A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Strategic Marketing, October 2016 / The South African eco-friendly products industry is still growing. With the growth potential existing in this industry, it is evident that marketing practitioners and producers alike need to understand the consumer dynamics involved in order to ensure that the sales of ecofriendly products increase. The growth potential that the researcher refers to is also confirmed by other researchers in their recent work (Sonnenberg, Jacobs, and Momberg, 2014). Eco-friendly products range from eco-friendly shopping bags, green clothing, solar powered electronics, and recyclable goods to name a few. As consumers change to be more environmentally conscious, their choices in products will be influenced by various factors including their decision-making styles. The “eco-friendly” or “going green” terms are commonly used globally for those products that consumers choose to buy because of their minimum negative impact on the environment. The decision-making styles that are most influential when South African consumers buy these products must be known by the relevant marketing practitioners within the South African context in order to ensure that they their strategies gain traction and also influence buying behaviour. Relevant branding and positioning strategies must be implemented by the relevant organisations in order to differentiate their eco-friendly products from others that are available to consumers as the market becomes more competitive with local and international brands being sold online and in retail shops. Investment into ensuring that these products are well-known will decrease the level of impulsive and careless buying of these products as the brands are currently not highly differentiated to the South African consumers. This study sourced primary quantitative data from consumers that buy and use eco-friendly products; a survey questionnaire was used in order to understand the influence of decision-making styles on the careless and impulsive buying of eco-friendly products. The findings of this study will enable the researcher to put forward the results that will demonstrate which decision-making styles mostly influence impulsive and careless buying 2 of eco-friendly products. Practitioners will be able to identify which dynamics to focus on when formulating their marketing strategies in order to effectively differentiate their respective products to consumers / GR2018

Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Strategic Marketing March 2016 / The banking industry is adopting a holistic and customer centric approach in order to match the evolving customer banking preferences; this study has set out to examine Customer Equity as an antecedent of Perceived Brand Authenticity and Purchase Intentions amongst the South African youth in the banking sector using Social Exchange Theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour. An empirical model was conceptualised to examine the relationships between Customer Equity and Perceived Brand Authenticity on purchase intentions. Four research hypotheses were developed and a data set of 253 was collected from a sample of Witwatersrand students to empirically test these hypotheses using Structural Equation Modelling (Amos 22 and SPSS). The findings indicated that from the relationship between Customer Equity and Perceived Brand Authenticity, Value Equity and Brand Equity had a significant and positive effect, however Relationship Equity had no significant influence. The relationship between Perceived Brand Authenticity and Purchase Intentions had significant positive effects. The findings from this study provide useful contributions to practitioners measuring marketing efforts and maximising Customer Equity in the banking industry and builds on existing literature on the Customer Equity framework in the South African context. Recommendations are outlined and future research direction is suggested. / GR2018

A research report submitted to the faculty of commerce, law and management, university of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of master of management in Strategic Marketing. / Globally there has been a decrease in fixed line telephones while Smartphone sales have been on the rise; the same trend has also been happening in South Africa. Due to this trend, Smartphone brands have been placing importance on the retention of existing customers, therefore focusing on repurchase intentions. The research investigates the relationship between experiential marketing (sense, feel, think, act and relate experience), customer satisfaction and the repurchase intentions of Smartphones amongst the youth market of South Africa. The paper reviews literature on experiential marketing, customer satisfaction and repurchase intentions, then tests six hypotheses which were proposed which led to the development of a research model. Non-probability sampling was used at The University of the Witwatersrand where the study was conducted amongst 223 youth aged 15 – 35 years. Structural equational modelling was used to analyse the data, using SPSS and Amos software. The results revealed sense experience has the most influence on the customer satisfaction of Smartphone brands which then leads to repurchase intentions. The findings are expected to add to literature on experiential marketing, customer satisfaction and repurchase intentions as well as provide practical implications. / GR2018

Après une introduction générale et une revue de littérature (chapitre 1), l’apport de cette thèse est de déterminer le rôle de la demande dans l’émergence d’un stock de marchandises invendues. Les préférences des consommateurs sont modifiées puisqu’elles prennent en compte non seulement les quantités consommées mais également celles étalées. Le cadre d’analyse de cette thèse est celui d’un jeu stratégique à deux joueurs en univers certain, avec prix flexibles et information parfaite. Deux types de consommateurs sont considérés : certains apprécient l’étalage et d’autres non. Un monopole modifié choisit à la fois le prix et l’étalage. Les propriétés de l’équilibre de Nash en stratégies pures sont étudiées. Le chapitre 2 présente un modèle de détermination du mark-up optimal pour n’importe quelle valeur de l’élasticité prix de la demande (contrairement à l’indice de Lerner qui peut être utilisé uniquement pour les biens élastiques). Le chapitre 3, étend le second, en déterminant le coefficient multiplicateur optimal en présence de stocks d’invendus. Il permet de définir la solde optimale. Le quatrième et dernier chapitre détermine les conditions sur les fonctions d’utilité qui permettent de générer un stock d’invendus à l’équilibre de Nash en stratégies pures. Les modèles développés sont élargis au cas où un planificateur social intervient dont l’objectif est de maximiser le bien-être de l’économie. / After a general introduction and a survey of literature, the contribution of this thesis is to determine the role of the demand in the emergence of unsold stock of goods based on consumer’s preferences argument. Throughout the thesis, we consider a strategic game with two players under perfect information, certainty and price flexibility. Consumers are of two types: with appreciation to the display and without. A modified monopoly chooses both the price and the display. Chapter 2 presents an original model to determine the optimal markup for both elastic and inelastic goods (unlike the Lerner index that is used only for elastic goods). Chapter 3 is an extension of the previous one. It is about the determination of an optimal markup with the presence of unsold stock of goods. The fourth and final Chapter analyzes under which conditions an unsold stock of goods is supported by a pure strategy Nash equilibrium. All the models developed present a welfare analysis.

The goals of this dissertation were to determine the salient cognitive dimensions of retail image in the perceptions of consumers and the image attributes related to those dimensions. This study took advantage of multidimensional scaling techniques (MDS) to create dimensioned perceptual maps based on nonpredetermined attributes. Similarities data about five Dallas shopping centers, gathered by questionnaires from a sample (n=181) of women shoppers interviewed at the centers, were analyzed to discover the perceived dimensions of image. Similarities data were also collected on fifteen attributes previously found to be significant. MDS configurations of the attributes were compared with the retail image configuration by means of a matrix fitting technique. These comparisons categorized the attributes according to the dimensions with which they were congruent. Evaluation of these groups provided a means for identifying and naming the primary perceptual dimensions. Saliency of the perceived dimensions was tested by congruency matching respondent preferences to perceptions.

The food industry's focus has shifted to growth, profits and efficiency through new production processes. In response, people feel they have lost control over the food they eat. Media has a direct impact on consumer perceptions. Chicken has received extremely negative publicity compelling consumers to question the safety of chicken as a protein source. The aim of the study is to determine the different perceptions that exist in the mind of consumers regarding chicken as a generic food brand and to assess the role of communication in a consumer-brand relationship. Q methodology is the research methodology chosen as it is able to communicate an individual's subjectivity. The researcher considered factor loadings of 0.37 and more as significant. The varimax rotation produced four dominant factors. The variance in the correlation matrix was calculated at 70 percent. The factor scores were determined once the total number of factors with pure loadings had been identified. / Communication Science / M.A. (Communication)

The food industry's focus has shifted to growth, profits and efficiency through new production processes. In response, people feel they have lost control over the food they eat. Media has a direct impact on consumer perceptions. Chicken has received extremely negative publicity compelling consumers to question the safety of chicken as a protein source. The aim of the study is to determine the different perceptions that exist in the mind of consumers regarding chicken as a generic food brand and to assess the role of communication in a consumer-brand relationship. Q methodology is the research methodology chosen as it is able to communicate an individual's subjectivity. The researcher considered factor loadings of 0.37 and more as significant. The varimax rotation produced four dominant factors. The variance in the correlation matrix was calculated at 70 percent. The factor scores were determined once the total number of factors with pure loadings had been identified. / Communication Science / M.A. (Communication)

Numerous authors are in agreement about apparel being a means of communication, especially in the workplace environment (Howlett et al. 2013; Li et al. 2012; Kang et al. 2011; Kwon 1994; Stuart & Fuller 1991). In fact, business apparel has been found to be used as a tool to communicate perceived meaning about the wearer to others, such as level of education, diligence, and even occupational ability (Kwon 1994; Stuart & Fuller 1991). Business apparel has the ability to be used by the wearer as a means to impress others but have also been found to produce positive feelings like confidence, productivity and dependability in the mind of the wearer (Peluchette et al. 2006). Moreover, minor changes in an outfit can influence the opinions and judgements made by others about the wearer (Howlett et al. 2015; Howlett et al. 2013). Otnes and McGrath (2001) suggest that men may attempt to achieve professional success when purchasing business apparel as the apparel worn at work may be related to achieving success in the workplace. Men are becoming more evident in the ready-to-wear apparel retail market, which may be explained by a shift in the way society sees traditional gender roles (McNeill & Douglas 2011; Otnes & McGrath 2001). In fact, Otnes and McGrath (2001) propose that men who are not limited by the view of traditional gender roles shop with motivation, often displaying shopping behaviour considered as feminine, but do so with a specific goal in mind. Increased marketing activities targeting male consumers (Seo et al. 2001), a greater variety in ready-to-wear business apparel options, due to the tendency towards a more casual dress code in many workplaces (Torres et al. 2001), and an increased consciousness about managing their own appearance (Sindicich & Black 2011) contribute to changes in the apparel purchasing behaviour of male consumers. Kang et al. (2011) suggest that men in particular expect specific outcomes, such as career advancement, communicating a positive impression to others, improving personal performance in the workplace, and feeling good about themselves, which they associate with their business apparel. Well-fitting apparel makes a positive contribution to the appearance of the wearer. Consumers, including men, often consider the fit of ready-to-wear apparel items as an aspect to consider when evaluating alternatives for purchasing. This is significant vi since the fit of apparel contributes not only to the physical comfort of the apparel item but also involves an aesthetic as well as a socio-psychological dimension (Tselepis & De Klerk 2004). Fit problems with ready-to-wear business apparel among male consumers have been reported by various authors (Sindicich & Black 2011; Sindicich 2008). However, getting a clear indication of consumers’ evaluation of apparel fit remains a complicated process (Chen 2007) and with the wide range of body shapes among apparel consumers, as well as their range of preferences towards apparel fit, problems with the fit of apparel items continue to be a topic of concern for manufacturers and retailers (Bye & LaBat 2005; Anderson et al. 2000) and the task of providing consumers with satisfactory fit is notably difficult (Ross 2005). Considering the influence which consumers’ expectations of the fit of their apparel has on the apparel purchase decision, the limited research about male consumer expectations regarding the fit of apparel is a problem worth addressing. This includes what their expectations are with regard to the fit of their business apparel, as well as factors they consider to be important when in the process of purchasing business apparel. Therefore, the overall purpose of this study was to gain knowledge regarding the functional, aesthetic and socio-psychological expectations that South African male consumers hold towards the fit of ready-to-wear business apparel, and to determine the extent to which their expectations influence their apparel purchase decisions. The study employed an exploratory, quantitative research approach. Data were collected by means of an electronic questionnaire through a combination of both purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the demographic and psychographic profile of the sample by means of frequencies and percentage distributions and to analyse the coded data. A correlation coefficient was calculated and was used to determine the reliability of the constructs, namely the functional, aesthetic and socio-psychological expectations of fit and the importance of these apparel attributes when respondents purchase ready-to-wear business apparel. A multiple linear regression model was applied to determine the relationship between the expectations and the extent to which these influence the purchase decision regarding business apparel. vii The results of this study indicated that respondents showed a higher level of agreement with the functional expectations of the fit of their business apparel than with the aesthetic and socio-psychological expectations. However, the multiple linear regression model indicated that respondents placed greater importance on the aesthetic and socio-psychological aspects of apparel when in the process of purchasing ready-to-wear apparel for the workplace. In terms of functional expectations, respondents expected their business apparel to fit well when in their size, as well as to be comfortable and of good quality. The results further indicated that the respondents expected the fabric of ready-to-wear business apparel to be comfortable, that they like the colour of the apparel item, and that wearing the apparel item would contribute to positive feelings of self. Socio-psychological expectations included that the respondents expected ready-to-wear business apparel with good fit to make them feel fashionably dressed, give them confidence at work and also make them feel like they are a part of the company, as their business apparel should adhere to the dress code of the company. It is therefore recommended that ready-to-wear apparel manufacturers, as well as marketers and retailers, not only consider the functional aspects of apparel fit, but also focus on the aesthetic and socio-psychological aspects of apparel fit, as these also play an important role in the male consumer’s evaluation of ready-to-wear business apparel and therefore also his assessment of his own satisfaction during use. Ready-to-wear business apparel marketers and retailers can integrate male consumers’ expectations towards fit and business apparel in general into marketing strategies and as a means to retain current consumers. / College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences / M. Sc. (Consumer Science)