published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

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.

While the digital market, especially the music streaming market, has rapidly grown in recent years, however the physical music segment still remains relevant in the Thai market. The Thai music market has inimitable characteristics within the market in terms of the physical music record offers, recorded musical works, and a growth trend in physical sales. Moreover, the behaviour in physical music consumption is opposite to that in world markets. Music consumption practices in the Thai market and why physical music, and CDs in particular, remain relevant to the Thai music industry are an enigma. The music industry itself has suggested that the physical music market needs to be revamped and its physical products redeveloped. In addition, the major record companies have also refocused into developing physical markets. However, precisely how this is to be achieved has not been specified. The twin aims of this study are to more fully comprehend Thai music consumption practices in today’s market and to examine how the concepts of product development could be effective in responding to consumer needs and desires. Consumer-led product development is the main concept of this study used to create ideas to enhance music CDs. This study combined many perspectives related to consumer-led product development and then applied them to construct the conceptual framework named “The Seminal Framework for CD Development”. The framework is a roadmap to create a new set of features for a new form of music CD based on the input of the music industry’s representatives and consumers. A new form of music CD which includes a new set of features is named in this study as the “prototype CD”. Also, the framework is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the prototype CD; how the prototype CD is responsive to consumer needs as far as functional and psychological perspectives are concerned. Bearing in mind the aim of this research, the researcher considered the interpretive paradigm to be the most appropriate approach for capturing consumers’ experiences in music consumption practices and for studying the opinions, points of view and ideas derived from the consumers, and the experts in music CD development. In the data collection process, this study employed the technique of purposive sampling for selecting from the population. The purposive sampling technique allows the researcher to judge and select people or prospective participants who: 1) are available to participate I in conducting the research, 2) are knowledgeable about the industry, 3) have experience related to the context of the study, and 4) can provide the reliable and detailed information required to understand the focal themes of the study. This study conducted nine interviews with the music industry’s experts, 60 one-on-one interviews and four group interviews with consumers. For the data analysis, this study adopted the manual coding analysis. The Seminal Framework determined the coding structure, and sets of data could be organised into distinct themes, such as the new features of music CDs or future positive possibilities for music consumption. This enabled, at the end of the process, an easier and more efficient identification of the experiential values derived from prototype music CDs. In addition, in more fully understanding the needs and expectations inherent in music consumption practices, such careful coding analysis helps to re-define the typology of music consumers. The typology and the concepts also facilitated the identification of music consumption behaviour in today’s environment. This study contributes a wider concept in consumer-led product development that has been applied to the context of music consumption practices and music product (CD) development.