The Value of Branding for Entrepreneurs – A look into Finnish SMEs and their branding

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Volume Title

School of Business | Bachelor's thesis

Date

2021

Department

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

(Mikkeli) Bachelor’s Program in International Business

Language

en

Pages

30 + 2

Series

Abstract

Objectives The main objective of this study was to gain further understanding of branding in Finnish Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises through qualitative research. This was done with the help of three research questions regarding the perception, ways and reasons of branding in the case companies. Summary The relevant literature was first reviewed, and a conceptual framework was constructed. Semi-structured interviews were used to obtain relevant results, which were then coded and analyzed to recognize patterns and themes. An interest was placed on the personal opinions of the interviewees, as well as any differences or similarities in attitudes towards branding among the interviewees. Conclusions It was found that the perception, ways and reasons of branding all intertwined strongly: when branding was perceived important, the reasons were deeply rooted into the core values and functions of the SME. On the other hand, when branding was given less significance, the core values of the company consisted of other variables which were placed higher than branding in the priorities. In addition, the owner-manager was found to strongly connect to the corporate culture.

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Thesis advisor

Rannikko, Heikki

Keywords

branding, SMEs, entrepreneurship, Finland

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