Forskningsfrågor: Vilka faktorer påverkar köpintentioner hos konsumenter vid användning av celebrity endorsement? Vilken av de faktorerna har störst påverkan på konsumenternas köpintentioner? Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka vilka faktorer som har en påverkan på konsumenters köpintentioner till företag vid användning av celebrity endorsement. Studien ämnar att analysera vilken av faktorerna som har större påverkan på köpintentioner.   Metod: Studien baseras på en kvantitativ forskningsmetod och primärdata har samlats in via en webbaserad enkätundersökning. Undersökningen resulterade i 273 svar varav 216 godkända svar. Utifrån en systematisk litteratursökning skapades en teorimodell med tillhörande hypoteser. Resultatet från undersökningen analyserades med hjälp av programmet IBM SPSS-Statistics. En korrelations- och regressionsanalys genomfördes för att få fram eventuella samband.  Slutsats: Resultatet visade att faktorerna, kändisens attraktivitet, förtroende för kändisen samt kändisens förtrogenhet har en påverkan på konsumenters köpintention vid användning av celebrity endorsement. Den faktor som har störst påverkan på köpintentionen är kändisens attraktivitet. Faktorn publicitet kring kändisen visade inga signifikanta eller starka samband till köpintention och det kunde därför inte konstateras om det har en påverkan på köpintentionen. / Research questions: Which factors affect consumers purchase intentions when using celebrity endorsement?  Which of the factors has the greatest impact on the customers purchase intentions? Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine which factors have an impact on consumers purchase intentions when companies are using celebrity endorsement. The study intends to analyze which factor that has the largest impact on purchase intentions. Method: The study is based on a quantitative research strategy were the primary data has been collected via a web-based survey. The survey got 273 answers and resulted in 216 approved answers. Based on a systematic literature review a theoretical model was created with associated hypotheses. The result from the study was analyzed with the program IBM SPSS-Statistics. A correlation- and regression analysis was made to discover eventual relations. Conclusion: The result showed that the factors; celebrities’ attractiveness, trust in the celebrity, and celebrities’ familiarity have an impact on consumers' purchase intent when using celebrity endorsement. The attractiveness of the celebrity is the factor with the largest impact on purchase intention. The publicity of the celebrity did not show any significant relation to consumers' purchase intention.

While consumers are shifting towards online clothing purchases globally, South Africa, a developing economy with well-developed infrastructure, is lagging in this regard. This research highlights significant drawbacks that may jeopardise the growth of online shopping despite the multiple advantages that consumers and retailers could benefit from. The key to the issue is that a consumer is not physically present in the store, and that online consumers’ experiences are limited to the technological capabilities of existing digital platforms. Inevitably, consumers’ online experiences would be framed in terms of what they are accustomed to in physical stores, therefore, sensory-rich, captivating environments. Creating well-designed mobile phone applications, which incorporate multiple sensory cues, is consequently crucial to capture online shoppers’ attention, and to ensure online retailers’ success. Millennials, the largest generational consumer group presently worldwide, is particularly important to online clothing retailers due to their potential buying power, interest in clothing as a product category, as well as their extensive use of mobile technologies. This study was conducted in the context of an emerging economy and aimed to examine the real-time influence of visual and auditory cues - that could viably be incorporated with available technology into a custom-designed mobile phone application for a fictitious clothing retailer - on millennials’ sensory experience and purchase intentions when purchasing clothing online. Clothing is a rather complex product category where sensory cues in combination with a range of extrinsic and intrinsic product characteristics are highly relevant during product evaluation. To accommodate the realities of physical store experience, three moderating influences were examined within the chosen stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) theoretical framework, namely, the effects of telepresence, customisation, and available clothing product information. A positivistic, quantitative, descripto-explanatory, cross-sectional study was designed, presenting a two-phase electronic survey. It presented a vignette design that exposed respondents to the capabilities of the custom-designed mobile phone application before completing a questionnaire. Convenient, online snowball sampling through social media produced a sample size of 842 millennial respondents, from the Gauteng province in South Africa. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, covariance-based structural equation modelling, moderation analyses, and multivariate analyses of variance. The findings confirmed the significant influence of visual and auditory cues on millennials’ online sensory experience, as well as the significant positive moderating role of telepresence and customisation respectively, in facilitating millennials’ purchase intentions when shopping online. Failure to affirm the moderating influence of product information on consumers' purchase intentions, may be ascribed to the absence of intrinsic product characteristics such as fit, feel, and comfort, which are highly relevant but can not yet be incorporated into an online platform. This elevates the importance of how existing sensory cues are presented, and how they could counteract shortcomings of online shopping encounters. Considering what has been achieved by the gaming industry, in terms of visuals and sound when playing online, retail store mobile phone applications have not yet optimised their potential. Gender differences in online shoppers’ sensory experience, purchase intention and use of product information suggest that millennial men's purchase decisions may be more rational inclined compared to their female counterparts. The study indicates how millennials’ online clothing purchase endeavours could be enhanced in developing countries like South Africa, where online shopping has not yet reached first-world levels. Empirical evidence is also provided on how online sensory experiences and effective mobile phone app designs could enhance clothing retailers’ online apps to boost online sales. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2021. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / PhD / Unrestricted

Abstract  Background: The evolution of technology has transformed the way we shop, with BNPL services like Klarna and Qliro gaining popularity among consumers. This form of short-term financing offers flexibility by allowing customers to either pay later or divide their costs into interest-free installments. While BNPL is initially associated with online shopping, BNPL has expanded to physical stores, enabling customers to choose from even more payment options. The fashion industry has especially benefited from the evolving BNPL, as it facilitates easier exploration of new styles and product comparison from the comfort of one’s home. Furthermore, BNPL users are more likely to make purchases, spend more, and exhibit higher customer loyalty.  Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the factors affecting the intention to use BNPL technology and how they differ in an online and in-store context.  Method: For the researchers to accomplish the purpose of this study, a qualitative research strategy was applied. The empirical data was obtained through semi-structured interviews held with Gen Z participants residing in Jönköping, who had previous experience using BNPL either in-store, online, or both. The data was later analyzed and interpreted using an abductive approach, using thematic analysis.   Conclusion: The research findings indicate that multiple factors influence purchase intention when using BNPL in both online and in-store contexts. A theoretical model, previous research, and empirical findings was incorporated for the study’s revised research framework including perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived risk, trust and security pain of payment and attitudes. For the online context, gen Z perceived all factors included in the revised research framework were found to have a noteworthy influence on purchase intentions using BNPL in the fashion industry. Moreover, the study identified both differences and similarities between the online and in-store context. For the in-store context, five out of the six factors in the revised research framework were perceived to be important for gen Z when purchasing fashion. Further the study suggests that there may be relational patterns between the factors, however the study did not examine relationships or degrees of associations between the factors, leaving room for future investigation.

Accessible web design is crucial for creating equal access to the internet for everyone. While numerous guidelines and standards exist to promote accessibility, it is often of low priority among professionals and unfortunately many websites remain inaccessible to people with disabilities. Accessible web design is often seen as a checkbox task, believed to decrease usability for people without disabilities, to result in less attractive designs, and be economically challenging to justify. Previous research has disproved some of these beliefs by demonstrating that accessible design enhances usability for all users. However, there remains a gap in research regarding the economic incentives associated with accessible design.  Therefore, this thesis aimed to investigate the impact of accessible web design on purchase intentions and customer experience. This was done by evaluating and redesigning an existing website for accessibility and subsequently conducting comparative testing between the two versions of the website.  The comparative testing consisted of A/B and user testing. Purchase intention was measured using statements derived from prior studies, alongside statements measuring concepts related to purchase intention. Furthermore, the customer experience was assessed using the After Scenario Questionnaire (ASQ), the System Usability Scale (SUS), and conducting user interviews.  The results show that accessible redesign positively influences purchase intentions and indicate that one possible primary contributor to this is an increase in information quality on the website. The customer experience showed no significant differences between the two versions, although user interviews revealed a small rise in user preference for the more accessible version.  In conclusion, this study shows that a redesign with a focus on accessibility increases user intentions to purchase while at the same time not decreasing the customer experience on the website. Hopefully, these results can contribute to creating a more accessible web for all users.

Yes / Luxury brands are increasingly targeting the middle class through ‘masstige marketing’ as the trendy business opportunity,' which combines luxury and mass appeal. This strategy aims to make high-end brands more accessible to a wider audience, catering to the desires and preferences of the middle class. Grounded in the Mass Prestige (Masstige) theory, this study examines the direct and indirect impact of Symbolic motivations (snob, Veblen, and bandwagon) on Masstige Purchase Intention (MPI) via Inspiration Towards Masstige (ITM) as a mediator. Moreover, the contingent impact of Brand Credibility (BC) between ITM and MPI was assessed. Two independent studies were conducted among consumers of clothing and car brands. Results supported all the hypothesized paths reflecting symbolic motivations as important predictors of MPI directly and through the underlying mechanism of ITM. However, significant differences were observed in the impact size of the Veblen and bandwagon motivations on ITM and MPI among clothing and car brand consumers. Moreover, results revealed that BC significantly interacts with ITM to augment the MPI in both studies. However, this contingent impact was stronger to enhance MPI among the consumers of car brands than clothing brands. Furthermore, study implications and future research directions are presented in detail. / The full text will be available at the end of the Publisher's embargo period: 2nd Sept 2025

The purpose of this thesis is to analyse and to explore how B2C e-commerce businesses could use social media marketing strategies to increase their consumers purchase intentions on their sites. Findings enabled the development and research of a comprehensive social media marketing system which includes a general set of components and tools aiming at increasing purchase intentions on such sites. The theoretical framework of the thesis is based on literature as well as previous studies of Social Media, Social Media Marketing, Social Media Marketing System, E-commerce, B2C, Social Commerce, S-commerce, Online Purchase Intentions, Trust and Social Trust. A conceptual framework was created and led the research method which used a convergent parallel mixed method design that includes gathering and analysing both qualitative and quantitative data. The data is gathered from potential users and clients of the system and led by the user-centered design (UCD) process. The obtained qualitative and quantitative data was analysed separately and then merged together by a side-by-side comparison. With the use of this approach, several ways businesses can increase consumers purchase intentions towards their B2C e-commerce site were discovered. Social media presence, published content, publishing frequency, content type, special sale promotions and social media friends are variables that have been found to be influential upon purchase intentions. The integration of a social media marketing system combined with these variables was found to be a successful tool for B2C e-commerce businesses wanting to increase consumers purchase intention through social media networks.

Cotton makes up a majority of the world’s fiber market, with genetically engineered (GE) cotton the current staple of the US agricultural landscape. With GE cotton’s overall acceptance for US farmers and manufacturers, it is of concern that the majority of literature concerning GE crops primarily compares negative attitudes towards GE food crops in stricter economies such as the European Union. Due to the inadequate literature regarding both the market advantages and consumer perceptions of GE cotton specifically, this study was conceived to provide marketers with a baseline analysis of the factors that affect US consumers’ current attitudes (knowledge, risk perceptions, etc.) regarding GE cotton. Multiple regression analyses were used for our models which measured purchase intentions towards GE cotton and perceived risks of GE cotton based on both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Paired and single t-tests were performed to predict the current positioning of GE cotton as a marketable alternative to organic and conventional cotton, and to determine which institutions consumer’s trust most for information on the risks and benefits of GE cotton. Our studies showed that while knowledge of cotton and agriculture is low, GE cotton was regarded more positively than conventional cotton with the potential to improve in consumer’s opinions. According to our findings, by efficiently communicating the benefits of GE cotton through trusted channels of communication (i.e. scientists, consumer organizations, the media), particularly addressing ethical concerns, policy regulation, and how the product is useful to the consumer individually, GE cotton could become a comparative market alternative to organic, at a greater available supply. / text

網路購物興盛、社群網站湧現以及資訊搜尋的方便性，持續性資訊搜尋成為購買決策很重要的影響因素。本研究先蒐集相關文獻與彙整搜尋動機的元素，共包括九種資訊搜尋動機，分別是：探索動機、滿足動機、價值動機、思想動機、產品提供豐富度、產品資訊提供、方便性、角色動機以及社交動機，並將這九種元素歸納為三種資訊搜尋動機，分別是：享樂性、功利性以及社交性，再探討搜尋動機與持續性社群網路資訊搜尋對購買意圖的影響關係。本研究透過網路發放問卷，有效樣本共480份，採用量化分析，並以最小平方法(PLS)進行有效樣本之實證分析。 本研究經因素分析發現，探索動機與滿足動機同屬於一種構面，本研究將此構面命名為：「探索滿足」；產品提供豐富度、產品資訊提供、方便性同屬於一種構面，本研究將此構面命名為：「資訊可得」；角色動機與社交動機同屬於一種構面，本研究將此構面命名為：「社交需求」。此外，在思想動機與價值動機方面，本研究則是分別重新將這兩種構面命名為：「資訊潮流」與「優惠需求」，以更符合理論邏輯與這兩種因素的意涵。 本研究結果顯示：研究分析歸納的五種資訊搜尋動機：探索滿足、資訊潮流、資訊可得、優惠需求、社交需求，對於持續性社群網路資訊搜尋皆具有正向的影響；持續性社群網路資訊搜尋對購買意圖亦具有正向的影響關係，而產品需求強度對於持續性社群網路資訊搜尋與購買意圖之間的關係則是不具有調節效果。這代表無論消費者對於產品是否有需求，只要平時在社群網站上瀏覽到產品的相關資訊時，就能影響人們購買意圖的產生，這間接證實了非計劃購買發生的可能，也突顯了持續性資訊搜尋的重要性。最後，本研究結果期望可以提供個人或業者於社群網站上的產品銷售策略之經營與學術未來研究之方向。 / Due to the flourishing of Internet shopping, the emergence of social network sites and the convenience of information search, ongoing search has become a very important purchase decision factors. In this study, we collected relevant literature and aggregated a total of nine kinds of search motivations, namely: adventure, gratification, value, idea, product offerings, product information, convenience, role and social. The nine search motivations are summarized into three search motivations, namely: hedonic, utilitarian and sociality. Then, we explore the effect relationship for the search motivations and ongoing social network information search to the purchase intentions. Then, we did questionnaires via the internet and a total of 480 valid samples were received, after that, we used quantitative analysis and used partial least square (PLS) to conduct empirical analysis. By factor analysis, we found that adventure motivation and gratification motivation belonged to the same factor, we named “exploration meet”. Product offerings, product information and convenience motivation belonged to the same factor, we named “information availability”. Role motivation and social motivation belonged to the same factor, we named “social needs”. In addition, we re-named idea motivation to “information trend” and value motivation to “preferential needs” to make these two kinds of factors be more consistent with logical and theoretical implications. The result of this study showed that the five kinds of search motivations: exploration meet, information trend, information availability, preferential needs and social needs all had positive impacts on ongoing social information search. Ongoing social information also had positive impacts on purchase intentions. But the product needs intensity didn’t have a moderating effect between ongoing social information search and purchase intentions, this result not only indirectly confirmed possibility of unplanned purchase, but also highlighted the importance of ongoing search. Finally, the results of this study could be expected to provide marketing strategy for persons or industries on the social network sites and could be referred for the future of academic research.

No description available.

By measuring intentions to purchase, this research gives insight into environmental attitudes, pressures to purchase environmentally friendly apparel, factors that inhibit environmentally friendly apparel purchasing, awareness of environmentally friendly apparel purchase options, and marketing insight into the eco-friendly consumer. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) was used to assess consumer purchasing intentions for environmentally friendly apparel. The TPB consists of a three-pronged measurement: individual attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Individual attitudes were gauged on three dimensions which included environmental attitudes, demographic patterns, and environmentally friendly apparel purchase intentions. Subjective norms involve social pressure to engage in eco-friendly behavior, perceived individual environmental impact, and desire for uniqueness in dress. Finally, perceived behavioral control was studied through previous environmentally friendly apparel purchases, accessibility of environmentally friendly apparel purchase options, and cost of environmentally friendly apparel. The results revealed that individual environmental attitudes, social pressure to behave environmentally friendly, perceived individual environmental impact, desire for uniqueness in dress, past environmentally friendly apparel purchases, accessibility of environmentally friendly apparel purchase options, and cost of environmentally friendly apparel all have an impact on intentions to purchase environmentally friendly apparel. The variable with the strongest relationship to intentions was social pressure. A demographic profile of intent to purchase environmentally friendly apparel, however, was not possible with this sample. This indicates there is not specifically one type of person who purchases environmentally friendly apparel.