Background: Brand coolness is a research area that has been established in prior research. Brand coolness has been defined as a subjective, dynamic, socially constructed, and positive trait brands have. Cool brands can be recognized by the attributes extraordinary, aesthetically appealing, energetic, high status, original, authentic, rebellious, subcultural, iconic, and popular. The formation of cool brands and its consequences has been encouraged to be further investigated in prior research. This study incorporates consequences following brand coolness into the value-attitude-behavior model to see the degree of association with increased willingness-to-pay. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to increase the understanding of brand coolness and its impact on the willingness-to-pay through consumers’ values, attitudes and behavior. Methodology: This study uses a quantitative research approach, conducting an online questionnaire with 202 respondents. The data from the questionnaire is then analysed through descriptive statistics, correlation- and bivariate regression analyses.   Findings: The main findings of this study is that all of the five measured brand coolness concepts within values, attitudes and behavior have a significant association with increased willingness-to-pay. The study strengthens prior findings in the research area of brand coolness and adds new knowledge regarding the possible order of prioritization when aiming to increase willingness-to-pay. Managerial implications: The results of the study enables to present an order of prioritization for companies to use when aiming to increase the willingness-to-pay through developed brand coolness. In order to maximize the increase of willingness to make a financial sacrifice for the brand the focus should mainly be on increasing brand love and brand attitude, followed by word-of-mouth, status and self-brand connection.

Portés par l’évolution rapide d’Internet, les réseaux sociaux sont devenus de nouveaux moyens d’expression pour émettre et consulter des communications de bouche-à-oreille (BAO). Les marketeurs sont intéressés pour mieux utiliser ce BAO dans une politique de communication. Ils élaborent pour cela des stratégies de « sollicitation » consistant à demander à une personne de recommander une offre à ses proches en vue d’atteindre un but. Si l’utilisation de sollicitations se développe, la question de la réponse d’un individu à une sollicitation de BAO reste en suspens. En se basant sur la théorie du comportement dirigé vers un but (Perugini & Bagozzi, 2001), cette recherche propose un modèle général de la réponse à une sollicitation de BAO qui intègre l’influence de la formulation de la sollicitation (gains vs. pertes), de l’éloignement de l’échéance et du type de projet. Le modèle est testé dans le contexte des campagnes de financement participatif où la sollicitation de BAO est fréquemment utilisée pour augmenter le faible taux de succès des campagnes (20%). Les résultats de six études montrent que (1) les individus répondent plus favorablement à une sollicitation de BAO quand l’échéance est proche et que cet effet dépend de la formulation de la sollicitation. (2) En adaptant la formulation à l’éloignement de l’échéance, une sollicitation est en mesure de rendre l’action de BAO plus désirable et de générer une émotion anticipée de fierté ce qui en retour augmente l’intention de BAO. L’effet modérateur du niveau de risque social est aussi validé dans la réponse à la sollicitation. (3) Finalement, la sollicitation de BAO permet bien de développer la visibilité et d’accroître le succès d’une campagne. / Driven by the rapid evolution of the Internet, online social networks have become new channels of expression to issue and consult Word-of-Mouth (WOM). Marketers are increasingly interested in better using WOM in a communication policy. They develop strategies of “solicitation” for asking a person a recommendation of an offer to his family and acquaintances in order to achieve a goal. If the use of solicited WOM is growing, the question of an individual's response to a WOM solicitation remains unsettled. Drawing on Goal-Directed Behaviour theory (Perugini & Bagozzi, 2001), this research proposes a general model of the response to a WOM solicitation which integrates the influence of the solicitation formulation (gain vs loss), time remaining before the deadline and the type of project. The model is tested in the context of crowdfunding where a WOM solicitation is frequently used to increase the campaigns' low success rate (20%). The results of six studies show that (1) individuals respond more favourably to a WOM solicitation when the deadline is close and that effect depends on the formulation. (2) By adapting the formulation to the deadline, a solicitation is able to make the WOM action more desirable and generate an anticipated emotion of pride which in turn increases the WOM intention. The moderating effect of social risk is also validated in the response to a solicitation. (3) Finally, a WOM solicitation makes it possible to develop the visibility and increases the campaign' success rate.

Background: The expansion of the World Wide Web has presented new challenges for managers. One of these challenges is the shift in power that favors consumers through the uprising of electronic word of mouth (eWOM). This thesis is aimed to the exploration of the effects on consumer purchase intention and brand attitude because of an unsuccessful marketing campaign. Methodology: Interviews have been conducted with a central theme of a case study of Pepsi to gain knowledge on the effects a marketing failure and exposure to eWOM has on students at Luleå University of Technology. Findings: EWOM is indicated to influence consumers’ intention of purchase as well as the attitude for the brand. EWOM is indicated to be influenced by the response to the advertisement in a negative context and may influence consumers to actively share their opinions to others through an electronic medium, thus contributing to the spread of eWOM. The attitude of the brand is indicated to influence the effects of negative eWOM, being of more influence when the brand attitude is bad. Conclusions: Managers and business practitioners need to be aware of the power of eWOM and its effects on purchase intention and brand attitude and should respond quickly to any unwanted spread of negative thoughts regarding the company before it is too late. Research question: How is consumer brand attitude and purchase intention affected by negative eWOM in the context of an unsuccessful online marketing campaigns? Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the potential change in customer attitudes and purchase intentions because of negative eWOM communication regarding unsuccessful marketing campaigns

Abstract The rapid technological developments have changed how companies market themselves and how consumers search for information. Furthermore, the internet provides companies with a variety of channels to share information and products. For a long time, “word of mouth” which consumers recommend via mouth-to-mouth, has been one of the most effective marketing techniques. According to studies, the effect of positive and negative electronic Word of Mouth on consumers differs, with negative electronic Word of Mouth having a greater impact on consumers. Positive electronic word-of-mouth can be beneficial for companies whereas negative can be detrimental. This thesis investigates what companies should do to continue spreading positive eWOM and reduce the negative eWOM. Further, this thesis aims to investigate how the positive and negative eWOM affects a company and what their current strategy is so that a recommended strategy can be built for the companies.  Thus, a qualitative study of six SME companies was designed to understand how eWOM affects companies and how they can reduce the effect of negative eWOM. The data was gathered through online semi-structured interviews, and the findings indicate that companies are affected differently by eWOM due to whether it is a product-based or service-based company. According to the study, two components that all companies lacked were resources and time. Companies should be more visible, have weekly marketing meetings, and a platform for reviews, according to the new strategy. Keywords: electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM), Social networks sites (SNS), Valence, Online reviews, impact, and consequences of eWOM

No description available.

There is little doubt that crises have a major impact on both companies and humanity. However, the picture is less clear when it comes to what challenges small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have to overcome when facing the crisis. Regulations and recommendations of the government are influencing the challenges to conduct business for SMEs. Social media marketing and the associated communication seems to form a great opportunity to overcome the challenges of the crisis. Additionally, the formation of groups in social media and the associated communication among users can be another beneficial factor during a pandemic crisis. The purpose of this paper is to examine how companies may use social media marketing as a strategy to acquire new customers during a pandemic crisis and comply with challenges arising due to the crisis. Interview data has been gathered from eight owner-managers of SMEs in Sweden; the focus was on Restaurants in Sundsvall. They have been interviewed on aspects of their approach to the COVID-19 crisis, their usage of social media marketing as well as customer acquisition during these times. A thematic analysis was used in order to connect the findings with the theory as well as detecting themes. Themes are: Challenges of a crisis for SMEs, social media marketing, and customer acquisition. The overall picture did show that all the informants suffered from the challenges due to the crisis at some point. Nevertheless, social media is a very useful tool for SMEs like restaurants to market their activities and offers, especially during times of crisis when budgets and income are lower.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka marknadsföringskanalers attraktivitet i klädindustrin och se vilka kanaler som unga vuxna föredrar, samt vilka faktorer som kan utnyttjas inom dessa marknadsföringskanaler för att göra dem så tilltalande som möjligt till målgruppen. Undersökningen utgår från ett kundperspektiv och undersöker kanaltyperna sociala medier, digital direktmarknadsföring samt word of mouth. För att möjliggöra denna undersökning har vi valt att använda en deduktiv ansats med en kvantitativ metod i form av en enkät, där 67 svar från svenskar i åldrarna 15–25 samlades. Enkäten publicerades främst i Facebook grupper relaterade till studiens ämnen för att samla svar. Svaren har kodats och analyserats genom en univariat analys samt två bivariat analyser. Studien kommer fram till att den typ av marknadsföringskanal som tilltalar kunder mest inom klädindustrin är word of mouth. Därefter följer sociala medier, och sedan digital direktmarknadsföring. Ett ramverk presenteras för hur kanaltyperna kan kombineras samt användas av klädföretag för att göra marknadsföring inom dessa kanaltyper så framgångsrik och tilltalande som möjligt. / The purpose of the study is to investigate the attractiveness of marketing channels in the clothing industry and see which channels young adults prefer, as well as which factors can be used within these marketing channels to make them as appealing as possible to the target group. The survey takes a customer perspective and examines the channel types of social media, digital direct marketing, and word of mouth. We have chosen to use an deductive approach with a quantitative method in the form of a survey for this study, where 67 responses from Swedes aged 15-25 were collected. The survey was mainly published in Facebook groups related to the study's subjects to collect responses. The answers have been coded and analyzed through a univariate analysis and two bivariate analyses. The study concludes that the type of marketing channel that appeals to customers the most in the clothing industry is word of mouth. Next comes social media, and then digital direct marketing. A framework is presented for how the channel types can be combined and used by clothing companies to make marketing within these channel types as successful and appealing as possible.

This study investigates the impact of trustworthiness, perceived expertise, and parasocial relationships on Swedish consumers' purchase intentions on TikTok, focusing on influencer marketing. The problem addressed in this study is the lack of understanding of consumer behavior on TikTok in the context of influencer marketing. While TikTok has become a popular platform for influencer marketing due to its high engagement rates and entertaining marketing concept, limited research exists on the factors that influence consumer purchase intentions on the platform. The study aims to understand the factors that influence consumer behavior on TikTok and its impact on purchase intentions, using the theory of persuasion. The method used in this research is a quantitative study where the authors used a survey method to collect primary data from 138 Swedish consumers. STATA was used to analyze the data, and the findings reveal that the trustworthiness and parasocial relationships of influencers significantly impact purchase intentions, while perceived expertise has no significant impact on the platform TikTok. This study's results can guide marketing professionals and influencers to develop effective influencer marketing strategies on TikTok, which offers immense marketing opportunities for brands seeking to reach younger audiences with high engagement rates.

Empowered by the internet and eWOM, online consumption community members now have a greater impact while considering customers’ purchase intentions. This qualitative study intends to examine the factors that impact these community members’ purchase intentions, by addressing the research question: How do internal behavioral and value creation factors impact customers’ purchase intentions in an online consumption community? Moreover, this study proposes a research model of purchase intention in an online consumption community inspired by the theory of planned behavior. As this study considers investigating human behaviors in the online sphere, a netnographic research design is applied. Utilizing the CAQDAS software NVivo 14, the study highlights the nine most engaging factors that impact the community members’ purchase intentions differently. Based on the findings, this study finally offers a research model that can be used in a similar research context.

Podcasts är ett relativt nytt fenomen i medievärlden och har skapat ett utrymme som bryggar gapet mellan konsument och varumärke. Medieformen skapar en nära relation mellan lyssnare och programledare till den utsträckningen att lyssnare kan se programledare som vänner eller bekanta. Genom teorier inom bland annat word of mouth, influencer marketing och parasociala interaktioner har tre hypoteser utformats för att undersöka om parasociala interaktioner och engagemang påverkar podcastmarknadsföring. Hypoteserna undersöktes genom korrelationsanalys, t-test och regressionsanalys med data från en enkätundersökning med 127 respondenter. Resultatet visar att parasociala interaktioner samt engagemang genom sociala medier och diskussioner positivt påverkar mottagande av marknadsföring inom podcasts. Engagemang genom sociala medier och diskussioner uppvisar ett positivt dubbelriktat samband till de sociala faktorerna av parasociala interaktioner. Däremot uppvisar inte lyssningsfrekvens och engagemang samband till mottagande av marknadsföring. Podcastmarknadsföring bör således framföras av en kompetent och socialt relaterbar programledare på ett personligt och konversationsliknande sätt.