International Brand Strategy Development and Local Implementation: An Exploratory Multiple-Case Study in the Perishable FMCG Industry

Sammanfattning

This thesis aims to contribute to the limited body of research investigating international brand strategy development and implementation. Through a qualitative empirical multiple-case study design we explore the research questions: How are international FMCG brands' strategies developed and implemented by global and local brand managers? How do brand management capabilities relate to international brand strategy development and implementation? Drawing on 18 interviews with brand managers and a marketing excellence representative across four FMCG brands, we deploy thematic analysis and derive one process model depicting global and local brand manager interaction in the brand strategy development and implementation. The empirics further revealed the central role of international brand management capabilities within this process. We develop a framework for International Brand Management Capabilities, comprising international brand strategy development capabilities, and local brand management implementation capabilities. These reveal different dynamic aspects, indicating a capability convergence in relation to previous theory.