The growth in Laos’ economy has been increasingly important in terms of consumption and tourism within Thailand. Currently, however, few studies have attempted to develop a marketing strategy for regional retailers in this emerging nation. This research is concerned with developing an appropriate marketing strategy that balances supply and demand within this regional market. Given that marketing relies heavily on understanding consumer behaviour, the objectives of this study are, first, to develop a cross-border shopper taxonomy in a regional market using benefit segmentation. In order to develop this marketing strategy, the research identified consumer expectations in order to explore how to achieve a competitive advantage that matches consumer needs with the available supplies. This cross-border shopping taxonomy provides a starting point for a holistic evaluation that will assist retailers in making marketing decisions. The study then attempts to understand the current market situations and marketing in practice from the perspective of suppliers. After assessing the correspondence between demand and supply, recommendations on strategic marketing are offered to Thai retailers at the end of the investigation. This study employed both quantitative and qualitative research methods, with 337 questionnaires and seven in-depth interviews. The survey was conducted in Thailand between December 2013 and January 2014. The data were collected from three provinces in the northeast region of Thailand that share a border with Laos: Nongkhai, Mukdahan and Nakorn Phanom. These provinces have high potential in respect to both tourism and retail developments. In addition, the seven interviewees with retailers and policy planners examined the implementation of market segmentation and marketing strategies. The data from the interviews was interpreted and compared with the quantitative data in order to investigate the correspondence between supply and demand. In order to classify cross-border shoppers, the major statistical analyses used were EFA and cluster analysis based on benefits sought. Segments were profiled with travel behaviour, shopping behaviour and demographic variables. ANOVA and MANOVA were employed to test differences between groups. After that, the research explored expectations through the Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) in order to identify priorities for developing a competitive advantage. The results show that cross-border shoppers in the regional markets of Thailand consist of four segments: the Enthusiastic shoppers, the Leisure-tourist shoppers, the Product-focused shoppers and the Practical shoppers. These segments relate to the benefits sought, and correlate with different demographic variables, shopping activities and consumption patterns. Moreover, they have different expectations towards place attributes which are important for designing a marketing strategy that is suitable to each segment. Unfortunately, the interviewees from the supply side provided less marketing response to the cross-border tourist marketing. The implications of the findings are, first, that benefit segmentation is associated with demographic variables, shopping activities and expenditures. In addition, the evidence suggests some misunderstandings on the part of suppliers in respect to cross-border demand. The evaluation of demand and supply contributed recommendations for the design and management of effective marketing strategies for cross-border shoppers in this emerging nation.

Functional foods constitute a growing focus for research, product development and consumer interest in recent years. This study investigated the factors that affect willingness to pay for high fibre food on the market as well as respondents’ attitude towards the purchase of these products. The results indicated that those consumers in the high income group were more health conscious than their low income counterparts and willing to pay for high fibre products. The results showed that health risk perceptions as well as regulatory programmes affected consumers’ willingness to pay. The results also showed that at low percentage prices consumers were willing to pay for high fibre products. Gender and marital status did not seem to have an influence on willingness to buy for any of the selected products. Findings of the study could encourage food manufacturers to carry on with developments of functional foods since willingness to pay increased with increase in income. / Agriculture, Animal Health and Human Ecology

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

The purpose of this study was to identify tourist profiles as a segmentation variable for three festivals (Innibos, Oppikoppi and Volksblad). Numerous segmentation studies have been done in the past; however, few were done where profiles were used as variables for segmentation of arts festivals. Market segmentation is the way in which tourism companies divide a market into smaller, more clearly defined groups that share similar needs, wants, and characteristics. Segmentation is important in order for a destination to target the right kind of visitor. Other reasons for doing this type of research is to increase the number of new tourist arrivals; to increase the length of stay of tourists; the amount of tourist expenditure per visitor stay and to broaden the activities and shows that are offered. Research for this study was undertaken at three festivals. These festivals are Innibos, Volksblad and Oppikoppi respectively. Questionnaires were distributed randomly during the course of the festivals. Data collection was done by field workers who distributed questionnaires to the attendants of the festivals. At each of the three festivals questionnaires were interviewer administered and the "recall method" was used, where respondents had lo recall their spending. It was also a destination-based survey, where interviews were held on-site during the event. Different sites were chosen to limit response bias towards a certain group of festival attendants. The questionnaires were distributed throughout the course of the three festivals respectively. The data was used to compile graphs and tables so that a profile of each festival can be designed. Correlations between the three festivals and their profiles were made. In this case the effect size is given by w= √(x2/n), where x2 is the usual Chi-square statistic for the contingency table and n is the sample size. In the special case of a 2x2 table, the effect size (w) is given by phi (Φ) coefficient. Note that the effect size is again independent of sample size. Oppikoppi has an average of 10 000 attendants, lnnibos and Volksblad have an average of approximately 30 000 attendants per year. The sample size of 400 questionnaires for Volksblad and 400 questionnaires for lnnibos was anticipated and 200 for Oppikoppi. The variables that were the focus point of this study were gender, occupation, language, province where the attendants reside, travel group size and number of days at festival. This information can contribute to better marketing and more targeted markets for a larger number of attendants. The organiser can determine what type of entertainment, music, song and dance can be packaged and marketed as a unique product. The research indicated that organisers from Volksblad and lnnibos can focus more on family entertainment that is suitable for the whole family. Oppikoppi is a rock festival and therefore the organisers can get more rock bands, especially Afrikaans rock. All three festivals are for Afrikaans speaking people so they can use Afrikaans magazines and newspapers as well as Afrikaans radio stations to market these festivals in the province of deliverance as well as bordering provinces. The study contributes to the information of the larger festivals that already exists like Aardklop, Grahamstown and KKNK. / Thesis (M.Com. (Tourism))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

This thesis comprises two stages that empirically investigate and evaluate the perceptions and importance of service elements expectations of professional baseball spectator in Taiwan. Study I is designed to collect the perception of spectators service elements expectations focus groups meetings, which also help the research to develop an appropriate research instrument for the evaluation of the importance of service elements expectations to Taiwan professional baseball spectators. Study II collected 1020 questionnaire survey samples and used cluster analysis approach to segment TPB spectators into six meaningful groups by service elements expectations. The thesis concludes that, firstly, the successful use of expectation to segment spectators proves the potential of expectation as a typology with which to categorise customers. Secondly, TPB spectators with different levels of team identification failed to have great differences in their service expectations, even though two service factors ( subsidiary services and social and educational services ) were evaluated as less important by respondents, they were still evaluated that six service expectation factors are all important to them. Finally, this study provided a different angle for sports organisers to consider, and an outline for assisting managers design service packages that are highly responsive to the target market.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Economics / Philip G. Gayle / This dissertation is composed of two essays in the field of Industrial Organization. Specifically, the empirical studies are conducted by focusing on the market structure and competition issues in the airline industry. The first essay investigates entry deterrence through incumbents’ pricing strategies in the airline industry. Recent research finds evidence that incumbent airlines tend to cut fares in response to the “threat” of entry by Southwest Airlines. Instead of focusing on the entry threat by a single carrier, this essay re-examines this issue by looking at incumbent airlines’ price response when entry is threatened by a wider variety of potential entrant airlines. Results show that incumbents’ response vary by the identity of the firm making the threat. As expected, incumbents cut fares in response to the threat of entry by some potential entrants; however, a new result is also found that incumbents may respond by raising their fare depending on who is making the threat. The second essay looks into an antitrust-relevant issue in the airline industry. Proper antitrust analysis often focuses on whether the concerned differentiated products are truly competing with each other. This essay uses a structural econometric model to investigate whether nonstop and connecting air travel products effectively compete with each other. Estimate results suggest that connecting products may be an attractive alternative to nonstop products for leisure travelers but less so for business travelers. If connecting products are counterfactually eliminated, the empirical model predicts small price changes for nonstop products. This suggests that the two product types only weakly compete with each other and can be treated as being in separate product markets for antitrust purposes.

This master thesis deals with beer market segmentation in the Czech Republic. The main aim of this thesis is to find out whether there is only one big segment or more different segments can be found there. The thesis is divided into two parts, the methodological --theoretical and the practical one. Segmentation, targeting and positioning are described in the first part. The second part is devoted to secondary resources analysis and content analysis focused on beer advertisements. The main part of practical section is to depicts primary quantitative research which is the basis for market segmentation done via SPSS statistic programme. At the end of this master thesis all segments are described in detail and marketing recommendation for each of them are also added there.

Lifestyle market segmentation can be very supportive for a successful marketing strategy of a company. However it is not clear whether lifestyle market segmentation is efficient and ethical or not. Several market segmentation concepts such as Cross-Cultural Consumer Characterization, VALS, PRIZM NE, Mosaic, ConneXions NE and GfK Roper Consumer Styles are analyzed in order to give an extensive overview of the offered concepts. The observation of efficiency issues in regards to market segmentation comes to the result that there is a significant lack of empirical data and a shortage of determined factors which can improve market segmentation efficiency. Moreover, lifestyle market segmentation cannot be exclusively identified as ethically right or wrong, but depends on the individual ethical decision-making of a marketer.

This thesis deals with analysis of consumer attitudes to various types of stores. Its goal is to determine these attitudes and define the various segments of consumers who go shopping in those stores. Further to recommend an appropriate marketing strategy on the basis of the obtained results. The thesis is dividend into two parts. The first theoretical part prepares a theoretical basis for the second part, which is own research on consumer attitudes in Pilsen and environs. The first part of the theoretical basis defines the different types of stores. They differ in many characteristics and their combinations. The second part deals with the attitudes. It includes definitions of attitudes, defines their components, determines the attributes and functions, their formation and possibilities of change. The third section focuses on the segmentation. What segmentation is, how it is done and what is its aim. The fourth section describes the various ways of marketing communications and defines its goal. It also deals with psychological reasons for buying and own trade mark. In the second practical part I achieve own market research, whose goal is analysis of attitudes of pilsener consumers to the various types of stores.

The aim of this Master's Thesis is to reveal and describe segments within a group of university students. The first part includes the theory of market segmentation, including the market research theory and description of the technique of cluster analysis. The second part contains the exploration of secondary data - identifying characteristics of the target group and searching for ideas for own research. The third part describes preparation for primary research, collecting of the data and their analysis. At the end I reveal segments with the help of cluster analysis and describe all uncovered segments.