Knowing what to sell, when to sell, and to whom to sell is essential buyer behavior insight to allocate scarce marketing resources efficiently and effectively. Applying the theory of relationship marketing (Morgan and Hunt 1994), this study seeks to investigate the link between commitment and trust and firm adoption of radically innovative information technology (IT). The construct of radical innovation is operationalized through the use of cloud computing. A review of the vast scholarly literature on radical innovation diffusion and adoption, and modeling techniques used to analyze buyer behavior is followed by empirical estimation of each of the radical innovation adoption questions of purchase timing, brand choice, and purchase amount. Then, the inefficiencies in the independent model process are highlighted, suggesting the need for an integrated model. Next, an integrated model is developed to link the purchase timing, brand choice, and purchase amount decisions. The essay concludes with insight for marketing practitioners on the strength of the factors of commitment and trust on adoption of radical innovation, an improved methodology for the business-to-business marketing literature, and potential further research paths.

I dagens samhälle ökar varumärken i betydelse vilket innebär ett ökat behov för företag att ha kunskap om vilken image konsumenter tillskriver deras varumärke. Varumärkesmedvetenhet och köpbeslut är teoretiska områden inom konsumentbeteende som tidigare studerats utförligt. Dock har det saknats studier kring hur varumärkesimage påverkar konsumenters köpbeslut inom livsmedelsbranschen.Köttkonsumtionen i Sverige har ökat under senare år och charkuteriprodukter ses som väsentliga livsmedelsvaror att ha hemma. För att skapa konkurrenskraft på marknaden är det viktigt för företag inom charkuteribranschen att tillhandahålla vetskap om den image konsumenter tillskriver deras varumärke. Det lokala Örebroföretaget Robertsons Charkuteri AB har idag inte en klar bild över vilka som utgör deras kundgrupp och har under de senaste åren känt av en ökad konkurrens och efterfrågade därför en marknadsundersökning gällande hur varumärkesmedvetenheten ser ut bland invånarna i Örebro stad samt vilken image de tillskriver varumärket. Varumärkesmedvetenhet och image kom därför att studeras samt sannolikheten för att varumärkesimage påverkar köpbeslut. Detta genomfördes med hjälp av en enkätundersökning där 200 respondenter i Örebro stad deltog.Studien visar att Robertsons Charkuteri AB har en hög medvetenhet bland Örebro stads invånare och att de tillskrivs imagen kvalitet och svenskt kött. Dessa associationer visar sig vara av betydelse för konsumenter vid köpbeslutet av charkuteriprodukter. Det framkommer även att varumärkesimage påverkar konsumenters köpbeslut, vilket tillför vetskap inom ämnesområdet konsumentbeteende. / In the society today brands are being seen as more valuable which indicate an increased importance for companies to understand what kind of image consumers dedicate their brand. Brand awareness and consumer purchase decision are theoretical areas within consumer behavior, which both have been studied in detail. However, there is a lack of studies about how brand image influence consumer purchase decision in the food industry.The meat consumption in Sweden has increased in the later years and charcuterie products are seen as more essential to have at home. It is of importance for business to have knowledge of how the consumers perceive their image of the brand to be able to compete on the market. The local charcuterie business in Örebro, Robertsons Charkuteri AB, has requested a market survey on how extensive the brand awareness is among the citizens in Örebro and also what kind of image the consumers prescribe to the brand. Robertsons Charkuteri AB has requested a market survey due to the increased competition in the later years. Therefore, brand awareness and brand image is being studied as well as the probability of brand image influencing purchase decisions. The study was conducted through a survey consisting of 200 respondents in Örebro.The study shows that Robertsons Charkuteri AB has high brand awareness among the citizens of Örebro and the consumers associated the brand with high quality and Swedish meat. These were also the highest valued associations in the purchase decision. The result also shows that brand image influences consumers purchase decision. These results contribute an increased knowledge within the area of consumer behavior.

In today’s world, consumerism is dominating all the aspects of our life. In society, life follows the pattern of the capitalist culture where the human values have a different measure. We do live in a branded world. There is no doubt about it. We all make product decisions every day. We probably all have certain types of products of which we like only one or two brands, while we buy other things based on what is on sale on a given day. This inclination to buy branded products is rooted in two basic things: recollection and satisfaction. We remember which one we like by brand name. A survey by the Henley Centre revealed that the public trust brand names such as Kellogg’s, Heinz and Marks & Spencer more than Parliament, the police and the legal system (Sunday Times, “A can of worms is a bad diet”, 5 April 1998). This research highlights the importance of the relationship between consumers and key brands; and shows that it has strengthened to such an extent that it is now healthier than the relationship with our social structures. This is evidence of the power of consumer culture and the liberal free market economics of the westernized world. The Brands not just represent the symbol of the company but also to a greater extant defines lives people in the society. What a person uses can reflect his taste, his or her status in the society, his / her economic background as well. This makes a deep connection between the company and its brand, with the consumer. In this two way relation both the company and consumers are dependent on each other. The salient of purpose of our study was to find out to what extent brand names influence the consumers’ purchase decisions with regard to high-involvement products. We conducted this study based on theories and survey. We reviewed a good number of relevant theories of brand and consumer decision making process. We also conducted a survey among the students. The respondents of our survey were those students who own a notebook PC, a high involvement product. We used convenience sampling for our survey. We analyzed the data of the survey in order to be able to draw conclusions and find answers to our questions. On analysis of the collected data, we came to a conclusion that brand names have an influence on the consumer decision not only in case of notebook PC, but also in other product categories. The overall means of brand equity for male and female student are 3.64 and 3.66 respectively. Both the means are considerably higher than the average of 2.5 on the Likert Scale. So, it is reasonable to say that both male and female students’ purchase decisions are influenced by the brand equity to an extent. The consumers are very conscious about branded products because they have the view that well-known brands are more reliable. This study also explains that customers trust the branded products. Before purchasing a notebook PC people do not consider the lesser known brands. Our survey results show that the respondents previously automatically knew which brand of Notebook PC to buy. The mean of the statement “I automatically knew which brands of this product to buy” was much higher than average indicating that respondents had only a few brands in their evoked set and they ended up buying their top-of-the-mind brand. Consumers opined that well-known brand companies maintain quality of their product. Which is why, brand name affects the customer choice while making a purchase decision. Moreover, consumers also tend to trust well-known branded products. The mean of the statement “When I see an advertisement of this brand I believe the information in it is accurate” was much higher than the average which testifies to the fact that consumers usually trust the brands.

This study follows the theoretical les of Deutsch and Gerrard¡¦s dual-process theory to determine the informational and normative factors that influence credibility judgments of on-line consumer recommendation by readers. In addition, this study also discusses how impulse traits and disposition of Trust play as a moderator on the influence of Electronic Word-of-Mouth on sender¡¦s WOM on the receiver¡¦s purchase decision. This study¡¦s main purpose as follows: ¤@¡B How world informational and normative determinants affect a user¡¦s credibility evaluation of on- line consumer recommendations? ¤G¡B How would this perceived credibility of eWOM influence its sender¡¦s WOM on the receiver¡¦s purchase decision? ¤T¡B Receiver of consumer recommendations¡¦ impulse traits and disposition of trust whether influence the relationship between perceived credibility of eWOM and sender¡¦s WOM on the receiver¡¦s purchase decision. This study has some finding as following: ¤@¡B Informational determinant-argument strength, confirmation with receiver¡¦s prior belief, expertise - significantly influenced perceived eWOM credibility. ¤G¡B normative determinant- - significantly influenced perceived eWOM credibility ¤T¡B perceived eWOM credibility significantly influenced sender¡¦s WOM on the receiver¡¦s purchase decision. ¥|¡B impulse traits and disposition of Trust could strengthen the relationship between perceived credibility of eWOM and sender¡¦s WOM on the receiver¡¦s purchase decision.

Social entrepreneurship is a promising approach in addressing social issues, however, it is still relatively new to consumers. There is an increase in demand for products that have a positive social reputation. In order to reach consumers, social enterprises need promotion.  It is crucial for social enterprises since they are competing for public awareness of the company itself and its social mission. Social enterprises are addressing social issues and striving to reach their missions through different activities. There is  little research available of perceptions and purchase decisions of different consumer groups regarding social entrepreneurial activities. The purpose of the thesis was to examine how consumers perceive social entrepreneurship activities within the fashion industry and consequently, how consumers’ purchase decisions are affected by these activities. To fulfil this purpose, existing literature was reviewed and an online questionnaire was conducted. Total amount of 235 people living in Sweden participated in the questionnaire.    Promoted social entrepreneurship activities were observed through the Social Entrepreneurship Map and the results showed that activities related to ‘Job creation’ and ‘Help focus’ sector were the ones represented in the fashion industry. It was discovered that the promoted social entrepreneurship activities within ‘Job creation’ sector were triggering more positive associations than ‘Help focus’ activities. Despite the positive overall perception of the activities, the majority of consumers had not purchased products from social enterprises. The results showed that overall consumers were willing to purchase products from companies engaging in social entrepreneurship activities. Additionally, a positive correlation was found between purchase decisions and willingness to buy in the future. The more consumers had purchased products before, the more willing they were also to purchase in the future.

Background - The concept of fair trade is not recent following the academic literature as it has been around for many years. The connection between fair trade and how it impacts consumers purchase behaviour however is still unclear. Purpose - The purpose of this study is to expand understanding on the relationship between fair trade and the consumer purchase process. Design/methodology/approach - The four stage AIDA model has been selected to examine fair trade in consumer purchase behaviour. Furthermore the study has been quantitative and a questionnaire was used gathering 140 respondents. Findings - A clear correlation between the different AIDA stages were established and the influence of fair trade on the purchasing behaviour was somewhat explored. Despite no proven hypotheses, many respondents still agreed with the fair trade statements tested showing strong awareness and consideration towards the topic. The most notable facets included social and environmental factors. In addition it was established that even though labour rights are discussed regularly in media, no significant influence could be observed in any of the AIDA purchase stages. Research limitations/implications -The limitations of the study were the geographical constraints testing only one university in Sweden. This meant that the respondents did not come from different cultures and countries, potentially affecting the discussed results. In addition, should the study have been qualitative different insights may have been established. Practical implications -The results from this study is useful for Non Government Organisations (NGOs) that are trying to shift consumer behaviour towards considering more ethical aspects when purchasing clothes. Marketers may also benefit from this study knowing what stages of the decision making process are considered by consumers in respect of fair trade. Originality/value -This study is unique as it combines the fair trade concept with the AIDA model which has not yet been done. In addition it contributes to previous knowledge and research on fair trade connected to the purchase behaviour.

The following have been rectified in response to previous evaluation by examiner Olof Bruninge. -We have solely chosen qualitative methods in data collection and analysis by making use of data gathered from focus group workshop. The findings have been coded and analysed descriptively. -We have reformulated research questions and replaced the hypothesis with open questions. Allowing us to explore the participants’ behaviour rather than testing hypothesis. -All quantitative measures have been replaced with qualitative analysis and descriptions. -We have provided tables with results from focus group findings to increase transparency in our data

Eco-labels impact consumers‟ likelihood to buy eco-labelled products and serve as a tool during the decision-making process that helps consumers make informed purchase choices. The textile industry is responsible for a large amount of pollution, but has started to follow a more holistic, eco-friendly approach. Information about their eco-friendliness is communicated to consumers via eco-labels. Consumers can influence the textile industry to include more eco-labelled textile products in their desired range of products, by buying and demanding eco-labelled textile products. However, international studies indicate that consumers do not understand textile eco-labels and the information that is found on these labels. A lack of understanding prevents consumers from including such products in their pre-purchase decision-making process. Yet some consumers, from developed and developing countries, are willing to buy eco-labelled products and pay more for such products. Limited research in this regard, within a South African context, is available hence, more research was required in this study field. Therefore, this study aimed to explore consumers‟ understanding and utilisation of textile eco-labels during pre-purchase decision-making. The research for the study was done using a convenience and purposive sampling method with a quantitative structured online questionnaire for data collection purposes. Findings suggest that respondents were environmentally conscious, but only to some extent. Most respondents objectively understood textile eco-labelled products, but not textile eco-labels or organic label information regarding cotton production processes. Respondents indicated that they do not use textile eco-labels when making a pre-purchase decision, yet they somewhat recognised the need to buy eco-friendly textile products, because they are aware of environmental implications. Regarding the information on eco-labels, respondents searched for information surrounding the quality of eco-labelled textile products, followed by the care instructions and the credibility of the eco-label on the product. Finally, there was a segment of respondents who buy and utilise textile eco-labelled products, and are willing to pay a higher price for these products. The higher price was the main factor that prevented other respondents from buying eco-labelled textile products. Consumers can benefit from education regarding environmental issues and how their purchasing choices can make a difference in protecting the environment. Furthermore, educating consumers about eco-labelled textile products might increase their awareness and utilisation of these products. In turn, this awareness about eco-labels might encourage consumers to include these kinds of products in their pre-purchase decision-making process. Additionally the industry can strive towards keeping eco-labelled products‟ prices relatively equal to regular product‟s prices to make it easier for consumers to choose between the different products, based on their environmental attributes and not price. Finally, the textile industry and manufacturers can focus on making textile eco-labels more attractive and attention-grabbing in order to focus consumers‟ attention on these labels. Furthermore, on these labels, symbols and words should be used together and all elements should correspond to enhance consumers‟ understanding. If all of these elements of an eco-label convey the same message, consumers might be able to understand the intended message by manufacturers and the industry better. / M Consumer Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

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Knowing what to sell, when to sell, and to whom to sell is essential buyer behavior insight to allocate scarce marketing resources efficiently and effectively. Applying the theory of relationship marketing (Morgan and Hunt 1994), this study seeks to investigate the link between commitment and trust and firm adoption of radically innovative information technology (IT). The construct of radical innovation is operationalized through the use of cloud computing. A review of the vast scholarly literature on radical innovation diffusion and adoption, and modeling techniques used to analyze buyer behavior is followed by empirical estimation of each of the radical innovation adoption questions of purchase timing, brand choice, and purchase amount. Then, the inefficiencies in the independent model process are highlighted, suggesting the need for an integrated model. Next, an integrated model is developed to link the purchase timing, brand choice, and purchase amount decisions. The essay concludes with insight for marketing practitioners on the strength of the factors of commitment and trust on adoption of radical innovation, an improved methodology for the business-to-business marketing literature, and potential further research paths.