Increasing Brand Awareness for Small Scale Businesses in Ireland

Running head: BRAND AWARENESS
How can small scale businesses increase brand awareness more
effectively in Ireland
Name of Student
Name of the University

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BRAND AWARENESS
Table of Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................5
1.1 Background............................................................................................................................5
1.2 Rationale................................................................................................................................5
1.3 Problem statement...............................................................................................................10
1.4 Aim, objectives and research Questions..............................................................................10
1.5 Research Structure...............................................................................................................11
2. Literature Reviews.....................................................................................................................12
2.1 Branding..............................................................................................................................12
2.2 Brand Positioning................................................................................................................14
2.3 Brand Awareness.................................................................................................................16
2.4 Benefits of branding in small businesses.............................................................................19
2.5 Brand awareness theories....................................................................................................22
2.6 Internet Marketing...............................................................................................................27
2.7 Social Media marketing.......................................................................................................29
Chapter 3: Research Methodology................................................................................................34
3.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................................34
3.2 Method Outline....................................................................................................................34
3.3 Method Philosophy..............................................................................................................35
3.4 Approach of research...........................................................................................................36

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BRAND AWARENESS
3.5 Research Design:.................................................................................................................37
3.6 Procedure of data collection................................................................................................38
3.6.1 Data Sources: Secondary data and Primary data..............................................................38
3.6.2 Data Techniques: Qualitative data technique and Quantitative data technique................38
3.7 Population and the sample:..................................................................................................39
3.7.1 Sampling technique..........................................................................................................40
3.7.2 Sample Size:.....................................................................................................................40
3.8 Ethical considerations:.........................................................................................................40
3.9 Research limitations:...........................................................................................................41
3.10 Time Horizons:..................................................................................................................42
3.11 Summary:...........................................................................................................................43
Timeline.........................................................................................................................................43
Chapter 4: Data Findings and Analysis.........................................................................................44
4.1 Quantitative Analysis...........................................................................................................44
4.2 Qualitative analysis..............................................................................................................56
Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations..............................................................................59
5.1 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................59
5.2 Recommendation.................................................................................................................60
5.3 Future Work.........................................................................................................................61
References......................................................................................................................................62

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Appendices....................................................................................................................................70
Appendix 1: Interview with 1st manager....................................................................................70
Appendix 2: Interview with 2nd manager...................................................................................72
Appendix 3: Interview with 3rd manager...................................................................................74

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1. Introduction
1.1 Background
Brand has been the central part of the way organization do business. It has been the
communication tool that helps in connecting with their customers in the market. According to
Cawsey and Rowley (2016), brand has been a visible symbol that represents the nature of
business in mind. A company’s brand is a symbol of trust and quality to the customers of the
values of company. There have been small businesses entering into the Irish market that have
been helping in promising employment to many individuals. However, there has been problem in
scaling up their small business in the market. Therefore, some strategies need to be implemented
in the market so that small businesses can be scaled up. Branding has been an important and
integral part of the company in the market. The globalization of the economy has been changing
with years. The growth in competition and environmental changes have been position in the
small scaled companies. Businesses need to prosper their basic challenges in the market. As
research done by Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson (2012), small businesses have been facing
challenges in the market. This research has been done on Irish small scale business to enhance
their brand awareness in the market.
1.2 Rationale
The use of brand value help in providing a smart approach in development of small businesses in
the market. The economy of the Ireland has been based upon the SMEs in their market.
Therefore, SMEs plays an important role in contributing to revenue of country. Different
strategies need to be implemented in the market. The brand strategy of companies need to be
revised in order to gain competitive advantages in the market.

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As research done by Eid and El-Gohary (2013), SMEs have been making enormous changes and
contribution in the economy of Ireland. The government of Ireland has able to recognize SMEs
to be key drivers of the nation’s economy. The Irish Times has revealed that Ireland has been
home to 230,000 SMEs. These SMEs have contributed over €10 billion to the Exchequer
annually. Along with this, Irish SMEs have able to provide employment to over 900,000
individuals in the country. There have been approximately 20 SMEs per 1000 inhabitants in
Ireland. In regard to this, the EU has developed 10 principles for supporting the growth of SMEs
in Ireland (Olins 2017). These principles are Entrepreneurship, Responsive Administration,
Finance, Skills and Innovation, Internalization, 2nd Chance, Think Small First and Public
Procurement and State Aid and Single Market Environment.
Figure 1: New SME lending (2010-2018)
(Source: Morrison 2013)
The above figure 1 represents annual gross new lending to non-financial, non-real estate SMEs
since 2010. Annual lending in Q1 2018 totaled € 3.7 billion has been unchanged from previous
report. According to Q1 2018, new lending has been 2.7 per cent higher than Q1 2017 and 31 per
cent higher than Q1 2016 (Morrison 2013).

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BRAND AWARENESS
Figure 2: New SME lending by sector
(Source: Hirvonen, Laukkanen and Reijonen 2013)
The above figure 2 represents annual gross of new lending trends for six main non-financial,
non-real estate sectors. The Primary Industries and Whole sale, Retail, Trade and Repairs sector
have been consistently showing the highest level of new leading. As compared to Q1 2017,
annual new lending in Q1 2018 has increased in two sectors namely Primary Industries (11
percent) and Hotels and Restaurants (3.7 per cents). Annual declines in gross new lending have
happened in Manufacturing (-26.5 per cent), Construction (-12.6 per cent), Wholesale, Retail,
Trade and Repairs (-6.4 per cent) and Business and Administrative Services (-5 per cent)
(Hirvonen, Laukkanen and Reijonen 2013).

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Figure 3: Credit outstanding to SMEs by sector
(Source: Burns 2016)
The figure 3 represents credit outstanding to SME by sector. As of Q1 2018, total non-financial,
non-real estate outstanding credit has been € 16.2 billion. Outstanding credit in the Primary
Industries and Wholesale, Retail, Trade and Repairs sectors stood at e3.6 billion each, above that
of Hotels and Restaurants which amounted to € 2.6 billion. Manufacturing and Business and
Administrative Services have lower levels of outstanding credit at e1.3 billion each while the
lowest stock of outstanding credit of the sectors shown is found in the Construction sector at €
0.5 billion. As commented by Burns (2016), brand care has been a brand affirmation and brand
audit execution. Brand affirmation has been related to limit of customer for attesting past
prologue to the brand when given brand as some knowledge. Brand care has been going about as
displaying thought that are used for evaluating customer's data about nearness of brand. Building
brand care has been helping in ensuring potential customers knowing classes in which brand
battles. Brand care can be referenced as worth model and each and every other focus of brand.