Corporate Brand Repositioning with CSR as the Differentiating Factor: A Study on Consumer Perceptions

Purpose – This research paper studies how the strategy of repositioning enables marketers to communicate CSR as their brand’s differentiating factor. It aims at understanding how consumer perceptions can be managed to generate brand value through corporate brand repositioning when CSR is the differentiating factor. The purpose of this paper is to answer the following research question: How can consumer perceptions be managed to generate brand value through corporate brand repositioning when CSR is the differentiating factor? The two research objectives were: 1. to build a model, which describes the different components of consumer perceptions involved in generation of brand value through repositioning when CSR is the differentiating factor, 2. to identify the most critical components in the context of the case company, IKEA for generation of brand value during the process of corporate brand repositioning Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on the literature review covering the logic of brand value generation, repositioning strategy and consumer perceptions connected to CSR activities. A key concept of the positioning theory, the brand’s differentiating factor, was explored. Previous studies have concluded that desirability of the differentiating factor largely determines the level of brand value-creation for the target customers. The criterion of desirability is based on three dimensions: relevance, distinctiveness and believability. A model was built in terms of these desirability dimensions. This paper takes a case study approach where the predefined theoretical framework is tested using IKEA as the case company. When developing insights on the multifaceted nature of brand perceptions, personal interviews and individual probing are vital. They enable the interviewees to reflect on their feelings and perceptions with their own words. This is why the data collection was based on means-end type of questioning. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 consumers. Findings – The paper highlights five critical components that may determine whether IKEA will fail in its repositioning efforts. The majority of the critical components involved believability perceptions. Hence, according to the findings, establishing credibility and trustworthiness for the brand in the context of CSR seems primary. The most critical components identified of the believability aspect were: providing proof of responsible codes of conduct via conducting specific and concrete CSR actions, connecting the company’s products and the social cause, and building a linkage between the initial and new positioning while also weakening the old positioning. Originality/value – Marketers’ obligation is to prepare the company for future demands. Companies all over the globe have recognized the durable trend of responsibility and sustainability. Consumer´s worry about the environmental and social impact of modern lifestyles is growing. This is why Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) provides brands an important source of differentiation and strength in the future. The strategy of repositioning enables marketers to communicate CSR as their brand’s differentiating factor. This study aimed at understanding how consumer perceptions can be managed to generate brand value through corporate brand repositioning when CSR is the differentiating factor.

Molecular hydrodynamic theory of non‐Markovian collective orientational relaxation in dense dipolar liquids

A microscopic study of the non‐Markovian (or memory) effects on the collective orientational relaxation in a dense dipolar liquid is carried out by using an extended hydrodynamic approach which provides a reliable description of the dynamical processes occuring at the molecular length scales. Detailed calculations of the wave‐vector dependent orientational correlation functions are presented. The memory effects are found to play an important role; the non‐Markovian results differ considerably from that of the Markovian theory. In particular, a slow long‐time decay of the longitudinal orientational correlation function is observed for dense liquids which becomes weaker in the presence of a sizeable translational contribution to the collective orientational relaxation. This slow decay can be attributed to the intermolecular correlations at the molecular length scales. The longitudinal component of the orientational correlation function becomes oscillatory in the underdamped limit of momenta relaxations and the frequency dependence of the friction reduce the frictional resistance on the collective excitations (commonly known as dipolarons) to make them long lived. The theory predicts that these dipolarons can, therefore, be important in chemical relaxation processes, in contradiction to the claims of some earlier theoretical studies.

Molecular theory of ion solvation dynamics in water, acetonitrile and methanol: A unified microscopic description of collective dynamics in dipolar liquids

A recently developed microscopic theory of solvation dynamics in real dipolar liquids is used to calculate, for the first time, the solvation time correlation function in liquid acetonitrile, water and methanol. The calculated results are in excellent agreement with known experimental and computer simulation studies.

Molecular theory of underdamped dielectric relaxation: understanding collective effects in dipolar liquids

A molecular theory of underdamped dielectric relaxation of a dense dipolar liquid is presented. This theory properly takes into account the collective effects that are present (due to strong intermolecular correlations) in a dipolar liquid. For small rigid molecules, the theory again leads to a three-variable description which, however, is somewhat different from the traditional version. In particular, two of the three parameters are collective in nature and are determined by the orientational pair correlation function. A detailed comparison between the theory and the computer simulation results of Neria and Nitzan is performed and an excellent agreement is obtained without the use of any adjustable or free parameter - the calculation is fully microscopic. The theory can also provide a systematic description of the Poley absorption often observed in dipolar liquids in the high-frequency regime.

Collective Effects on Single Particle Orientational Relaxation in Slow Dipolar Liquids

Theoretical and computer simulation studies of orientational relaxation in dense molecular liquids are presented. The emphasis of the study is to understand the effects of collective orientational relaxation on the single-particle orientational dynamics. The theoretical analysis is based on a recently developed molecular hydrodynamic theory which allows a self-consistent description of both the collective and the single-particle orientational relaxation. The molecular hydrodynamic theory can be used to derive a relation between the memory function for the collective orientational correlation function and the frequency-dependent dielectric function. A novel feature of the present work is the demonstration that this collective memory function is significantly different from the single-particle rotational friction. However, a microscopic expression for the single-particle rotational friction can be derived from the molecular hydrodynamic theory where the collective memory function can be used to obtain the single-particle orientational friction. This procedure allows, us to calculate the single-particle orientational correlation function near the alpha-beta transition in the supercooled liquid. The calculated correlation function shows an interesting bimodal decay below the bifurcation temperature as the glass transition is approached from above. Brownian dynamics simulations have been carried out to check the validity of the above procedure of translating the memory function from the dielectric relaxation data. We have also investigated the following two issues important in understanding the orientational relaxation in slow liquids. First, we present an analysis of the ''orientational caging'' of translational motion. The value of the translational friction is found to be altered significantly by the orientational caging. Second, we address the question of the rank dependence of the dielectric friction using both simulation and the molecular hydrodynamic theory.

The extended Enskog operator for simple fluids with continuous potentials: single particle and collective properties

We generalized the Enskog theory originally developed for the hard-sphere fluid to fluids with continuous potentials, such as the Lennard–Jones. We derived the expression for the k and ω dependent transport coefficient matrix which enables us to calculate the transport coefficients for arbitrary length and time scales. Our results reduce to the conventional Chapman–Enskog expression in the low density limit and to the conventional k dependent Enskog theory in the hard-sphere limit. As examples, the self-diffusion of a single atom, the vibrational energy relaxation, and the activated barrier crossing dynamics problem are discussed.

The collective dynamics of self-propelled particles

We propose a method for the dynamic simulation of a collection of self-propelled particles in a viscous Newtonian fluid. We restrict attention to particles whose size and velocity are small enough that the fluid motion is in the creeping flow regime. We propose a simple model for a self-propelled particle, and extended the Stokesian Dynamics method to conduct dynamic simulations of a collection of such particles. In our description, each particle is treated as a sphere with an orientation vector p, whose locomotion is driven by the action of a force dipole Sp of constant magnitude S0 at a point slightly displaced from its centre. To simplify the calculation, we place the dipole at the centre of the particle, and introduce a virtual propulsion force Fp to effect propulsion. The magnitude F0 of this force is proportional to S0. The directions of Sp and Fp are determined by p. In isolation, a self-propelled particle moves at a constant velocity u0 p, with the speed u0 determined by S0. When it coexists with many such particles, its hydrodynamic interaction with the other particles alters its velocity and, more importantly, its orientation. As a result, the motion of the particle is chaotic. Our simulations are not restricted to low particle concentration, as we implement the full hydrodynamic interactions between the particles, but we restrict the motion of particles to two dimensions to reduce computation. We have studied the statistical properties of a suspension of self-propelled particles for a range of the particle concentration, quantified by the area fraction φa. We find several interesting features in the microstructure and statistics. We find that particles tend to swim in clusters wherein they are in close proximity. Consequently, incorporating the finite size of the particles and the near-field hydrodynamic interactions is of the essence. There is a continuous process of breakage and formation of the clusters. We find that the distributions of particle velocity at low and high φa are qualitatively different; it is close to the normal distribution at high φa, in agreement with experimental measurements. The motion of the particles is diffusive at long time, and the self-diffusivity decreases with increasing φa. The pair correlation function shows a large anisotropic build-up near contact, which decays rapidly with separation. There is also an anisotropic orientation correlation near contact, which decays more slowly with separation. Movies are available with the online version of the paper.

Predatory Fish Select for Coordinated Collective Motion in Virtual Prey

Movement in animal groups is highly varied and ranges from seemingly disordered motion in swarms to coordinated aligned motion in flocks and schools. These social interactions are often thought to reduce risk from predators, despite a lack of direct evidence. We investigated risk-related selection for collective motion by allowing real predators ( bluegill sunfish) to hunt mobile virtual prey. By fusing simulated and real animal behavior, we isolated predator effects while controlling for confounding factors. Prey with a tendency to be attracted toward, and to align direction of travel with, near neighbors tended to form mobile coordinated groups and were rarely attacked. These results demonstrate that collective motion could evolve as a response to predation, without prey being able to detect and respond to predators.