Service branding: driving customer engagement and growth through brand image?

Service branding differs from product branding in that it is largely composed of intangible elements like employees’ attitude, culture and values. In the B2B market the service brand’s role is highlighted due to its role as a risk reducer and thus it has a key role in building trust amongst B2B customers. The service brand has also a crucial role in creating a competitive advantage through differentiation and it is recognised as an important part of a company’s success. This thesis is centred around the brand of the case company, Egencia Finland Oy. It focuses on B2B customers and other key stakeholder groups for the case company. The thesis aims to understand how the stakeholders view Egencia Finland Oy as a service brand and which factors make a good service brand. The main objective is to define the best way to execute a good service brand development plan and to find out what kind of process serves the service brand development plan best. The thesis forms a basis for the service brand development plan for the case company. An applied research process was used in the thesis study and the data was collected using quantitative methods. Systematic survey studies using pre-structured forms were conducted during 2018 to Egencia customers and other key stakeholders. Benchmark data was gained through market research and the research study was supplemented by discussions with the case company. The research findings suggest that there is a correlation between the level of awareness, market share and brand position. The organisational culture, role of management, values and vision also play a central part of the service branding and have a significant impact on the company image