Managing brand identity and reputation - A case study from Finnish higher education

siirretty Doriast

European Consumer Complaint Behaviour In The Financial Sector

This study examines consumer complaint behaviour (CCB) in the context of financial services. The study contributes to the field by widening the concept of CCB, one that was tested using an extensive set of empirical data on consumer experiences of service problems and complaints about them. The data are quantitative in nature and cover approximately 500 randomly selected respondents in each of the 27 European Union member states, plus Norway and Iceland. The consumer experience assessments totalled 82,619. The results show that consumers tend to complain directly to their service providers and to their family, relatives and friends, but few take steps towards legal action. Surprisingly, many disappointed consumers stay inactive. As a part of CCB, many consumers decide to switch either their providers, or financial services offered by the same provider. The results also reveal variations in CCB between people from different European countries, and according to the various types of financial services complained about.</p

Unraveling mechanisms of value co-creation in festivals

The aim of this qualitative case study is to explore the mechanisms underlying value co-creation in the context of networked festival productions. Applying the managerial perspective, this study particularly explores why co-creation represent a valuable factor in networked festival productions and how the activities are conducted in the value creative platform, namely conversational space. Considering festivals as services in their host destinations, this study applies the context of three festivals in one city in Finland and draws on the literature on festival management, service experience, and value co-creation. The study shows that the co-creation of conversational space fosters value co-creation as an interactive process, that is, as a mechanism of value co-creation. Conversational space is found to intertwine the festival with its host community and therefore influencing to the justification of a festival’s existence by empowered legitimacy. Festival managers need to consider conversational space as strategically crucial because of the need to gain public support for festival and to enhance the justification and existence of festival in its destination

Antecedents and consequences of destination brand love - A case study from Finnish Lapland

Brand love is a relatively new concept in academic discussion that demonstrates consumers’ deepening relationships with brands. The purpose of this study is to conceptualize the antecedents and consequences of destination brand love. This qualitative case study focuses on the destination brand of Ylläs, which is a large outdoor resort located north of the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland. This study builds on the academic literature on brand love, destination brands, and emotional place bonds. The main contribution of the study is the presentation of a framework of antecedents and consequences of destination brand love. The framework provides new knowledge for academics and practitioners alike in conceptualizing tourist-dependent, brand-dependent, and brand-experience-related antecedents and the emotional and behavioral consequences of destination brand love. Our results demonstrate the importance of understanding the extreme emotions related to destinations and encourage further research this rarely studied area.</p

Branding higher education: an exploration of the role of internal branding on middle management in a university rebrand

Although research on branding in higher education has grown, a specific focus on internal branding in this sector is still scarce. Brand support by mid-level administrative staff and deans is a key element in internal branding of a university. This study explores the extent to which internal branding contributes to this group’s understanding of and engagement with a public institution’s rebranding campaign. It identifies challenges and practice insights for practice for internal branding activities when engaging these internal stakeholders, linking to wider brand management theory and practice. A qualitative case study approach was employed to understand the effectiveness of internal branding holistically, and in context. In 2016, nineteen depth interviews were conducted with a range of midlevel administrators and deans including those at the student union, regional campuses, directors of departments, and deans of faculties and schools at a large Canadian university. The data was analysed using Nvivo qualitative data analysis software. On the basis of the results, it is apparent that internal branding has a valuable role in relation to higher education brand management strategy. Results offer a holistic view of the rebranding process, and explore understanding of and engagement with the rebranding campaign. This paper addresses a gap in the public sector brand management literature and demonstrates theoretical and practical implications for improved understanding and brand management strategy.</p

Proceedings of the Heritage, Tourism and Hospitality International Conference HTHIC 2017

The purpose of this study is to analyze, what are the risks and benefits involved in co-creating a cultural brand ecosystem by adopting the perspective of one stakeholder. The longitudinal empirical study follows an owner-manager of a small VillaSpa located in a historic area of summer villas. Interviewing the owner / managergave us an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon as we gathered data on how that single actorconstructing a brand ecosystem viewed value co-creation. We explored the data by reference to priorliterature on value co-creation and brand ecosystems. The results contribute to the research on brandecosystems by discussing a case that is novel in researching the building of a brand ecosystem in the contextof heritage and tourism. The results demonstrate the importance of involving all relevant stakeholders in cocreating a brand ecosystem. The findings should encourage future research on the joint narratives of allrelevant stakeholders. The research also illustrates a perspective on failing in the course of building a brandecosystem.</p

Revisiting “the shotgun wedding of industry and academia”—empirical evidence from Finland

The purpose of this study is to further our understanding of dilemmas facing the third mission of universities. Through this dilemma-related information, we aim to provide paths for universities to reconcile these dilemmas and adopt a more holistic approach to university marketing. In so doing, we revisit “the shotgun wedding of industry and academia” (Hampden-Turner 1990, pp. 201–221). The dilemmas detected in this study revolve around two pairs, namely: “Highlighting intrinsic value of research vs. highlighting instrumental value of research” and “focusing on international scientific publications vs. focusing on popularization of science”. More than 700 verbal answers given by Finnish doctorates to one pair of open-ended questions were qualitatively content-analysed. As its main novelty, the study adopts dilemma approach and focuses on perceptions of the neglected group of doctorates who have exited academia. The study suggests that universities adopt a more holistic marketing approach by devoting more effort to strengthening stakeholder relationships and co-production and improving science communication and related incentives.</p

Dilemmas in Re-branding a University - “Maybe People Just Don’t Like Change”: Linking Meaningfulness and Mutuality into the Reconciliation.

This study examines the implementation of a re-branding campaign in a public Canadian university. Data collection com-prised 19 qualitative semi-structured interviews with key internal university stakeholders (Dean and Mid-level Administrators). The data revealed three core dilemma pairs: (1) new brand vs. previous brand; (2) voice at the organisational level vs. voice at the departmental level; and (3) voluntary down-up voicing vs. up-down voicing. Results suggest that successfully implementing the new brand should not exclusively rely upon internal marketing communication; instead, internal brand-ing through handling ambiguities and addressing emerging dilemmas by enhancing engagement, building mutuality and unlocking the meaning in the re-branding can help improve success. This study reveals that implementing a re-branding campaign in higher education involves embracing the world of dilemmas by involving and empowering employees in dilemma reconciliation. The reconciliation of detected brand-related dilemmas with and by employees can be achieved by involv-ing employees in the process of re-branding from the beginning. Indeed, this paper suggests the preparedness to detect and address dilemmas is central to successful re-branding. Our results indicate that traditional change management approaches produce unreconciled dilemmas that hinder the implementation of the new brand. We conclude that efforts to build employee engagement in re-branding do not build employee supportiveness towards the new brand unless core dilemmas are reconciled.Keywords Re-branding· Internal branding· Dilemma theory· Higher education· Public sector</p

Exploring doctorate holders’ perceptions of the non-academic labour market and reputational problems they relate to their employment

Doctoral employment outside universities has been increasing, as universities cannot employ all doctorate holders. Nevertheless, it has been argued that the shift from doctoral programs to the non-academic labour market has been limited. In this qualitative study, more than 800 verbal answers given by doctorate holders to a pair of open-ended questions were content-analysed to explore doctorate holders’ perceptions of the nonacademic labour market and the reputational problems they relate to their employment. The study identifies four reputational problems which doctorate holders relate to their employment: the oversupply problem, the overeducation problem, the consistency problem and the communication problem. By identifying potential reputational problems on the doctorate holders level, this research contributes novel information in terms of both theory development and practitioner insights.</p