Research on historical consumers has focused on physical products, financial services have received less attention. A model, "The Consumer Decision Making Model for Financial Services," emphasizes variable interaction and was introduced to address this lack of knowledge. The study focuses on Generation Z, a consumer group with over 2 billion individuals and increased purchasing power. Despite extensive research on this group, there is a lack of empirical data on their consumption of financial services. The purpose of studies is to deepen the understanding of Generation Z's decision-making processes in financial services by analyzing their psychographic, demographic and situational characteristics.  The study follows a quantitative research design with a deductive approach. The deductive approach means that hypotheses are formulated based on existing knowledge and theoretical considerations. By using a quantitative method, objectivity was enabled in the exploration of various themes, which also provided the ability to identify trends and connections. To collect empirical data, a web-based survey was conducted, where responses were obtained from 51 respondents within the relevant target group. The research questions that guide the study's design and data collection are anchored in theoretical considerations. This approach increases the credibility and relevance of the study by following a systematic methodology that is anchored in established theory.  The theoretical basis of the study is based on established theories of decision-making and decision-making models, with particular emphasis on the complex landscape of financial services. A central point of reference is "The Consumer Decision Making Model for Financial Services" by Milner and Rosenstreich (2013a), introduced to address the unique challenges of this specific field. Literature about Generation Z have also been extensively researched to highlight the unique factors that influence their decision-making processes. The study on Generation Z's financial decision-making processes shows that demographic factors do not have a major impact on their choices. Despite varying life situations and incomes, education is a priority for them. Life events such as parenthood or moving house affect their search for financial information, and despite their digital skills, family still plays an important role in their decisions. The study provides both theoretical insights and practical guidelines for actors in financial services and marketing. / Forskning om konsumenter har historiskt fokuserat på fysiska produkter, finansiella tjänster har fått mindre uppmärksamhet. En modell, "The Consumer Decision Making Model for Financial Services", betonar variabel interaktion och introducerades för att åtgärda denna brist på kunskap. Studien fokuserar på Generation Z, en konsumentgrupp med över 2 miljarder individer och ökad köpkraft. Trots omfattande forskning om denna grupp saknas det empirisk data om deras konsumtion av finansiella tjänster. Syftet med studier är att fördjupa förståelsen för Generation Z:s beslutsprocesser inom finansiella tjänster genom att analysera deras psykografiska, demografiska och situationella egenskaper.  Studien följer en kvantitativ forskningsdesign med en deduktiv ansats. Den deduktiva metoden innebär att hypoteser formuleras utifrån befintlig kunskap och teoretiska överväganden. Genom att använda en kvantitativ metod möjliggjordes objektivitet i utforskningen av olika teman, vilket också gav möjligheten att identifiera trender och kopplingar. För att samla in empirisk data genomfördes en webbaserad undersökning där svar erhölls från 51 respondenter inom den relevanta målgruppen. Forskningsfrågorna som styr studiens design och datainsamling är förankrade i teoretiska överväganden. Detta tillvägagångssätt ökar studiens trovärdighet och relevans genom att följa en systematisk metod som är förankrad i etablerad teori.  Den teoretiska grunden för studien bygger på etablerade teorier om beslutsfattande och beslutsfattande modeller, med särskild tonvikt på det komplexa landskapet för finansiella tjänster. En central referenspunkt är "The Consumer Decision Making Model for Financial Services" av Milner och Rosenstreich (2013a), introducerad för att ta itu med de unika utmaningarna inom detta specifika område. Litteratur om Generation Z har också undersökts mycket för att lyfta fram de unika faktorer som påverkar deras beslutsprocesser. Studien om Generation Z:s ekonomiska beslutsprocesser visar att demografiska faktorer inte har någon större inverkan på deras val. Trots varierande livssituationer och inkomster är utbildning en prioritet för dem. Livshändelser som föräldraskap eller flytt påverkar deras sökande efter ekonomisk information, och trots deras digitala kompetens spelar familjen fortfarande en viktig roll i deras beslut. Studien ger både teoretiska insikter och praktiska riktlinjer för aktörer inom finansiella tjänster och marknadsföring.

This study investigates the effects of the digital marketing channels Search engine optimization (SEO) and SEM, focusing on Google Ads, in the context of the consumer decision funnel in the Swedish market. This was done through a single-case study with a medium-sized digital marketing bureau in Sweden. Our research was summarized in a conceptual framework that aims to create a foundational understanding of best practices and strategies for companies to establish a robust and profitable online presence. The research shows that SEO and SEM has different main focuses within the digital marketing landscape where SEO has a more holistic approach and covers areas further up in the consumer funnel, and SEM operated more targeted with a high focus on measurable conversions. However, our research also finds how the respective channels both have the capacity to be used in all parts of the funnel. Concepts such as budget, strategy, timeline, and consumer behavior are key concepts within our research. The research highlights the importance of tailoring a digital marketing strategy to a company’s specific goals and circumstances. This research takes such aspects into consideration, and strategies depending on budget constraints and company size are explored separately. This paper thus provides marketers with a foundational understanding of how to approach digital marketing, and how to best tailor a digital marketing strategy to align with company goals. Effectively combining SEO and SEM creates a great opportunity for companies to establish a good online presence, which in today's society serves as a very effective media to reach out to consumers.

Introduction: E-commerce has shown a large increase in the last years and constitutes a great portion of the market. This has led to a digital shift and more people choose to e-shop. This has affected the retail business, since there are new, more comfortable ways to buy your groceries. Furthermore, the food e-commerce differentiates from the general e-commence, since customers feel comfortable being able to smell, touch and see the groceries they are buying. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to achieve a higher and deeper knowledge of how the e-service quality affects the customers purchasing behavior in a digital food commence. Furthermore, the purpose is to identify notable factors within e-service quality which affects the customers purchasing behavior. Method: This is a qualitative study which has had an abductive approach. It is a combination between an inductive and a deductive attempt. The empirical material has been collected through six semi-structured interviews with Zeithaml, Parasuraman & Malhotra (2002) e-service quality dimensions for basis. Thereafter the empirical results were analyzed with the different steps of the buying process. Conclusion: Through this study, we noticed no significant difference between the interviewees which probably is a result of a high "internet habit". Thanks to the study, we were able to conclude that there are a number of distinct factors within the e-service quality dimensions that affects the customers purchasing behavior. Seeing that this is a subject going through constant development in contemporary with the digital evolution we find it useful to study, because the old barriers are replaced with new ones. / Bakgrund: E-handel växer drastiskt och utgör idag en större del av marknaden. Detta har lett till ett digitalt skifte och fler väljer att e-handla. Det har sin påverkan på dagligvaruhandeln eftersom det finns nya och bekväma sätt att e-handla mat på. Vidare skiljer sig e-handel av livsmedel från den generella e-handeln, vilket kan förklaras genom att livsmedel blir problematiskt att uppfatta i onlinemiljö eftersom beröring, syn och lukt ofta krävs. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att få en ökad och djupare förståelse hur e-service quality påverkar kundernas köpbeteende inom digital mathandel. Vidare är syftet att identifiera märkbara faktorer inom e-service quality som påverkar kundens köpbeteende. Metod: Detta är en kvalitativ studie som har haft ett abduktivt angreppsätt, vilket är en kombination av en induktiv och deduktiv ansats. Det empiriska materialet har samlats in genom sex semi-strukturerade intervjuer med Zeithaml, Parasuraman & Malhotra (2002) e-service quality dimensioner som grund. Därefter analyserades det empiriska resultatet med köpprocessens olika steg. Slutsats: Genom studien kan vi se att det inte fanns några markanta skillnader bland de intervjuade personerna vilket vi tror kan bero på hög internetvana. Tack vare studien så kan vise att det finns ett flertal tydliga faktorer inom e-service quality dimensionerna som påverkar kundens köpprocess. Eftersom detta är ett ämne som ständigt uppdateras i samtid med den digitaliserade utvecklingen så är det nyttigt att studera just för att de gamla barriärerna ersätts av nya.

The value of secondary brand associations has been discussed in the literature for decades. Companies are transferring their brand building to retailers (Bruwer, Li et al. 2002 ), therefore, it is very important to understand the impact of retailers on the product brand and consumers’ decision making processes when considering other relevant sources of brand associations. However, in the wine environment, few published studies have been carried out to examine the association with retailers. Thus, the primary aim of this study is to examine whether this association transfers value to the image of wine brand and influences consumers’ behaviour. Also, the impact of ethnicity on the consumer’s decision making process will be taken into account. This research specifically provides insight into Christchurch’s wine retailing industry. Owing to the limited time and resources, the wine drinking community in Christchurch has been divided into two groups (European and Non-European). Europeans (150) and Non-Europeans (50) were recruited for the sample. Two research models and six main hypotheses were established to analyze the relationships between brand associations, perceived brand image and consumer behaviour. Research was conducted to collect quantitative data by using questionnaires, including rating scales and multiple choice questions. Face to face interviews and self-administered methods were employed. Participants were recruited by using a combination of convenience sampling, quota sampling and random sampling. A statistical programme called the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse the data. From the results it was found that associations including the packaging, characteristics, quality, country of origin, producer of the wine, retailer or staff qualities have a positive impact on the spending on wine. In particular, the kinds of retailers make differences to consumers’ expected wine budgets. The results also suggested that the evaluation patterns and perceptions of wine are different in the two ethnic groups.

Title:  The effects of online third-party opinions toward Consumer Purchasing Decision on cosmetics products in Thai market Seminar date: June 4th , 2012 Course: Master thesis in International marketing, 15 credits Purpose: The overall purpose of this research is to explain the understanding of the effects of online third-party opinions toward consumer purchasing decision process on cosmetics products in Thai market. This includes the investigation of effective used of online third-party opinions with regards to source credibility and product involvement, specifically toward cosmetics products. Theoretical framework: The theoretical framework of this research is based on literature concerning online third party opinion, consumer decision journey (CDJ), product involvement and source credibility. Methodology: Both quantitative and qualitative method was applied. And thus a questionnaire with 147 respondents on Thai market and two interviews of expert marketers were conducted. The respondents for questionnaire are Thai women with specific age range and criteria. Conclusion: The online third-party opinion plays the important role in nowadays in the marketing perspective. And it does affect the consumer purchasing decision process both pre-purchase and post-purchase stage. However, it mostly affects in Consider and Evaluation Stage. With regards to the product involvement and source credibility applying to cosmetics products, these two variables affect to the use of online third-party opinion. Online third-party opinion works best with high involvement product. However, low involvement product also be considered as suitable to use with online third-party opinion. For source credibility, both online expert and consumer reviews perform better when using with high involvement product comparing with low involvement one.

Syftet med den här uppsatsen är att ta reda på vilka faktorer och risker som påverkar köpbeslutet för en konsument gällande en ny innovativ produkt. Uppsatsen kan på så sätt bidra med kunskap och förståelse för företag som vill utveckla den här typen av produkter. Studiens inriktning och syfte togs fram i samarbete med textilföretaget FOV Fabrics. Med utgångspunkt ur syftet och problemet genomfördes en enkätundersökning som kompletterades med semi-strukturerade intervjuer med fyra av enkätrespondenterna. Resultatet av enkätundersökningen analyserades och jämfördes med resultatet av intervjuerna. Enkät- och intervjurespondenterna delades in i två grupper, adoptörer och icke-adoptörer, baserat på om de valt att adoptera produkten i fråga eller ej. Grupperna analyserades och jämfördes för att få en förståelse för varför konsumenter adopterar nya produkter och varför vissa inte gör det. Studien visade att adoptering av nya produkter inte kan göras konkret för produkter överlag, då processen skiljer sig bland produktkategorier. Den här studien visar endast hur köpbeslutsprocessen för specifikt en skjorta i funktionsmaterial kan gå till, vilket även kan gälla för andra plagg med samma material men inte för andra produktkategorier. Studien visade på att adoptörer, bestående av innovators och early adopters, är främst mottagliga för nya innovationer. De består av tekniska, funktionsorienterade individer. Förutom funktionerna skjortan erbjuder (vattenavvisande, smutsavvisande, strykfri, antibakteriell) värderar de passform, komfort och design i ett plagg. Det är innovatörerna som bör adoptera produkten för att produkten ska kunna accepteras av majoriteten av konsumenterna. För att en adoption ska kunna ske av mer skeptiska konsumenter är det viktigt med tillförlitlighet och ett varumärke konsumenten kan lita på, om inte informationen och kunskapen om produkten är tillräcklig. / The purpose of this paper is to find the different factors and risks that affect the buying decision for a consumer when being faced with an innovative product. The study can contribute with knowledge and an understanding for companies that are looking to develop this type of products. The focus and purpose was developed in cooperation with the textile company FOV Fabrics. With the purpose and the problematics as a basis, a survey was completed alongside semi-structured interviews with four of the respondents from the survey. The result from the survey was analyzed and compared with the results from the interviews. All of the respondents were divided into two groups, adopters and non-adopters, based on if they wanted to adopt the product in question or not. The two groups were analyzed and compared to reach an understanding to why consumers choose to adopt new products and why some of them do not. The study showed that adoption of new products is not something that can be defined for all products, as the process differentiates between product categories. This study only shows what the buying decision process looks like for a shirt made of functional material, which can be translated to another garment with the same material, but not through other product categories. The study also showed that the adopters are consisting of innovators and early adopters, which are most receptive to new innovations. They are technical, function- oriented individuals. Besides the functions in the shirt (water repellant, stain resistant, non-iron, anti-bacterial) they value fit, comfort and design in garments. The innovators should adopt the product so it can be accepted by the majority of the consumers later on. To achieve an adoption by the skeptical consumers, reliability is an important factor and a brand that the consumer can trust, if the knowledge and information about the product is not sufficient enough. Please note that the paper is written in Swedish.

Online reviews provided from consumers who had previous experiences have become major information resource for consumers and marketers. The blogs then becomes the Web-based consumer opinion platform; the Internet enables consumers to share their experience with other consumers as the online word-of-mouth (WOM) communication. Online reviews on traveling and food tasting and by consumers who previously experienced have become a major information source for consumers and marketers regarding to the tourist spots and restaurants. The study extends previous existing research on the effects of WOM and consumer decision making by conducting the in-depth interview with bloggers and an online survey on blog viewing and information searching behaviors. With the development of Web 2.0, word-of-mouth marketing is able to influence the consumers interactively. The user-generated contents created spread among the consumers soon and marketers become able to access millions of potential consumers over the world by understanding the new ways of communication. Word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing is the most honest form of marketing because consumers are sharing their own opinions, independent of messaging and manipulation (Throne, 2008). In the study, the researcher will discuss how the blog readers rely on the source of word-of-mouth conversations and the further suggestions on consumer behaviors and marketing insights, analyzed from the perspectives of user satisfaction, information credibility and consumer loyalty. Keywords: blog marketing, consumer decision making, online word-of-mouth (WOM).

線上遊戲產業是目前國內數位內容發展當中的重點產業，隨著線上遊戲種類越來越多，其消費者區隔也成為重要的課題。本研究旨在研究性別差異與生活型態變項，對於線上遊戲使用者之消費行為影響，期能提供線上遊戲廠商與線上遊戲消費行為研究者，對於線上遊戲使用者間性別差異與生活形態差異之了解。 研究中採用了EKB消費者決策模式，將線上遊戲使用者之消費行為分為五個階段探討：「需求確認」（Problem Recognition）、「蒐集資訊」（Information Search）、「評估方案」（Alternative Evaluation）、「購買行為」（Purchase Decision）以及「購後行為」（Post-purchase Behavior）。 研究工具則使用網路問卷調查，將問卷內容置於免費問卷網站My3Q(www.my3q.com)提供BBS遊戲討論區及遊戲討論網站之網友連結填答，得到353份網路問卷，其中有效問卷計有327份。 研究結果如下： 一、男性使用者注重「遊戲主題與形式」，而女性注重「人物場景造形設計」。 二、女性使用者對「動作」、「益智」類型遊戲較男性使用者熱衷。 三、男性玩過的遊戲數量較女性為多。 四、女性較常與網友一同進行遊戲，男性則較常與現實中的朋友一起。 五、刺激流行族為線上遊戲主力族群。 六、積極規劃族對線上遊戲之投入程度較低。 七、固執理性族較不願意花費在線上遊戲上。 / On-line game industry is the key industry of digital content development in Taiwan. With the increasing categories of the on-line games, segmenting the consumers becomes an important subject. The study focus on how gender and lifestyle factors affect consumer behavior, which suggest to offer the on-line game manufacturers and on-line game consumer behavior researchers, to the understanding of on-line game players. The E.K.B. consumer decision model has been applied on the study, and divides the consumer behavior into five stages: Problem Recognition, Information Search, Alternative Evaluation, Purchase Decision and Post-purchase Behavior. Questionnaire post on free website My3Q (http://www.my3q.com) was used for this study, and offered BBS users and game websites users to link and fill out. Among completed 353 subjects, 327 are effective questionnaires. The results of this study are: First, most male players pay attention to “the theme and form of the game,” and most female players pay attention to “characters design and scenery design.” Second, comparing with male players, most female users are in favor of “action games” and “casual games.” Third, male players have more on-line game experience than female players. Fourth, female players often join with internet friends; male players often join with friends in their real life. Fifth, people who like exciting are the main population of on-line game. Sixth, relatively, people who plan their life actively apply themselves less on the on-line game. Finally, stubborn and rational people spend less on on-line game.

Submitted by Paulo Junior (paulo.jr@fgv.br) on 2010-12-13T21:15:39Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Carla Winter.pdf: 1507257 bytes, checksum: 938194a6dc53572559e3bd377245140d (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Paulo Junior(paulo.jr@fgv.br) on 2010-12-13T21:15:59Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Carla Winter.pdf: 1507257 bytes, checksum: 938194a6dc53572559e3bd377245140d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2010-12-16T17:40:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Carla Winter.pdf: 1507257 bytes, checksum: 938194a6dc53572559e3bd377245140d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-03-26 / Within the literature of Consumer Behavior and Decision Theory there is a considerable body of theory that analyzes negative feelings and negative reactions in the decision making process, concerning high and low involvement products. Several phenomena are identified as negative in the process, such as Consumer Confusion, which comprises three dimensions: i) too much similar information about products, ii) a lot of information about different products and iii) false and ambiguous information. This phenomenon, however, seems to be moderated by a set of variables, such as Involvement, Experience and Time Constraints (moderating the relationship between Consumer Confusion and Purchase Intention). This was identified through in-depth interviews. The results of the interviews enabled the identification of moderating variables, as well as the existence of the phenomenon and its relation to the Purchase Intention. In the second phase of the research, it is assumed that individuals with low Involvement and Time Constraints have a greater propensity to confusion. In Study 2, Involvement and Time Constraint were used as moderators, both manipulated by instruction, and the dependent variables were Purchase Intention and Consumer Confusion. The results of Study 2 allowed the reseracher to infer that there are, indeed, significant differences between the groups, when analyzing the variable Consumer Confusion, but in most groups the Purchase Intention was not significantly different. In Study 3, Experience (strong and weak) and Consumer Confusion were manipulated and the dependent variable was Purchase Intention. The results of Study 3 also allowed to infer that there are significant differences between groups referring to Purchase Intention, when considered low or high confusion as well as strong or weak Experience. In the last phase of the research, consumer strategies for dealing with the phenomenon were the focus of the study. Such strategies often mediate subsequent behavior, for instance, purchase itself. In Study 4, Consumer Confusion was manipulated in two of its dimensions: overload and similarity. It was possible to identifie the preponderance of two strategies: search for additional information and postponement of the purchase decision. / Dentro da literatura de Comportamento do Consumidor e Teoria da Decisão existe considerável corpo teórico que analisa sentimentos negativos e reações adversas no processo decisório de compras de produtos de alto e baixo envolvimento. Vários fenômenos são identificados como negativos no processo, principalmente a Confusão do Consumidor, que compreende três dimensões: i) muitas informações similares sobre produtos, ii) muitas informações sobre diferentes produtos e iii) informações falsas e ambíguas. Tal fenômeno, no entanto, parece ser moderado por um conjunto de variáveis, como o Envolvimento, a Experiência e a Restrição de Tempo (moderadoras da relação entre Confusão do Consumidor e Intenção de Compra). Este fato foi identificado através de entrevistas em profundidade. Os resultados das entrevistas permitiram identificar as variáveis moderadoras, assim como a existência do fenômeno e sua relação com a decisão final de compra. Na segunda fase da pesquisa, supõe-se que indivíduos com baixo Envolvimento e Restrição de Tempo possuam uma propensão maior à confusão. No Estudo 2 foram utilizados como moderadores o Envolvimento e a Restrição de Tempo, ambos manipulados por instrução, sendo as variáveis dependentes a Intenção de Compra e a Confusão do Consumidor. Os resultados do Estudo 2 permitiram inferir que existem diferenças significativas entre os grupos, quando analisada a variável Confusão do Consumidor, mas, em alguns grupos, a Intenção de Compra não era significativamente diferente. No Estudo 3 foram manipuladas a Experiência (forte e fraca) e a Confusão do Consumidor, sendo a variável dependente a Intenção de Compra. Os resultados do Estudo 3 também permitiram inferir que existem diferenças significativas entre os grupos na Intenção de compra, quando consideradas baixa ou alta confusão, assim como Experiência forte ou fraca. Na última fase da pesquisa foram destacadas as estratégias dos consumidores para lidar com o fenômeno Confusão do Consumidor. Tais estratégias, muitas vezes, são mediadoras de comportamentos posteriores, como a compra do produto. No Estudo 4 manipulou-se a Confusão do Consumidor em duas de suas dimensões. Foi possível destacar a preponderância da estratégia por busca de informações e postergação da decisão, quando o consumidor se depara com situações confusas.

Purpose: The authors have found a common interest to investigate how the use and impact of reviews online can be applied within the subject of tourism. The purpose of the study is to investigate how consumers use reviews in their information search process. The purpose is also to investigate how and if consumers are influenced by online reviews regarding hotel stays. Method: The study is based on a qualitative method in the form of ten semi structured interviews as primary collection. The study has a support from secondary data consisting of a literature review in the chapter of previous research. Theory: The theoretical background is based on three theories. The theories are The PrePurchase-Information process, The Major Influences On Individual Travel Behaviour and the theory From Word-Of-Mouth to Electronic Word-Of-Mouth. Empiricism: The empiricism consists of a presentation of ten semi structured interviews with anonymous respondents regarding their own experiences and beliefs about the topic of the study. The chapter also includes an overview of the previous research about the topic to support and enhance the primary empirical interview material. Findings: The digital society has led to an increased online presence, critical thinking and interest on how consumers travel and what hotels they choose. Impact is constantly present in their contact with reviews and surroundings. The individuals own interpretation and perception of reality is based primarily on how they use and are influenced by reviews. In combination with critical thinking there is an insight that anyone, can write anything.