The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model of the influences of product complexity on the applicability and adoption of solutions offerings as a marketing strategy. Qualitative data from in-depth interviews with executives at seven furniture manufacturing firms were investigated and a conceptual model was developed. Based on the results, a model for relationships between different aspects of complexity and solutions is proposed and an expansion of the complexity concept suggested. The paper expands the knowledge on both solutions strategy and complexity and may also guide managers in the development of their marketing strategies.

Design och dess relation till företags marknadsföring är något som diskuteras både i akademisk litteratur och i samhället i övrigt. Genom att förstå och utnyttja design kan företaget skapa kommersiella fördelar, t ex genom att differentiera produkten från konkurrenternas och skapa igenkänning för företagets varumärke. Dock är utveckling av produkter med design som en viktig dimension inte oproblematisk utan kan leda till stora utmaningar för företaget.

Tre sådana utmaningar i företag beskrivs och analyseras i denna avhandling. För det första behandlar avhandlingen hur ett fokus på design påverkar företagets produktutvecklingsprocess. Vidare studeras hur företaget balanserar kreativa och kommersiella intressen under produktutvecklingsprocessen. Dessutom behandlar avhandlingen hur företaget införskaffar och samarbetar med formgivare.

Den industriella kontext som valts för denna avhandling är den svenska designmöbelindustrin. Avhandlingens slutsatser bygger på fallstudier inom väletablerade och framgångsrika företag inom denna industri.

Avhandlingen visar att dimensionen av design påverkar företagens utvecklingsarbete på olika sätt. Först visar studien att de studerade företagens utveckling av designmöbler innebär en kreativ utvecklingsprocess där t.ex. idé-generering och ‑urval sällan grundas i strikta produktplaner utan i stället präglas av flexibilitet och tillvaratagande på uppkomna möjligheter. Vidare är bedömningen av en produkts designvärde subjektiv och svår att formulera i ord. Urvalet av lovande produktidéer grundas därför i hög grad på ledningens goda kunskap om design och erfarenhet inom branschen. Utöver detta påverkas företagens produktutveckling på olika sätt av det faktum att designvärde också skapas genom uppmärksamhet och uppskattning av exempelvis press, mässor och utmärkelser. Det visas också att företagens urval av formgivare är kritiskt och basen för ett framgångsrikt utvecklingsarbete. I de studerade företagen sker utveckling av produkter i nära och förtroendefullt samarbete mellan managers och formgivare. Dessutom kan företag påverka sitt varumärke genom att skapa en genomtänkt strategi för urval av formgivare och samarbetsformer med dessa.

The overall aim of this research is to provide new knowledge on how a design-centric logic affects the new product development process. The study focuses on the early stages of new product development, i.e. the new product strategy formulation, idea generation, idea screening, and concept development and testing (Borja De Mozota, 2004, p.120). These early stages are proven critical for successful product development and are depending on a successful interplay between design and other functional areas involved in product development. The findings from a qualitative study of five new product development projects in two design-led organizations are presented.

This paper aims to explore the sourcing strategies of companies when contracting external design resources, i.e. how and why companies select and manage their portfolio of external design resources. It also aims to explore how these sourcing strategies may be related to companies’ firm-level product strategy and their brand identity. The paper builds on interviews with managers from six Swedish furniture manufacturers. A tentative model for the relationship between the firms’ brand identities and their sourcing practices is presented and discussed.

The overall purpose of this thesis is to contribute to the knowledge base concerning the interplay between design and marketing. Based on the findings from the empirical studies, the aim of this thesis is to describe and analyze how marketing and design interplay in companies and the main reasons for such interplay. The research builds upon a multiple-case study of companies mainly within the furniture manufacturing industry. The research focus is the study of companies described as “design led”, i.e. “characterized by a dominant logic that views design as central to the companies’ strategic positioning”(Beverland and Farrell, 2007). Three different interfaces between design and marketing within the company and towards its external actors are studied.

The studied companies illustrate how a company’s desire to create a brand that is closely related to product design creates an effect on internal activities as well as the interfaces to external actors, e.g. customers and suppliers. Based on empirical findings, it is proposed that by being design-led, companies may not only create a competitive advantage connected to the good itself and its product design, but also through its potential to offer new products based on the company’s design competence and its brand image. One such example of new potential is the offering of an integrated interior solution and the concept of “aesthetic complexity” that is introduced and suggested as a driver for such solutions.

Moreover, a more general model on the interplay between product design and marketing compared to those previously presented in literature is suggested. This model considers the different company approaches to design, e.g. more or less selforiented, and marketing, e.g. more or less market-oriented. It is proposed that depending on the company’s approach to design and marketing, the coordination between design resources and marketing within the company should be managed differently.

This thesis also presents a tentative model on the relationship between the companies’ different desired brand images and their sourcing of external designers. It is proposed that a company’s desired brand image and its design philosophy affect the company’s practices when sourcing external design resources, e.g. in the choice of contracting more or less well-known designers.

The conclusions presented in this licentiate thesis may serve as a starting point for managers to understand the interplay between design and marketing in companies. Although still tentative, the conclusions suggest a number of marketing-related prerequisites and consequences when a company aims to be design-led. By considering these different aspects, companies might improve their chances of being successful when creating a brand image that is closely connected to design.

This paper aims to explore how design-led companies, i.e. “companies characterized by a dominant logic that views design as central to [their] strategic positioning” (Beverland and Farrelly, 2007), source external design resources. It also aims to explore whether and how different sourcing strategies regarding these resources are related to these companies’ design philosophy and desired brand image, i.e. how the company is perceived externally by customers etc. The paper builds on in-depth interviews with managers from six Swedish furniture manufacturers. A tentative model of the relationship between companies’ design sourcing strategies and their desired company brand image is presented and discussed.

This paper aims to explore the practices of design-led companies, i.e. “companies characterized by a dominant logic that views design as central to the companies’ strategic positioning” (Beverland and Farrell, 2007), when sourcing external design resources. It also aims to explore if and how these practices are related to the companies’ design philosophies and desired brand image. The paper builds on interviews with managers from six Swedish furniture manufacturers. A tentative model for the relationship between the firms’ different brand images and their sourcing practices is presented and discussed.

Although many authors emphasise the differences and potential conflicts between product design and marketing, there appears to be a disagreement in how to handle such differences and conflicts within organisations. This paper presents a novel and general model that focuses on how different practices relating to design (self-oriented or commer- cially oriented) and marketing (product-oriented or market-oriented/customer-led) may be combined, and discusses the coordination of marketing and design when combining these practices. By introducing such a general model, this paper contributes with a new perspective on tensions and synergies that exist between design and marketing.

The introduction of solutions offerings in manufacturing industries has been an issue of growing interest, since it may be a means of counteracting the commoditisation of products. The literature on solutions offerings generally focuses on the high-tech industry, however. This paper therefore investigates if, why, and how the solutions literature is applicable also to firms in the low-tech industry. To this aim, qualitative data from interviews with executives at seven furniture manufacturing firms were investigated. Based on the results, a tentative model that links product complexity and dimensions of solutions offerings is put forth.

Purpose – Existing literature on integrated solutions has neglected the influence of technological context. Given the increased interest in solutions as a means of meeting an increasing competition in many different industries, there is reason to investigate this issue further. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model of the relation between technological context and solutions offerings.

Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative data from in-depth interviews with executives at seven furniture manufacturing firms were investigated and a conceptual model was developed from the data.

Findings – The empirical data reveals that aspects of solutions offerings may exist also in industries with products conventionally seen as relatively low in complexity. A model for relationships between different aspects of complexity and solutions is proposed and an expansion of the complexity concept suggested. As such, the paper expands the knowledge on both solutions strategy and complexity.

Practical implications – A conceptual model is suggested that may guide managers in the development of their marketing strategies, where the adoption of a solutions strategy is guided by the degree of complexity of the product or system being developed and offered to their customers.

Research limitations/implications – The proposed conceptual model needs to be refined and further investigated empirically, and influences of other contextual factors than the degree of complexity should be investigated.

Originality/value – The paper focuses on the relevance of solutions as a strategy in different technological contexts and contributes with a novel perspective on solutions strategy, incorporating influences of dimensions of the technological context.