C/M/230. Masters Dissertation. The effect of spam on brand image: A comparative study of the UK and US

With the proliferation in Internet usage across the globe, unsolicited commercial email (UCE), otherwise known as spam, has grown in more than equal measure. It has not only become a nuisance to individuals but commercially costs businesses tens of billions of dollars each year. The question has to be asked: Why do some businesses continue to use UCE as a method to build their brands and what effect is this having? In order to understand the effect of spam on brand image, interviews were conducted with individuals and employees of firms who have received spam. The results were analysed and discussed in light of the literature review. The literature review contrasts the effect of spam in the US and UK, the former being far less restrictive than the UK, where non-permission based email is now illegal. It also provides a comprehensive review of the literature on brand image, traditional and relationship marketing, customer loyalty, the buying process, UCE as a marketing technique, and permission-based and opt-out email policies. This dissertation would be useful for anyone interested in branding and the effect of spam, or other related issues such as traditional and relationship marketing, customer loyalty, the buying process and permission-based marketing, which are comprehensively covered. It is also useful in highlighting how to perform and analyze primary research and then apply those findings to the literature that has been set out.