How integration services in Joensuu are perceived by its clients? : Brand equity of International House Joensuu: CBBE model approach

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to describe how the customers perceive International House Joensuu (IHJ) and brand equity of IHJ by using Keller’s CBBE model approach. Brand equity is an additional value that marketing efforts bring to the value of organization. Consumer-based brand equity model was developed by Keller to evaluate the brand equity of organizations and manage it. According to this model brand equity consists of such levels as brand identity, brand meaning, brand responses and brand relationships. To describe the brand equity of IHJ it was needed to analyse above mentioned elements. To analyse them it was decided to conduct a survey using qualitative approach.

A questionnaire with open-ended questions was used to gather answers from IHJ’s clients. The questions were formulated based on the concepts of the CBBE model. Inductive content analysis was used to analyse the data. The answers to the questions were divided into categories that emerged from the data. The data was a little bit skewed because the number of the respondents who answered in Russian language was significantly more than the number of Arabic and English responses.

It was found that IHJ has deep and broad brand awareness, which indicates higher brand salience and stronger brand identity. The respondents seek help with wide range of issues, but the main aspects are related to the help with public services. The respondents were also aware of certain boundaries as for example the fact that no financial aid was issued by IHJ. IHJ has high brand performance with respondents’ expectations about the service matching or exceeding expectation being above 80% and the results on service effectiveness, efficiency and empathy being also at a high level of about 85-90%. Some respondents mentioned possible improvements like “more staff” or “more language courses”. Brand imagery associations were positive and strong. The clients perceive that the service is designed for those who moved permanently and for help related to public services. Respondents also associate the service mainly with being competent (reliable, intelligent, successful) and also with being sincere (down-to-earth, honest, cheerful). Respondents trusted the service and most popular feelings that IHJ evoked were “warmth” and “security”, which indicates positive brand responses. IHJ has strong brand relationships, because customers are loyal to IHJ with some customers participating in active engagement and spreading the positive word about IHJ. The results indicated that IHJ has a positive brand equity.