Browsing by Subject "Marketing"
Now showing 1 - 20 of 25
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- ItemOpen AccessAnalysing the loyalty levels displayed by football fans: A case study on Cape Town City Football Club(2017) Desai, Muhammed; Chigada, JoeAccording to conventional wisdom, football fans exhibit perpetual loyalty to the clubs that they choose to support. These prevailing beliefs are largely the product of the fanaticism and intense partisanship that fans display. However, in South Africa, the reality is that the majority of the football teams are either failing to harness this loyalty, or that the loyalty levels that their fans display, contradict conventional wisdom. Due to the important role that these fans play in revenue generation, there is a need for leadership at these clubs to better understand this lucrative market. The objective of this study was to establish whether the loyalty levels displayed by fans in South Africa correspond with, or contradict, conventional wisdom. The limited understanding of the matter within a South African context means that clubs lack the required understanding of their respective fan bases. This creates a situation, which stifles the efficacy of management to implement positive changes. This study was anchored in the model of Stewart and Smith (2007) of sport fans' motivations. There are three core dimensions distinguished by the model. These relate to psychological, socio-cultural and social motives, all of which facilitate the process of an individual becoming a fan; and then subsequently remaining loyal. A qualitative research approach was used to collect the data for this study. An interview guide was used to collect the information from the fans and the top management of Cape Town City Football Club through face-to-face interviews. Each interview was recorded with the aid of a voice recorder and all the data collected were then transcribed. The findings from the study show that fans demonstrate more support to Cape Town City Football Club when the team is winning, as opposed to when it is going through a rough patch. Conclusively, the lack of understanding of fans in football clubs means that it is difficult to communicate in an all-inclusive way, considering that not all fans are the same. Based on the findings, the study suggests that leadership at South African football clubs should allow for open dialogues to be created, in which the issues can be discussed; so that practices implemented would better serve the target population.
- ItemOpen AccessThe antecedents and consequences of brand equity in the South African running shoe market(2015) Bastian, Julia Christina Margit; Human, Gert; Beneke, JustinMarketers face the challenge with regard to the manner in which consumers perceive their brand. For the assessment of global brands in emerging markets, such as South Africa, progressive empirical research supports managerial approaches so consumer behaviour can be influenced and predicted in a precise way. Gaining insight into factors that increase a brand's equity, and, which allow marketers to reach their objective of creating a strong and valuable brand, is of utmost importance. Current literature has dealt with the subject of Brand Equity extensively (Branaghan & Hildebrand, 2011; Chang & Liu, 2009; Kapferer, 2012; Myers, 2003; Keller, 2013). Within the context of the South African running shoe market, this study empirically tested an integrated framework of the antecedents (Brand Personality, Brand Attitude, Brand Image) and the consequences (Brand Preference, Purchase Intention) of Brand Equity from a consumer's perspective. Moreover, the moderator Social Acceptance was added to investigate its interaction effect on the relationship between Brand Preference and Purchase Intention. The conceptual model was tested with a variance based partial least squares analysis (PLS--‐SEM), due to its complexity measuring multiple indicators simultaneously (Lowry & Gaskin, 2014; Malhotra, 2010). Data was collected from online questionnaires with the two brands, Nike and Asics, as stimuli. These sports brands were compared by means of their marketing strategies using a total sample size of n=315 respondents. The purpose was to reveal the influence each brand's personality had on the development of Brand Image and Brand Attitude. Besides assessing the antecedents of Brand Equity, the significant influence that each brand's equity had on Brand Preference and Purchase Intention was assessed, taking social circumstances into account (Chang & Liu, 2009). The statistical analysis of causal relations reflected that Brand Personality, Brand Image and the attitude towards the brand were antecedents of Brand Equity. The consumer's perception of the brand's value resulted in an increased probability of Purchase Intention due to his/her Brand Preference. Social Acceptance had a minimal effect at the final stage of brand choice. Derived from the results, this study's research should assist marketers with a number of implications to influence perceived value and increase Brand Preference. Meaningful marketing may add equity to brands and create loyal consumers through emotional attachment (Gilbreath, 2010). With the gained insight knowledge, predictive accuracy of consumer behaviour could be enhanced, with due regard to the influence of the individual's social environment.
- ItemOpen AccessAttitudes towards church retailing in Cape Town, South Africa(2016) Bundwini, Nqobile; Lappeman, James RReligion and commerce are two concepts which give rise to divergent views when associated with each other. Nevertheless, churches are increasingly making use of commercial methods such as marketing and retailing for a vast array of purposes including fundraising, connecting with their congregation and keeping abreast of social, technological and economical changes. As such, the Christian retail industry is a booming industry which cannot be ignored. It is common practice for businesses to investigate various aspects of their target consumers in order to align their efforts to meet the consumers' needs. Likewise, it is necessary that churches that engage in retailing conduct a thorough analysis of their target market. Furthermore, church retailers should consider the peculiar nature of their consumers, which may be influenced not only by their short-term, product-based needs but by their long-term, spiritual needs as well. This research is important as individuals who view the retailing of certain products by churches negatively are unlikely to purchase from church retailers, and may even be unlikely to consider attending the churches that retail those products. In addition, this research will provide church retailers with insight into their consumers, enabling them to structure their retailing efforts more effectively. This study investigates the attitudes of church members toward church retailing, as well as attitudes towards various types of church retail products. A series of 26 in-depth interviews were conducted for this study, resulting in each individual expressing antithetical attitudes towards the broad concept of church retailing, with more distinct positive and negative attitudes emerging following further enquiry about particular product types. Generally, attitudes were more positive towards products perceived to be more authentic with regards to the religious mission of the church, and more negative toward products they perceive to stray from it. Furthermore, attitudes towards church retailing were influenced by what individuals perceive to be the churches' reasons for retailing, as well as the individuals or communities benefiting from the proceeds thereof. The principle inference emerging from this study is that the attitudes of church retail consumers are essential as they largely influence their likelihood to purchase and, in turn, the success of church retailers.
- ItemOpen AccessB2B brand engagement in social media: The employee's perspective(2017) Pitt, Christine; Botha, ElsamariBrand engagement, or the process of how customers and other stakeholders form emotional or rational attachments to brands has garnered considerable attention in the marketing literature in recent years. Brand engagement is important because it is a construct strongly related to brand equity, or in simple terms the "value of the brand". Recently, the nature of brand engagement has also changed significantly because of the advent of social media. Not only do users of these social media share personal information with each other, they also comment on, contribute to, and share opinions on the brands that engage them. While the literature is extensive on brand engagement and social media, most of the emphasis is on customers, rather than other stakeholders such as employees, suppliers, and investors. Moreover, the research focuses almost entirely on consumers, the customers of business-to-consumer firms, rather than on the industrial and organizational customers of business-to-business (B2B) firms or their stakeholders. Only very recently have scholars begun to explore both customer and employee engagement and their effects on firm performance in both the business-to-consumer and business-to-business arenas. The research presented in this dissertation attempts to grow the literature in two ways. First, it focuses on brand engagement in business-to-business firms rather than business-to-consumer; second, it does this by studying a stakeholder group other than customers, namely, employees. Moreover, it does this through the employee lens, rather than the lens of the firm; in other words it explores how employees engage with firms rather than how firms engage with their employees. The study utilizes an exploratory research design focusing on qualitative data. The data consist of job reviews posted by employees of B2B firms on the social medium Glassdoor.com. Glassdoor.com collects company reviews and real salaries from employees of a range of organizations and displays them anonymously, and users are also able to rate their employees on a five-star scale. The firms chosen were based on a ranking study by the research firm Brandwatch, and were split into two groups, namely the 30 top ranked firms, and the 30 bottom ranked firms. These reviews were then analyzed, using Hart's theory of word choice and verbal tone, in DICTION, the content analysis software. The results indicate that there are significant differences between top ranked and bottom ranked firms, and also between top rated and bottom rated firms. Employees of top ranked firms are significantly more optimistic in their reviews, while employees of bottom ranked firms express significantly more certainty, activity and realism. There are no significant differences with regard to commonality. With regard to firm ratings, the employees of highly rated firms are significantly more optimistic, while employees of low rated firms score significantly more on all the other dimensions of word choice and verbal tone. The employees of top ranked firms are significantly less insistent in their reviews but display significantly more embellishment, variety and complexity. Similarly, in the case of firm ratings, highly rated reviews are significantly less insistent, but exhibit significantly more embellishment, variety and complexity. The thesis contributes to academic knowledge in four ways. First, it is the first study to consider brand engagement in the business-to-business environment from an employee perspective. Second, the study contributes by providing a perspective on brand engagement from two sides, namely highly ranked B2B companies and low ranked B2B companies, as well as highly rated B2B companies and low rated B2B companies. It highlights the differences between these two groups with regard to brand engagement. Furthermore, it permits a focus on the differences between employees who rate an employer brand high versus those that rate it low, regardless of how the brand is ranked independently. Stated differently, in a brand engagement context, the study identifies specific dimensions or calculated variables that distinguish high and low rankings and ratings. Third, this is the first study that examines employee brand engagement using Hart's theory of word choice and verbal tone. This means that it employs a robust means of comparing pieces of text, or in this particular case, the text resulting from an employee's review and rating of an employer, as a proxy for employee brand engagement. Fourth, this study is the first to use the DICTION content analysis software to examine employee brand engagement in a business-to-business context. It demonstrates DICTION's ability to operationalize Hart's five dimensions of text, and the calculated variables, as well as confirming DICTION's capacity to handle very large text files. The study also has implications for marketing managers, and for brand executives in the business-to-business arena specifically. First, it enables managers to identify the most important dimensions of brand engagement according to Hart's theory, when employee reviews are posted on social media. When managers are able to discern which dimensions figure prominently in the most highly regarded brands according to employees, they can begin to formulate strategies that might enable them to develop these dimensions in their own environment. Likewise, when they are able to distinguish the dimensions that mark the least highly regarded brands, or the dimensions that occasion negative reviews, they will be able to develop strategies that enable their firms to overcome these effects. Second, the use of data such as that available on Glassdoor will allows managers to compare the nature of their brand engagement to others, such as competitors or firms they wish to benchmark against, and to develop strategies that will enable them to shift their level of brand engagement over time. Third, the results of the study reinforce the notion that brands and human capital are more important and interlinked than most managers acknowledge. The management of these two assets therefore requires more than occasional attention; rather, they should become part of regular organizational brand strategy.
- ItemOpen AccessA critical evaluation of the contribution of psychographic measures as descriptor variables in the profiling of market segments for a specific industry(1993) Chaplin, Marilyn; Brice, Helene; Wegner, TrevorPsychographic measures were widely employed in market segmentation studies in the seventies. Psychographics were said to offer marketers quantitative research that resulted in rich descriptive profiles of target segments. The present use of psychographics in segmentation studies has however become a controversial issue among marketing theorists. The literature reveals that no explicit theory has guided the development of psychographics. As a result it has been abused by researchers. There is no one universally accepted definition of psychographics and researchers tend to operationalize psychographics to fit their own research purposes. Psychographics has consequently attracted criticism in the literature. Critics argue that psychographic measures are useless and expensive. Moreover, it is felt that psychographic segmentation studies often produce results that are questioned on the grounds of reliability and validity. On the other hand, supporters of psychographic research feel that psychographic measures can be of value in segmentation studies. It is the author's intention in this thesis to address the conflicting opinions surrounding the potential usefulness of including psychographic variables in a market segmentation analysis.
- ItemOpen AccessThe effect of negative user-generated content on consumer-based brand equity : comparing brand loyal versus non-loyal customers in the luxury wine market(2016) Wouters, Claire; Botha, ElsamariWith the rise of user-generated content (UGC), negative UGC could have disastrous consequences for brands: One single post could easily spread like a virus, might even go viral and brand managers have no power in limiting the damage. Negative UGC contributes towards an overall negative brand perception, which harms the process of building long-term consumer-based brand equity (CBBE). CBBE is especially relevant for luxury brands, where decisions are heavily reliant on brand perceptions, and perceptions contrary to or different from exclusivity could be established. Luxury wines, in particular, are complex products in the mind of the consumer: wine customers are overwhelmed by too many choices in wine brands with very few objectives decision cues. While CBBE is critical in an extremely competitive wine market, little research has been done on CBBE of luxury wines. This study therefore questions whether CBBE is affected through negative UGC, and if that effect is different for brand loyal versus non-loyal customers. The "love becomes hate" argument proposes that loyal consumers are more impacted by extreme negative UGC, because betrayal in brand trust leads to strong CBBE damage. The "love is blind" argument, on the other hand, proposes that loyal customers are more forgiving towards negative UGC because of their relationship with the brand. Moreover, non-loyal consumers are more influenced by negative UGC, since they exclude brands more easily in a decision-making process after consuming negative UGC. Previous researches regarding CBBE have not found evidence yet of how negative UGC impacts the perception of brand loyal and non-loyal wine consumers. This study therefore attempted to better understand this phenomenon in the luxury wine context. In order to truly understand the impact of negative UGC on CBBE, use is made of Aaker's four-asset CBBE model. This model proposes that CBBE consists of brand awareness, brand associations, perceived quality and brand loyalty. This study used an experimental research design and 154 respondents participated in a quasi-experimental design that tested the effect of fictitious negative UGC, that appeared on Facebook, on CBBE. This study found that negative UGC reduces CBBE and customers' perception of the luxury brand is damaged after exposure to negative UGC. Brand loyal customers' CBBE had the greatest decrease, which supports the 'love becomes hate' argument. Marketing managers therefore need to understand the risks of UGC on CBBE and set up an online brand strategy in order to know how to act and react on negative UGC to prevent CBBE from being damaged. They also need to pay particular care in managing loyal customers' exposure to negative UGC.
- ItemOpen AccessThe effect of responsible tourism management practices on business performance in an emerging market(2007) Frey, Nicole; George, RichardClimate change, diminishing natural resources and a host of socio-economic challenges have fuelled the demands on businesses to manage their operations in a more sustainable and responsible manner. Global pressure, changing consumer demands and proof of business benefits have driven the growth in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The tourism sector, however, despite being highly dependent on natural and human capital, has been slow to react to this trend. This paper investigates which factors influence the attitudes and perceptions of business managers towards responsible tourism management (RTM) and the effect that these attitudes and perceptions have on business performance. A conceptual model was developed to consider the relationships between managers' attitudes, management intention and business performance. Additionally variables considered to have disruptive power, such as managers' gender, highest level of education achieved, personal values, level of competitiveness, and industry sub-sector, were also included in the model. The analysis showed that despite the positive attitudes of tourism managers towards RTM, evidence of employee training, local procurement, and H IV/Aids policies is limited. Only 12.7% have an HIV/Aids policy and merely 13.7% carry the Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) trademark. Factors disrupting the linear relationship between attitude and behaviour include the level of competitiveness in the business environment, the industry subsector, business size and the perceived costs of implementing RTM. The findings confirm previous research that a majority of South African tourism businesses are not adopting responsible tourism practices despite the evident need and benefits thereof. The findings from the research, however, also suggest that businesses who are employing RTM practices enjoy tangible business benefits ranging from increased employee morale to bottom line profits. The tourism industry in South Africa has been strongly criticised for its lack of transformation. Various government policies have been developed to encourage and expedite the spread of numerous benefits stemming from tourism to more South Africans. These include employment opportunities, small medium and micro enterprise (SMME) development, and poverty reduction. Social marketing campaigns by government tourism agencies aimed at influencing tourism businesses' management style should consider the findings from this study. Strategies will be more effective if the channels to implement RTM are made simpler, if the tourism industry feels supported by government to implement these changes, if the relative size of the business is taking into consideration, and if the perceived costs of RTM are addressed. It is imperative that the potential business benefits of RTM, including increased brand loyalty, product differentiation, marketing opportunities, and profits are communicated to tourism business managers. RTM, thus, becomes a strategic business choice for companies seeking to gain a competitive advantage. It benefits both the company and the society at large. Ultimately, a more sustainable and competitive South African tourism industry will result if business objectives of profit-maximisation are aligned with social and environmental goals.
- ItemOpen AccessEffects of content marketing on attitude formation in the South African energy drink market(2015) Hirschfelder, Benedikt; Human, GertThe rapid technological innovation of the last decade has altered the way people understand and communicate information. The internet specifically has made possible unprecedented access to information which has added another dimension to consumer and marketing practitioner behaviour. The most salient consequence of these developments in the marketing communication arena has been the transition from domination by the marketing practitioner to that of the consumer. More precisely, the huge product variety and the access to non-commercial information in terms of user-generated content gives the consumer incredible autonomy. Facing these circumstances, marketing practitioners are adjusting their strategies in producing informative or entertaining content to surround their product in order to impact the new complex, user-driven market. This specific type of content driven marketing is referred to as content marketing. While the idea of providing useful content around the product/brand is a well-known marketing strategy, consistent technological innovation enables marketers to approach the consumer in a different way. Encouraged by a proliferation of user-generated content, marketing practitioners have already embraced content marketing and established a considerable case series of effective examples. Nevertheless, a scholarly analysis of the impact of content marketing on attitude formation has not yet occurred. Thus the goal of this thesis is to unpack content marketing, and explore its impact on the consumer in order to locate content marketing within Integrated Marketing Communications. Specifically, this study investigates how consumers perceive the sponsor through content marketing, and if emotions triggered by this content influence consumer attitudes towards the sponsor. In order to substantiate the theoretical discourse with practical evidence, a video from the energy drink manufacturer Red Bull serves as a research object and real-world example. By demonstrating the particular strengths of the medium, this thesis aims to establish an academic foundation for the analysis of content marketing, and contribute to the content marketing renaissance.
- ItemOpen AccessEvaluating an androgynous brand extension: the gender identity/ gendered brand relationship and influencing factors(2015) Ringas, Astrid; Botha, Elsamari; Reyneken MignonGender identification behaviour has altered drastically within the last decade. Consequently, there has been a noteworthy rise in the amount of androgynous individuals. Gender identity congruity theory posits that individuals display more favourable behavioural outcomes towards brands that possess similar images or identities to their own. Further, contemporary consumers express their identities via their brand choices. Thus, there is a strong implication that introducing an androgynous brand could prove to be a lucrative strategy for marketers. However, gendering brands as either masculine or feminine prevails as the most commonly employed strategy to differentiate a brand and appeal to target audiences. Introducing androgynous brands through a brand extension could prove to be less risky and costly than introducing such a brand as a novel, stand-alone offering. This study examined gender identity's potential influence on the evaluation of an androgynous brand extension. Further, it investigated the potential influence of three key factors on this central relationship: self-concept, product category and the gender of the parent brand. With regard to these moderators, it was posited that first, if the brand's image aligned with one's self-concept the evaluation of the androgynous brand extension would be more favourable. Distinction was made between actual and ideal self-concept. Second, a distinction could be made between functional and symbolic product categories with regards to the influence that gender identity exerted on brand extension evaluation. And third, that the gender of the parent brand would influence the evaluation of the androgynous brand extension. Subsequently, a 2 x 2 factorial design experiment was administered to a quota-controlled non-probability sample of Generation Y consumers. The findings demonstrated that gender identity influences the evaluation of an androgynous brand extension. Furthermore, self-concept moderated this relationship between gender identity and brand extension evaluation. The product category wherein the androgynous brand extension was implemented was evidenced to affect individuals' evaluation of the brand extension, with the one introduced in the symbolic product category receiving more favourable evaluations than the extension introduced in the functional category. The gender of the parent brand exerted no influence on brand extension evaluation, where androgynous brand extensions from both feminine and masculine parent brands were evaluated similarly. Self-concept also exerted an effect on brand extension evaluation, with ideal self-concept exerting a stronger influence than actual self-concept. Lastly, individuals were shown to prefer an androgynous brand to a masculine or feminine one. The principal inference resulting from this research is that marketers should strongly consider introducing an androgynous brand extension should they possess a feminine masculine brand within the clothing, deodorant, or similar products categories. Respondents evaluated the androgynous brand extension favourably across both assessed product categories and regardless of whether the brand extension was introduced from a masculine or feminine parent brand. This was observed for all gender identity segments. It is imperative that managers take gender identity and self-concept into account as these identity aspects exert noteworthy influences on individuals' consumption behaviours. However, managers should take note of the evidenced interaction between gender identity and self-concept. Where individuals perceive there to be a high level of congruence between their self-concept and the androgynous brand extension, individuals with high levels of masculinity should not be targeted as they displayed negative evaluations of the brand extension.
- ItemOpen AccessExploring factors influencing Black South African Millennials when considering African Ankara fashion(2016) Mbumbwa, Tendai; Chigada, JoelThe cyclical evolution of fashion has been based on the designs and styles composed in the fashion capitals of the world. Novelty and expression have been determinants of leading fashion. African fashion portrays both these elements through the vibrant fabric and culturally inspired pieces of clothing. With Western fashion dominating South African shopping centres, whether the younger and significant black South African Millennial (BSAM) cohort members ascribe any value to African fabric fashion is a matter of interest. The objective of this study is to explore, investigate and ascertain what factors BSAMs consider to be influential in their consideration of AFF. The adoption of fashion is a behaviour, which is preceded by a consumer holding the intention to so act; the intention to adopt fashion is influenced and altered by multiple different factors; AFF is arguably "new" fashion to the target population, based on the dominance of first-world fashion in the country; thus it is of interest to see what factors BSAMs consider to be influential when considering AFF. The data for this interpretivist study was collected through the use of a qualitative research methodology. The data were analysed manually. The theoretical framework and the literature review showed that the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) was the basic theory for the study. This model was modified in line with the objectives of this study. Five factors structure the model, namely: attitude, social values (normative variables), fashion involvement, country-of-origin (COO) effect and consumer ethnocentrism (CE) (all perceived control variables). The generation, which is entering the working world and whose fashion selection is increasingly coming under their own control, desire to buy the fashion at affordable prices. Companies that target the cohort should recognise the pride, which the cohort holds in being African. Their pride must be recognised and acknowledged, and even supported; in order to appeal to this generation. Musical celebrities should be used in marketing campaigns; and the social media should be a channel utilised; since much interest in the medium has been shown by the findings of this study.
- ItemOpen AccessExploring the signalling potential of mega-sporting events : an analysis of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa(2016) Jenkins, David; Botha, Elsamari; George, RichardMega-sporting events such as the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil have been observed to serve as highly influential tools for the promotion of positive media impressions surrounding the host destination. Drawing from the field of existing knowledge surrounding the sociology of sport, the media and media content analysis, this study reports on a media content analysis conducted on the local news coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in selected South African newspapers. Monitoring coverage over and eight-year pre- and post-event period, the analysis identified five principal themes: stadiums; safety and security; Bafana-Bafana; social-impact; and economic-impact. The findings indicated a cyclical-type shift in conversation, where focus was placed on impressions of host-nation capabilities and readiness in the lead up to the event, to profound euphoria, unity and pride during the hosting stages of the event, and finally onto critical impact and legacy evaluation in the post-event phase. The sentiment of the coverage was largely balanced across all periods, with the total number of positive references only slightly exceeding that of negative references. These findings serve as critical insight to the work of event organisers, media managers and policy developers alike, whom all hold a vested interest in managing the perceived impressions of mega-sporting events. Practical implications for these stakeholders include: i) establishing greater clarity with respect to the overall signalling benefits of mega-sporting; and ii) informing media management campaigns to reinforce the power of mega-sporting events as a positive reference point - especially in the post-event legacy period.
- ItemOpen AccessThe impact of electronic word-of-mouth in social networking sites on a high-involvement purchase : an empirical study of South African brides' intention to purchase the "once-in-a-lifetime" wedding dress(2016) Mowzer, Zeenat; Botha, ElsamariaSouth Africa is home to a bourgeoning wedding industry valued at $3.25 billion. Much of the profit generated in this industry is from the sales of wedding dresses, with 57.1% of South African brides having purchased a new wedding dress from a bridal boutique in 2013. Previous research has looked at the effect of social media, in the form of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM), on purchase intention. However, few studies have analysed this effect for high-risk, "once-in-a-lifetime" products such as wedding dresses. In South Africa alone, social media users increased by 20% in 2014, with 29% of the population using social media applications. However, it is uncertain whether this widespread adoption of social media influences the purchase of high-risk, "once-in-alifetime" products like wedding dresses. The "eWOM in SNS's model" is applied to this context, where the influence of eWOM, trust and value co-creation, on the purchase intention of a wedding dress, is compared using an experimental design. One hundred and fifty-two (n=152) engaged South African females, between the age of 18 and 29 years, partook in an experiment. The experiment involved a control group and an experimental group, who viewed eWOM on the Facebook fan page of a wedding dress vendor. The study showed that while the "eWOM in SNS's model" was both valid and reliable in this context, the influence of eWOM on purchase intention was much diminished and fully mediated through value co-creation. The managerial implications of this study's findings, aimed at wedding dress vendors with Facebook fan pages, were all geared towards stimulating value co-creation, given its effect on the relationship between eWOM and purchase intention. The implications involved maximising visual content, appropriately responding to negative comments, publishing posts at suitable times and frequencies, observing the available Facebook reports and posting customer testimonials.
- ItemOpen AccessThe impact of personality and self-efficacy on customer revenge behaviour(2013) Eksteen, Annelie; Botha, EBetrayed customers are increasingly seeking ways to restore fairness. One way to do this is through customer revenge. Customer revenge behaviour has become an increasingly important topic in marketing research, especially with the far reaching impact that online complaining (a form of indirect revenge) has. Revenge behaviour usually takes place after a service failure and a failed attempt at service recovery, and is an attempt to redress an interpersonal offence by committing an aggressive action against a perceived offender. This is done to 1) get even with the company, 2) restore a moral balance, or 3) is sometimes justified by customers as a moral obligation to restore the balance between the customer and the firm. There are two forms of revenge behaviour: direct and indirect revenge. Direct revenge consists of marketplace aggression and vindictive complaining, and indirect revenge consists of negative word-of-mouth and online complaints. This study expands and tests a comprehensive model of customer revenge behaviour (adapted from Gregoire, Laufer & Tripp, 2010) within a service environment. Revenge behaviour is usually an attempt to redress an interpersonal offence by committing an aggressive action against a perceived offender (Bechwati & Morrin, 2003; McCullough et al., 2001; Zourrig et al., 2009). Previous models of customer revenge behaviour assumes that all customers go through certain phases towards a desire for revenge and then, possibly, actual revenge behaviour. This study attempts to show that some customers are more likely to enact revenge than others. First, the key role that customers’ personality type plays in the development of a desire for revenge is investigated. Personality type can be described as a combination of characteristics that makes up an individuals’ character (McCullough et al., 2001). Two personality types (derived from the Big Five personality types) that are hypothesised as being more inclined to developing a desire for revenge: agreeableness and conscientiousness, where customers who have low levels of agreeableness and low levels of conscientiousness are more inclined to develop a desire for revenge.
- ItemOpen AccessThe influence of employee engagement on customer experience in business-to business relationships(2015) Hill, Michelle; Human, GertA customer's overall experience of interaction with a firm can be influenced by a variety of antecedents including employee behaviour, and can affect a variety of constructs including a customer's intention to remain loyal to a firm. The study contributes to the customer experience literature by constructing and empirically testing a theoretical model that integrates the construct of employee engagement as an influencing variable on customer experience in a business-to-business environment. Employee engagement is characterised by the level of engagement an employee depicts through attributes such as vigour, dedication and absorption. The study sampled 106 employee respondents and 1,216 customer respondents of a South African mining and construction firm. The combined dataset of both employee and customer responses was empirically tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling. The research finds a relationship exists between employee engagement and customer experience of employee performance. Additionally, customer experience of employee performance was significantly statistically associated with overall customer experience, a construct focusing on customer experience comparative to competitors and alternate suppliers. The enhancement of understanding of the antecedents of employee engagement and the effect of customer experience on customer loyalty may assist in the development of interventions to address the gaps in the employee-customer encounter. The principle implication emanating from this study is that customer experience, as a construct, should not be ignored, as the inclusion of a customer experience construct may enhance and complement the prediction of customer behaviour, not only in a business-to-business environment. Establishing the positive and negative levels of the required competencies of employees assists in guiding the supervisory performance discussion, subsequent training suggestions and required on-the-ground coaching.
- ItemOpen AccessInvestigating the Factors That Contribute to In-App Purchases in Online Gaming:The Stimulus-Organism-Response Model(2018) Mathews, Ozayr; Botha, ElsamariaAdvancements in online payment mechanics has revolutionised the monetisation of online games. One such method known as In-App Purchases (IAPs) - small purchases of virtual goods for real world currencies, has become a popular method of increasing the profitability of online games. In-App Purchases are made only by small percentages of players in a game and the reasons influencing players to make In-App Purchases vary. Exploring the influencers of players online purchase intent in online games may assist game developers in increasing players’ willingness to make In-App Purchases. The monetisation mechanics of games and consumers’ willingness to make online purchases are an important focus in the online gaming industry when determining the profitability of a game. Thus, coming to understand the monetisation mechanics of a game and the way it influences consumers online purchase intent can be useful to game developers and marketers when developing new games. The purpose of this study was, thus, to assist both game developers and marketers in understanding the influencers of online purchase intent in online games, in order to better create and market more profitable online games. The Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model was used to better understand InApp purchasing behavior, where Stimulus refers to game characteristics, Organism refers to gameplay experience that could lead to the Response resulting in Online Purchase Intent. The factors identified that contributed to this response include: Active Control, Reciprocal Communication, Social Identity, Skill and Challenge which constitute the Stimulus constructs of the S-O-R model; the factors which constitute Response include: Flow, Cognitive Involvement and Affective Involvement. The model was tested using an online survey and tested through the use of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling software. The results of the study provide support for the conceptual framework and indicate that Online Purchase Intent may be most influenced by the way players personally identify with a game, and how much of a challenge the game presents. The results also indicate that emotional involvement with a game has a significant positive influence on Online Purchase Intent and that online purchases may be impulse purchases. The findings of this study imply that game developers may be able to influence Online Purchase Intent by increasing the level challenge found in games. Additionally, marketers may be able to influence online purchases through the use of emotional appeals in game advertisements and by offering limited edition sales of InApp Purchases. Future research related to this study should explore which emotions are the greatest influencers of Online Purchase Intention, and how these emotions influence the willingness to make In-App Purchases.
- ItemOpen AccessAn investigation into brand loyalty, and the case for house brands in the emergent township market(2000) Oakenfull, Catherine; Simpson, JohnIncludes bibliographies.
- ItemOpen AccessAn investigation into whether young teens change their clothing consumer behaviour and brand preferences after the transition from primary school (grade seven) to high school (grade eight) in the South Western Cape(2007) Fischer, Carolyn; Simpson, JohnThis study focused on two segments that have emerged from an evolution within the children's market- the tween and young teen markets. However, few market researchers had investigated the transition between these two stages - leaving primary school and going to high school. Despite there being a rather small age gap between older tweens and young teens, the numerous challenges brought about due to the transition from primary school to high school could affect areas such as academic performance, friendships and so forth. It was the aim of this study to uncover any changes in relation to the consumer behaviour and brand preferences of young teens occurred due to this transitional period. The literature review looked at the international and South African older tween and young teen markets through market identification and characterization. The transition phase from primary school to high school looked at the similarities and differences of older tweens and young teens and the social and academic impact of school transitions on grade eights. Four areas were identified that were said to influence one's clothing consumer behaviour and brand preferences as a result of the school transition to high school. These were developmental changes; the influence of one's reference groups; role models and the media that one subscribes to, and the financial circumstances in which one lives. The researcher also investigated brand loyalty and the influence of peer pressure on the clothing consumer behaviour and brand preferences of young teens. Furthermore, the literature review covered branding and how fashion and brands influenced the consumer behaviour of young teens. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in this study. The primary research tools used were the two surveys that were successfully administered to two hundred and seventy four grade sevens and eights in ten schools in the South Western Cape. Permission was obtained from the Western Cape Education Department and a time restriction was given for the surveys to be administered to the schools. The researcher also used qualitative research methods in the form of experience interviews with nine members of the academic and business community who were deemed knowledgeable on the topics of child development, branding, consumer behaviour and school transitions. Limited focus groups were conducted, although this was primarily used to construct the questionnaires. Furthermore, the researcher made use of secondary data sources such as reputable and peer reviewed journal articles, books and so forth. Out of the five school sets in this research study the De Kuilen school set showed statistically significant results between grade sevens and eights with regards to developmental, reference group, financial and brand preference changes. The Kuils River school set also showed statistically significant results with regards to developmental, role models, peer pressure and brand preference changes. However, the rest of the school sets showed minor or failed to show statistical differences between the two grades in question. On the whole no significant developmental, reference group, role model and peer pressure changes were noted between grade sevens and grade eights. On the other hand, two of the findings agreed with the initial hypotheses that were put forward. Financial changes did occur, as grade eights received more pocket money than grade sevens and parents were still involved in purchasing clothing for their young teens; and as expected, young teens failed to prove brand loyal. Consequently, although two null hypotheses (financial changes and brand loyalty) were accepted out of six proposed and two school sets out of the five showed statistical differences between the two grades on the matters investigated, the primary null hypothesis was rejected. The researcher concluded that young teens in the South Western Cape did not change their clothing consumer behaviour and brand preferences after entering high school. However, this conclusion was limited only to those schools and students who participated in the study. The researcher recommended that in general both grades could be targeted together as one clothing brand market. Especially when young teens were in the first part of grade eight, as both markets liked wearing brands such as Billabong and Roxy for very similar reasons. In addition, the lack of brand loyalty was not seen to be a hindrance, but an opportunity for marketers to attract young teens due to the fashionability and affordability of the clothing. Their purchasing power not only by themselves, but also more often than not with the help of their parents made them a lucrative market worthy of attention. On the other hand, while the researcher may have gained more knowledge from using more qualitative research, as some information from the questionnaires contradicted each other, it was also suggested that due the two age groups being so similar, it may have been more beneficial to compare two differing age groups such as grade sevens and nines.
- ItemOpen AccessMonthly expenditure category fluctuations and trade-off in South Africa bottom of the pyramid households(2017) Lappeman, James; Chigada, Joel; Pillay, PragasenThis exploratory study investigated changes in the allocation of household expenditure between various product or service categories in a sample of South African low-income or 'bottom of the pyramid' (BoP) households. First, the mixed methods research quantified the monthly income and expenditure fluctuations in the sample of households over a period of four months. In addition, study identified and quantified expenditure category trade-offs in the target households. Finally, a qualitative inquiry explained the reasons for the fluctuations and the trade-offs identified in the first two components. The study was based on the existing BoP proposition and specifically focused on BoP consumer decision-making theory. Methodologically, the study was a monthly longitudinal panel over four months. The quantitative component employed a once-off baseline questionnaire to gather household data. The participating households then completed monthly self-complete financial diary questionnaires that recorded both income and expenditure. The qualitative component involved interviews with representatives from the participating households and provided details to explain the underlying causes for changes in monthly expenditure patterns. The study was conducted in four provinces with eighty BoP households participating in the research. The study found significant variation in both household income and expenditure between months. The variation and consequent trade-offs between expenditure categories was caused by calendar-related phenomena (such as the festive season), income shocks, unforeseen expenses and spreading the household budget over multiple months. In addition, large fluctuations in income resulted in a constantly shifting allocation of expenditure to categories that required the most attention at a particular point in time. Informal savings (stokvels) and micro-enterprise expenses also contributed to fluctuations in income and expenditure. This study provides unique insights that fill a vacuum in the current body of academic and industry knowledge for this segment of close to forty million BoP South Africans. No study of this nature has been published in either South African or international journals.
- ItemOpen AccessPrivacy, Self-Sovereign Identity Technology and the Willingness to Provide Personal Information(2021) Hendricks, Matthew; Hirschfelder, Benedikt; Pillay, PragasenThe internet has caused an unprecedented increase in the amount of personal information that is available online. This personal information has been harnessed directly by companies, to provide targeted marketing to 3rd parties. It can also be used for a company's own internal marketing communication practices. Further highlighting the importance of personal information, some companies have emerged whose business models depend on the accurate collection, and monetisation of this personal information (Streitfeld, 2018). This has led to interest and concern over the misuse of personal information, and the extent companies should benefit from the acquisition of personal information of consumers and 3rd parties. Technological innovation, specifically Blockchain Technology has created the possibility to eliminate these actual or perceived abuses of consumer data, and allow consumers to exercise greater control over their personal data. Blockchain Technology can be simply understood as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet where hundreds of participants continuously verify each entry in the spreadsheet so that no incorrect or fraudulent inputs are made. Specifically, SelfSovereign Identity Technology, currently in its early stages, may allow consumers to have full control of their consumer data via the Blockchain. This includes, access, distribution and may even allow consumers to monetise their own personal information. If consumers fully embrace Self-Sovereign Identity Technology, businesses will have to rethink and overhaul their data collection, marketing practices and business models. On the other hand, consumers will have to decide what they will do, with the data relating to their digital identity and how they might exchange it for their benefit. Despite its potential to disrupt the collection of personal information by companies, a scholarly analysis of the use Self-Sovereign Identity Technology and its relationship with a consumer's willingness to share personal information has not yet happened. Thus the aim of this thesis is two-fold. Firstly, to understand what drives a consumer to disclose personal information over the internet. Secondly, to understand the connection between this willingness to disclose personal information, and the use of Self-Sovereign Identity Technology. This is investigated using a survey analysis and primary data. This study aspires to create an academic basis for the examination of Self-Sovereign Identity Technology and its relationship with the willingness of consumers to provide personal information. In this study several factors were found to affect a South African consumer's willingness to provide personal information online. Based on the prior work of Schoenbachler and Gordon (2010) and Phelps, Nowak and Ferrel (2000) several perceived risk factors and trust factors were hypothesised to affect this willingness to provide personal information. The trust factors included: past experience with a company, reputation of a company and perception of dependability. The perceived risk factors included: type of personal information requested, consequences and benefits, individual consumer characteristics and consumer control over information. All of these factors were found to be significant except for the perception of dependability, which was not supported. Furthermore, perceived functional value was found to moderate the relationship between individual consumer characteristics and the willingness to provide personal information. Lastly, this study found evidence that a relationship exists between the willingness to provide personal information online and the willingness to use SSI technology. This relationship was found to be strong, and negative.
- ItemOpen AccessA profile of international participants of the 2004 Cape Argus Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour(2005) Shaffie, Rushan; George, RichardSport tourism is a niche market within the broad field of tourism in South Africa. The tourism industry of this country is relatively young in terms of development when compared to European and American countries as a result of the retardation caused by apartheid. While the leisure tourist market in South Africa continues to be researched extensively, the niche Special Interest Tourism (SIT) markets, particularly that of sport tourism, are being overlooked to a great extent and continue the struggle to reach the levels of similar, developed markets. Many other aspects of the sport tourism industry of South Africa require research, to provide the knowledge that will help the country position itself adequately and capitalise on this market. This Includes investigation into SA as a host destination of events, profiling the international sport tourists who visit SA as well as the domestic sport tourists that travel to sporting events within the country. The Cape Argus Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour (CAPPCT) is a world-renowned event and satisfies the criteria of the definition of a hallmark event i.e. "Major one-time or recurring events of limited duration, developed primarily to enhance the awareness, appeal and profitability of a tourism destination in the short and/or long term. Such events rely for their success on uniqueness, status or timely significance to create interest and attract attention". Consequently, this event was selected as the ideal event on which to investigate the above-mentioned aspects. Sport tourists' choices are influenced by many intrinsic and extrinsic factors. These intrinsic factors include the inherent needs and motivations that drive the individual. The widely used Needs hierarchy depicts the order in which an individual's needs are satisfied. One begins with the lower-order needs such as nutrition, shelter, security, which are followed by higher-order needs such as social acceptance, status and self-actualisation. The notion is that as lower order needs are satisfied, higher order needs that are more associated with the ego than the body, take precedence and become more important. In addition one's identity and how one seeks to define it are of great importance. Many spectators and players define themselves by the sports that they play and the teams that they support (and identify with), to a great extent. An external factor such as sub-cultural membership provides the individual with a different set of benefits and ultimately fulfills higher level needs far more effectively.