abstract: Branding and brand management have been top management priorities in the hotel industry. Some researchers have concluded that strong branding would be an efficient way for hotels and hotel chains to differentiate themselves from each other. Recent studies have focused on the establishment of a brand equity model and the relevant causal relationships of the model. Most of these studies have used types of desirability scales examining the importance of individual factors in measuring brand equity. However, they ignore the trade-offs that affect and characterize choice. Particularly, the personal decision process implied by the hierarchical brand equity model is absent. This study proposed two alternative measures of brand equity, analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and conjoint analysis (CA), to address these limitations. The AHP and the CA were compared using several validity measures to aid in selecting efficient methods. This study examined the validity of AHP and CA under two data collection methods applied to hotel branding: paper-based survey and online survey. Result showed that the AHP data collection methods were easier, as well as with respect to saving time and costs. Results also indicated that the AHP is equivalent to the CA with respect to predictive accuracy. Practical differences for hotel branding in attribute preferences were clearly observed between the AHP and the CA. The AHP results were consistent with previous studies by awarding high importance to perceived quality and brand loyalty and lower importance to brand awareness and brand image. Managerial implications were provided for results. In terms of practicality in data collection, the study results revealed that the data gathered online leads to a slightly lower internal and predictive validity. A limitation of this study was that the two methods were not perfectly comparable. Nevertheless, the validity of both AHP and CA seems satisfactory for both methods. The study results also offer useful perspectives to consider when choosing between the two methods, as well as between AHP and CA. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Community Resources and Development 2014

Social media is the undisputed leader regarding video streaming consumption at an international level, to the detriment of SVOD services. We arrived at this observation trying to understand consumer behaviors regarding this phenomenon. Surprised by this, we sought to understand what motivates consumers to watch streaming video. In the literature, scholars seeking to study the motivations and satisfactions (called gratification factors) of consumers in media use are working with the Uses and Gratification Theory. However, while this theory explains the use of a medium, it does not explain the preference of one medium over another. We therefore wanted to use the Uses and Gratifications framework to make this comparison between social media and SVOD, and thus find an explanation for our observation: the superiority of social media. We drew on previous work to construct gratification factors applicable to SVOD, social media and video streaming. To confirm the reliability and validity of these constructs, we conducted a factorial analysis in a quantitative study, using a questionnaire distributed to the French population. Moreover, we used the data from this survey to build explanatory models for the use of social media and SVOD. Therefore, our study shows that the Uses and Gratifications Theory can be used to explain consumers’ preference for social media over SVOD services, by highlighting that the gratification factors which are the most decisive are content, process and social. Moreover, the formation of our constructs (content, social, process and technology gratifications) is the result of our reorganization of the gratifications already considered in the existing literature so that they correspond most accurately to the current behaviors of streaming video consumers. We thus provide a new basic model of analysis, which could be used by other studies on video streaming. From a practical point of view, our study also allows us to suggest to video streaming companies the points on which they can work to meet consumers’ expectations: that is to say on the possibility for users to adapt their consumption to their available time and on the possibility for interactivity directly on the platforms.

Thesis (MAgricAdmin)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to determine the sensory characteristics of Cheddar cheese that drive consumer acceptance. In addition, it investigated whether specific sensory profiles would satisfy specific consumer segments to ultimately facilitate greater acceptance and consumption of Cheddar cheese. A trained panel applied descriptive sensory analysis (DSA) to characterise the sensory attributes of six commercially produced cheeses ranging in maturity from 1 to 32 months. The cheese samples were differentiated by appearance, aroma, flavour and textural attributes. A consumer panel comprising of 115 target consumers rated preference for the cheeses on a 9-point hedonic scale. Moreover consumers completed a screener designed to collect socio-demographic information and opinions on cheese and cheese products. Instrumental colour analysis was performed on the cheese samples and in-depth consumer opinions and attitudes towards cheese were examined using the focus group technique. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted on the sensory and instrumental data, as well as the consumer liking and perception data. Additionally, a t-test was performed at a 5% significance level to determine the direction of the difference between the mean values. Multivariate analyses were performed on the sensory and consumer data to determine whether relationships existed between sample attributes and consumer liking. Consumer acceptability scores were segmented by agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) using Ward’s test. ANOVA was performed on the consumer data per cluster for colour liking, texture liking, flavour liking and overall liking. Partial least squares regression (PLS) was performed in an attempt to relate consumer degree of liking data, the socialdemographic and attitudinal data, as well as the sensory and instrumental data. The younger cheeses; Gouda at one month, Edam at two months and Cheddar at 4 months were characterised as glossy, with a buttery and creamy aroma; creamy flavour, salty and slightly sour taste combined with lingering cheese flavour. Textures were described as creamy, springy and rubbery. Sensory attributes of visible white crystals, moisture seepage, brothy and Cheddar aromas; brothy, Cheddar and prickle flavours together with textural attributes of firm, hard, crumbly, grainy and teeth-coating characterised the aged Cheddar cheeses. Flavour development was not progressive as the cheeses aged and atypical flavour development was identified in the Cheddar cheese aged to 8 and 15 months, respectively. Flavour followed by price and convenience drive cheese purchase amongst this group of consumers. From a sensory perspective, glossy appearance, a red hue and yellow colour drive cheese colour liking. Texture liking is driven by springy and hard attributes. Flavour liking is driven by cooked milk, buttery and creamy aroma and creamy flavour. Finally overall cheese liking is driven by glossy appearance; cooked milk, buttery and creamy aroma; creamy flavour; springy and creamy texture; specific instrumental colour values, as well as fat, moisture and salt content. Three clusters per variable of colour, texture, flavour and overall liking of cheese were identified through segmentation performed on the preference data. Results indicate that consumers are not homogenous in their sensory requirements, attitudes and behaviour towards cheese. Based on the consumer preference for specific sensory characteristics of cheese, consumer segments can be identified and cheese can be optimised to satisfy these sensory requirements. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie was eerstens om te bepaal watter spesifieke sensoriese eienskappe van Cheddarkaas verbruikersaanvaarbaarheid dryf, en tweedens om verbruikersdata te segmenteer ten einde vas te stel of verskillende verbruikersegmente verskillende voorkeure het wat betref Cheddarkaas. Kennis hiervan sal uiteindelik bydra tot verhoogde verbruikerstevredentheid, en dus verhoogde verkope van Cheddarkaas op die plaaslike mark. Beskrywende sensoriese analise en ’n opgeleide paneel is gebruik om die sensoriese eienskappe van ses kommersiële kaas variante te bepaal. Instrumentele kleuranalise is ook bepaal. Die monsters kaas het gewissel in ouderdom (van 1 tot 32 maande veroudering), asook in voorkoms, aroma, geur, smaak en teksturele eienskappe. ’n Verbruikerspaneel bestaande uit 115 individue het die voorkeur en aanvaarbaarheid van die ses variante kaas ge-evalueer deur gebruik te maak van die 9-punt hedoniese skaal. Sosio-demografiese inligting en verbruikeropinies betreffende kaas is ook versamel. Ten laaste is die fokusgroep tegniek gebruik om in-diepte inligting te verkry wat betref verbruikeropinies en –houdings ten opsigte van Cheddarkaas. Analise van variansie (ANOVA) is op sensoriese, instrumentele en verbruikersdata toegepas. T-toets is by ‘n betekenispeil van 5% uitgevoer om te bepaal of daar per eienskap betekenisvolle verskille tussen monstergemiddeldes was. Meerveranderlike analise is uitgevoer op die sensoriese en verbruikerdata ten einde te bepaal of spesifieke sensoriese produkeienskappe verbruikersvoorkeur dryf. Ward se statistiese groepering is gebruik om te bepaal of die verbruikers in verskillende voorkeursegmente gegroepeer kan word. Hierna is ANOVA op elke segment uitgevoer ten einde per segment verbruikersvoorkeur van die onderskeie produkte te bepaal wat betref voorkoms, geur en tekstuur. Meervoudige regressie analise is toegepas om die verwantskap tussen verbruikervoorkeur-, houding- en sosio-demografiese eienskappe van die verbruikers te bepaal, asook tussen die sensoriese en instrumentele produkeienskappe. Die kase wat vir ‘n kort tydperk verouder is, m.a.w. Gouda, Edam en Cheddar na 4 maande veroudering is beskryf as glansend, met ‘n ryk botter en romerige aroma, romerige geur, sout en effense suur smaak, asook ‘n standhoudende kaasgeur. Teksturele eienskappe van hierdie drie kaassoorte is beskryf as romerig, veerkragtig en effe rubberig. Die Cheddar kase wat langer verouder is, het tekens getoon van sigbare wit kristalle en sinerese op die kaasoppervlak, ‘n prikgevoel op die tong, asook sopagtige (“brothy”) en Cheddaragtige aromas en geure. Die teksturele eienskappe van die verouderde Cheddar kase is beskryf as ferm, hard, krummelagtig en greinerig, asook met’n geneigdheid van die kaas om aan die tande vas te kleef. Geurontwikkeling het nie progressief plaasgevind soos die kase verouder het nie. Die Cheddar kase wat onderskeidelik vir 8 en 15 maande verouder is, het atipiese geurontwikkeling getoon. Belangrike faktore wat tydens die aankoop van kaas’n rol speel, en dus voorkeur dryf is eerstens geur, tweedens prys en derdens produk-gemak. Sensoriese aspekte wat voorkeur dryf, is ‘’n glansende voorkoms en effe rooierige-gelerige kleur. Tekstuur voorkeure sluit in veerkragtiheid en hardheid, terwyl geur voorkeure die volgende insluit: romerige, botterige en melk aromas, asook ‘n romerige geur. In die geheel gesien, dryf die volgende eienskappe dus verbruikersvoorkeur: kaas met ‘n glansende voorkoms, geure soos botteragtig, roomagtig en melkerig en teksture soos veerkragtig en romerig. Voedinstofinhoud beȉnvloed ook verbruikersvoorkeur, nl. soutinhoud, vetinhoud en voginhoud. Segmentasie van verbruikersdata het getoon dat die onderskeie verbruikersegmente nie ooreenstem wat betref hul verbruikersvoorkeure, houdings en persepsies van kaassorte nie. Die resultate het egter spesifike sensoriese rigtingwysers geidentifiseer wat die bedryf kan gebruik om kaas te produseer vir elk van die onderskeie marksegmente.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Limited information is available on the apple preferences of the South African consumer market, which is characterised by diverse consumers from different age and ethnic groups with different food preferences. White, coloured and black consumers from different age groups were selected from the Stellenbosch area, Western Cape, South Africa. Consumer preference analysis for apple eating quality and appearance, and descriptive sensory analysis (DSA) were performed on nine commercial apple cultivars. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) conducted on mean preference scores for each age and ethnic group showed that preference generally differed between these groups. However, Ward’s statistical clustering that was applied to the same data set showed that the sociodemographic composition of consumer groups with similar apple preferences is not homogenous. Three consumer clusters were identified with similar preferences for apple eating quality (E1-3) and appearance (A1-3): E1 liked firmness and therefore tolerated sour taste and disliked mealiness. Although E1 liked sweet fruit, they indicated lower preference for sweet fruit compared to E2 and E3. E2 liked sour taste and apple flavour more compared to the other clusters while E3 disliked sour taste and had the highest preference for sweetness. Although coloured and black consumers generally disliked sour taste and E3 constituted a larger proportion of these consumers, the coloured and black consumers who liked or tolerated sour taste constituted approximately 41% of the total consumer population in the Western Cape. White and younger (<26 years) consumers were mostly in cluster E1 liking firm fruit. Peel colour preferred by the appearance preference clusters were: Green and pink bi-colour (A1), green/yellow and red-striped (A2); and red peel colour (A3). Consumers preferred the appearance of cultivars that associated with the eating quality attributes that they liked. When consumers’ preference for the eating quality of five cultivars were analysed during presentation with different levels of visual pictorial information (no, correct and incorrect photograph), mismatches between expected and actual eating quality preference resulted in lower preference scores. Apple breeding is time-consuming and expensive. Comprehensive knowledge of fruit quality parameters that drive consumer preference is required to streamline the breeding process. Eating quality and appearance attributes of four apple breeding families were subjected to instrumental and individual assessment by a trained assessor and DSA by a trained panel. Instrumental measurements could not predict the sensory attributes analysed by the individual assessor. Sensory textural attributes, apple flavour and sweet taste as quantified by DSA and instrumental measurement of titratable acidity (TA) and total soluble solids (TSS)/TA, but not TSS, could predict consumer preference. The assessor responsible for individual assessment could not predict the preference of the total consumer group. A quantitative genetic analysis of the data was carried out to quantify within- and between-family variation using ANOVA, variance components and heritability estimates. Variation between families was shown for attributes relating to colour and acidity, but not for sweet taste, TSS and apple flavour. Strong genetic control that was generally shown for colour attributes predicts a rapid selection response. Most attributes were inherited quantitatively, but TA showed complicated inheritance mechanisms. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Min inligting is beskikbaar oor die appelvoorkeure van die diverse Suid-Afrikaanse verbruikersmark wat bestaan uit verbruikers van verskillende ouderdomme en etnisiteite met verskillende voedselvoorkeure. Wit, bruin en swart verbruikers van verskillende ouderdomsgroepe is geselekteer in Stellenbosch in die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika. Verbruikersvoorkeuranalise vir die eetkwaliteit en voorkoms van appels en beskrywende sensoriese analise (BSA) is uitgevoer op nege kommersiële appelkultivars. Analise van variansie (ANOVA), uitgevoer op gemiddelde voorkeurdata per ouderdom en etniese groep, het getoon dat die voorkeure van hierdie verskillende groepe oor die algemeen verskil het. Volgens Ward statistiese groepering op dieselfde datastel was die sosiodemografiese samestelling van verbruikersgroepe met soortgelyke voorkeure egter nie homogeen nie. Drie verbruikersgroepe is geïdentifiseer met soortgelyke voorkeure vir appel eetkwaliteit (E1-3) en voorkoms (V1-3). E1 het ‘n voorkeur vir fermheid, ‘n afkeur vir melerigheid en verdra suurheid. Alhoewel E1 van soet vrugte gehou het, het hulle ‘n laer voorkeur vir soetheid as E2 en E3. E2 het ‘n voorkeur vir suurheid en appelgeur terwyl E3 ‘n afkeur vir suur smaak en die hoogste voorkeur vir soetheid getoon het. Alhoewel swart en bruin verbruikers meestal ‘n renons in suur smaak getoon het en meer van hierdie verbruikers tot E3 behoort, maak swart en bruin verbruikers wat suur smaak aanvaar ongeveer 41% van die totale verbruikersgroep in die Wes-Kaap uit. Wit en jonger (<26 jaar) verbruikers was meestal in E1 en het ‘n voorkeur vir fermheid getoon. Vrugkleurvoorkeure was vir groen en pienk (tweekleurig) (V1), groen/geel en rooi gestreep (V2) en rooi (V3). Verbruikers het ‘n voorkeur gehad vir die voorkoms van kultivars waarvan hulle die eetkwaliteit verkies het. Die effek van gevestigde kleur en smaak assosiasies is getoets deur verbruikers te versoek om die eetkwaliteit van vyf kultivars te evalueer tydens aanbieding daarvan met drie vlakke van visuele inligting, naamlik geen, korrekte en verkeerde foto. Verwarring tussen verwagte en werklike eetkwaliteit het gelei tot ‘n laer voorkeur. Teling van appels is tydrowend en duur. Uitgebreide kennis van die vrugkwaliteit parameters wat verbruikersvoorkeur dryf, is noodsaaklik vir effektiewe teling. Eienskappe wat verband hou met die eetkwaliteit en voorkoms van saailinge is in vier appelfamilies geanaliseer. Die eienskappe is geassesseer deur middel van instrumentele en individuele evaluasie deur ‘n opgeleide assessor asook deur BSA deur ‘n opgeleide paneel. Instrumentele analise kon nie die vlakke van sensoriese eienskappe voorspel soos waargeneem deur die individuele assessor nie. BSA van sensoriese tekstuureienskappe, appelgeur en soetheid, en instrumentele meting van titreerbare suur (TS) en totale oplosbare vastestowwe (TOV)/TS, maar nie TOV nie, kon verbruikersvoorkeur voorspel. Die assessor wat individuele evaluasies uitgevoer het, kon nie die voorkeur van ‘n groot verbruikersgroep akkuraat voorspel nie. Kwantitatiewe genetiese analise van die data is uitgevoer en binne- en tussen-familie variasie is gekwantifiseer deur middel van ANOVA, variansie komponente en oorerflikheidsskattings. Variasie tussen families is gevind vir kleureienskappe en suurheid, maar nie vir soet smaak, TOV en appelgeur nie. Resultate het getoon dat kleureienskappe meestal aan sterk genetiese beheer onderworpe is en dit dui op vinnige vordering met seleksie vir vrugkleur. Vrugeienskappe is meestal kwantitatief oorgeërf. Oorerwing van TS blyk ingewikkeld te wees.

No description available.

The purpose of this study was to establish whether co-branding could be adopted as a strategy for leveraging the favourable perceptions and attitudes of the strong constituent brand onto the co-brand, and, onto the weaker constituent brand. The study used a quantitative research methodology where the data is founded on the results from 369 surveys conducted in Johannesburg. The data was analysed using the independent t-test to accept or reject the proposed hypothesis. Using the Trust Based Commitment Model, the findings of this study show that customers’ commitment to the brand influences them to engage in more loyalty behaviours than those customers in mere functional or personal relationships with the brand. The implication of the results in this study is that the consumer’s commitment to the brand leads them to exhibit loyalty behaviours towards the brand, with the adoption of co-branded products being a possible outcome. As the study is limited to the impact of leveraging a strong sporting brand amongst the adult black male consumer segment in Johannesburg, the study cannot be used to make any inferences on the viability of adopting co-branding to leverage the strength of sporting brands amongst other consumer segments in South Africa.

One of the major demand related risks for companies that produce consumer electronics goods is change in consumer preferences over time as reflected in the weights they attach to the attributes of products. This contributes to the difficulty of predicting whether consumers will purchase a new product or not and the accuracy of such forecasts can have significant ramifications for companies’ strategies, profitability and even their chances of survival. Knowledge of attribute-weights and accurate forecasts of new products can give companies better insights during the product development stages, inform go-no-go decisions on whether to launch a developed product and also support decisions on whether a recently launched product should be withdrawn or not due to poor early stage sales. Despite the important implications of change in attribute-weights, no research has investigated the extent to which such changes occur and impact on the accuracy of forecasts of the future market share of these products. Prior to the current research, it was assumed that the weights are constant over time – even when the nature of the attributes was assumed to change. To investigate these concerns choice based conjoint (CBC) was applied to data gathered in a longitudinal survey of consumer choices relating a range of consumer electronic products, where innovation has different rates and the product life cycles are various. This allowed an assessment of the extent to which the weights of attributes of choice-based conjoint models change over a six months period for consumer durable products and the degree to which this variability is dependent on the nature of the product. It demonstrates that the change in weights is greater for products that have high technological complexity and shorter lifecycles and also links the changeability of weights to the characteristics of potential consumers. The results of thesis demonstrate that the assumption of constant weights can potentially lead to inaccurate market share forecast for high-tech, short life-cycle products that are launched several months after the choice-based modelling has been conducted.

This dissertation aims to address issues related to supply and demand of organic wheat either as a commodity or contained in the final consumer products. Objectives for the first essay are to evaluate organic wheat price and premium risk, how it affects the profitability of organic wheat production, and examine whether hedging and forecasting can be used to manage the organic wheat price risk. A side objective is to apply and evaluate several data imputation methods to recover missing organic wheat price observations. Objectives for the second essay are to identify “very likely,” “likely,” and “unlikely” consumers of organic wheat products, examine the differences across the consumer groups to understand which sociodemographic characteristics and other factors drive demand for organic wheat products, and which product characteristics and labels are important to consumers. Objectives for the third essay are to obtain willingness to pay values for organic label alone, examine whether combining organic label with other labels (non-GMO, gluten-free, sugar-free or low-carb) is beneficial for consumers, and evaluate whether knowledge and familiarity with organic, wheat or gluten intolerance or avoidance, and other sociodemographic characteristics affect how consumers value the organic label alone and in combination with other labels. The analyses in the second and third essay are performed using two wheat product categories (bread and cookies) to examine how findings differ across different product categories. This dissertation provides several societal benefits. The findings provide insights that may play an important role in supporting growth of the organic wheat production through reduction of uncertainty associated with wheat commodity prices and final consumer demand. Understanding the dynamics of organic wheat prices, how they can affect profitability of organic wheat production and what can be done to reduce the uncertainty is critical to organic wheat growers and food manufacturers when they make production decisions. The findings in the second and third essay will assist food manufacturers and marketers as they develop new products and marketing strategies and make labelling decisions. The findings in this dissertation may allow them to match consumers’ needs better, and thus use the limited organic wheat supply more efficiently.

Consumers often face conflict between what "makes sense" and what "feels right" - between logical analysis and intuition. This dissertation focuses on the means by which such conflict is resolved. Extending dual-process models of judgment, we suggest that consumers often select a processing output based on their assessment regarding the appropriateness of experiential (system-1) and analytical (system-2) responses. Specifically, we propose distinct mechanisms that affect the weighting of experiential versus analytical outputs by influencing the perceived suitability of each processing mode, and we test these mechanisms in a series of experimental studies. In order to demonstrate the broad applicability of our framework, these studies investigate numerous domains in which the 'head' and 'gut' produce opposing responses, employ diverse manipulations of perceived suitability, and utilize multiple judgment and evaluation measures.The dissertation is organized in three chapters. Chapter One provides an overview of dual-systems theories and introduces the notion of simultaneous conflicting preferences. In addition, the chapter describes our conceptualization of perceived suitability as a metacognitive construct and lays out a model by which this construct influences the resolution of conflicting preferences. Chapter Two presents six empirical studies spanning a number of paradigms relevant to consumer behavior and social cognition. As an initial demonstration, Studies 1-2 utilized a semantic priming task to manipulate representations of experiential and analytical processing, and then tested the effects of this manipulation in a game of chance pitting a logically superior option against one that was perceptually appealing. Studies 3-6 expanded our model to situations involving conflict between implicit and explicit brand attitudes. Three of these studies (3, 5, and 6) tested the proposition that prior-formed, 'implicit' attitudes will affect even overt preferences to the extent that experiential processing is deemed suitable to the evaluation task. The other (Study 4) identified various decision characteristics that may affect the perceived suitability of each processing mode in real-world decisions. Chapter Three concludes the dissertation by reviewing the evidence for our conceptual model and discussing both theoretical and practical contributions of the question "How should I think about it?" in situations pitting instincts against reason. / Dissertation

Management of a sewing machine distributorship desires information on the viability of importing and distributing electronic/computerized sewing machines in comparison to manual sewing machines for resale in Kwa-Zulu Natal. An extensive literature review on industry and competitor analysis, consumer behaviour and market segmentation was undertaken. The research instrument took the form of an interview schedule. The interview was conducted at three dealerships and the study is based on replies from the three dealers who participated. The study is concluded with recommendations, which Singerkzn may wish to consider during its strategic planning process. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.