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 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. 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. 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. 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.

Bakgrund och problem: 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? Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att kartlägga företags tillvägagångssätt att avsiktligt använda privata bloggar i sin marknadskommunikation samt identifiera eventuella risker och möjligheter med detta. Metod: 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. Slutsats: 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. Förslag till vidare forskning: 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. / Background and problem: 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? Objective: 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. Method: 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. Conclusion: 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. Proposal for further research: 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.

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. 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. 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. 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.

Background: Today firms are facing increased global competition, and it results in shor-ter product life cycles. The present situation demand firms to focus more on marketing and how to communicate with the customers. In the mar-keting field there has always existed a perceived dichotomy between B2B and B2C markets. It is said that B2B markets must be handled differently than B2C markets. Recently the perceptions have changed and it is said that B2B and B2C markets have more similarities than previously as-sumed, and this might affect the decision about which marketing tools to implement. This could even change the old way of thinking, which states that B2C marketing tools cannot be used effectively in a B2B market. Theories show that brand awareness is of crucial importance in B2C mar-kets. Will the change of market structure make brand awareness equally important in a B2B market? Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to critically analyze the attitudes towards dif-ferent B2B marketing tools and the possible appropriateness of using B2C marketing tools in a B2B market in order to achieve brand awareness. Method: A qualitative approach has been used in order answer the purpose of the thesis. ROL AB has been used as a case study, and 13 open phone inter-views have been conducted with existing and potential customers of ROL AB. Furthermore, two interviews have been conducted with firms that successfully use B2C marketing tools in B2B markets. Conclusions: The typical characteristics of B2B markets show a tendency to blur. This insinuates that brands are gaining importance in the B2B market. In order to react to this change, B2B firms need to increase their brand awareness. The traditional relational (B2B) marketing tools seems no longer to be suf-ficient to be used alone but now need to be accompanied with transac-tional (B2C) marketing tools.

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. 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. Trots företagsbloggens ökande populäritet är de många företag som väljer att inte blogga. Orsakerna menas vara rädsla för exponering. Forskningsområdet är tämligen outforskat. 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. 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. 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.

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.

Despite the globalization and cultures’ convergence, it is scholarly recognized that cross-cultural issues are important in a business context, especially for companies extending their activities internationally. However, existing theory does not provide an explicit answer of how cultural differences between countries influence customers’ perception of different aspects of marketing communication mix. That is why the underlying task of the current paper is to investigate if cross-cultural differences within the same geographic region are big enough to affect customers’ perception of marketing communication mix used. To facilitate a data collection, Central and Eastern European region represented by Ukraine and Czech Republic were chosen. As a reference tourism industry was used, due to its’ current significance, scale and global nature. Data was collected by conducting secondary and primary research, both having quantitative nature. Secondary data was collected through statistical offices and official on-line sources. For the primary research purposes a questionnaire survey was conducted among pre-defined target audience in Czech Republic and Ukraine. 300 responses obtained provided a solid basis for the further analysis.  Based on the relevant theory and secondary research findings four hypotheses were developed to address the research question “Does cross-cultural differences within Central and Eastern Europe affect the marketing communication mix in a specific industry?”. The study results provided that cultural differences exist not only between different regions, but also found within the same geographic region. When considered from marketing perspective, they are significant enough to influence customers’ preferences and perceptions of different aspects of marketing communication mix. The results obtained are specific for a particular case, so they can not be applied to some other countries. However, when it comes to marketing communication perceptions, the results can be used as guidelines by other industries then tourism

Purpose of this paper: This paper aims at studying which marketing opportunities companies back-shoring to France can leverage through Mass Media communication. Design/methodology/approach: 2 analyses are performed: a Media analysis studies the message that is sent to consumers. A survey is then carried out to discover how consumers perceive what is broadcast. Hypotheses are designed based on the former, and guide the design of the survey. The discussion and analyses are made under a marketing approach. Findings: The phenomenon is globally understood, but Media are not always necessarily the most appropriate tool for back-shoring companies to communicate about the three marketing dimensions identified during Media analysis: Made-in-France, Social issues related to Sustainable Development and the Impact of Political Messages. Research limitations/implications: The analyses are restricted to a study of French Mass Media, and of French consumers. Therefore, this study cannot be generalized to other countries. What is original/value of paper: This paper helps complete the limited literature on back-shoring, especially in the area of Marketing. This study intends to benefit back-shoring companies willing to develop their marketing strategy.

Background: When it comes to brand communication, gaps can arise. These occur when the brand management’s view of the brand does not match the customers’ Brand image. In order to prevent reputation crises brand managements need to monitor the Brand identity and Brand image and identify possible gaps. Purpose: To identify and analyse what communication gaps that can occur between a company’s Brand identity and customers’ Brand image. Research question: What communication gaps can occur between a company’s Brand identity and the customers’ Brand image? Theory: Marketing Communication, Sender-Receiver model, Brand image and Brand identity focusing on Personality, Positioning, Vision & Culture and Relationship. Method: A case study of the Swedish food company Coop was conducted to investigate the relationship between their Brand identity and the customers’ Brand image. The case study was conducted in two steps; firstly, information concerning Coop’s Brand identity was gathered through in-depth interviews. Secondly, a questionnaire was handed out to Coop’s customers to see whether their Brand image was consistent with Coop’s Brand identity. The aim was to find similarities and dissimilarities between data and thereby identify communication gaps. Results: Several communication gaps were identified between Coop’s Brand identity and the customers’ Brand image when it came to the concepts of Personality, Positioning, Vision & Culture and Relationship. Coop experiences most communication gaps in Relationship, they has not managed to create close relationships with their customers.

Executive summary Purpose: Current research [1] compared the differences in terms of perception of trustworthiness and emotional appeal of traditional and consumer generated marketing media and [2] evaluated the correlation between factors of the recently developed relationship communication framework (Finne & Grönroos, 2009) with the perception of a marketing action by actual customers of a firm, to see whether these factors should be considered in firm’s marketing communication strategy. Additionally, the researchers compared the correlations between traditional and consumer generated media types to the relationship communication factors, effectively combining the two researched subjects.        Design and execution: The research utilized quantitative research approach relying on simple random sampling technique within fitness and recreational settings.   Findings/Implications: Data analysis confirmed that there is a consistent difference between traditional and consumer generated media in terms of perception of trustworthiness and partial and not consistent difference in terms of emotional appeal. Mild correlation between consumer unique factors of relationship communication framework (Finne & Grönroos, 2009) and perception of the marketing action have been confirmed, with these correlations remaining consistent between traditional and consumer generated media. The findings suggest that traditional and consumer generated media have varying impacts on consumer’s perception of marketing action and that incorporating consumer unique factors of relationship communication framework (Finne & Grönroos, 2009) in marketing communication strategy may benefit the firm in relationship building and integrated marketing communication.