Icelandic rock bands as trademark

“The study focuses on examining consumers’ sentiments towards the development of rock bands as brand names. The research questions cover how an Icelandic rock band can create a strong brand name and maintain it from the point-of-view of the consumers,” says Víkingur Másson, who combined his hobby and academic interest in his final thesis in Master studies in Marketing and International Business at the Faculty of Business Administration.

Másson, who himself plays guitar in the rock band Hoffman, says that the lack of an academic foundation for current methods used by groups to build brand names was the reason behind his study. “I have all through my studies tried to connect the concept band to traditional merchandize and service in terms of how a brand is created and maintained,” he adds.

Másson examined university students’ position on various aspects of rock band branding. One of the findings was that it was irrelevant whether the name of an Icelandic rock group was in Icelandic or English. Participants said that rock bands should take their name, image, reputation and trust into consideration whilst building their brand, they were also more positive towards private than public sponsoring of bands.

Másson points out that the parameters used in the study are designed for traditional branding but adjusted to examining bands as brand names. “Bands, musicians and other invested parties can therefore better examine the consumers’ views on their brand thus obtaining a better understanding on how to build it with adequate data and information,” Másson concludes.

Supervisor: Auður Hermannsdóttir, Adjunct at the Faculty of Business.