Date of Award

2003

Document Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Business (Research)

Department

Business Studies

First Advisor

Mr. Michael Walsh

Abstract

The thesis explores the process of developing and managing brands. Particular emphasis is placed on how small enterprises gain recognition and acceptance for brands, the obstacles they encounter and how they surmount these obstacles.

In a review of the literature, brand management strategies and the value of brand loyalty to a business were discussed. Brand equity and measurement and measures of brand equity were also reviewed.

Interviews were conducted with large successful firms to discover arrangements and processes they employ to maintain market support, to extend the coverage or application of their brands to new product versions or new segments, and to ensure satisfactory returns for the brand owners.

The intention was to compare the brand management process of large successful companies with the approaches and tools used by small enterprises who are at the early stages of establishing brands in the market.

Interviews were conducted with small companies to discover their arrangements for establishing and popularising their brands and to learn what difficulties they encountered and what tactics and approaches they used to overcome them.

Extant case studies of small firms who have established brands were interrogated to discover obstacles encountered and how they were overcome. Results from interviews with small firms showed branding efforts undertaken at the very beginning by small firms to be very simplistic. Not much thought has gone into brand values and brand positioning and branding consisted of a brand name and little else. Many small firms focus on company formation and production and it is only later that branding becomes more important. Methods of measuring the success of the brand and promotional activity undertaken are widely practiced by larger firms. However, small firms do measure success in very much detail and it is usually represented a percentage increase in sales. This emphasis on sales as a measure of success was surprisingly found in large firms with well established brands.

Access Level

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

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