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A consumer research panel is a representative collection of individuals whose consumption habits are continually monitored by a marketing research company. It is designed to study the behaviour rather than the attitudes of consumers in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. The analysed and interpreted reports help the retailer and manufacturing clients to better understand their markets and the changing dynamics within markets which are largely overseen by retail studies. It is shown that consumer research panels have a very high per panellist cost due to the nature of the data collection methodologies currently used being either very labour-intensive with the in-home interviewer visits, or due to the cost of the technology needed when using an in-home audit terminal to scan the barcode of items. The ubiquitous use of the mobile phone begs the question whether this technology, already in the hands of people, could be used as a data collection device. In 2007, Robert Adelmann demonstrated that it is possible to recognise linear barcodes using a mobile phone equipped with a camera and a barcode recognition algorithm. Three requirements are set for a mobile phone to be used as a data collection device in a consumer panel and are indicated by various studies researching each, focused on Gauteng, South Africa. The technology is shown to be quick and accurate enough to be used in everyday barcode scanning albeit not very prevalent among the responding sample. The data communication infrastructure needed to communicate the audited data was found to be 100% present although few of the respondents displayed their interest in joining a research panel based on mobile phones. It is, therefore, recommended that a phone-based consumer panel be used to supplement existing consumer panels to extend in hard-to-reach demographics like the upper-LSM households, and that the privacy and usage concerns raised by the respondents be addressed. It is also recommended that similar studies be conducted in developed economies where required mobile phone technology could be more prevalent. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.

A consumer research panel is a representative collection of individuals whose consumption habits are continually monitored by a marketing research company. It is designed to study the behaviour rather than the attitudes of consumers in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. The analysed and interpreted reports help the retailer and manufacturing clients to better understand their markets and the changing dynamics within markets which are largely overseen by retail studies. It is shown that consumer research panels have a very high per panellist cost due to the nature of the data collection methodologies currently used being either very labour-intensive with the in-home interviewer visits, or due to the cost of the technology needed when using an in-home audit terminal to scan the barcode of items. The ubiquitous use of the mobile phone begs the question whether this technology, already in the hands of people, could be used as a data collection device. In 2007, Robert Adelmann demonstrated that it is possible to recognise linear barcodes using a mobile phone equipped with a camera and a barcode recognition algorithm. Three requirements are set for a mobile phone to be used as a data collection device in a consumer panel and are indicated by various studies researching each, focused on Gauteng, South Africa. The technology is shown to be quick and accurate enough to be used in everyday barcode scanning albeit not very prevalent among the responding sample. The data communication infrastructure needed to communicate the audited data was found to be 100% present although few of the respondents displayed their interest in joining a research panel based on mobile phones. It is, therefore, recommended that a phone-based consumer panel be used to supplement existing consumer panels to extend in hard-to-reach demographics like the upper-LSM households, and that the privacy and usage concerns raised by the respondents be addressed. It is also recommended that similar studies be conducted in developed economies where required mobile phone technology could be more prevalent. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.

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Diss (sammanfattning) Karlstad : Karlstads universitet, 2006. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

As millions of baby boomers approach retirement, they will face one of the most significant and potentially life-altering decisions they’ve ever made – the pursuit of a travel-based retirement lifestyle. When people make such high-stakes decisions it is inevitable that their salient desires are engaged and likely that goal conflicts will arise. An extensive literature has focused on understanding travelers’ motivations, but this research has rarely examined how people cope with the conflicts that are inherent in travel decisions. Retirement provides a perfect natural context to study such decisions. In this study we use netnography – a method of observing online consumer-to-consumer communications – to discern the tensions that arise when aspiring travelers’ goals are in conflict. Furthermore, we investigate how experienced travelers in the online community offer aspiring travelers moral support, advice and referrals that help to resolve these goal conflicts, thus easing decision-making tension and moving the decision-maker closer to the choice of a travel-based lifestyle. The findings offer a better understanding of multiple goal pursuit in retirement travel, where (1) desires serve as superordinate goals that are engaged in travel planning, (2) retiree travelers juggle multiple goals that often result in goal conflicts and (3) the importance of online community in providing advice as proposed solutions to achieve goals and resolve goal conflicts. Lastly, implications and limitations of this study are discussed.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Human Nutrition / Delores H. Chambers / Although consumer emotions have recently become a popular research area in the sensory and consumer sciences, there remains a need for an approach designed to evaluate children’s food emotion experience. The objective of this research was to understand U.S. and Ghanaian children’s emotion responses to food, using words and emojis. In the first part of the research, focus groups were conducted to understand children’s use of emotion words and emojis in response to an array of food consumption experiences, both real and recalled. Through this study, a narrowed list of appropriate words and emojis was identified for further testing with children. This study also revealed that children readily use both emotion words and emojis to characterize their food experiences. The next phase of the research was conducted in three parts, which each included emotion assessments of children’s favorite and disliked foods, as well a common set of eight products selected to elicit a broad range of emotions. First, the emotion set identified in focus group testing was used by children in the United States to assess pictures of foods. The responses from this study were used to further narrow the list of appropriate emojis and emotion words. Second, the reduced emotion set was used by children in the U.S. to assess appearance and post-taste emotions for the products. Finally, a food image test with the reduced emotion set was conducted in Accra, Ghana with schoolchildren. Fielding in Ghana allowed for an exploration of the considerations sensory researchers must make when conducting cross-cultural research with children. Emotion word and emoji usage was similar between U.S. and Ghanaian participants, although some differences were observed. The U.S. studies were compared, revealing the influence of stimulus type on children’s reported emotions. Results from the actual food experiences (appearance, taste) were more positive compared to the evaluation of images. Finally, among Ghanaian and U.S. children, high frequencies of selection for positive emotion words and emojis aligned with a favorite food experience. Overall, this research introduces a new approach to consumer emotion research with children for use both domestically and abroad.

Purpose - This autobiography sums up the life story of one of the contributors to the history of inquiry and instruction in the field of marketing, with special attention to the historical developments that have influenced the study of consumer behavior and the concept of branding. Design/methodology/approach - This paper is an autobiographical essay, a personal history. Findings - The reminiscence illustrates the way life experiences evolve, showing the interaction among personal growth, education, career choices and work experience that led to Professor Levy's contributions to the field of marketing education and its research literature. Originality/value - The paper describes a unique life, and an unusual explication of the personal life sources of influential ideas. It is novel in its large perspective and integrative narrative, and the unusual exposure of its various conceptual issues and links. It should be of interest to marketing historians, managers and scholars of marketing education.

The goal of this thesis is to understand perception of the Hard Rock brand in the Czech Republic among university students. Hard Rock Cafe Prague is a combination of a restaurant, bar, and rock club operated by the hospitality corporation Hard Rock International. The studied segment can be seen as a group of potential customers in long term, and this research should identify opportunities for growth of Czech guests. The thesis presents the process and results of Hard Rock brand research on the selected segment. The work is supported by theory of marketing of services, brand, and methodology of marketing research. The practical part includes two phases of research: qualitative and quantitative. Analysis of both phases and their implications on formulated hypotheses lead to conclusions regarding perception of Hard Rock brand by the studied segment. These are further analyzed to offer a number of recommendations for future marketing communication activities targeted towards the local customers.