D.Phil. (Marketing) / Despite the extensive research undertaken in the subject area of services marketing, much is still unknown about services internal marketing, specifically internal marketing mix elements and how they affect brand awareness in services organisations. This study attempted to address this limitation. The study revolved around eleven internal marketing mix elements and their influence on brand awareness dimensions in the South African car rental industry. Services organisations of which car rental companies are an example playa vital role in South Africa's economy, as services organisations contribute 74% to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GOP). Car rental companies like many other services organisations, are operating in a complex and extremely competitive environment. In order to attract and retain external customers, car rental companies need to focus on programmes to enhance their services delivery. Employees are the most valuable asset of an organisation, especially in the services environment. Internal marketing programmes aimed at employees are crucial to motivate them to improve service delivery to external customers. The four traditional internal marketing mix elements, namely internal product, price, promotion and place, as well as the three services internal marketing mix elements, namely internal people, process, and physical evidence are well known in product and services markets. However, this study contributed to the body of knowledge by adding four recent internal marketing mix elements, namely internal personal relationships, packaging, positioning and performance. Brand awareness refers to the strength of a brand's presence in the customer's mind. Awareness is measured according to the different ways in which customers remember a brand, ranging from recognition (exposure to the brand) to recall (What can be recalled about the brand) (Aaker, 2004:10). Brand awareness recall is associated with three dimensions, namely trustworthiness, overall evaluation and loyalty. In order to establish the influence of the eleven internal marketing mix elements on the brand awareness as perceived by the customers of selected car rental companies, an empirical investigation was conducted. The primary objective of this study was to determine the perceived influence of the different elements of internal marketing on the brand awareness as perceived by selected car rental customers in South Africa. Avis First Car Rental and Hertz were prepared to participate in this study. Combined they have a market share of more than 55%, thus it was believed that they were a fair representation of the car rental industry in South Africa. Probability sampling in the form of directly proportional stratified sampling was used in terms of selecting only customers of the three car rental companies, not including employees. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of internal marketing on the brand awareness perceived by customers, therefore, only customers were selected for the purpose of the study. The sample unit included customers who rented cars from the Avis, First Car Rental and Hertz over a period of three months, namely November 2010 untit January 2011. The sampling elements were customers who rented vehicles at airports, nameLy OR Tambo, Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth, East London, George, Nelspruit, Kimberley and Lanseria and city branches, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth, East London, George, Nelspruit and Kimberley. The required sample size of respondents was between 375 and 750 and the- actue* sample size was 581. The measuring instrument was a questionnaire that included a current and ideal situation. The main technique for analysing data was structural equation modelling and equivalence testing to determine if there was any difference between the status quo and ideal situation as perceived by car rental customers. The empirical investigation conducted among customers of Avis, First Car Rental and Hertz revealed that significant positive relationships existed between the services internal marketing element process and brand recognition, trustworthiness, overall evaluation and loyalty; as well as between the recent internal marketing element internal performance and trustworthiness, overall evaluation and loyalty. These relationships imply that if car rental companies improve their internal process and performance, the brand awareness of the car rental company would improve. Other internal marketing mix elements that positively influenced brand awareness were people (employees), physical evidence, personal relationships, packaging and positioning. Based on the positive relationships described above, as well as the strong influence internal process and performance have had on brand awareness, a model as guideline to car rental companies was developed. The purpose of the model is to emphasise internal marketing elements on which car rental companies should focus to improve brand recognition, trustworthiness, overall evaluation and loyalty amongst their customers. The model was tested and proved to be applicable to both the status quo and ideal situation. In addition to the model, the study indicated that car rental companies should implement strategies to improve their internal marketing programmes. These strategies will contribute to improvement of employees' satisfaction and subsequently customer satisfaction. Satisfied customers will remain customers of their car rental company and ultimately profits and competitiveness of the particular car rental company will prosper. Eventually employees, customers and car rental companies and the whole economy of South Africa will benefit.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:3770 |
| Date | 11 February 2014 |
| Creators | Conradie, Elizabeth Stephanie. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Johannesburg |
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