ATT VARA ELLER ICKE VARA? - En studie om effekter av kongruensnivå mellan personalklädsel och varumärket

Sammanfattning: Many companies have a specific dress code in the workplace. In some companies, the code is not very extensive, while other companies have uniform requirements. What is little understood however, is what effect different staff clothing might have on consumer response in terms of satisfaction, purchase intent, attitude, interest and so on. Some limited research has shown how different levels of congruence between individuals in their marketing, and the brand they are representing, can affect customers. To avoid any wrong focus in marketing it is key to understand the knowledge gap on the potential impact the personnel in the store have on its customers. The results of this study are interesting since existing retail businesses or brand developers who take part in the study invest relatively little to improve their marketing communications to customers with the help of their staff. The study also determines how companies should use the theory depending on awareness around their own brand. With the use of different scenarios, this study examines how different congruence levels between dissimilar brands and their staff clothes may affect customer response depending on brand awareness. The study concludes that the congruence level between employees' clothing and the brand identity has a significant impact on various customer responses. A high level of congruence between staff clothing and the brand is found to have a strong positive effect on various customer responses. The results also show that the well known brands simply seem to afford to cut down to a medium level of congruence between the staff's attire and the brand without undermining the perceived brand clarity or brand attitude remarkably. A very low level of congruence between the staff clothing and the brand however, proves to be unfavourable in a shop situation, regardless of brand awareness.