Brand in the Eye of the Beholder, Case UPM Raflatac RFID

Abstract

OSITTAIN SALAINEN GRADU 15.5.2012 SAAKKA This study discovers the global brand image of UPM Raflatac RFID in the minds of its important stakeholders. The purpose of the research is to describe and analyze what kind of strategic brand image UPM Raflatac RFID has among its RFID chip provider, converters, system integrators, software providers, reader device provider and end users in the two most important end use segments that are Supply Chain Management and Apparel & Brand Protection. The brand image of the company is studied theoretically based on The extended model of strategic brand image. The model consists of sources, formation, structure and con-tent of brand image. It also includes brand image associations, types and dimensions of brand image associations, strategic functions of brand image, and finally results in brand association networks and brand concept map. The study is conveyed as qualitative case study and the empirical information is gath-ered based on judgemental sampling. The method which is used to collect the empirical information is telephone theme interviews with 13 stakeholder interviewees by means of free association. Seven of the interviewees are from the USA, five of them are from Europe and one of them is from Asia. The theme interview outline guides the telephone theme interviews and consists of 19 questions in three themes. The research information is properly recorded, transcribed and analyzed. The UPM Raflatac`s strategic brand image model includes brand image sources and the formation of the image. Also the structure and content of the UPM Raflatac RFID brand is included. Furthermore, the associations that are found are discussed by their type and dimensions. Moreover, the possible strategic functions of the brand image are dis-cussed. The UPM Raflatac`s brand concept map finally includes the most important brand image associations with the brand. The UPM Raflatac`s brand concept map is based on frequencies of the stakeholder interviewees` brand image associations. The UPM Raflatac`s brand concept map illustrates the strength of the brand associations and links between the associations and the brand. The brand concept map consists of asso-ciations mentioned by 31-85 % of the interviewees (from four to 11 interviewees) and the associations form four different levels based on the frequency of each association. The theoretical part and the main model of the thesis are compared to the empirical re-sults of the study and UPM Raflatac specific conclusions are driven. In the end of the thesis key findings and opportunities for further research are discussed. Asiasanat:Strategic brand image, brand association, brand concept ma