The cyclical evolution of fashion has been based on the designs and styles composed in the fashion capitals of the world. Novelty and expression have been determinants of leading fashion. African fashion portrays both these elements through the vibrant fabric and culturally inspired pieces of clothing. With Western fashion dominating South African shopping centres, whether the younger and significant black South African Millennial (BSAM) cohort members ascribe any value to African fabric fashion is a matter of interest. The objective of this study is to explore, investigate and ascertain what factors BSAMs consider to be influential in their consideration of AFF. The adoption of fashion is a behaviour, which is preceded by a consumer holding the intention to so act; the intention to adopt fashion is influenced and altered by multiple different factors; AFF is arguably "new" fashion to the target population, based on the dominance of first-world fashion in the country; thus it is of interest to see what factors BSAMs consider to be influential when considering AFF. The data for this interpretivist study was collected through the use of a qualitative research methodology. The data were analysed manually. The theoretical framework and the literature review showed that the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) was the basic theory for the study. This model was modified in line with the objectives of this study. Five factors structure the model, namely: attitude, social values (normative variables), fashion involvement, country-of-origin (COO) effect and consumer ethnocentrism (CE) (all perceived control variables). The generation, which is entering the working world and whose fashion selection is increasingly coming under their own control, desire to buy the fashion at affordable prices. Companies that target the cohort should recognise the pride, which the cohort holds in being African. Their pride must be recognised and acknowledged, and even supported; in order to appeal to this generation. Musical celebrities should be used in marketing campaigns; and the social media should be a channel utilised; since much interest in the medium has been shown by the findings of this study.

Includes bibliographical references. / Over the last decade a South African product, namely Rooibos, has conquered the German consumer market. It initially started as a small trend amongst health conscious people, developing into a staple product, to being difficult nowadays to imaging Rooibos not being available for sale. As Rooibos gained popularity on the extremely competitive German food market, marketing strategies had to change accordingly. To reach the mass market, it was necessary to market Rooibos at the discounters and supermarkets, important for the German grocery industry. Advertising also played an important role as through TV and pring media many consumers can be approached and therefore product awareness increased.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 109-114). / Sport tourism is a niche market within the broad field of tourism in South Africa. The tourism industry of this country is relatively young in terms of development when compared to European and American countries as a result of the retardation caused by apartheid. While the leisure tourist market in South Africa continues to be researched extensively, the niche Special Interest Tourism (SIT) markets, particularly that of sport tourism, are being overlooked to a great extent and continue the struggle to reach the levels of similar, developed markets. Many other aspects of the sport tourism industry of South Africa require research, to provide the knowledge that will help the country position itself adequately and capitalise on this market. This Includes investigation into SA as a host destination of events, profiling the international sport tourists who visit SA as well as the domestic sport tourists that travel to sporting events within the country. The Cape Argus Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour (CAPPCT) is a world-renowned event and satisfies the criteria of the definition of a hallmark event i.e. "Major one-time or recurring events of limited duration, developed primarily to enhance the awareness, appeal and profitability of a tourism destination in the short and/or long term. Such events rely for their success on uniqueness, status or timely significance to create interest and attract attention". Consequently, this event was selected as the ideal event on which to investigate the above-mentioned aspects. Sport tourists' choices are influenced by many intrinsic and extrinsic factors. These intrinsic factors include the inherent needs and motivations that drive the individual. The widely used Needs hierarchy depicts the order in which an individual's needs are satisfied. One begins with the lower-order needs such as nutrition, shelter, security, which are followed by higher-order needs such as social acceptance, status and self-actualisation. The notion is that as lower order needs are satisfied, higher order needs that are more associated with the ego than the body, take precedence and become more important. In addition one's identity and how one seeks to define it are of great importance. Many spectators and players define themselves by the sports that they play and the teams that they support (and identify with), to a great extent. An external factor such as sub-cultural membership provides the individual with a different set of benefits and ultimately fulfills higher level needs far more effectively.

Mega-sporting events such as the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil have been observed to serve as highly influential tools for the promotion of positive media impressions surrounding the host destination. Drawing from the field of existing knowledge surrounding the sociology of sport, the media and media content analysis, this study reports on a media content analysis conducted on the local news coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in selected South African newspapers. Monitoring coverage over and eight-year pre- and post-event period, the analysis identified five principal themes: stadiums; safety and security; Bafana-Bafana; social-impact; and economic-impact. The findings indicated a cyclical-type shift in conversation, where focus was placed on impressions of host-nation capabilities and readiness in the lead up to the event, to profound euphoria, unity and pride during the hosting stages of the event, and finally onto critical impact and legacy evaluation in the post-event phase. The sentiment of the coverage was largely balanced across all periods, with the total number of positive references only slightly exceeding that of negative references. These findings serve as critical insight to the work of event organisers, media managers and policy developers alike, whom all hold a vested interest in managing the perceived impressions of mega-sporting events. Practical implications for these stakeholders include: i) establishing greater clarity with respect to the overall signalling benefits of mega-sporting; and ii) informing media management campaigns to reinforce the power of mega-sporting events as a positive reference point - especially in the post-event legacy period.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 211-212). / Climate change, diminishing natural resources and a host of socio-economic challenges have fuelled the demands on businesses to manage their operations in a more sustainable and responsible manner. Global pressure, changing consumer demands and proof of business benefits have driven the growth in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The tourism sector, however, despite being highly dependent on natural and human capital, has been slow to react to this trend. This paper investigates which factors influence the attitudes and perceptions of business managers towards responsible tourism management (RTM) and the effect that these attitudes and perceptions have on business performance. A conceptual model was developed to consider the relationships between managers' attitudes, management intention and business performance. Additionally variables considered to have disruptive power, such as managers' gender, highest level of education achieved, personal values, level of competitiveness, and industry sub-sector, were also included in the model. The analysis showed that despite the positive attitudes of tourism managers towards RTM, evidence of employee training, local procurement, and H IV/Aids policies is limited. Only 12.7% have an HIV/Aids policy and merely 13.7% carry the Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) trademark. Factors disrupting the linear relationship between attitude and behaviour include the level of competitiveness in the business environment, the industry subsector, business size and the perceived costs of implementing RTM. The findings confirm previous research that a majority of South African tourism businesses are not adopting responsible tourism practices despite the evident need and benefits thereof. The findings from the research, however, also suggest that businesses who are employing RTM practices enjoy tangible business benefits ranging from increased employee morale to bottom line profits. The tourism industry in South Africa has been strongly criticised for its lack of transformation. Various government policies have been developed to encourage and expedite the spread of numerous benefits stemming from tourism to more South Africans. These include employment opportunities, small medium and micro enterprise (SMME) development, and poverty reduction. Social marketing campaigns by government tourism agencies aimed at influencing tourism businesses' management style should consider the findings from this study. Strategies will be more effective if the channels to implement RTM are made simpler, if the tourism industry feels supported by government to implement these changes, if the relative size of the business is taking into consideration, and if the perceived costs of RTM are addressed. It is imperative that the potential business benefits of RTM, including increased brand loyalty, product differentiation, marketing opportunities, and profits are communicated to tourism business managers. RTM, thus, becomes a strategic business choice for companies seeking to gain a competitive advantage. It benefits both the company and the society at large. Ultimately, a more sustainable and competitive South African tourism industry will result if business objectives of profit-maximisation are aligned with social and environmental goals.

Bragging about brands on social media is pervasive. When bragging about brands, communicators face a trade-off between enhancing perceptions of their competence versus lowering perceptions of their warmth or likability. Likewise, for brands, bragging can increase the brand’s visibility but can convey negative brand-user imagery that detracts from the equity of the brand. Across four experimental studies, this dissertation shows how signaling brand attachment moderates the effects of brand-related bragging on both the perceptions of communicators and brand-user imagery. Results from the first two studies show that mentioning a high status brand in social media communications leads to negative evaluations when the communicator is not seen as attached to the brand, and positive evaluations when brand attachment is signaled. Using brand attachment cues while bragging leads the audience to infer that the communicator talks about the brand because of intrinsic motives such as personal enjoyment, versus extrinsic motives such as status-signaling, resulting in favorable communicator impressions and brand-user imagery. The last two studies show that the beneficial effects of using brand attachment cues while bragging are mitigated if the cues are seen as non-credible or non-diagnostic of motives in a particular communication context. This research develops a theoretical framework for brand-related bragging and suggests practical ways to manage the trade-offs involved for both communicators and brands. Further, it opens new avenues for research by providing a social perception lens on consumer-brand relationships and showing that there are benefits of signaling one’s brand attachment for both consumers and brands in terms of impressions formed by the audience. / 2021-06-30T00:00:00Z

Some organizational leaders in emerging markets lack strategies for successful development of new products. By 2025, emerging markets will account for 50% of global consumption and represent significant opportunities for organizational leaders to steer their organizations toward market dominance. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that organizational leaders used to successfully develop new products. The target population comprised leaders of 3 organizations in Nigeria who have successfully developed new products. The conceptual framework for this study was the disruptive innovation theory. Data were gathered from semistructured interviews with the organizational leaders and review of company documents. Data analysis involved the compilation of data, coding to organize the data, identification of themes that emerged, and linking those themes with the research. Triangulation and member checking were used to help ensure the trustworthiness of interpretations. Four themes emerged from data analyses relating to strategies used by organizational leaders to successfuly develop new products: leadership and business models, organizational structure and culture, target population and market needs, and affordability. The implications of this study for positive social change include the potential to improve the standard of living in Nigerian communities, which might enhance the participation of the rural people and local businesses in the global economy. Furthermore, the findings of the study may provide knowledge for organizations to become more profitable in emerging markets.

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