Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1981.

To date, the collection of comprehensive household travel data has been a challenge for most metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and state departments of transportation (DOTs) due mainly to high costs. Urban population growth, the expansion of metropolitan regions, and the general unwillingness of the public to complete surveys conflict with limited public funds. The purpose of this research is to leverage targeted marketing data, sometimes referred to as consumer data or just simply marketing data, for travel demand modeling applications. This research reveals a first step in exploring the use of targeted marketing data for representing population characteristics of a region. Four studies were completed: an aggregate validation, a household-level validation for hard-to-reach population groups, an airport passenger model, and a residential location choice model. The two validation studies of this work suggest that targeted marketing data are similar to U.S. Census data at small geographic levels for basic demographic and socioeconomic information. The studies also suggest that the existing coverage errors are at least similar, if not lower than, the levels of those in household travel surveys used today to build travel demand models. The two application studies of this work highlight the benefits of the targeted marketing data over traditional household travel surveys and U.S. Census data particularly well, including the additional behavioral information available at the household-level and the very large sample sizes. These results suggest that the combination of targeted marketing data with other third-party and non-traditional data could be particularly powerful. It offers tremendous opportunities to enhance, or even transform, existing travel demand modeling systems and data collection practices. Inexpensive, up-to-date, and detailed data would allow researchers and decision-makers alike to better understand travel behavior and to be more equipped to make important transportation-related decisions that affect our lives each day.

This thesis presents the results from a survey of transit agencies on web-based feedback tools and their role in enabling communication between agencies and riders. Motivation for the survey stems from the growing importance of web-based feedback tools in improving transit services. Web-based feedback can improve transit agencies' knowledge of issues relating to their systems while enhancing the transit riding experience. As the availability of Internet and smartphones increases among transit users, the tools available to gather feedback have grown in response. Web- and smartphone-based tools are instrumental in collecting a wide range of feedback, including commendations and complaints, maintenance issues, transit services, safety and security, long-term planning and other transit operations related issues. At the same time, transit agencies must determine how to best respond and manage the growing presence of information on the web relating to their agencies performance. Through a web-based survey administered to 130 transit agencies in the United States and Canada, information was gathered on the current and planned use of web-based tools by transit agencies. The overall survey results show that most transit agencies focus on sorting and responding to unsolicited feedback being collected primarily through social media, email, and online forms. Additionally, transit agencies see the benefits of web-based customer feedback, noting that the key to managing their systems into the future will involve developing agency-wide digital feedback plans that allow automation and integration across all feedback channels. Finally, transit agencies also noted that the primary downside to web-based feedback involved a lack of staff resources to support their systems. This thesis provides further analysis focusing on three questions regarding the survey results: - How can agency size, based on unlinked trips, influence the survey responses collected from agencies regarding their use of web-based feedback tools? - What variables from the survey can influence a transit agencies ability to provide web-based feedback tools to their riders? - What factors might contribute to differences in transit agencies rider access estimates to Internet and smartphones? While the results show that larger agencies are able to offer more web-based feedback tools to their riders, there were problems with transit agencies incorrectly estimating their riders’ access to Internet and smartphones. This could cause issues regarding agencies ability to understand which web-based tools they should implement to engage their riders. This thesis details one portion of an overall project, which will provide framework for agencies to assess their needs and resources to determine how to create their own effective customer feedback systems in relation to what web-based feedback tools will most benefit themselves and their riders.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 106-110). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Within the academic literature pertaining to retail location analysis, the prominent focus over the last years has been on mathematical models capable of directly delineating the trade area of a retail facility and estimating the outlet's potential sales volume. This concentration on modeling represents an attempt to add some structure to the site selection process and to eliminate some of the problems associated with the highly subjective and intuitive alternative methods (such as Applebaum's analog approach), which tend to rely extremely heavily on past learning experiences and the analyst's decision making ability. However, even though these modeling approaches add some needed structure and objectiveness to the process, they have failed to reach any level of acceptance in the business world. One of the major purposes of this study is to determine the underlying reasons for this lack of adoption. To gain an understanding of the problem a number of planners, developers, consultants and store merchants were interviewed in order to ascertain the methods and processes involved. Aside from basic methodologies, the questionnaire also concentrated on a wide variety of locational considerations not normally dealt with in the academic literature, such as corporate strategies. This survey revealed a number of problems inherent in the application of these highly structured mathematical models. Most of the problems stemmed from the limited perspective taken. For example, only the demand for retail facilities are considered in the models, all supply considerations are neglected. Corporate strategies, past learning experiences and most financial implications are ignored. Furthermore, these approaches tend to exclude a number of important factors that are suspected to have a significant impact on determining consumer patronage patterns. Some of the more important variables identified were: tenant mix, the location of the tenants within the shopping center, accessibility, an array of site quality factors, and population characteristics. Although there is a need for some structure to be added to those methods used in practice, it is apparent the models are too inflexible and limited for the type of situation for which they are intended. The dynamic nature of the developmental process requires more fluidity in the analytical approaches used, since each situation presents such a unique set of circumstances. Unless the entire design of the models are changed in a dramatic way, they are never likely to be used in the business world. This, however, is not liable to happen in the immediate future since the direction that most of the academic research seems to be taking is towards making minor adaptations to model forms that are impractical by their general design and nature. Therefore, until research takes on a new direction, it is not likely that any practical advances will be made. In essence, the need for some new directions in academic research, the urgency for a closer association between the theorists and those in business, and the necessity for more holistic approaches are among the more important inferences made within this thesis. / Arts, Faculty of / Geography, Department of / Graduate

This project focuses on Nescafe's advertising in two main markets, namely the United States and India, and it analyzes the similarities and differences of global brands across different markets.

by Chan Yuen Yuen Yolanda, Kwong Hok Yuen Terecina. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS --- p.vi / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vii / LIST OF APPENDICES --- p.ix / ACKNOWLEDGMENTS --- p.xi / CHAPTER / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter II --- . LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.3 / Chapter A. --- Findings applied to Online Newspaper Browsing Behavior --- p.4 / Chapter B. --- Banner Ads --- p.5 / Chapter C. --- Web User Profile --- p.6 / Chapter D. --- The Perspectives on Consumer behaviors --- p.7 / Chapter III. --- OBJECTIVES --- p.9 / Chapter IV. --- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY --- p.10 / Chapter A. --- Exploratory approach method --- p.10 / Chapter 1. --- The Pilot Study --- p.11 / Chapter 2. --- Online Survey --- p.11 / Chapter B. --- Descriptive Approach Method --- p.13 / Chapter C. --- Data collection method of online survey --- p.14 / Chapter 1. --- Sampling Plan --- p.14 / Chapter 2. --- Sampling Frame --- p.14 / Chapter 3. --- Sample Size --- p.14 / Chapter 4. --- Valid Sample --- p.15 / Chapter D. --- Identity Composition --- p.16 / Chapter E. --- Data analysis and interpretation --- p.16 / Chapter V. --- FINDINGS --- p.18 / Chapter A. --- Demographic --- p.20 / Chapter 1. --- Summary of demographic profile of respondents --- p.20 / Chapter 2. --- Comparison table --- p.23 / Chapter B. --- Internet Usage --- p.25 / Chapter 1. --- Summary of various aspects of internet usage --- p.25 / Chapter 2. --- Information on purposes of using Internet statistics --- p.27 / Chapter C. --- Online news browsing behaviors --- p.29 / Chapter 1. --- Summary of online news browsing behavior --- p.29 / Chapter 2. --- Information on competition --- p.31 / Chapter D. --- Banner Advertisements browsing behavior --- p.32 / Chapter E. --- Web Content Evaluation --- p.34 / Chapter F. --- Behavior analysis of online news browsing --- p.38 / Chapter 1. --- Skillfulness --- p.38 / Chapter 2. --- Internet information-seeking preferencess --- p.44 / Chapter 3. --- Demgraphic anaysis of banner ads browsing --- p.53 / Chapter VI. --- IMPLICATIONS --- p.55 / Chapter A. --- comparisons between apple daily's perception and online survey --- p.55 / Chapter 1. --- Customers --- p.55 / Chapter 2. --- Information types that readers are interested in --- p.56 / Chapter 3. --- Competitors --- p.56 / Chapter b. --- application of a behavior model --- p.57 / Chapter 1. --- Awareness --- p.57 / Chapter 2. --- Interest --- p.57 / Chapter 3. --- Evaluation --- p.57 / Chapter 3. --- Action --- p.58 / Chapter c. --- target segmentation --- p.59 / Chapter D. --- Web design strategies --- p.60 / Chapter 1. --- "Improve downloading time, interactivity and technological superiority" --- p.60 / Chapter 2. --- Links to local libraries and search engines --- p.60 / Chapter E. --- Information provision strategies --- p.61 / Chapter F. --- Banner Advertisements provision strategies --- p.61 / Chapter G. --- promotional strategies --- p.62 / Chapter H. --- online marketing research --- p.62 / Chapter I. --- competitive moves --- p.63 / Chapter J. --- future prospects --- p.63 / Chapter VII --- LIMITATIONS / SCOPE OF THE STUDY --- p.65 / Chapter VIII --- CONCLUSION --- p.66 / APPENDIX --- p.68 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.116

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.

The area of ethnic market segmentation has received little attention from practitioners or academicians of marketing since most minority groups immigrating to the United States have gradually assimilated the cultural norms and values, and thus the market behavior, of the American society as a whole. Preliminary investigation, however, indicates that Mexican Americans are an exception. To discover whether Mexican Americans represent a true ethnic market segment of economic significance, this study examines and analyzes several aspects. First, to determine whether Mexican Americans represent a true ethnic segment, the following aspects of their cultural norms, perceptions, and values are investigated: their distinct and unique identity, the continuity and consistency of their adoption and use, and the degree of their influence. Second, to determine whether Mexican Americans constitute an ethnic market segment, grocery shopping behavioral patterns are examined. Third, to ascertain whether Mexican Americans represent a substantial ethnic market segment in terms of the number of consumers and the amount of money spent, relevant demographic and socioeconomic characteristics are presented and analyzed. Fourth, the impact of an economically significant ethnic market segment on marketers and marketing institutions is assessed. Due to the nature of this study, emphasis is placed on the collection of primary data, which has been obtained through personal interviews with 115 consumer respondents and eighteen grocery store owners and managers. Secondary data, gathered from reports of the Bureau of the Census, various periodicals, journals, and books, are used to establish cultural, demographic, and socioeconomic trends.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation, 2016 / This study was to identify the extent of Generation Y entrepreneurs’ social media usage in terms of weak-tie alliance maintenance and creation and also alliance creation. A sample group of entrepreneurs in the Johannesburg were chosen by using social media as a channel. By using the researcher’s social capital and also the different characteristics that are unique to these SNSs (social network sites), such as Twitter advertising, a sample group was created. A digital survey was distributed to the selected entrepreneurs by using an online platform. By using hypothesis testing and a multiple regression model, it was identified that entrepreneurs tend to favour maintaining weak-ties over creating weak-ties using SNSs, and alliance creation on SNSs does not seem too common, but it was highlighted that when entrepreneurs do create alliances, they tend to favour weakties that they have created on SNSs. The overall picture is that entrepreneurs have an inclination not to use SNSs to create weak-ties and alliances, this could come down to a number of factors such as trust and education, and there could also perhaps be no SNS that supports alliance creation to the extent that entrepreneurs need. / XL2018