Purpose: To explore what are the consumers’ attitudes towards mobile advertising in a social media context. Research questions: What are the consumers’ attitudes towards entertainment, credibility, irritation and informativeness in mobile advertising? What are the consumers’ attitudes towards permission-based advertising and incentivebased advertising in mobile advertising in social media context? Theoretical framework: This study was based on theories that helped to understand what are the consumers’ attitudes towards mobile advertising, what are the attitudes towards the dimensions of mobile advertising and the types of mobile advertising. A model was presented in order to have a clear picture of the existing theories in this field. Methodology: The authors used a qualitative research and the method chosen for data collection was semi-structured interviews and a case study, Snapchat (mobile application). Conclusions: After this process the authors could conclude that consumers’ attitudes towards mobile advertising in social media were negative. The strongest feeling among consumers that would influence their attitudes was irritation. The consumers’ negative attitudes can be related to control. When giving them control their attitudes can be positive. Rewards can positively influence consumers’ attitudes as well. According to the findings in this study high rewards should be given to consumers in high engagement situations.

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The study assessed the possible significance of Green Consumerism in South Africa. Different meanings of "green" are explained. Consumer preferences for some green products was examined. An analysis of the attitudes and actions of South African consumers to green products and services was completed in two suburbs, of Pietermaritzburg, as a case study. Though there was a significant difference in total household income between shoppers in the two suburbs there was no significant difference between their respective green expenditure. Consumers generally preferred cheaper conventional products to more expensive green products. Consumers considered price as the most important factor when making purchasing choices and the higher the price differential, the more likely consumers are to select cheaper conventional products rather than green alternatives. Public education, government intervention in the form of lower taxes or subsidies for green products and encouragement of green movements are required if Green Consumerism is to become a meaningful alternative in South Africa. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1997.

This study analyses the purchasing behaviour of households and briefly on industrial consumers with regard to their detergent purchases. Following from this analysis, the scope for a new detergent business venture will be investigated. The local industry has a plethora of detergent manufacturing companies supplying the retail and industrial markets, thus an appropriate analysis and strategy developed from this study will enable a new detergent business venture to have an improved understanding of the detergent industry in Pietermaritzburg leading to some minimisation of the risks for potential detergent entrepreneurs. The objectives for the study is detailed below. Primary Research Objectives : 1. To examine whether mcome accounts for household purchasing preferences between branded and non-branded detergents. 2. To determine whether location is a factor that must be considered m the marketing of detergents. 3. To examine whether there are gender differences in the purchasing behaviour of detergents among households. 4. To determine which are the major factors that influence detergent buying behaviour among industries. Secondary Research Objective: To determine whether there is scope for the introduction of a new detergent venture among households in Pietermaritzburg. This study found that income accounts for differences in purchasing of detergents. The manufacturer of detergents needs to be aware that location is a factor that must be considered in the marketing of detergents. Branded detergents carry a premium price whereas non-branded detergents are cheaper. Correspondingly, the marketer must match the type of detergent product to the consumer profile of the location in which the business is operating. It was found that gender does not account for differences in monthly expenditure on detergents. Price and quality of detergents were found to be important characteristics for both the household and business user. In addition, it was found that consumers were willing to support a new detergent business venture in Pietermaritzburg. The major variables influencing detergent brand choice in the Pietermaritzburg market seem to be attitudinal variables such as perception regarding the efficacy (QUALITY) of the brand, closely followed by the perception on the valuefor- money (PRICE). Field level promotional activities such as price-offs, freebies associated with different pack sizes of the same brand also seem to impact the choice of the brand, although the impact was low. Base price reduction is generally resorted to quite infrequently and hence a price elasticity measure may be found to be statistically insignificant. A critical result drawn from this study is the importance of attitudes in affecting behavior in the purchase of detergents. In the South African market, it is generally believed that brand attitudes are primarily influenced by advertising. If this assertion is assumed to be true, this research makes a case for better management of consumer attitudes through the deployment of appropriate advertisements using the correct media (Banerjee, 2004: 3). The major recommendations from this study found that manufacturers of household detergents need to dedicate resources to print media when advertising their products. Targeting the most appropriate consumer and capturing potential consumers by television should be looked at by marketers (Dutta-Bergman, 2006: 103). Liquid detergent manufacturers need to major more on the price of the product and the quality. These two factors are critical in ensuring a new detergent business venture is successful and sustainable . Davis (1993: 19) punts 'green marketing' as one of the strategies that may shift consumers to purchase products. Accordingly, companies that can market a 'green' detergent product would have a greater chance of penetrating the market, and gaining market share from the dominant and larger multi-national detergent companies. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Marketing)-Dept. of Marketing, Durban University of Technology, 2007. xv, 205 leaves / Cause related marketing (CRM) is becoming a popular marketing strategy used by brand managers, retailers and service companies. It can be described as a marketing strategy that links charities or ‘causes’ with the sales of a product, brand or service. The charity is mentioned in promotional campaigns and a certain percentage is donated to the cause in accordance with unit sales or turnover. A study was conducted in the eThekweni region of Kwazulu Natal, South Africa to gather information on this issue. The study was a quantitative survey and data was collected by means of an interview process. The overall objective of this study was to gain an understanding of consumer behaviour towards companies using CRM in the greater eThekweni region. This objective was made up of three sub-objectives. The first subobjective was to identify whether eThwekeni consumers would switch brands to a company involved with CRM, if price and quality were equal. This was followed by subobjective two, which was to establish whether particular socio-demographic characteristics of consumers would be related to their evaluation of a CRM offer. Finally, sub-objective three was to establish whether those same socio-demographic characteristics would be related to the selection of specific causes.

Thesis(MSc Food Sc )--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Consumers are becoming more health conscious. Furthermore, time is a scarce human resource and therefore convenience is an important consideration when food choices are being made. A South African food company identified this trend and decided to develop a product that capitalised on these demands of health and convenience. The decision was made to develop a low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-saturated fatty acid, low-trans fatty acid, high-fibre wheat product with an intermediate glycemic index (GI). The market in Stellenbosch was scouted to determine whether a similar product already existed. Six products that made nutrient-, health- or any other claims were identified. Not one of the identified products, however, conformed to meet the requirements of the Department of Health for the product characteristics that were set. Therefore, the decision was made to continue the development of the low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-saturated fatty acid, low-trans fatty acid, high-fibre wheat product with an intermediate glycemic index (GI). To qualify as a low-fat product, the product had to contain less than 3 % fat. The ingredients were chosen with their fat content in mind. Fruit pulp is widely used in the preparation of baked low-fat products and was also used in this study to eliminate the use of butter, margarine and oil, but also to achieve the additional product criteria that was set by the food company, namely a chewy texture and a fruity flavour. Ingredients like soya flour, oatmeal, oats and wheat bran were chosen to increase the fibre content of the product, because all of these products have a fibre content of 10 g or more per 100 g. Two products were developed during 23 experiments. Except for the high fibre claim, both products met the criteria that were set before the development started, namely a low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-saturated fatty acid, low-trans fatty acid, high-fibre content and a calculated intermediate glycemic index (GI). One of the two concept products that were developed were chosen by an experienced panel to serve as basic product for an empirical study on the effect of different fibre levels on the glycemic index. Five different fibre levels were formulated by manipulating the amounts of wheat bran and oatmeal. The basic formula contained 6,25 % fibre and the other fibre levels were identified as: 4,39; 5,31; 7,45 en 8,17 %. The fibre levels were equal-distant. The prediction was made that the GI-value of the product will decrease as the fibre levels increase and the theoretical calculations confirmed this prediction. The real GI-values that were determined by blood glucose testings, however, showed an increase in GI-value up to the 6,25 % fibre level, followed by a.decrease in GI-value to the 8,17 % fibre level. It became apparent that more than just fibre played a role in the GI-values of the products. It is proposed that the results explained by fibre behaviour, starch gelatinisation and starch hydrolysis. Hundred households in Stell enbosch tested the developed product. Two fieldworkers identified 25 consumers in four retail stores in Stellenbosch and gave them the product and the questionnaire, which they had to complete at home after tasting the product. The questionnaires were then collected from the respondents' houses. A recognised measurement instrument, which is used by the South African food industry to determine the acceptability of a newly developed product, was used for assesing the results. The results showed that the orange flavour of the product led to a low overall acceptability of the developed product and that the other product concept (that was developed during the recipe development phase and not chosen by the panel) should be considered for testing its market potential. Another facet of the questionnaire determined the effect of buying practices, health consciousness and consumer knowledge on the consumer acceptability of the low-fat, high-fibre wheat product with an intermediate-GI-value. No correlation between these factors and consumer acceptability of the low-fat, high-fibre wheat product with an intermediate-GI-value were found. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die verbruiker word al meer gesondheidsbewus: Terselfdertyd is tyd 'n skaars menslike hulpbron, en word gerief gevolglik 'n belangrike oorweging tydens voedselkeuses. 'n Suid-Afrikaanse voedselmaatskappy het hierdie neigings geidentifiseer en besluit om 'n produk te ontwikkel wat aan hierdie vereistes van gesondheid en gerief voldoen. Daar is besluit om 'n lae vet-, lae cholesterol-, lae versadigdevetsuur-, lae transvetsuur-, hoe veselgraanproduk met 'n intermediere glukemiese indeks (GI) te ontwikkel. Die Stellenbosse mark is verken om vas te stel of daar reeds soortgelyke produkte op die mark was. Ses produkte wat nutrientinhoud-, gesondheid- of ander aansprake maak, is geidentifiseer. Geeneen van die produkte het egter aan die Departement van Gesondheid se konsepregulasies betreffende die etikettering van voedingsmiddels vir bogenoemde produkeienskappe voldoen nie. Gevolglik is besluit om met die ontwikkeling van die lae vet-, lae cholesterol-, lae versadigdevetsuur-, lae transvetsuur-, hoe veselgraanproduk met 'n intermediere GI voort te gaan. Om as 'n laevetproduk te kon kwalifiseer, moes die produk minder as 3 % vet bevat. Die bestanddele moes dus met inagneming van hul vetinhoud gekies word. Vrugtepulp word algemeen gebruik in die bereiding van gebakte laevetprodukte en is ook in hierdie studie gebruik om die gebruik van botter, margarien of olie te vermy, maar ook om aan die addisionele produkkriteria wat deur die maatskappy gespesifiseer is, naamlik 'n sagte tekstuur en vrugtige geur, te voldoen. Bestanddele soos soja-, hawermeel, hawer- en koringsemels is gekies om die veselinhoud van die produk te verhoog, aangesien hierdie bestanddele meer as 10 g vesel per 100 g bevat. Twee produkte is deur middel van 23 eksperimente ontwikkel. Met die uitsondering van die hoeveselinhoudaanspraak, het beide produkte aan die vereistes wat gestel is, naamlik 'n laevet-, laecholesterol-, laeversadigdevetsuur-, laetransvetsuur- en 'n hoeveselinhoud en 'n beraamde intermediere GI, voldoen. Een van die konsepprodukte is deur 'n ervare paneel gekies vir die empiriese studie waar die effek van verskillende veselvlakke op die GI bepaal is. 'n Standaard formule is aangepas om vyf verskillende veselvlakke te verkry deur die koringsemel- en hawermeelhoeveelhede te manipuleer. Die basisformule het 6,25 % vesel bevat en twee veselvlakke is daarbo en -onder as ge·identifiseer: 4,39; 5,31; 7,45 en 8,17 %, dit wil sê, veselvlakke met dieselfde grootte verskille. Daar is voorspel dat die GI-waarde van die produkte sou daal met 'n toename in die veselinhoud van die produk en die teoretiese berekeninge van die GI-waarde het hierdie voorspelling gestaaf. Die werklike GI-waardes wat met behulp van bloedglukoseresponse bepaal is, het egter 'n toename in GI-waarde tot by die 6,25 % veselvlak, gevolg deur 'n afname tot by die 8,17 % veselvlak aangedui. Dit het duidelik geword dat meer as slegs die veselinhoud 'n rol gespeel het by die GI-waarde van die produk. Die resultate is gevolglik aan die hand van die veselgedrag, styselgelatinisasie en styselhidrolise verklaar. Die verbruikersaanvaarbaarheid van die ontwikkelde laevet-, hoeveselproduk is by 100 huishoudings in Stellenbosch getoets. Twee veldwerkers het die verbruikers in vier kleinhandelaars in Stellenbosch genader en produkte met 'n gepaardgaande vraelys aan hulle oorhandig. Die produkte is tuis qeevalueer en die vraelyste is weer ingesamel. Ook vervat in die vraelys was 'n erkende meetinstrument wat deur die Suid-Afrikaanse voedselindustrie gebruik word vir die bepaling van verbruikersaanvaarbaarheid van 'n nuutontwikkelde produk. Uit die resultate het dit geblyk dat die lemoengeur van die produk gelei het tot die lae verbruikersaanvaarbaarheid van die ontwikkelde produk, en dat die ander produkkonsep (wat tydens die resepontwikkelingsfase ontwikkel is, en nie deur die ervare paneel gekies is nie) vir bemarkingspotensiaal getoets hoort te word. Die data wat uit die vraelyste ingesamel is, is ook gebruik om die effek van aankooppraktyke, gesondheidsbewustheid en verbruikerskennis op die verbruikersaanvaarbaarheid van die laevet-, hoeveselgraanproduk met 'n interrnediere-Gl-waarde te bepaal. Daar is geen verwantskap tussen hierdie faktore en die verbruikersaanvaarbaarheid van die laevet-, hoëveselgraanproduk met 'n intermedlere-Gl-waarde, gevind nie.

Tesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 1991. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examines the effect of involvement and background music in television commercials on consumers' attitudes toward the commercial, their attitude toward the brand and their intension to buy that spesific brand. Involvement refers to type of involvement (cognitive vs affective) and the level of involvement (high vs low). The planning of the experiment had been done according to research projects in the past. A commercial with different soundtracks was viewed by different subjects. Thereafter they completed a questionniare. The members of the different groups were subjected to different manipulations. The results indicated that background music in commercials have a significant influence on consumers' attitudes towards the commercial. (cognitive vs affective) had a on consumers' attitudes towards the a significant relationship between commercial , attitude toward the brand Type of involvement significant influence brand. There was attitude toward the and intension to buy. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie navorsing is die gesamentlike invloed wat agtergrondmusiek en betrokkenheid in advertensies uitoefen op die kyker se houding teenoor die advertensie, houding teenoor die handelsmerk en koopintensie ondersoek. Betrokkenheid verwys na tipe betrokkenheid (kognitief vs affektief) en vlak van betrokkenheid (hoog vs laag). Daar is gebruik gemaak van In laboratorium eksperiment om hierdie invloede te bepaal. Die beplanning van die eksperiment is gedoen na aanleiding van verskillende navorsingsprojekte wat in die verlede gedoen is. In Advertensie met verskillende klankbane is aan groepe proefpersone vertoon waarna hulle In vraelys voltooi het. Elkeen van die groepe (12) was aan verskillende eksperimentele manipulasies onderworpe. Hierna is die vraelyste gekodeer en die data statisties verwerk. Dit is gevind dat agtergrondmusiek In beduidende invloed op verbruikers se houding teenoor In advertensie uitoefen. Tipe betrokkenheid het ook In beduidende invloed op verbruikers se houding teenoor die handelsmerk uitgeoefen. Verder is In beduidende positiewe verband tussen houding teenoor advertensie, houding teenoor handelsmerk en koopintensie gevind.

Thesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2016. / Consumer trust is a core element for any e-commerce website. This study aimed to explore attributes of business-to-consumers (B2C) e-commerce websites that can communicate and engender trust from the users’ perspective using user-centred design. E-commerce websites are known to have features such as security certificates and encryption methods to ensure trust, but this requires technical knowhow to understand. The technologies used to develop websites have improved so far, but it has little effect on improving the trust of the users of e-commerce mostly in developing countries (Africa in particular). E-commerce users do not realise that these features have been put in place for the trustworthiness of the websites which contributes to their reluctance to conduct business transactions online, thus reducing their buying intentions. There is a need to design e-commerce websites to communicate/ convey trust from the users’ perspective. The study explored various sources of data to obtain insight and understanding of the research problem—user-centred design (UCD) group activity with users, interviews with developers, and secondary prior literature. Using UCD as the main methodology, an intensive UCD workshop activity with a group of eight e-commerce users was carried out. Furthermore, to obtain the view of experts (developers) on what is currently done to engender trust in B2C e-commerce websites, interviews with four respondents were also carried out. These interviews were intended to reduce any prejudice or bias and to obtain a clearer understanding of the phenomenon being studied. The findings from the study revealed six main attributes to engender trust, namely aesthetics design, security and information privacy, functionality design, trustworthiness based on content, development process, and vendor attributes. Proposed guidelines for each of the attributes were outlined. The findings from the users showed that those who were acquainted with the e-commerce technologies were those whose backgrounds are computer and technology related. Most users focused on aesthetics design, functionality, and security of their privacy and private details. Less emphasis was placed on the technology behind the e-commerce websites. Users use their aesthetic and cognitive value in their judgement for trust. The findings from the research were further validated using the Domestication of Technology Theory (DTT), which resulted in the development of a user-centred e-commerce trust model.

Thesis (MTech (Consumer Science: Food and Nutrition))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / Objective: To determine whether nutritional information provision would influence the choice of a popular fast food by young adults employed in the City of Cape Town, South Africa (SA), within the professional and clerk occupational classifications as consumer group, using a beef burger as exploratory item. Methodology: A survey, in the form of a self-administered questionnaire comprising closedended multiple-choice questions, was used to obtain information on the respondent fast food consumption, fast food consumption on nutritional information provision using a beef burger as exploratory item, demographic, biographic and lifestyle characteristics, and eating practices. Through the purchasing of beef burgers across four major leading fast food franchises located within the Western Cape, and specifically those based in the City of Cape Town competitive in this fast food category, information pertaining to beef burger ingredients and the individual ingredient weights were obtained, to compile 16 representative beef burger-types to be presented in the questionnaire. Beef burgers were presented as two menu-options (i.e. the first containing energy provision alone, vs. the second containing extended nutritional information as energy, total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol provision) within the questionnaire, to obtain information on whether nutritional information provision would influence the respondents’ choice, and if so, which provision would do so. The questionnaire was assessed for content- and face-validity by an expert panel, and on the research receiving ethics approval, piloted and adapted before being distributed. Questionnaires were distributed according to the respondent preference for ease of use as either a hard printed copy or an electronic questionnaire. This was done via means of purposive and convenience sampling and by way of snowball sampling, to obtain young adults aged 20 to 34 years who were consumers of fast food and specifically beef burgers, within the selected occupational classifications working for small- to medium-sized companies in the City of Cape Town. Via the Pearson’s chi-squared and Fisher’s exact test and a logistic regression (Wald chisquare statistic) applied on the analysis, the factors to significantly influence the respondents to change their beef burger choice on the nutritional information provison were determined. Results: The final sample consisted of 157 respondents. A near-even split occurred between the respondents who would (52.2%) and wouldn’t (47.8%) be influenced by the nutritional information provision. Of the respondents who indicated that they would be influenced, the extended nutritional information provision had the highest influence. Twelve factors comprising a combination of the respondent biographic and lifestyle characteristics (n = 2), eating practices (n = 7), and fast food consumption (n = 3), were found to significantly (p < 0.05) influence the respondent choice of a beef burger on the nutritional information provision, and on application of the logistic regression, one factor strongly (p < 0.001) in each of the three domains. Of the respondents who indicated that they would not be influenced, more than half (54.4%) gave their reason as even though they were aware, or had an idea of the nutritional content of burgers, that they would still purchase their original choice even if the nutritional information was available, followed by one-quarter (25%) who indicated that they did not understand nutritional information. Conclusions: Extended nutritional information provision was found to positively influence a popular fast food choice among young adults employed within the City of Cape Town, SA, with health-consciousness being the overall factor identified to influence the choice of a healthier option on the nutritional information provision, as the identified significant factors were all related to health-conscious consumer attributes.