-style of communication, which are likely to evoke counter arguments; storytelling is more likely to inspire people to take independent actions. However, storytelling is not flawless. There are downfalls to storytelling, such as stories told from a single point of view, which companies need to be aware of when using this technique. The purpose of this study is to explore how storytelling is used in two companies internally and externally, and by doing so, to enable a deeper understanding of the storytelling concept and explore the subject further. The results show that giving different factors, such as target audiences, the company that uses storytelling internally, considers the authenticity of the stories to be of great importance. This view does not apply to the company that uses storytelling externally. On the other hand, the latter company’s external and internal core message or values go hand in hand to a great extend. In contrast, the former company uses different values to its customers compared to the ones it uses to communicate with its employees. The contribution of this thesis can be found in the model of different dimensions of storytelling, presented in the theoretical framework. These dimensions enable a deeper understanding of storytelling as well as facilitates as a guide when exploring the subject, both externally and internally. Students wanting to research the area as well as companies wanting to use storytelling as a marketing or communication tool can benefit from using the dimensions of storytelling derived from this thesis.</p>

<p>American Express initiated a new marketing strategy twenty-five years ago. Forevery new card user the company donated one cent for the recovery of the Statueof Liberty. The success of the campaign exceeds the expectations. This strategywhere a company declares to spend a defined amount of money for a special causein order to push up its sales is called Cause-Related Marketing. Now more andmore companies use the cause-related marketing strategy as a way out of saturatedmarkets and growing consumer awareness. Billions of dollars are spent every yearin cause campaigns.</p><p>Because it is a relatively new approach many researches has shown interest in thismarketing communication strategy. However, there is still lack in the field ofcause-related marketing and especially in the consumer part.</p><p>This is also the field of interest for this dissertation and in particular how doescause-relates marketing strategy shape consumer attitude, perception and buyingbehaviour? In order to find out the answer of this question we relied on differenttheories and in addition we conducted a questionnaire among international students.</p><p>The results, even though restricted trough the sample, showed that there is aconnection between the cause-related marketing and buying behaviour andattitude. Consumers are more likely to support companies which are engaged incause campaigns and tend to develop positive attitude toward this company and itsproducts. The research was limited to sample of students who took part in thequestionnaire. A further investigation in this field could deliver deeperinformation and be useful for companies and researchers in the field of marketingcommunication and marketing strategies.</p>

<p> </p><p>Bloggen har under senare år vuxit i popularitet, både bland privatpersoner och företag. En mängd praktiker har hyllat bloggen som det nya kommunikationsmediet inom marknadsföring, främst på grund av bloggens potential att skapa förtroende och bygga dialog med företagets kunder.</p><p>Marknadsföringen har idag blivit mer utmanande och företagen får allt svårare att vinna kundernas uppmärksamhet i dagens informationstäta samhälle. Kraven på företagens kommunikation förändras: kunderna vill bli talade med istället för till och det finns ett tilltagande behov av att kommunikationen ska bygga förtroende med externa publiker. En trend som kan uppfattas är att alltfler företag går mot ett relationsorienterat synsätt av marknadsföring för att knyta kunderna närmare sig.</p><p>Trots företagsbloggens ökande populäritet är de många företag som väljer att inte blogga. Orsakerna menas vara rädsla för exponering. Forskningsområdet är tämligen outforskat.</p><p>Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka om bloggen som marknadskommunikationskanal kan användas för att skapa förtroende och dialog. Fokus ligger i att hitta indikationer på att bloggar används för att skapa förtroende och dialog, samt företagens upplevda nytta av det eventuella förtroende- och dialogskapandet genom bloggen. För att svara på syftet undersöks tre svenska kommunikationsföretag: Åkestam Holst, Henrik Skotth Konsult AB och Kompago. Analysen sker med utgångspunkt från relevanta teorier. Intervjuer med de ansvariga bloggförfattarna och insamling av bloggtexter har genomförts för att svara på syftet. Undersökningen sker ur ett företagsperspektiv.</p><p>Resultaten indikerar starkt på att bloggen har stora möjligheter att skapa förtroende och bygga dialog, samt att de undersökta kommunikationsföretagen använder bloggen för de ändamålen. Den bloggrelaterade nyttan som företagen upplevt är stärkande av det egna varumärket, mervärde i befintliga relationer och initierande av nya.</p><p>Undersökningens resultat ämnar sprida ljus över bloggen som marknadskommunikationskanal. Då uppsatsen endast belyser företagens perspektiv och därigenom inte kan fastställa att förtroende och dialog verkligen skapas, är rekommendationer för framtida forskning att undersöka kundens perspektiv.</p><p> </p>

<p>Purpose/Aim: The aim of this paper is to find out how the new media landscape and new communication channels is altering how companies and organizations can reach out with their messages. The aim is also to shine light on the different trends within advertising today and also to discuss the Tivo-effect ie. that consumers are doing whatever possible to avoid advertisements.</p><p>Material/ Method: I have used a qualitative research method where I have interviewed a number of people working in advertising in Sweden. The paper also includes material from books, article and various websites.</p><p>Main results: In order for advertising agencies to create successful advertisement and to generate positive associations around a certain brand, it’s crucial that the advertisement is relevant for the target group. The advertisement and the brand need to be looked upon as genuine and ’real’. In order to create that type of ads and generate a positive outlook for the brand the advertisement needs to be researched properly. In order for agencies and it’s clients to reach their intended target group by using new media their is a need to create ads that provide value for the consumer. The bottom line seems to be that in order to make successful advertisements today you need to work harder, you need to know your brand more intimately and more than ever you need to have extensive consumer insights on a deeper level.</p>

Purpose/Aim: The aim of this paper is to find out how the new media landscape and new communication channels is altering how companies and organizations can reach out with their messages. The aim is also to shine light on the different trends within advertising today and also to discuss the Tivo-effect ie. that consumers are doing whatever possible to avoid advertisements. Material/ Method: I have used a qualitative research method where I have interviewed a number of people working in advertising in Sweden. The paper also includes material from books, article and various websites. Main results: In order for advertising agencies to create successful advertisement and to generate positive associations around a certain brand, it’s crucial that the advertisement is relevant for the target group. The advertisement and the brand need to be looked upon as genuine and ’real’. In order to create that type of ads and generate a positive outlook for the brand the advertisement needs to be researched properly. In order for agencies and it’s clients to reach their intended target group by using new media their is a need to create ads that provide value for the consumer. The bottom line seems to be that in order to make successful advertisements today you need to work harder, you need to know your brand more intimately and more than ever you need to have extensive consumer insights on a deeper level.

Celebrity endorsement consists of a written or spoken statement from a publicly known person, proclaiming the benefits of some product or service. Previous research on celebrity endorsement has proved it very successful in promoting brands or companies. Even though many marketing strategies exist, it can be especially effective for newly started ventures to apply celebrity endorsement in their approach. While celebrity endorsement may be a good way to overcome weaknesses, such as liability of newness and lack of legitimacy, new ventures often cannot afford to implement this strategy. Therefore, an option to this might be local celebrity endorsement. This thesis investigates the impact of local and well-known celebrity endorsement on communication effectiveness. Through a quantitative study, the authors have concluded that local celebrity endorsers are perceived more trustworthy and emotionally involved in the endorsement process than well-known celebrity endorsers. Local celebrities and well-known celebrities are perceived equally expert, attractive and capable of transferring meaning to the endorsed product. Local celebrity endorsement is overall more effective than well-known celebrity endorsement in communicating the endorsement message. It can therefore be a suitable tool for newly started ventures that cannot afford to employ more expensive, well-known celebrity endorsement in their quest for gaining quick reputational capital.

Dispositionen i artikeln är som följer: först kommer artikeln förklara varför undersökningen genomfördes. Därefter följer en redogörelse av vad det är för verktyg som används för att besvara studiens syfte. Detta användes också för att formulera påståenden. Därefter följer en redogörelse för hur den här studien genomfördes i verkligheten, som också är nästa punkt. Det hela avslutas med tolkningen av insamlat empiriskt material följt av ett slutgiltigt svar på använda påståenden och problemfrågor. Studien har två mål. Det första är att besvara om sociala medier, i detta fall Facebook, kan användas för att ge framtida studenter information om högskolestudier och Internationella Marknadsföringsprogrammet på Mälardalens Högskola i Västerås. Studiens andra mål är att besvara varför och hur sociala medier skall ingå i programmets framtida promotionsmix. Studiens två mål besvarades med hjälp av påståenden som dragits från vald litteraturstudie. Studien har en experimentell ansats och påståenden undersöktes genom en studie av första- andra- och tredjeårselever elever från samtliga inriktningar på John Bauergymnasiet i Västerås. För att öka validiteten genomfördes en datatriangulering som bestod av fokusgruppsintervjuer, en enkätundersökning och observationer. Fyra av de sex testade påståendena deklarerades som positiva. Undersökningen visar att Facebook bör inkluderas i IMFs promotionsmix. Studien ger också förslag på vad som bör beaktas vid inkluderingen av en Facebooksida i promotionsmixen.