Bachelor's Thesis

Building customer loyalty through strategic brand development

Final Thesis 8.6 MB

Author of thesis: Bc. Vanessa Youssef

Acad. year: 2025/2026

Supervisor: doc. Ing. Robert Zich, Ph.D.

Reviewer: Ing. Jana Andrýsková

Abstract:

This bachelor's thesis focuses on the development of the jewelry brand WHAT'S NEXT. The aim of the thesis is to define activities supporting the future development of the brand based on theoretical foundations, research and analysis. Based on the analytical findings, the design part develops a strategic framework focused on the development of brand identity, marketing communication, community building and customer relations. The thesis also contains recommendations for implementation and evaluation of expected impacts and assumptions influencing the implementation process.

Keywords:

Brand identity, brand development, marketing communication, positioning, benchmarking, customer loyalty, community building, customer relationships, analysis.

Date of defence

23.06.2026

Result of the defence

Defended (thesis was successfully defended)

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Grading

B

Process of defence

In her presentation, the student informed the committee about the objectives, solutions and results she had reached in her thesis. The committee then read the opinions and evaluation of the thesis supervisor and the opponent. The student answered the question from the supervisor's assessment in full. Questions from committee members: 1. Ing. Schüller: You proposed behind the scenes videos. What could be the specific content? - partly answered 2. doc. Kaňovská: Are you going to colaborate with local ambasadors? - answered 3. doc. Kaňovská: Are those ambasadors be part of the events? - answered On the basis of the presentation and the answers to the questions asked in the discussion, the committee decided that the student defended the thesis.

Language of thesis

English

Faculty

Fakulta podnikatelská

Department

Department of Management

Study programme

Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (BAK-ESBD)

Composition of Committee

doc. Ing. Robert Zich, Ph.D. (předseda)
Ing. David Havíř, Ph.D. (člen)
Ing. Jakub Ulč (člen)
doc. Ing. Lucie Kaňovská, Ph.D. (místopředseda)
Ing. David Schüller, Ph.D. (člen)

Supervisor’s report
doc. Ing. Robert Zich, Ph.D.

The bachelor’s thesis by Vanessa Youssef is a well-prepared and practically oriented thesis addressing a relevant problem of the selected brand. The student demonstrates the ability to connect theoretical background with the analysis of a specific brand and formulate practically applicable recommendations. The main strengths are the authenticity of the topic, knowledge of the analyzed brand, logical continuity between analysis and proposals, and the concreteness of the proposed measures. The main limitations are the absence of deeper primary research among customers or the target group and, in some parts, a less academic style of writing. These limitations do not change the fact that the thesis fulfils its objective and provides a useful framework for the further development of the brand.

How could it be verified whether customers identify with the WHAT’S NEXT. brand on the level of values, rather than only on the basis of price, design or material quality? 
Evaluation criteria Verbal classification Grade
Meeting the objectives The objective of the thesis was to define activities for the development of a selected brand based on relevant theoretical background, research and analysis. The thesis focuses on the WHAT’S NEXT. brand, particularly on brand identity development, marketing communication, community building and customer relationships. The objective corresponds to the assignment and is fulfilled. The student defines the theoretical background, analyses the current state of the brand and formulates a practical framework for its further development. B
Selected procedure of the solution, the adequacy of the used methods The chosen approach is appropriate for the topic. The theoretical part provides a suitable basis for the analysis and proposals, especially in the areas of strategic brand management, brand identity, positioning, benchmarking, marketing communication and customer loyalty. In the analytical part, the student uses relevant methods, including the Brand Identity Prism, marketing communication analysis, positioning map, benchmarking and customer relationship analysis. The use of Nike as a reference brand is appropriate, as the thesis uses it mainly as inspiration for community building, storytelling, values and customer loyalty. A certain limitation is that the analysis is based mainly on qualitative evaluation, desk research and internal knowledge of the brand. However, the student reflects this limitation, and it is acceptable in the context of a bachelor’s thesis. B
The ability to interpret the results and to draw conclusions The student demonstrates a very good ability to interpret the findings and draw relevant conclusions. The analysis clearly shows that WHAT’S NEXT. has a defined internal identity and a connection to street culture and the underground community, but these elements are not yet communicated externally in a sufficiently consistent way. The thesis identifies key weaknesses such as irregular communication, limited storytelling, unused TikTok potential, the weak role of the website as a brand environment, the absence of systematic community building and the lack of tools supporting repeat purchases. These findings are logically reflected in the proposal part. A
The practical usability of conclusions The practical applicability of the thesis is high. The proposal part is concrete, realistic and adapted to the possibilities of a small brand with limited financial and human resources. The student proposes brand identity development, refinement of the brand promise and slogan, cooperation with ambassadors, a content plan for Instagram and TikTok, website development, stronger event presence, post-event communication and a simple relationship-oriented loyalty programme. The proposals do not mechanically copy practices of large brands, but adapt selected principles to the conditions of a local emerging brand. The inclusion of an implementation plan, resource requirements, KPIs and implementation risks further increases the practical value of the thesis. B
The thesis´s framework, formalities, used terminology and the professional level of language The thesis is clearly structured and logically organized. The theoretical, analytical and proposal parts are well connected and correspond to the standard structure of a bachelor’s thesis. The text is understandable and readable. In some passages, however, it uses a less formal or more journalistic style, which could be made more precise in an academic thesis. Terminology is used mostly correctly. The use of tables, figures and summary overviews improves the clarity of the work. B
Using of information resources, including citations The student works with relevant professional sources from the fields of brand management, marketing communication, positioning and customer loyalty. The theoretical part uses standard authors such as Aaker, Kapferer, Keller, Kotler and Keller, and Belch and Belch. The analytical part uses publicly available sources related to the analyzed brands, social media profiles and e-shops. The work with sources is at an appropriate level. The thesis could be further strengthened by current academic articles or studies focused on Generation Z behavior, community branding and loyalty building in small brands, but the source base meets the requirements for a bachelor’s thesis. B

Grade proposed by supervisor: B

Reviewer’s report
Ing. Jana Andrýsková

This thesis examines the brand development of WHAT’S NEXT., a small independent streetstyle/jewelry brand targeting Generation Z customers. The author defines the problem quite clearly: the brand has visual potential but suffers from an inconsistent identity, a weak emotional connection with customers, and an insufficiently structured approach to building customer loyalty.

The thesis is comprehensive in content, has a logical structure (theoretical–analytical–proposal sections), and presents a proposed framework for brand development. Its strengths include thematic consistency, the practical orientation of the proposals, and the effort to integrate the development of identity, communication, community building, and loyalty. The main weakness of the thesis is the limited methodological rigor of the analytical section. The analysis relies primarily on desk research, internal observation, and the author’s practical experience, without conducting her own systematic customer research. The author herself notes the absence of more extensive quantitative customer research and the reliance of part of the analysis on internal observation
Evaluation criteria Verbal classification Grade
Meeting the objectives The objective of this thesis was to define activities for the development of the WHAT’S NEXT brand based on theoretical foundations, research, and analysis. This objective has been formally achieved in the thesis. However, the empirical evidence supporting some of the conclusions is somewhat weak. For example, claims regarding low emotional customer engagement, purchasing motives, or weak loyalty are not supported by direct customer research, but rather by internal observation, analysis of communication outputs, and practical experience. C
Selected procedure of the solution, the adequacy of the used methods The chosen approach is logical and aligns with the topic of brand development. The thesis utilizes the Brand Identity Prism, content analysis of communications, a positioning map, benchmarking, and customer relationship analysis. The methods are clearly presented in a table in the methodology section, including their purpose, data sources, and expected outcomes. I view it positively that the methods were not chosen at random but correspond to the areas the thesis addresses: brand identity, communication, community, and loyalty. This methodological framework is suitable for a bachelor’s thesis. A weakness of the thesis is the competitive analysis, where it would be appropriate to better explain why the Nike brand was specifically chosen.  B
The ability to interpret the results and to draw conclusions The author is able to interpret key analytical findings and translate them into design solutions. In the conclusion of her thesis, she summarizes that the brand has a recognizable aesthetic, authentic underground roots, and strong, direct interaction with customers at events, but at the same time lacks consistent communication, more compelling storytelling, structured community building, and long-term customer relationship management. This interpretation is thematically consistent and ties well into the design section. The proposals regarding identity, communication, events, community, and the customer program address the identified issues. The thesis thus demonstrates the ability to translate analytical findings into recommendations. B
The practical usability of conclusions The design section focuses on specific areas: brand identity development, mission, vision, values, slogan, visual identity, tone of voice, brand ambassadors, packaging, Instagram, TikTok, website, paid promotion, events, post-event follow-up, online community engagement, personalized post-purchase experience, rewards for repeat purchases, discount codes, feedback collection, implementation phase, resources, KPIs, and risks. The proposals are tailored to the size and nature of a small brand. The work does not opt for massive expansion, but rather for the gradual strengthening of identity, consistency, and community A
The thesis´s framework, used terminology and the professional level of language The thesis has a standard and clear structure. The terminology is generally appropriate for the topic: brand identity, positioning, benchmarking, customer loyalty, marketing communication, community building, customer relationships. The language is generally clear, and the thesis is written in English. However, in places the text comes across as simpler, with a more descriptive style. Some phrasing is less academic, and minor linguistic and typographical errors appear in places, such as awkward phrasing, typos, or missing spaces. Formally, the thesis is well-organized; tables and figures are included, and the proposal section is logically structured. B
Using of information resources The thesis draws on key relevant sources in the field of brand management and marketing, particularly Aaker, Kapferer, Kotler and Keller, Keller and Swaminathan, and Belch and Belch. These sources are relevant to the topic and provide an appropriate theoretical foundation. The thesis statement also lists the primary literature on which the thesis builds. B

Grade proposed by reviewer: B

Responsibility: Mgr. et Mgr. Hana Odstrčilová