Developing a brand-identity and a content strategy for its implementation : Case: Start-up company Hyggelig Oy
Vesterinen, Juulia (2019)
Vesterinen, Juulia
2019
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2019101419918
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2019101419918
Tiivistelmä
This thesis was conducted to meet the branding and marketing needs of a developing company called Hyggelig Oy which will sell recycled design furniture online. The first objective of this thesis was to create a comprehensive brand identity for the company.
Another goal was to create a plan, a content marketing strategy model, for implementing the formed brand identity in an organised manner to its target audience.
The theoretical section of this constructive research project combines different relative theories on brand identity development and content marketing but focuses on the Brand Identity Planning Model by David Aaker. The model includes a strategic brand analysis which was utilised as a framework for the thesis’ empirical part. In addition to analysing one-self, the strategic brand analysis included examining Hyggelig’s target audience’s needs and competitors’ brand positioning.
The empirical work on the target audience took place during spring 2019 when an online survey was conducted to gain information regarding the needs and challenges of the first prospective target group of Hyggelig; consumer clients. Another interesting target group for Hyggelig, interior designers, were examined by conducting face to face theme interviews. As a result of the gathered information on the target audience, two customer personas were created. Around the same time, an online competitor analysis was done by looking at relative companies’ marketing messages and categorising them into different clusters.
Based on the understanding obtained from the strategic brand analysis, the brand identity of Hyggelig as well as a value proposition were developed serving as the first construction of this thesis. Acting as the second construction of this thesis, combining the Implementation part David Aaker’s Brand Identity Planning Model model with theories on content marketing strategy, a content marketing strategy model for Hyggelig was also formed.
This thesis shows that the aims of brand identity implementation and content marketing strategies are to a great extent similar as well as utilise at least partly same knowledge. Both of the mentioned practices aim to communicate and offer competitive value to the tar-get audience. In addition to the branding and marketing benefits that this thesis offers for the case company, the results of this study offer valuable insight on how to develop a brand identity from zero by combining one’s own visions with target audience’s needs. In addition, the research and its construction demonstrate how the brand identity, its value proposition and positioning combined with customer understanding can be utilised for planning content marketing.
Another goal was to create a plan, a content marketing strategy model, for implementing the formed brand identity in an organised manner to its target audience.
The theoretical section of this constructive research project combines different relative theories on brand identity development and content marketing but focuses on the Brand Identity Planning Model by David Aaker. The model includes a strategic brand analysis which was utilised as a framework for the thesis’ empirical part. In addition to analysing one-self, the strategic brand analysis included examining Hyggelig’s target audience’s needs and competitors’ brand positioning.
The empirical work on the target audience took place during spring 2019 when an online survey was conducted to gain information regarding the needs and challenges of the first prospective target group of Hyggelig; consumer clients. Another interesting target group for Hyggelig, interior designers, were examined by conducting face to face theme interviews. As a result of the gathered information on the target audience, two customer personas were created. Around the same time, an online competitor analysis was done by looking at relative companies’ marketing messages and categorising them into different clusters.
Based on the understanding obtained from the strategic brand analysis, the brand identity of Hyggelig as well as a value proposition were developed serving as the first construction of this thesis. Acting as the second construction of this thesis, combining the Implementation part David Aaker’s Brand Identity Planning Model model with theories on content marketing strategy, a content marketing strategy model for Hyggelig was also formed.
This thesis shows that the aims of brand identity implementation and content marketing strategies are to a great extent similar as well as utilise at least partly same knowledge. Both of the mentioned practices aim to communicate and offer competitive value to the tar-get audience. In addition to the branding and marketing benefits that this thesis offers for the case company, the results of this study offer valuable insight on how to develop a brand identity from zero by combining one’s own visions with target audience’s needs. In addition, the research and its construction demonstrate how the brand identity, its value proposition and positioning combined with customer understanding can be utilised for planning content marketing.