Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in the welfare field play a significant role in the national economy. They provide not only care, but also employment to a large component of the population. Therefore, their existence and well-being serve a social as well as an economic purpose. Various changes globally as well as in South Africa, affect the world in which NPOs function. They have to assess the impact of these changes on their operations and implement new strategies to survive and flourish. One of the challenges faced by NPOs is how to differentiate and promote themselves in such a way that it allows them to compete effectively for scarce resources but at the same time remain true to their core mission and values. The concept of branding, to create a lasting and positive impression in the consumer's mind, is one strategy NPOs can pursue to create distinction and competitive advantage. This study was undertaken to determine whether a specific re-branding exercise undertaken by Rand Aid Association during 2005/2006 has had a positive effect on its services and the financial viability of the organization. The results show that the. re-branding exercise has had a significant positive impact on the way the organization implemented and achieved a critical strategic objective, namely the development and sale of a new retirement village. It also made staff more aware of the brand and assisted the organization in obtaining greater clarity on the different businesses it pursues. However, the study also shows that the implementation of a brand orientation holds particular challenges. Many of the challenges are tied to the particular nature of the organization, such as a lack of human and financial resources and the difficulty in justifying expenditure on marketing above allocating these resources to meeting customer needs. Time, knowledge and money constraints also impacted on the process that was followed and on involving staff at all levels. In addition, the diversity of the services and target groups in the organization's portfolio made it very difficult to reach agreement on the true values and essence of the organization. This affected a clear and common understanding of the identity and meaning of the RAA brand. It is recommended that NPOs begin the brand orientation process by developing a clear focus on what the organization stands for and what it aims to deliver. An in-depth examination of the vision, purpose, values and underlying philosophies of the organization is essential. These must be clearly identified and internalized by all staff in order to develop a shared understanding of the brand and work towards consistency in delivering the brand promise. NPOs should realize that staff is one of the most important audiences for branding efforts as they determine the image and ultimately the reputation and continued existence of the organization. Internalization starts with recruiting employees whose values will support the brand, training them to understand and deliver the brand promise and fostering a culture that reinforces positive brand behaviour. NPOs can enhance their brands by utilizing their unique opportunities to develop close and warm relationships with consumers. One of the best ways to differentiate their services is through the relationships they offer and through their responsiveness to changing needs. Many NPOs also depend on word-of-mouth communication to promote their services and build their reputation, therefore conscious and concerted efforts to enhance relationships with existing customers should receive a high priority. Finally, it was evident that NPOs should be aware of and plan for the time, money and effort it will take to develop a brand orientation. Branding cannot be practiced as a once-off event nor do shortcuts pay in the long term. In particular, NPOs should remember that the development of a logo, corporate colours and brochures are the output of the process and not the starting point. The ultimate aim should be to achieve consistency across all points of contact with customers and to ensure that these are in line with the brand promise. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / M.B.L.

Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa / Consumers are an important part of business and understanding their behaviour, wants, and needs plays a vital role in the success of any business. This study focussed on the health and fitness industry in South Africa and the consumers making use of their services, as well as the non-users of these services. The primary objective of this study is to develop a consumer typology for health and fitness centres, based on the consumer behaviour of its members. Non-gym member responses were also solicited. A questionnaire was developed and sent out via email and Facebook, using convenience and snowball sampling to gather quantitative data. In total, 209 responses were received of which 98 were gym members and 111 not. Various statistical analyses were conducted on the data. A factor analysis was done to create a more manageable number of variables, while a cluster analysis was done to indicate whether certain profiles existed within the data. Cross-tabulations were carried out on the profiles to identify any significant differences in terms of their consumer behaviour. A T-test was performed to determine whether any differences existed regarding the choice of a specific health and fitness centre, while two binary logistical regressions were done to identify which factors could predict gym membership. The results indicated that two distinct gym member profiles, and two non-gym member profiles, could be identified. / Verbruikers is ʼn belangrike deel van besigheid en ʼn deeglike begrip van hul gedrag, begeertes en behoeftes speel ʼn deurslaggewende rol in die sukses van enige sakeonderneming. Hierdie studie fokus op die gesondheid- en fiksheidbedryf in Suid-Afrika, die verbruikers wat van hierdie dienste gebruik maak, asook dié wat nie daarvan gebruik maak nie. Die hoofoogmerk van hierdie studie is om ʼn verbruikertipologie vir gesondheid- en fiksheidsentrums te ontwikkel op grond van die verbruikersgedrag van die lede. Niegimnasiumlede is ook aangemoedig om deel te neem. ʼn Vraelys is ontwikkel en via e-pos en Facebook versprei. Gerieflikheid- en sneeubalsteekproefneming is gebruik om kwantitatiewe data in te samel. Altesaam 209 response is ontvang, waarvan 98 gimnasiumlede is en 111 nie gimnasiumlede is nie. Verskeie statistiese ontledings van die data is uitgevoer. ʼn Faktorontleding is gedoen om ʼn meer hanteerbare aantal veranderlikes te kry, terwyl trosontleding gebruik is om te bepaal of daar sekere profiele in die data bestaan. Kruistabellerings is op die profiele uitgevoer om enige noemenswaardige verskille ten opsigte van hul verbruikersgedrag te identifiseer. ʼn T-toets is gedoen om te bepaal of daar enige verskille rakende die keuse van ʼn spesifieke gesondheid- en fiksheidsentrum is, terwyl twee binêre logistieke regressies gedoen is om te identifiseer watter faktore gimansiumlidmaatskap kan voorspel. Die resultate het getoon dat twee afsonderlike gimnasiumlidprofiele, en twee nielidprofiele, geïdentifiseer kan word. / Badiriši ke karolo ye bohlokwa ya kgwebo gomme go kwešiša maitshwaro a bona, dihlokwa le dinyakwa go bapala karolo ye bohlokwa katlegong ya kgwebo efe le efe. Nyakišišo ye e lebantše go intasteri ya maphelo le tša boitekanelo ka Afrika Borwa, badiriši bao ba šomišago ditirelo tša yona, le bona bao ba sa šomišego ditirelo tše. Maikemišetšomagolo a nyakišišo ye ke go bopa thaepolotši ya badiriši ba disenthara tša maphelo le tša boitekanelo, go ya ka maitshwaro a badiriši ba maloko a tšona. Dikarabo tša maloko a go se šomiše lefelo la boithobollelo le tšona di kgopetšwe. Lenaneopotšišo le dirilwe gomme le rometšwe ka imeili le Facebook, go šomišwa sešupo sa boiketlo le sa koketšo go kgoboketša datha ya khwalitheithifi. Ka moka, go amogetšwe dikarabo tše 209 tšeo 98 ya tšona e lego ya maloko a lefelo la boithobollelo gomme tše 111 ga se tša maloko. Ditshekatsheko tša go fapana tša dipalopalo di dirilwe godimo ga datha. Tshekatsheko ya dintlha e dirilwe go bopa palo ye e laolegago bonolo ya dintlha, mola tshekatsheko ya sehlopha e dirilwe go laetša ge eba diprofaele tše itšeng di gona ka gare ga datha. Mekgwatshekatsheko ya go fapana e dirilwe godimo ga diprofaele go hlaola diphapano dife le dife tše bohlokwa go ya ka maitshwaro a bona a bodiriši. Teko-T e dirilwe go laetša ge eba go bile le phapano efe le efe mabapi le kgetho ye itšeng ya senthara ya maphelo le boitekanelo, mola dikakanyo tša lotšistiki tša go menagana gabedi di dirilwe go hlaola ntlha yeo e kago bonelapele boleloko bja lefelo la boithobollelo. Dipoelo di laeditše gore diprofaele tše pedi tša go fapana tša maloko a lefelo la boithobollelo, le diprofaele tše pedi tše e sego tša maloko a lefelo la boithobollelo, di ka hlaolwago. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

The mature market presents challenges to marketers because much of the information about the marketplace is based on younger consumers, differing from older consumers in many important ways. The research project was commisioned with two main objectives: to determine what is required to cater for customers falling into the age bracket of 60-75, enabling marketers to successfully target the mature consumer and retain these customers. A qualitative methodology was selected to collect and analyse information to enhance understanding of the perceptions with regard to the functional, social and emotional needs of the mature market sector. Abraham Maslow is known for postulating the 'Hierarchy of Needs Theory', stating that human beings are motivated by their unsatisfied needs. It is necessary to understand and investigate the relative importance of the functional, emotional and actualisation components of mature consumer needs. / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology ))

The mature market presents challenges to marketers because much of the information about the marketplace is based on younger consumers, differing from older consumers in many important ways. The research project was commisioned with two main objectives: to determine what is required to cater for customers falling into the age bracket of 60-75, enabling marketers to successfully target the mature consumer and retain these customers. A qualitative methodology was selected to collect and analyse information to enhance understanding of the perceptions with regard to the functional, social and emotional needs of the mature market sector. Abraham Maslow is known for postulating the 'Hierarchy of Needs Theory', stating that human beings are motivated by their unsatisfied needs. It is necessary to understand and investigate the relative importance of the functional, emotional and actualisation components of mature consumer needs. / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology ))

The study addresses the limited and fragmented approaches of consumer behaviour studies in the existing literature and a lack of comprehensive integrated theoretical models of online consumer behaviour. The aim of the study is to propose a conceptual integrated theoretical model for online consumer behaviour which suggests a deviation from the existing purchasing approaches to consumer behaviour - hence a move towards an understanding of consumer behaviour in terms of two new approaches, namely the web-based communication exposure and internal psychological behavioural processes approaches, is proposed. The study addresses two main research problems, namely that inadequate knowledge and information exist on online consumers’ behavioural processes, especially their internal psychological behavioural processes during their exposure to web-based communication messages and their progression through the complete web-based communication experience; and that there is no conceptual integrated theoretical model for online consumer behaviour in the literature. This study, firstly, allows for systematic theoretical exploration, description, interpretation and integration of existing literature and theory on offline and online consumer behaviour including the following: theoretical perspectives and approaches; determinants; decision making; consumer information processing and response; and theoretical foundations. This systematic theoretical exploration and description of consumer behaviour literature and theory commences with the contextualisation and proposal of a new definition, perspective and theoretical approaches to online consumer behaviour; the discussion and analysis of the theory of the determinants of consumer behaviour; the discussion and analysis of decision-making theory; the proposition of a new online information decision-making perspective and model; the discussion and analysis of consumer information-processing and response theory and models; the discussion and analysis of the theoretical foundations of consumer behaviour; and the identification of theoretical criteria for online consumer behaviour. Declaration – acknowledgements - abstract Secondly, the study develops a conceptual integrated theoretical model for online consumer behaviour, thereby theoretically grounding online consumer behavioural processes in the context of internal psychological behavioural processes and exposure to web-based communication messages. It is hence posited that the study provides a more precise understanding of online consumers’ complicated internal cognitive and psychological behavioural processes in their interactive search for and experience of online web-based communication and information, which can be seen as a major contribution to the field of study. / Communication Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Communication)

The study addresses the limited and fragmented approaches of consumer behaviour studies in the existing literature and a lack of comprehensive integrated theoretical models of online consumer behaviour. The aim of the study is to propose a conceptual integrated theoretical model for online consumer behaviour which suggests a deviation from the existing purchasing approaches to consumer behaviour - hence a move towards an understanding of consumer behaviour in terms of two new approaches, namely the web-based communication exposure and internal psychological behavioural processes approaches, is proposed. The study addresses two main research problems, namely that inadequate knowledge and information exist on online consumers’ behavioural processes, especially their internal psychological behavioural processes during their exposure to web-based communication messages and their progression through the complete web-based communication experience; and that there is no conceptual integrated theoretical model for online consumer behaviour in the literature. This study, firstly, allows for systematic theoretical exploration, description, interpretation and integration of existing literature and theory on offline and online consumer behaviour including the following: theoretical perspectives and approaches; determinants; decision making; consumer information processing and response; and theoretical foundations. This systematic theoretical exploration and description of consumer behaviour literature and theory commences with the contextualisation and proposal of a new definition, perspective and theoretical approaches to online consumer behaviour; the discussion and analysis of the theory of the determinants of consumer behaviour; the discussion and analysis of decision-making theory; the proposition of a new online information decision-making perspective and model; the discussion and analysis of consumer information-processing and response theory and models; the discussion and analysis of the theoretical foundations of consumer behaviour; and the identification of theoretical criteria for online consumer behaviour. Declaration – acknowledgements - abstract Secondly, the study develops a conceptual integrated theoretical model for online consumer behaviour, thereby theoretically grounding online consumer behavioural processes in the context of internal psychological behavioural processes and exposure to web-based communication messages. It is hence posited that the study provides a more precise understanding of online consumers’ complicated internal cognitive and psychological behavioural processes in their interactive search for and experience of online web-based communication and information, which can be seen as a major contribution to the field of study. / Communication Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Communication)