Seeking License to Operate in Times of Uncertainty: A discourse analysis of how a GRO communicates to obtain loyalty during a prevailing inflation

Abstract: During recent years, Swedish society has been affected by circumstances causing conditions for uncertainty. Since the beginning of 2022 the prevailing inflation has caused further implications on societal, organizational and individual levels. Due to the economic difficulties, grocery prices have increased significantly. As the grocery retail industry fulfills a primary need for consumers, this research paper investigates how a grocery retail operator communicates during the inflation to maintain loyal customers. More specifically, this study will analyze the external digital communication of the market leader Ica, comparing data from 2019 to data from 2022 and 2023. The research will be conducted through a qualitative case study, followed by a discourse analysis that seeks to elaborate how the discourse of loyalty is maintained. Specifically, the analysis seeks to understand the efforts Ica makes to communicate loyalty, especially in times of inflation. The discourse of loyalty will be examined by looking at how five different interdiscourses are communicated. Hence, investigating how they create meaning for obtaining loyal customers. By abductively employing a theoretical framework rooted in sustaining customer relationships, this thesis suggests different courses of action a GRO can implement to attain customer loyalty. The findings suggest that the external digital marketing communication incorporates characteristics of public relations and corporate communication to remain loyal customers during times of uncertainty. In fine, the results indicate that the interrelation of interdiscourses contributes to the discourse of loyalty by emphasizing emotional rather than rational characteristics.