Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed May 27, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 74-83)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2004. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 157-165). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (M.B.A..) - Carleton University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 145-152). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 1999. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 78 p. : ill. (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 66-68).

Assignment (MComm)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

This research provides insight into consumer perceptions of multiple private label brands being simultaneously offered by an individual retailer. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the current consumer perceptions of the three private label brands at Pick n Pay Stores, a South African retailer. Consumers are no longer being presented with a single private label brand, but individual grocery retailers offer multiple private label brands under one retailer. Pick n Pay Store’s current private label brands co-exist as PnP no name, PnP and PnP Finest, and are synonymous with the generic, classic, and premium private label brand concepts, respectively. The question can thus be posed whether consumers perceive private label brands differently and whether they will eventually purchase the private label brand. The research explores the subject of brand, and the nature and success factors of private label brands in retail. This was done by reviewing the literature that traced the rapid changes in the retail sector because of the increasing influence of private label brands on conventional retail practices and consumer behaviour. A conceptual framework was developed showing the constructs that may have relationships with the three private label brands of Pick n Pay Stores. Information regarding the different private label brand concepts was obtained from primary as well as secondary research. An empirical study of a quantitative nature in the form of a paper-based and online-based questionnaire was undertaken. Altogether 375 usable questionnaires were collected. The results of the empirical study indicated positive relationships of perceptions between all three of the Pick n Pay private label brands and their respective intention to purchase. Furthermore, there was a statistically positive relationship between the brand perceptions of Pick n Pay private label brands. The proposed framework is intended to shed light onto the interactions between the private label concepts to allow for meaningful strategic branding decisions to be made at senior business levels.

This thesis includes three essays which examine the implications of incorporating parameter heterogeneity, consideration set heterogeneity, and decision rule heterogeneity, respectively, in brand choice models. In the first essay, we identify the conditions under which unaccounted for price response heterogeneity results in a spurious sticker shock effect. We show, using an analytical derivation, a simulation study and an empirical application to scanner panel data, that estimates of the sticker shock effect may be biased if households that are price sensitive in their brand choice decision are also more likely to respond to category marketing activity in their purchase timing decision. The empirical results, from two product categories, show that the sticker shock coefficient from a Hierarchical Bayes model (which continuously accounts for price response heterogeneity) is statistically insignificant, providing no evidence of the existence of a sticker shock effect. In contrast, the corresponding coefficient from the standard model, which ignores this heterogeneity, is highly significant and supports the existence of a sticker shock effect. A posterior analysis of household parameters confirms the hypothesized relationship between price sensitivity in brand choice and responsiveness to promotional activity in purchase incidence, and is consistent with our explanation of the underlying cause of the bias in the standard model. The second essay develops a new consideration set model that can be estimated with scanner panel data. In contrast to many previous approaches, which require enumeration of all possible consideration sets, we directly model uncertainty about including a brand in the consideration set. The resulting inclusion probabilities for brands reflect a "fuzzy" consideration set in the sense that a brand belongs to the consideration set only probabilistically. The proposed fuzzy set model outperforms several previous consideration set models in two product categories (yogurt and ketchup). We then apply the fuzzy set approach to examine the role of the consideration set in moderating the impact of advertising on price sensitivity. In contrast to the experimental findings of Mitra and Lynch (1995), we find no positive relationship between consideration set size and price sensitivity. Further empirical test may be necessary to confirm the hypothesized relationship. In the third essay, we investigate the role of decision rule heterogeneity in brand choice behavior. We develop a flexible model, which allows for the uncertainty in decision rules used by the consumer. Specifically, we develop a Hierarchical Bayes model of reference price effects that accommodates both the sticker shock and reference-dependent formulations. In addition, we also incorporate the possibility that consumers may mix the two decision rules probabilistically. Therefore, the proposed model allows for three different decision hierarchies which incorporate sticker shock, reference-dependent and mixed rules respectively. The empirical results show that consumers differ not only in their preference and response but also in their decision rules. On average, half the sample households appear to show loss aversion, i.e., follow a reference-dependent decision rule, while the remaining households do not seem to respond to reference prices. The proposed model provides a richer description of consumer choice processes than the comparison models that allow for only one model structure and ignore model uncertainty. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

Brand loyalty measurement is important because of the extensive use of branding in the lodging industry during recent years. As the industry has matured, segmentation strategies have been adopted by lodging companies. Brands were supposed to protect market share,build brand loyalty, and differentiate the product (Withiam 1985). / Master of Science

by Lim Tun-Hung & Lo Wai Man. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1987. / Bibliography: leaves 56-58.