MSc in Marketing

Einstök’s Customer-Based Brand Equity in the Icelandic & Swedish market: A perception-based application of Keller’s CBBE pyramid

June, 2017 Name of student: Jannika Yasmine Lövendahl Kennitala: 250990 – 4999 Supervisor: Dimo Dimov

FINAL THESIS Declaration of access to the copies of my thesis at RU Library and/or in the repository Skemman Year on title page

2017

Name of author/authors, ID number: Jannika Yasmine Lövendahl, 250990-4999

Thesis title: Einstök’s Customer-Based Brand Equity in the Icelandic & Swedish market: A perception-based application of Keller’s CBBE pyramid

Name of supervisor:

Dimo Dimov In accordance with RU policy on open access, approved by RU Executive Council 13th of November 2014, all final thesis must be preserved in printed copies at RU Library and/or electronically in the repository Skemman. However, access to a final thesis can be closed by the author, e.g. if the thesis contains confidential information. Open access to final thesis in RU Library is an open access publication according to the Icelandic law on copyright. The author wishes that his/her final thesis be preserved and treated as follows (both in printed form in RU Library and in electronic form in Skemman): PLEASE CHECK ONLY ONE OF THE TWO POSSIBILITIES BELOW: The final thesis is open to everyone to read The final thesis is closed until (month/year) ___December 2018___ IF ACCESS TO THE THESIS IS TO BE CLOSED, THE REASON MUST BE SPECIFIED: Due to a matter of confidence (personal information, business information, information from collaborators, etc.) Business idea (contains information/description of a product/idea/process method, which could be exploited commercially or is possibly eligible for patent protection) The author intends to sell the thesis (possible to close access for 6 months max) The thesis is a journal article which the author intends to publish in a peer-reviewed journal ------

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Declaration of Research Work Integrity

This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not being concurrently submitted in candidature of any degree. This thesis is the result of my own investigations, except where otherwise stated. Other sources are acknowledged by giving explicit references. A bibliography is appended.

By signing the present document I confirm and agree that I have read RU’s ethics code of conduct and fully understand the consequences of violating these rules in regards of my thesis.

...... Date and place Kennitala Signature

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Abstract

This is a perception-based application of Kevin Lane Keller’s Customer-based brand equity (CBBE) Pyramid in two Nordic markets; and Sweden. The CBBE of the Icelandic craft brand Einstök was investigated through the chosen framework. Interviews with company representatives and focus groups with consumers from the target group the “Modern Viking” gave answers to the research questions; What are the differences in brand equity between Iceland and Sweden?; Is the “Modern Viking” perceiving the brand identity of the brand in the same way as Einstök is trying to communicate it?; What are the most mentioned brand features/associations of the brand Einstök in Iceland compared to Sweden? And What are the consumers’ experienced brand perception of Einstök in Iceland compared to Sweden?

The findings from focus groups were first analysed through thematic analysis. The adjectives used to explain the Einstök brand was categorised into matching themes in form of mind maps. After the mind maps were created, a word cloud for each focus group was created. When the analysis was completed, the following answers could be withdrawn in order to answer the research questions;

Due to different level of exposure of the brand in the home market Iceland compared to the Swedish market; consumers show a different level of brand eq