The development of non-traditional communication channels in recent years has progressively created a world more digital, networked and interlaced by a myriad of communication tools than ever before. With Facebook being the most prevalent social network, this study aims to guide local organisations to use Facebook optimally to communicate with their customers. The study strives to incorporate the latest ideas about social media marketing in the relevant literature with the opinions of local social media marketing experts. The generally ineffective use of Facebook as a communication channel by small, inexperienced organisations is seen as a justification for identifying a set of criteria to guide organisations in using Facebook pages as a driver of communication. The empirical phase of the research produced a list of seven guidelines on the optimal use of Facebook pages for marketing purposes, which might assist South African companies in developing their marketing strategies. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

Re-branding is an opportunity for marketers of fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs) to reposition the brand and differentiate it from competitor‘s products. However, in spite of the significant opportunities and benefits that re-branding presents if carried out correctly, some marketers simply fail to successfully deliver ‗new‘ brand images to customers, and others are faced with a ‗back-lash‘ from consumers and are forced to revert to the original branding. Since there is a dearth of knowledge on the practical efforts of re-branding FMCGs by the world‘s largest companies, an exploratory study using a mixed methods approach was conducted to understand re-branding at one of the world‘s largest FMCGs companies, namely Nestle SA. More specifically, an investigating was conducted to understand the process Nestlé followed in re-branding its coffee and other beverage brands from 2010 to 2012; the type of re-branding strategy that was used to position and reposition its beverage brands; the importance of retaining a corporate brand name, logo and image when rebranding; and the turnover pattern during the years when re-branding was undertaken. The Nestle managers‘ perceptions on the cost versus the benefits of re-branding were also ascertained. Six managers who represented the marketing, packaging and customer service divisions of Nestle‘s (Escourt) coffee and beverage brands formed the convenience sample of this study. The concurrent mixed methods approach which consisted of two phases was used. A structured questionnaire using opened and closed ended questions were used to conduct interviews with the sample. In addition internal official documentation related to re-branding, namely, policies and turnover reports were reviewed and analysed. It became evident that Nestlé‘s key reason for re-branding is innovation of the coffee and beverage brands. It was also ascertained that Nestlé has a customized re-branding strategy for each product and, the Nestle logo proved to be the most important identifier of the company and is therefore always retained during re-branding. It was also apparent that respondents viewed the benefits of re-branding as outweighing the costs. Furthermore, since the sales fluctuated post re-branding, it was concluded that with respect to the products concerned at Nestle, that there is no direct relationship between re-branding and sales. The implications of the findings for marketers of FMCGs are that they need to be cognizant of the need to change the ‗look and feel‖ of brands over time to keep them relevant and compete effectively. Furthermore, they need to ensure that the changes are gradual, acceptable and relevant, and that all the costs of re-branding are taken into consideration so that an informed decision to re-brand is made. Furthermore, marketers should be aware that re-branding which is not properly carried out can be damaging to the brand, and the importance of social media as a tool to communicate with consumers prior, during and post re-branding should not be underplayed. As with all research studies, this study had certain limitations which restricts the ability to generalize the findings to all FMCGs companies. This was more of a ‗case‘ study, although it involved an international FMCG company. Perhaps a comparative study of re-branding coffee and beverage brands at Nestlé‘s factories in other countries may serve to compare and strengthen the findings. It could also shed light on Nestlé‘s‘ international re-branding strategies, which findings could then be more relevant for generalization. A further limitation of this study is that although internal documents were provided, limitations were placed in terms of the information that could be divulged in this study. This resulted in sales units being estimated from documentation and therefore accurate figures could not be disclosed. Future studies should be anonymously conducted so that more informed recommendations could be made with respect to turnover and expenditure on re-branding. / Thesis (M.Com.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

Thesis (M.M. (Strategic Marketing))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Business Administration, 2015. / Corporate rebranding has been a topic of study for many years, as exemplified in the work of scholars such as Rosenthal (2003), Simms and Trott (2007), Abratt and Kleyn (2012), and Muzellec and Lambkin (2006). Despite the high level of academic interest in researching corporate rebranding, there has been an overwhelming bias towards its effects on consumers within developed markets. Although the fact that many prior studies have been conducted on corporate rebranding and employee engagement, there is scant research on emerging markets, such as in South Africa. These previous studies did not adopt the Saks (2006) employee engagement model in an emerging market context to investigate the effects corporate rebranding can have on employee engagement in an emerging market context. The chosen case studies are a talent measurement company that underwent a corporate rebranding process in 2011, as well as an advisory company that also went through rebranding in 2013. The two companies fall within the same industry, thus the choice of a single embedded case study. Since the research aims to explore “the how and why”, a qualitative research method was found most fitting. The analysis was based on data collected during 26 in-depth interviews with senior managers, consultants, supportive staff, and marketing professionals. Data from the interviews were analysed using an open-code method in which eight key themes were identified. The researcher triangulated the data collected from the primary interviews, as well as secondary sources such as staff internal drafts, eComms, Q&A sheets, brochures, flyers, and media reviews. The results of Company A (SHL), revealed that not all employees understood the reason for corporate rebranding. Senior levels of management and consultants seemed to understand that the reason for the rebranding was to reposition SHL and combine two companies following a merger with PreVisor. In Company B (EY), the results revealed a similar level of understanding behind the reasons for corporate rebranding. Managers understood the reasons for corporate rebranding as an opportunity to gain new markets and reposition EY. ii According to the cross-case analysis compared to the Saks model of engagement, the corporate rebranding exercise had a positive impact on organisational commitment and organisational citizen behaviour. In terms of intention to quit, a corporate rebranding exercise is more likely to reduce intentions to quit. It was also established that there was no direct impact on job satisfaction due to the SHL and EY corporate rebranding. An unexpected outcome of the research was that during uncertain times of change, such as corporate rebranding, employees with strong loyalty to the brand are more inclined to stay with the brand and see the change through. This loyalty is rooted deeper than the current state of employee job satisfaction and engagement levels and more inclined to the company’s brand. The other interesting outcome was that a corporate rebranding exercise can ignite employees’ spirits and create a positive organisational culture, which is more likely to increase work efficiency and productivity. Even though the research could not link corporate rebranding to job satisfaction, the other contracts of the Saks model, which includes organisational commitment, intention to quit and organisational citizenship behaviour, could be directly linked. Therefore, the outcome of the research identified the reasons for the companies to go through corporate rebranding exercises; namely to reposition the companies and gain new markets. In light of the second research question, which referred to the effects of corporate rebranding on employee engagement, the research revealed that in line with the Saks model of engagement, certain aspects of engagement are enhanced by corporate rebranding and others, just as job satisfaction, have no impact at all. At the end of the study, research implications, limitations, and areas for future research are suggested. / DM2016

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts. / This dissertation examines two socially significant effects of Eskorn's Electricity For All programme: The new market that emerges once electricity becomes accessible, and managerial responses to this new market within the appliance industry. The research question asks how and why management in the appliance sector responds to the new market's demands. In answering this question, the new market is initially assessed. I have shown who constitutes this market and that these consumers prioritise top-of-the-range appliances. I have expanded on Pierre Bourdieu's concept of the habitus and used this to uncover these explanations of the new market. These findings have emerged through content analyses, in-depth interviews, a group workshop and participant observation methods. The dissertation then examines how and why management respond in specific ways to these market demands. I have assessed, through the use of a case study, why and how Tek Corp. the market leader in the appliance industry - responds strategically to the new market. I have examined management's response by addressing structures and responses within both the production and consumption phases of the circuit of capital. This dissertation has found that new types of competition are emerging within the appliance industry as a result of responses to the new market. I have thus argued that by assessing both production and consumption and by using the concept of the habitus, holistic explanations about capitalist relations in the appliance industry emerge. / Andrew Chakane 2018

Thesis (M.M. (Strategic Marketing))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Wits Business School, 2016. / This study addresses the nature of the relationship between brand citizenship behaviour and its antecedent instigator, strategic internal brand management as they pertain to the quest for distinctive service competencies by firms in the financial services sector. In today’s fast moving technologically accelerated world of commerce and industry, the quest for differentiation and innovation has simultaneously become acute while at the same time significantly more challenging to attain and sustain. Such behoves organisations to identify competency areas that can be leveraged for segment level distinctiveness. For one, the value of a strong brand is well recognised in business and much has been written about the diversity of elements that accentuate the construct of a brand. Being exploratory in nature, the study was guided by a qualitative design. In-depth interviews were conducted with a sample of executives representing the functions of marketing, human resources and operations from a selection of leading South African financial services firms as part of an exploratory investigation. These senior level practitioners were identified in literature as the anchors upon which meaningful strategic initiative emanates. The aspirant attainment of employees who become true citizens of the brand in their behaviour towards customers and other stakeholders was noted to be an outcome of leadership deliberateness in ensuring sustained immersion of employees in an organisation’s culture and values. A model that offers a foundation for the identification of key intra-organisational constructs and processes was proposed as a key outcome of the study. In addition, the study raises awareness of how to frame the scope of aspects that need to be included into an integrated approach to internal brand management to yield employee brand citizenship behaviour and ultimately assist in enhancing an organisation’s differentiation efforts. Keywords: internal brand management, brand citizenship behaviour, brand identity, brand communication, brand leadership, internal marketing, retail financial services. / DH2016

M. Tech. Business Administration / Small and medium enterprises are the cornerstones of the economy as research indicates that they create jobs and also contribute to the gross domestic product of a country. Several studies on e-commerce adoption by small and medium enterprises in developing countries have found that small and medium enterprises are said to be generally lagging behind to large organisations as far as the adoption of e-commerce is concerned. There were studies done on e-commerce adoption. However, no study has been done on e-commerce adoption in Pretoria East. The objectives of the study were to determine the current level of e-commerce adoption by small and medium enterprises in Pretoria East. The study assessed whether the influence of factors such as relative advantage, competitive pressure, IT knowledge, security and government support motivates the adoption of e-commerce by small and medium enterprises in Pretoria East and the relative importance thereof.

The development of non-traditional communication channels in recent years has progressively created a world more digital, networked and interlaced by a myriad of communication tools than ever before. With Facebook being the most prevalent social network, this study aims to guide local organisations to use Facebook optimally to communicate with their customers. The study strives to incorporate the latest ideas about social media marketing in the relevant literature with the opinions of local social media marketing experts. The generally ineffective use of Facebook as a communication channel by small, inexperienced organisations is seen as a justification for identifying a set of criteria to guide organisations in using Facebook pages as a driver of communication. The empirical phase of the research produced a list of seven guidelines on the optimal use of Facebook pages for marketing purposes, which might assist South African companies in developing their marketing strategies. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

M.Comm. (Business Management) / Marketing as field of study has developed as a vibrant and evolutionary management function over a number of decades. In the 1950's the primary focus was on consumer goods. In the ensuing three decades industrial marketing, societal orientation and the marketing of services respectively, came to the fore. It is anticipated that relationship marketing will increasingly capture the attention of marketers in the 1990's. Relationship marketing addresses internal markets in the organisation, such as the personnel and jobs, suppliers, influencer markets, referral markets and customer markets. The focus in relationship marketing shifts from transaction marketing, as practised in the past, to long term relationships developing between the markets mentioned above (Christopher, 1991:9).The student holds the opinion that both relationship marketing and internal marketing have immense application potential in business on corporate and small business level. These concepts however, are still in the infancy stage with a low level of awareness amongst businessmen and entrepreneurs alike.

The research problem addressed in this study was concerned with the identification of factors that inhibit Small and Medium Enterprises from exporting their products to South Africa’s most important trading partners. To achieve this objective, a theoretical study was conducted to establish what literature reveals to be the most important trading partners, and the problems which businesses experience when they export their products to these destinations from the Eastern Cape. The information obtained in the literature study was analysed, and, in order to resolve the main problem, the research questionnaire was divided into four parts. • Part 1 consisted of biographical questions. • Part 2 consisted of questions aimed at establishing the reasons why organisations embarked on exporting. • Part 3 was concerned with what the respondents perceived as barriers to their export operations. • Part 4 was concerned with strategic decisions and the minimising of risk. The empirical results obtained indicate that, although inhibiting factors are a reality in exporting, these remain secondary to general market forces of supply and demand. It was shown that inhibiting factors do not play as big a role in the export process as the literature suggests.

M.B.A. / There is much contemporary writing on electronic commerce, although the amount of academic literature is limited. Most of the survey data and literature available is conducted in the USA and Europe and information on electronic commerce in South Africa is severely limited (Benjamin, 1999:1). This would indicate that data specific to e-retailing would be difficult to source. Electronic commerce has experienced very fast development in recent years following a slow start with its inception in the 1960s, when the first attempts at integration between trading partners took place. The value of electronic commerce transactions internationally was expected to reach US$300 billion by the year 2000 (Bacchetta, Low, Mattoo, Schuknecht, Wager, and Wehrens, 1998). South Africa is expected to follow a similar development trend. As at early 1998, 80% to 89% ofthe revenue from electronic commerce came from business-to-business transactions, while the reaming 11% came from business-to-consumer (Benjamin, 1999:1). Technological change is one of the many strategic issues facing retailers and organisations alike. The high costs of the technology, the scale of implementation and commitment required affects the organisation and its interactions within the Industry (Kieser, 1999:4). The use of technology for data transfer is no longer simply a competitive advantage but is becoming standard practice (Benjamin, 1999:34) The choice to study e-retail (business to consumer) as opposed to business-tobusiness is based on the premise that although business to business is deemed to currently have a significantly larger impact on organisations, organisations are ultimately going to sell to customers via the internet, the end product of electronic...