Varumärkesetablering : med en trend som hävstång

Sammanfattning: The aim of our thesis is to study and analyze the components and features a brand should have to provide a solid foundation for brand building. Furthermore, we show how brands can make use of trends in a brand establishment. This paper is written from a qualitative approach. Through both structured and semi structured interviews, we obtained valuable information from our respondents. Our frame of reference and empirical foundation are linked together through an abductive approach which has resulted in our analysis and conclusions. A trend brings with a set of emotional characteristics, which companies can’t influence but must adapt to. This means that brands can take advantage of the force created by a trend in the form of a lever, if the companies adapt their businesses into what the trend represents. This leads to a decreased distance between the brand and the customer, due to that the emotional characteristics conveyed by the brand are already held by the customer. The company does not need to teach the customer about the emotional values carried by the brand, and we then see a trend as a carrier of information that conveys knowledge to the customers. The critical moment in establishing a brand during a trend, is that the launch of the brand takes place at the right time. It can be devastating for companies investing a lot of time and money to adapt their brand to a trend if the establishment takes place too late. This might result in a high competition where companies can experience difficulties in taking market shares.