A Research Report submitted in fulfilment with the partial requirements for the Master of Management in the field of Strategic Marketing, in the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. 2016 / Over the past few years, mobile marketing has generated an increasing interest among academics and practitioners. While numerous studies have provided important insights into mobile marketing, our understanding of this topic of growing interest and importance remains deficient. Therefore, the objective of this literature is to provide a comprehensive framework intended to guide research efforts focusing on mobile marketing via SMS/MMS as well as to aid practitioners in their quest to achieve mobile marketing success. The literature is built around brand equity and awareness and whether this form of direct marketing enhances the brand. It begins with a brief background to the research situation. Mobile marketing is also defined and the researcher also looks at mobile marketing in South Africa. The researcher also outlines mobile marketing from marketing communications mix perspective and provides a comprehensive overview of the benefit of mobile marketing. The literature concludes with a detailed description of, what’s in it for companies, along with speed and simplicity of this form of direct marketing. / GR2018

Thesis (M.B.A.)-Business Studies Unit, Durban Institute of Technology, 2005 vii, 108 leaves / The South African nursery industry has faced many challenges over the last ten years. Excess in both demand and supply occur in any given year. The cost of maintaining a plant beyond its ideal ‘sell-by-date’ erodes profit and after time, results in complete wastage. The seedling nursery industry cannot afford to throw away large quantities of surplus seedlings or those that have become root-bound. The size of the wastage problem was unknown. It was believed that a website for trading surplus stock of seedlings might be the answer to the oversupply experienced by individual nurseries. The literature was consulted to establish what had made large companies successful. The advantages and disadvantages of E-business were investigated.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This body of work is a post modern analysis of how the shift from mass to me media influences the role and structure of the media. Was McLuhan right, is the medium increasingly the message? Or is the post-modern media a totally different animal, a manifestation of popular culture and marketing rather than the socially responsible institution responsible for safeguarding democracy that it was envisioned to be by the American founding fathers? The underlying theme is the convergence of media and marketing and the resulting conglomeration and technological dependency forced on the reader and the writer. Who are the new mediators and how do they manage the media? In the mediatrix, the readers become media managers and the writers become surfers. The analysis begins with an examination of the contrast between real and virtual communities and how the media bridges this information gap. How does reporting in virtuality reflect reality? The body of the study has three parts, the shift from mass to me media, the alternative media spheres it has engendered and the controlling forces behind this transition. Throughout the study, mass media and me media are contrasted. The study ends with a look at the impact of technology .andpopular culture on the South African media and how the media will click through the future. Will the deeply entrenched communal values of ubuntu stave off the individualisation cocooning brings? That is, will the I before we focus of personalised media nurture the South African democracy or will itfoster mediocracy? / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die volgende tesis is n omskrywing van hoe die beweging van die massa-media na die ek-media die rol en die struktuur van die media beinvloed. Was McLuhan korrek, is die medium dikwels doe boodskap? Of is die post-moderne media n totale ander gedierte? n Manifestasie van die populere kultuur en bemarking, eerder as die sosiale verantwoordelike instituut verantwoordelik vir die behoud van demokrasie soos dit gevisualiseer is deur die Amerikaanse voorvaders? Die onderliggende tema is die bymekaarvoeging van media en bemarking en die konglomerasie en tegnologiese verantwoordelikheid geplaas op die leser en skrywer. Wie is die nuwe tussengangers en hoe bestuur hulle die media? In die "mediatrix" word die leser die media bestuurder en die skrywer word die net-sweefer. Die analise begin met die ondersoek na die kontras ussen egte en virtuele gemeenskappe en hoe die media hierdie informasie gaping oorbrug. Hoe word realiteit beinvloed deur rapportering in virtualiteit? Die liggam van die studie bestaan uit drie dele - die skuifvan massa-media na ek-media, die alternatiewe media sfere wat dit vorm, en, die beheerende invloede agter die transformasie. Reg deur die studie word die massa -media en die ek-media gekontrasteer. Die studie eindig met n opsomming van die impak wat tegnologie en populere kultuur op die SA mark het en hoe die media sal saamstem in die toekoms. Sal die diepere gelee gemeenskapswaardes van ubuntu die individualisme wat "cocooning" meebring afskiet. Sal die ek voor die ons van verpersoonlikte media die SA demokrasie aanhelp of medioker maak. / rs201512

Eastern Cape Province farmers in the natural essential oils industry are yet to fully realise the use of electronic commerce (e-commerce) platforms, such as electronic marketplaces (e-marketplaces) for business purposes. This is due to the issues that include lack of awareness, poor product quality, untrusted payment gateways and unsuccessful delivery that are associated with e-marketplaces. As a result, farmers do not trust e-marketplaces and therefore hesitate to engage in e-marketplaces for business purposes. This is further complicated by natural essential oils buyers‟ tendency of preferring face-to-face interaction with a supplier rather than online interaction as they need quality assurance. As such, this research proposes a model to enhance the perceived trustworthiness of natural essential oil producers in the Eastern Cape Province selling through e-marketplaces. The model constitutes the factors that could be considered in assisting essential oil producers to create a perception of trustworthiness to buyers in e-marketplaces. These factors were evaluated amongst five organisations involved in the production, retail or processing of essential oils using a multiple-case study methodology. The study‟s use of multiple-case study was applied within the interpretivist paradigm and five cases were considered. Interviews, document analysis and observations were used for data collection. Data analysis was done using within-case analysis followed by cross-case analysis to establish factors of trust. The essential oil producers based in the Gauteng, Kwazulu-Natal and Western Cape provinces were cases that had been successfully using e-marketplaces for a notable period of time. Accordingly, factors that contributed to the successful use of e-marketplaces informed the proposed model of this research. The model proposes that perceived trustworthiness of enterprises in e-marketplaces can be achieved through following the uncertainty reduction stages (Entry, Personal and Exit) and applying uncertainty reduction strategies (passive, active and interactive).

The use of social media in the retail banking environment has changed the way the banking industry communicates with customers, creates sales and performs marketing and operational tasks. Social media strategies need to be aligned to business goals and effectively used to integrate social media as part of the overall marketing strategy. Only by understanding brand loyalty, multi-channel systems and social media channels can marketers effectively implement social media. In measuring brand loyalty, factors that influence customer buying behaviour and components that influence online interaction are essential in engaging different groups of customers in social media. This research study aimed to examine the use of social media within the South African retail banking environment with a focus on creating and maintaining brand loyalty. An exploratory, mixed method research design was employed. Data collection instruments used in the study includes online surveys, structured interviews, and focus groups. Participants consisted of marketing personnel and customers. Three lead/head social media marketing personnel participated in the interview process, 14 marketing personnel took the online survey and 4 participated in a focus group. Participants for the online survey also consisted of 40 customers who were connected through the internet and performed various online banking activities. Data was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Data from the online surveys completed by customers was analysed quantitatively using descriptive analysis, structural equation modelling (SEM) and factor analysis which was performed on the brand loyalty variables and the brand loyalty measures. Content analysis was used to qualitatively analyse data from the structured interviews. Data from the online surveys completed by marketing personnel was analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Findings indicated that social media forms an integral part of the marketing strategy that needs be aligned with the core business goals. Banks therefore need to focus on creating campaigns that are fun, exciting and appealing to the target market. A culture of innovation and new ideas is essential to grow the product/service. Building brand trust and creating customer satisfaction forms the core of creating brand loyalty on social media. Banks need to be aware of factors that influence customer brand loyalty and components that influence loyalty on social media in order to measure things that matter through analytical tools so that an actionable strategy can be put in place and implemented.

Information technology (IT) has become an integral part of the success and globalisation of business over the last two decades. It is hard to imagine how the efficiencies expected in today’s fast paced business world could possibly be achieved without the advancements in IT. The most significant of these advancements is arguably the advent of the Internet which has empowered businesses of all sizes by giving them the means to promote their products and services at a relatively low cost in markets that would previously have been inaccessible. The aim of this study was to assess whether e-commerce represents an alternative channel for a brick and mortar company wishing to follow a market penetration strategy. The study was based around a company, Canoa Eastern Cape, which trades in the office automation industry in the Eastern and Southern Cape of South Africa. The study investigated the history of Canoa Eastern Cape, focusing predominantly on the growth strategies followed by the business in the past. With a view to the future, growth strategies which could potentially be followed by Canoa Eastern Cape were also investigated. The result of these investigations was a recommendation that Canoa Eastern Cape should follow a market penetration strategy, which will see the business marketing its existing products within its current market by making use of a new distribution channel, more specifically e-commerce. In order to assess the suitability of e-commerce as a tool within a market penetration strategy a literature study was conducted to get a better understanding of ecommerce and its viability as business tool. The literature study focused on eight core concepts felt to be critical in the evaluation of e-commerce, namely: • the development of e-commerce over the past years; • the future of e-commerce; • whether e-commerce is a financial success or not; • requirements for e-commerce to be successful; iv • products that customers are prepared to buy online; • industries most affected by e-commerce; and • demographics of e-commerce users; and • e-commerce in the office automation industry. Using the information gained in the literature study as a basis from which to start, an empirical study was conducted. The objective of the empirical study was to obtain data which would be used to assess the level to which e-commerce has been adopted by consumers in the specific geographic area and whether these consumers are willing and able to make use of e-commerce as an alternative to conventional purchasing for the procurement of office automation consumables and office automation equipment. A quantitative research paradigm was adopted, making use of a structured questionnaire to gather information from the sample of Canoa Eastern Cape’s customers. The data collected from the empirical study were analysed using univariate and bivariate analysis. The findings of the empirical study suggested that: • demographics are a poor indicator of adoption of e-commerce; • there is a significant adoption rate within the sample: o 79.85 percent of the respondents reported to have used e-commerce before for personal use; and o 59.13 percentreported to have used e-commerce before for business use; • there is a high rate of willingness to use e-commerce again: o 91.09 percent of the respondents indicating that they would use e-commerce again for personal use; and o 80.18 percent indicating that they would use e-commerce again for business use; • there is a high likelihood that consumers will buy office automation consumables through an e-commerce channel, with 65.82 percentof the respondents indicating that they would be likely or very likely to buy consumables through an e-commerce channel; • there is no significant difference in the adoption rates between the three main areas within the targeted sample, that is, East London, Port Elizabeth and George and Knysna. Given the findings of the empirical study it is felt that an e-commerce solution does present a viable alternative channel for a brick and mortar company trading in the Office Automation Industry in the Eastern and Southern Cape wishing to follow a market penetration strategy.

Technology and the boom of the internet have encouraged people to connect with each other, share information and build relationships (Stelzner, 2009; 2010) and the social web has presented a new form of communication through social media which allow people to interact and converse with each other (Evans, 2010). This presents marketers with the opportunity to affect consumers purchase decisions through online marketing and social media. This social engagement by consumers has significant impact on marketing activities as marketers need to be aware of the factors affecting consumer’s purchase decision (Evans, 2010). Continental Tyre South Africa (CTSA), a local tyre manufacturer, is embarking on a social media marketing strategy. No other local tyre manufacturer has a presence on social media platforms. As a result CTSA would have first mover advantage. The main objective of the research that follows is to establish if South African tyre purchasers are supportive of social media as an online research tool to learn more about tyre brands. The significance of this research study is that marketing communications has taken on a different dimension with the growth of online market places and the natural step for CTSA is to engage in social media marketing. The literature review revealed that many modern consumers sought peer advice over social networks thus social media has promoted consumer-to-consumer communication and has made it possible for consumers and brands to interact with each other (Mangold and Faulds, 2009). It was concluded that whilst social media marketing presents marketers with a more cost effective form of marketing, further research regarding South African’s online purchasing activities would be required to assess if the time, money and resources required to manage social media marketing for CTSA would be beneficial to the organisation. As a result a qualitative empirical study was conducted by means of a questionnaire. The research elements were broken down into three segments; the internet and social media, consumer-brand engagement and online iv recommendations. The research revealed that social media marketing is an appropriate strategy for CTSA. The main findings further revealed that CTSA would need to engage in an aggressive traditional marketing campaign in order to drive consumers to engage in the social media campaigns. Strategies must include dedicated social media fan pages, online banners, and online advertisements. Based on the research analysis it is recommended that that most appropriate social media platforms for CTSA to launch social media marketing activities are Facebook and Twitter.

Profiling the customers of the e-commerce company Kalahari.net. The purpose of the study was to profile the customers of the e-commerce company, Kalahari.net which sells books, music CDs, DVDs, videos, computer software and hardware amongst others. The literature study includes a discussion of marketing management and e-commerce in South Africa. Customer profiling is discussed to indicate the need and importance of knowing the customer. The quantitative research was done amongst the customers of Kalahari.net by means of an online questionnaire in 2003. The findings concluded that the customers browse the Internet between one and five hours per week. The customers are aged between 21 and 25, mostly female, predominantly English-speaking, married, two to three people per household, have a monthly household income of more than R18 000, are well-educated and are residing predominantly in Gauteng. The study was concluded with the limitations experienced by the researcher and a short discussion of the general usability of the study. / The purpose of the study was to profile the customers of the e-commerce company, Kalahari.net which sells books, music CDs, DVDs, videos, computer software and hardware amongst others. The literature study includes a discussion of marketing management and e-commerce in South Africa. Customer profiling is discussed to indicate the need and importance of knowing the customer. The quantitative research was done amongst the customers of Kalahari.net by means of an online questionnaire in 2003. The findings concluded that the customers browse the Internet between one and five hours per week. The customers are aged between 21 and 25, mostly female, predominantly English-speaking, married, two to three people per household, have a monthly household income of more than R18 000, are well-educated and are residing predominantly in Gauteng. The study was concluded with the limitations experienced by the researcher and a short discussion of the general usability of the study. / Business Management / M. Comm. (Business Management)

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Technology: Marketing, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / The study was undertaken to establish to what extent the use of e-marketing has impacted on the Midlands Meander Association (MMA) members relationship with their customers and influenced their business performance (during the period August 2013 to January 2014). As stated in the literature review, the utilisation of technology and e-marketing are important areas of future research. The literature review incorporates various studies such as Mathfield (2000), Lourens (2007) and McLaren (2011) which focus on the MMA members and their customers. Moreover, the literature review includes a discussion of several definitions of e-marketing, while the importance of a number of e-marketing techniques was examined. The study was an empirical, descriptive investigation which applied a mixed methods approach. The study utilised three types of data collection methods: online survey, telephone interviews and the analysis of public domain documentation. The research found an extensive difference between how the various MMA members implemented e-marketing within their businesses. The research showed that e-marketing was not utilised or exploited by the majority of the MMA members to its full potential. Also, the study revealed the need for the MMA members to increase their utilisation of social media, search engine optimiser and complementary links to other websites in order to realise the advantages which may be gained. The study found that over half of the MMA members held a moderately positive perception of e-marketing and that the members’ ages might impact on their perceptions of e-marketing. The research suggested that the majority of the respondents recognised that their business performance had increased due to the use of e-marketing. Furthermore, the research found that two thirds of the MMA members acknowledged the importance of e-marketing to connect and build relationships with their customers. Finally, the research highlighted the need for future research to be undertaken to incorporate other tourism routes within South Africa in order to examine the use of e-marketing and its effect on both customer relationships and business performance.

Online marketing communication provides some of the cutting edge tools that can be used by guest houses to communicate their product and service offerings. The purpose of this study was to determine which online marketing communication tools can be used, and are in fact currently used by guest houses in Pretoria East. The results obtained from this study can assist guest house owner/managers in Pretoria East with decision-making on the communication of off-line and online marketing communication tools to be included in their marketing strategy. Primary data was collected by means of a survey with guest house owners/managers in Pretoria East. Specific corpographic details of guest houses in Pretoria East were identified. Furthermore, the most frequently used off-line and online marketing communication tools were identified, as well as the number of guest houses that have websites and the content of these websites. The findings suggest that guest houses in Pretoria East have to invest more time and money in implementing certain online marketing communication tools, such as social networking and use of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). By implementing online marketing communication tools like these, guest houses in Pretoria East could enhance customers‟ awareness of a guest house. This study verified the importance of electronic tools such as the Internet and Web as an integral part of an organisation‟s marketing strategy, specifically for small businesses in the service sector, such as guest houses. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)