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Surge pricing is a dynamic pricing strategy which has been developed by the American ride-sharing platform Uber. Based on demand and supply, the surge pricing algorithm calculates a trip fare for both, riders and drivers. In times when demand outstrips supply in a certain geographic area, the algorithm applies a so-called “surge factor” which is multiplied by the basic trip fare. This way, the provider can calibrate demand and supply until they reach the market equilibrium again. This paper examines whether dynamic surge pricing can also be applied to the offline food retail market. Consequently, it starts by giving some theoretical background on dynamic and surge pricing, and with the aid of a PESTEL analysis, highlights all the factors presenting opportunities and limitations for the implementation of surge pricing in supermarkets. In addition to that, by conducting a SWOT analysis of dynamic surge pricing, this thesis investigates what the prerequisites are to a successful implementation strategy. In the end, it outlines possible consequences for consumers if surge pricing is used in grocery stores. It will be found that, from a theoretic point of view, a dynamic surge pricing strategy is feasible in the offline food retail market. However, it does not present the optimal pricing method for neither of the market participants.
Total Hip Arthroplasty is a highly effective procedure. Precise preoperative planning is crucial for a positive patient outcome. One approach to improve patient outcomes is preoperative planning of hip implants, which could replace the currently dominant 2D planning and improve processes in dealer markets by enabling more efficient delivery. The objective of this study is to survey and measure dealers’ acceptance of a patient-specific delivery and operating room setting. The evaluation is based on the Technology Acceptance Model. A recommendation for action will be derived from the evaluation.
This study examines the acceptance of new technologies through a systematic literature review utilizing the Technology Acceptance Model. Additionally, it presents the current state of 2D and 3D planning for hip implants and analyzes the Italian and Brazilian dealer markets. The target group was surveyed quantitatively, and their acceptance was analyzed and interpreted using descriptive statistical evaluation.
The two markets share similarities in their current requirements and conditions. In Italy and Brazil, planning is done intraoperatively by surgeons, which has been identified as an obstacle on several occasions. Acceptance of the new process is therefore mixed and requires supportive measures.
The similarities between the two markets allow for uniform comparability and interpretation. However, the acceptance can be traced back to the lack of preoperative planning among surgeons. It is clear that both markets are rather critical of a switch to preoperative planning, especially 3D planning. Therefore, some measures and further research on surgeons must first be taken before a successful implementation is possible.
The aim of this research is to analysis the economics situations in China, especially in Tianjin TEDA and Shanghai those two special economic areas in China, to see what kind of opportunities they may bring to the mid-size European companies which would like to have business in these two regions, and also to see what kind of disadvantages that are not befit for having business in those two areas. The research has analysis the economic situations in China to show the overall national economic status and situations in the in the recent years.
Tianjin and Shanghai are different with each other in the economic style; some statistics has shown the differences of economic characteristics in Tianjin and Shanghai. Companies in different industry areas have been classified both in Tianjin and Shanghai.
Sales promotional tools are of significant importance in attracting potential customers and retaining current customers. We can already have access to many studies in examining and comparing the causes and effects that different sales promotional strategies could bring to various aspects, such as, sales, brand name and brand loyalty. Several researches have also explained the irrational buying decisions and behaviors consumers have when they are given framed promotional message. Researches have shown that, in many cases, consumers tend to go for a free offer (bonus pack) instead of a discount offer although the economic value is equal. It is also shown by previous studies from students of Hochschule Furtwangen University have concluded that in Germany, for non-durable goods, consumer’s willingness to pay is higher with BOGOF offer then that of discount’s. They have also conclude that the effects that promotional tools could bring are long term by designing the survey with situation that the promotion has expired. It is known that BOGOF is preferred over discount, but how good is BOGOF compared to when there is no promotion given? And are there any changes in consumer’s perception towards product’s quality with different promotion applied? This study will be focusing on two promotional strategies: discount and BOGOF in the non-durable goods industry in Europe and in China. There will be a Baseline Test and an A/B survey. A total of 1061 participants were randomly selected to participate in an online survey. The questions of the Baseline Test are under a situation with no promotion, while A survey’s questions are under a situation of ended discount and B surveys are under a finished BOGOF offer. The survey results indicated that, both in Europe and China, the willingness to pay for non-durable products in BOGOF offer is higher than that of the discounts, while the baselines are close with the result of discounts. This study has the potential to contribute to academics and marketers in the non-durable goods industry as it consolidates previous findings and provides insights of the relationship between baseline and promotional tools.
The following bachelor thesis was written in cooperation with the company GF Automotive AG located in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. It is a worldwide recognized development and serial production partner of the automotive industry. The thesis covers the topic ‘The potential of gaining competitive advantage through Green Marketing’. The purpose of this thesis is to research if sustainability within the automotive supply industry is of high importance and can be used to gain competitive advantage. The thesis offers possible measures to implement successful practices that were detected in the conducted benchmark. It points out that green marketing in the B2B business can support companies to differentiate and it illustrates how marketing communication of the company GF Automotive AG can be adapted in order to succeed and remain leader in the highly competitive automotive supply market
Fast Fashion industry is a great example of a market with similar products and similar target groups of customers where marketing plays a key role in the competition for market share. In the era of Web 2.0. and Social Media boom businesses are facing a rise in customers’ forces and its pressure by influencing corporate communications and marketing campaigns. Ordinary people turn to influentials who reach broad consumer audiences and often have an impact on the decision-making-processes. In this way, brands are less protected by PR and advertising tools, as well as more vulnerable. Therefore, understanding the current communication environment and in particular how, when, where and who interferes with corporate image is important from managerial point of view and what strategy to be deployed. For these reasons, the thesis focuses on multichannel marketing in order to provide an understanding of how businesses have been connecting to
people and then it continues with exploration of social media and the blogosphere as ways consumers have been complicating and influencing channels. In the end, it has been concluded that Social Media and the phenomenon of Blogosphere has led to the appearance of new self-made opinion leaders who tend to influence consumer behavior and respectively company’s reputation and brands’ image. On the other hand, it has been observed this can be positive for businesses since it provides relatively useful market information which could be helpful for marketing and communications managers by enabling them to observe their target groups in a more efficient ways. In the pursue of findings, the thesis includes primary research with two interviews with a bloggers and a fashion brand affiliate person, and secondary research covering literature review on relevant topics.
Zoom fatigue - a phenomenon that has been occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing regulations forced numerous companies into home office, which shifted the internal communication to video conferencing platforms. Nevertheless, these solutions do not offer the same interactive atmosphere and social factor as face-to-face meetings. That is the reason why some people experienced a sense of distance and a lack of motivation and concentration.
Virtual reality collaboration platforms are a digital solution resembling a serious game situation that could solve the problem of impersonal teamwork. With this application users could meet in the virtual space, giving them enhanced possibilities to interact with their team members and work together on projects regardless of the distances in location.
As the platform is an innovation that is new to the market, the awareness about this product is not yet widely spread. With the help of an effective marketing mix and a market launch strategy, potential users should therefore be informed about this possibility, leading to a successful implementation of the platform in various institutions. To gain insights into the market and gather information about the target group an analysis through literature research as well as a survey has been carried out. The results showed that the market shows a general interest in virtual reality collaboration platforms. Nevertheless, several respondents expressed their lack of understanding and imagination to use the platform constructively in their professional environment. Additionally, expected high expenses and the lack of technical equipment could be an obstacle to implementing virtual reality collaboration platforms in traditional work processes. Therefore, the mission for the market launch strategy will be to develop a marketing mix that responds effectively to all questions and inspires organisations to discover their possibilities and benefits with this digital solution.
The study investigated what is the generalist education in nursing, how Keppler-Stiftung Haus Raphael, Senior Citizens’ Centre will start the implementation of this training and how people can be well informed using social media to convince them for a career path in nursing. The study examined if the use of social media will increase the turnout of people for this education. This thesis also researched, if the use of this promotional medium can help change people’s negative impression about old people’s home, especially for its funny smells and that, senior citizens are not well taken care of there as expected. From the starting theoretical background consisting generalist education in nursing and the trends of social media were discussed in details. Based on the theoretical issued examined, the empirical research is established, collecting data from staff of old people’s homes in five provinces in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Correlational analysis was used to test the sample on the two hypotheses. The positive correlation between social media campaign and the turnout for the generalist education in nursing was identified. The alternative hypothesis was supported because there was a significant relationship of independent variables to turnout of youths for generalist education in nursing
The influence of quality labels on perceived product value - Marketing to the conscious consumer
(2018)
Quality labels are an important cue for customers in their search for indications of product quality. They provide consumers with valuable information about production standards. Whether the value-added by labels directly translates into price premiums is still an open question, as researchers could not reach consensus so far. Moreover, the use of multiple labels on one product is another topic discussed controversially in the research literature. Current research has further identified multiple factors affecting consumers’ willingness to pay for labelled food products. For this paper, a survey among 400 shoppers from the Villingen-Schwenningen area has been conducted, in an attempt to identify the significance of various influencing factors on willingness to pay for labelled products. Four distinct food products have been tested in this survey, each in four different labelling situations. Two labels were used on the products, one indicating social standards and another certifying ecological production standards. The study identified the following factors as influential on participants’ expressed willingness to pay: product type, information and label type. The influence of missing reference prices could not be proven to be significant. The marginal effect of a second label was found to decrease for only two of the products. As the effects of each of the factors varied between the products, no general conclusion about the effects of either of them could be drawn. Therefore, the paper concludes on the note, that a general assumption about label value should not be made.
In two experiments, this empirical research examines consumers’ willingness to pay and the likelihood of purchase decisions by thoroughly investigating the neural, behavioral, and psychological properties of packaging design. A general theory is tested by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and a NeuroPricing online survey on consumer behavior using the example product Tassimo. Hypotheses are tested with 592 German consumers who evaluated the packaging of Tassimo coffee. A closer look at the neural data from the brain imaging experiment shows that uncertainty can arise among consumers with regard to sustainable packaging and this can have a negative impact on the purchase decision and willingness to pay. The results from both experiments show that it is not possible to make a holistic statement as to which sustainable or enjoyment-focused packaging design increases the likelihood of a purchase decision or the willingness to pay. Implications for future packaging design research and underlying complexities with sustainable packaging are discussed.
When enterprises decide to expand operations to new foreign markets, they are encountered with the crucial decision of how to implement their marketing strategy in each market without losing consistency across their global brand image. This thesis will focus especially on the impact culture has on this decision and on its implementation. To do so, a qualitative analysis in form of expert interviews was performed in six multinational companies across different industries. Marketing managers from the headquarters were questioned about the implementation of their global marketing strategy in their local markets. The findings give new insights for managers in terms of future adaptations for efficient communication of marketing strategy across the multinational company.
The two strategic options standardisation and adaptation are examined in the literature to set a foundation to later discuss culture’s influence on this decision. Furthermore, a cultural framework will be given and the communication structure of the two main parties of a multinational company will be reviewed in the existing literature.
In the last few years no other innovation has been able to influence the marketing environment like neuromarketing, the new science of consumer behaviour, which combines neuroscientific techniques with marketing in order to understand brain functions in terms of marketing activities. This combination helps to improve the understanding of the influence of emotions and senses on decision-making and buying-behaviour. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential and limitations of neuromarketing, by taking a close look into published data, conducted studies and expert opinions concerning this new field of science. The published data retrieved from studies using brain-imaging techniques found that emotions and human senses influence every second in human beings’ perception and that consumers are not able to decide completely economically. Nevertheless, further research is recommended in order to gain a deeper understanding of the human brain and how it conducts
decision-making processes. Additionally, consumer neuroscience has high potential to become a commonly used technique, which sustainably supports traditional
market research. Neuromarketing seems to become a promising technique to provide consumers with desired products, services, web shops and advertising
design.
Influencer marketing has become one of the most popular marketing strategies in today’s ever changing digital scene. Despite being a popular technique of engaging customers, influencer marketing is still difficult for marketers and brands to understand the meaning behind of it and how to take advantage of influencer marketing. The research delves into the multifaceted landscape of influencer marketing. The research questions revolved around three key aspects of influencer marketing. Firstly, a profound exploration of influencer marketing was undertaken, delving into its evolution, benefits and underlying principles of influencer marketing was important to fully understand its dynamic role in modern marketing. Beyond this, an in-depth analysis scrutinized the impact of influencer marketing on consumer purchase behavior, peeling back layers to reveal the nuanced interplay of trust, and authenticity. To answer these questions a thorough analysis of influencer content and consumer interactions was done. To extract meaningful insights, to provide a holistic understanding of the symbiotic relationship between influencers and consumers. Trust emerged as a linchpin in the effectiveness of influencer marketing, profoundly influencing consumer perceptions and behaviors. Conclusively, the study highlights the indispensability of trust and authenticity in influencer marketing. Brands seeking success in influencer-driven consumer engagement must prioritize and harness these factors to navigate the complexities of contemporary marketing landscapes successfully.
Globalization brought high competition in the market. Therefore, international Marketers started to use a strategy of linking a product to its Country of Origin to get a potential competitive advantage on their product. Previous studies have found that the effect of Country-of-Origin on consumer´s product evaluation, perception and purchase intention. However, it was limited to find the County-Of-Origin effect on different age groups especially in Germany.
The purpose of this research was to analyze the effect of Country of Origin on German consumer´s product evaluation and different age groups. Projective test was adopted for designing the questionnaire and Italy, China and France were selected as the country. In the end, the data was represented by statistical analysis and graphic representation.
This research comes to the conclusion that the Country of Origin either has an impact or has no impact on German consumer´s product evaluation. Their evaluation showed various results based on country and product information such as Country image, Country of Manufacturer image, product category and brand. Therefore, this research was not able to define the general Country of Origin effect on German consumer´s product evaluation. However, this research will give an insight for designing a future research and a more comprehensive understanding of the Country of Origin effect on age groups.
Growing environmental awareness, especially among young generations, is reflected in the willingness to accept price premiums for sustainable and recyclable products. In recent years, marketers have focused on reinforcing consumers’ attention and interest in green goods by increasing the effectiveness of various sustainability information on product packaging.
In this thesis, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) investigated the effect of visual and verbal recycling claims on product packaging upon the willingness to pay (WTP). Although findings showed no changes in WTP related to a visual claim, the presence of a verbal claim positively impacted the WTP in two of four cases. Further, significant interactions between the two factors were detected. The results suggest that students considered an imagery seal irrelevant during product evaluation, whilst communicating recycling information with a textual message or with a conjunction of both claims showed a tendency to improve price-value perception. However, results for the verbal and interaction effects showed variations across products. Therefore, one may not draw unequivocal assumptions from the findings of this study without research replication on a larger scale.
This research provides a comprehensive analysis on the relationship between reputation and brands image through a better understanding of the effect of corporate scandals on brand image. Secondary data taken from academic journals, academic books and press articles were used to develop this research. While some corporate scandals are the result of misbehaviour from inside the corporate, some are the result of external factors the corporate had nothing to do with and some are due to technological failures. However, irrespective from the source of the scandal, all types of scandals will change the consumer’s perception on the corporate’s brand. For example, a certain degree of brand distrust or brand hate might develop after the scandal. Nevertheless, a corporate can recover from any scandal through several appropriate strategies. While these strategies might differ in detail, they all must include addressing the public about the issues truthfully and adopting relevant corrective actions depending on the scandal’s type and scale. The main purpose of this thesis is to explore these concepts further in detail, to understand how a corporate can recover from a scandal and restore their pre-scandal brand position. Finally, a case study about Samsung’s recent exploding devices scandal will provide a current example on the topic. While this research will provide a summary on how will a scandal affect consumer’s perception and how could a corporate recover from a scandal, it is important to note that each scandal is unique and therefore will have unique effects on perception and will require a unique strategy to recover from it.
Digitalization is one of the major challenges for companies today. Well-established “traditional” companies have to adapt and develop new business models to stay competitive. Digitalization, connected services and alternative drive technologies are identified as key trends in the automotive industry. New competitors from different industry segments, e.g. IT industry, enter the automotive industry. Therefore, the automotive industry faces new challenges due to digitalization. These challenges are identified in the scope of this thesis. One major is a transformation of the classic sales process of a vehicle. Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks developed a new certified partner program. Bodybuilders, who are working with the model series Econic, can apply for the partner status.
Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks will launch a product information platform. Bodybuilders have the opportunity to market themselves and their products on the platform. Therefore, this thesis aims to identify the theoretical factors of the success of a digital platform and to transfer these factors to the automotive industry. Qualitative research methods were conducted to examine the practical relevance of these factors. By analyzing already existing platforms in the automotive industry, it turned out that many industry-specific success factors are already implemented. Thereby a series of recommendations for actions, regarding the design and optimization of the EconicPartner Portal, were derived.
The investments’ dynamics in the Fintech industry represent a great opportunity for many Fintech entrepreneurs that use technology to drive down operating cost and build products that match the digital needs of the millennial customers.
They challenge the status quo of the existing players in the industry, but it is a bigger challenge for the new entrants in to acquire customers and compete for a
market share because of the high acquisition cost and lack of historical data for optimization.
This thesis seeks to explore the digital channels used for customer acquisition and to make an analysis about the cost of the channels, targeting capabilities,
effectiveness and the effort required to set up and optimize the digital channels.
This paper also seeks to improve our current understanding of which factors influence the acceptance of fintech technology, are relevant to consider in the
context of the fintech industry, using TAM as the theoretical foundation and internet banking technology as the closest example of fintech products.
As banks have to close branches in the current low-interest environment and as customers show an increasing preference for online channels, existing channels of branch-centric banks no longer can guarantee to suffice the needs of the omni-channel consumer. Online consultation through video chat, called video banking, is a possible solution for these issues. In order to keep marketing activities effective and cost-efficient, it is of interest for the banking sector to define a socio-demographic target group for video banking.
Thus, the objective of this thesis is to find socio-demographic characteristics which influence the willingness to use video banking. The characteristics deemed as plausible predictors are then tested for their suitability as such through bivariate and multivariate analysis of an empirical study conducted among U.S. bank customers with internet access. The goal of the multivariate analysis is to find the regression model that best predicts the willingness to use video banking. Depending on the outcome, recommendations will be made about the definition of a target group for video banking.
The main goal of the study is to analyze students’ buying intention towards e-learning program by developing a structural model of e-learning acceptance by the students and analyzing perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitudes, subjective norms, motivations and buying intentions according to the developed model.
The B. Braun Aesculap AG division “Degenerative Spinal Disorders” will be launching a new Spinal System mid 2017. A Spinal System is a combination of implants and instruments used to treat spinal disorders caused by deformity, tumors, trauma or via degenerative conditions.
The current industry standard is that manufacturers sell the implants necessary for these surgeries in non-sterile packs, which require sterilization by the client organizations. This is different in other orthopedic sectors such as hip or knee, where the use of sterile packed implants is the industry benchmark. As this is not the standard case for spinal surgery so far, all processes within the majority of client organizations are accustomed to using non-sterile packed spinal implants in their operating room processes and logistics.
The new Spinal System, being offered by Aesculap AG in the near future, is challenging this status quo, as it will be offering a system solution in which the implants will be sold in sterile packaging.
This new business model entails changes in the processes within the manufacturing and client organization. These changes need to be implemented and communicated correctly.
In this thesis both business models based on sterile and non-sterile packed implants and their respective processes are compared. Strategic and operative relevant aspects are analyzed to define strategic criteria necessary to appropriately implement and communicate the new system.
The e-Commerce market is continuously gaining importance, leading to a fast market development and to equally rapid transition in business models. This thesis analyses the impact of the e-Commerce sector on stationary trade, based on a case study of an internationally established retailer with focus on the Swiss market. The paper builds up on the explanation of the term e-Commerce and the e-Commerce sector, then evaluates the effects of e-Commerce on stationary trade. Based on this information, a case study will be analysed using specific key performance indicators. The aim is to clarify whether the e-Commerce sector is a threat for stationary trade and to elaborate recommendations for retailers. Therefore, innovative concepts of retail stores are mentioned and applied to the case study, in order to give concrete recommendations for further development of multi channel strategies. It can be concluded that although e-Commerce is a growing business model, stationary trade is indispensable. Both sectors should be understood as complementary concepts. Consequently, strategies for implementing multi-channel schemes should be implemented in order to stay competitive and satisfy customer needs.
The onset of COVID– 19 has accelerated digital trends facilitating the rise of social media and the financial technology industry. Especially in the private equity sector, investors are increasing their online presence and marketers need to define a tactical social media plan to improve its integrated marketing communications and facilitate lead generation.
The objective of this thesis is to develop a social media marketing proposal and action plan for the fintech company: Moonfare GmbH. The aim is to identify the most suitable content marketing, social networks and techniques to power sales growth, brand awareness and community engagement through its current social media channels.
In order to develop a deeper understanding, the literature review presents different digital marketing frameworks applied to social media marketing. Moreover, a careful study of the fintech private equity industry is developed through a Porter’s 5 forces model alongside an explanation of the case of Moonfare through a blue ocean canvas.
For the research, secondary data and internal desk research were performed including, statistical insights directly gathered from the company. The study was further designed with an internal and external situation analysis, concluding with a SWOT model and the establishment of objectives through a SMART goals framework. The final action plan is presented in an OGSM model.
Social media has become inseparable from our daily lives thanks to the widely use of internet and mobile technological advancement. Travel and tourism has benefited a lot from social media, especially the travelers. Not only can they find travel-related information on social media platforms, but they can also discuss and exchange necessary and relevant opinions and information.
The purpose of this research study is to examine how social media influences where German millennials determine their holiday destination. This dissertation analyzes to what extend social media influences the individual German millennial’s decision and whether reviews and comments affect their decisions.
The research study comprises of 5 chapters which represent the analytical process from beginning to end. The first chapter is the introduction, then literature reviews, then the methodology for primary research of this research is identified and explained. Results from the online questionnaire are then presented followed by an analysis and interpretation. Finally, the conclusion and limitation of the research have been discussed.
This research study concludes that social media does influence German millennials when they use social media to compare the holiday destinations in comparison to those who do not use social media for this purpose. It is clear that social media is the main source of information when they are looking for holiday destination information and is preferred compared to travel books and travel agencies. The results have shown that TripAdvisor is the most used holiday destination information page among other social media platforms. Furthermore, most of German millennials are passive users of travel-related social media platforms. That means they only consume information but do not necessarily write reviews or comments after their holiday experience.
Presently a lot of emphasis has been put on the need for brick-and-mortar stores to reinvent themselves, in light of increasing competition. Therefore, the topic of shopping experience has recently received special attention by retailers, as they increasingly endeavor to create pleasant store environments. Several studies have shown, that a positive shopping experience results in increased customer satisfaction, store loyalty and thus long-term success of a company.
While new technologies are on the rise, they have so far not been fully exploited in retail stores, neither extensively researched in the context of shopping experience.
Therefore, this bachelor thesis aims to provide a general understanding on the construct of shopping experience and explores how certain phases of the customer journey can be complemented by in-store technologies. Moreover, it provides valuable insights on the capabilities and limitations of in-store technologies. Particularly, RFID equipped tablet computers, as an in-store technology for fashion retailers, are researched in-depth.
Secondary data retrieved from academic journals, academic books, press articles and study reports are used to provide an overall understanding on the construct of shopping experience, certain customer journey phases, technologies in retail stores and on the changed buying behavior caused by digitalization.
Primary research is conducted to research RFID equipped tablet computers as a in-store technology for fashion retailers. It identifies which shopping experience determinants should be targeted, when considering the implementation of in-store technology in a fashion retail store. Moreover useful information regarding the perception towards chosen tablet functions are highlighted.
Findings are discussed with reference to available literature. Conclusions are drawn and presented as implications for fashion retailers.
This paper explores the different techniques used by search engine optimizers to increase a website ́s ranking, thus visibility. The author focuses on modern methods from the areas of On-Page and Off-Page SEO. Findings, gathered through a literature review, conclude that SEO has become a more complex process, as search engines algorithm have advanced; transforming from a pure technical optimization to a more user-oriented optimization. Furthermore, the paper identifies several areas that a webmaster can use to collect data to monitor a website ́s performance. In addition, insights into what the data can have for a meaning, are given. The paper finales with a brief overview of various ways to monetize a website.
Purpose – To empirically examine the impact of a set of influencing factors on B-to-B sales call success from a buyer, salesperson and neuroscientific perspective
Design/methodology/approach – A literature review was conducted to find potential non-economic influencing factors and a set of hypotheses was generated. Subsequently, findings were verified through an expert interview. Then two surveys examining the buyer and sales perspective were carried out and hypotheses were tested. Lastly, results were aimed to be explained from a neuroscientific perspective.
Findings – The results show that trust, emotion and empathy are positively correlated to sales call success. However, communication, listening skills, empathy, appearance and personality variables were on average still perceived as somewhat important for sales call success by both survey groups. Neuroscientific literature could provide insights into the effects of trust, emotion, appearance and extroversion on sales call outcome.
Research limitations – The sample size permits only a general analysis and conclusions. Buyers participating in the survey tended to evaluate sales calls as rather successful, leading to an underrepresentation of “unsuccessful” sales calls in the data set. Neuroscientific literature provided insights but could not fully explain the suggested model.
Practical implications – Emotional and non-economic factors including trust, positive emotion and empathy should be part of a successful sales methodology so that the effects of these factors are considered to improve the outcome of sales calls
The aim of this piece of work is to elaborate a conceptual approach for supporting market development in Asia Pacific. It includes the investigation of relevant criteria for an objective analysis in terms of market attractiveness for eight markets. The first part of this research project describes the theoretical framework and concepts used in international market selection as well as international market development strategies. The second part of the study consists of defining relevant criteria in order to evaluate market attractiveness and competitive strength. In conjunction with this, the level of significance of each criterion is determined by the conception of an appropriate classification model. The results reveal that the levels of market attractiveness and competitive strength differ significantly in each market. Additionally, the country with the highest score in market attractiveness and competitive strength is being investigated in further depth with the aim to understand the market dynamics. The study then concentrates on determining strategic objectives and key performance indicators in order to improve the corporate’s strategy. Finally, research findings are discussed critically and several recommendations are formulated. To conclude the study, a conclusion is made followed by limitations and recommendations for further analysis.
The promotion of Fruits and Vegetables (F&V) is challenging, especially in the past
centuries. The difficulties in branding or advertising arise from traits of the produce,
making it less presentable than manufactured products. Modern farming technologies
ensure better produce appearance, therefore, need to re-examine the possibilities of its
promotion. The technology changed, so had the dietary trend. In contrary to modernised
farming, F&V advertising that appeared to be a carry-on from the 40s had seemingly
dissociated itself from consumers. This paper collected results from empirical studies.
Most of the works, however, conducted experiments with manufactured products, might
not apply to fresh produce. Discussions on the relevance of the sources are, therefore,
necessary. This research identifies a lack of branding of fresh produce, which could be a
direct causal for inactive promotion. Further examinations suggest deeper market
segmentation, which helps the marketer to create a better advertisement. The research
also notices many researchers regard promoting nutritional value as equivalent to
effective advertising, which leads to higher consumption. Promoting nutritional value,
however, appears to be merely attractive to the certain consumer. In many cases, other
mechanisms, for instance, originality, health, fun and other emotional tags, could attract
more attentions.
Programmatic Advertising has been proven to cause privacy concerns amongst its recipients. Various research points out the fact that heavy use of data for personalized advertisements can have a disturbing and scaring effect on the users. This thesis takes a closer look on the privacy concerns of users and whether these concerns are connected to a lack of awareness about the topic Programmatic Advertising.
Since there is a big research gap about this topic, it was essential to collect primary data. For this matter, a combination of qualitative and quantitative data-gathering has been utilized.
The outcome of this research has helped to come up with managerial implications that provide advertisers with a deeper understanding about the users’ privacy concerns and whether these are linked to a lack of awareness and knowledge about Programmatic Advertising.
Due to fierce competition in the recent decades, focus on customer service is becoming increasingly important in all industries including grocery retail. The purpose of this study is to discover the different services offered by grocery stores in Egypt and Germany, to examine the reasons behind offering different services in the different countries and to learn the effect of the same services being offered in different countries.
The data was collected by conducting an online survey and then analyzed with reference to available literature. Findings and conclusions are presented in the form of lessons learned and suggestions for grocery stores in both countries to improve their consumer’s future shopping experience.
The following thesis examines the role of drug advertising in the United States. It takes a theoretical approach to explore the relationship between drug sales and the corresponding advertising and their perception, effects and implications on the public by focusing on the opioid crisis in the United States. In order to assess the effectiveness of drug advertising, the theoretical hierarchical framework by Robert J. Lavidge and A Steiner was utilized as it provides a straight-forward and frequently applied model to examine the workings of advertising in general.
The thesis’s conclusions give a synopsis of the results both for drug advertising and its effects on sales, as well as the implications drug advertising can entail as demonstrated in the case of the opioid crisis.
Due to OMEN by HP's status as a fairly new gaming brand, this paper focuses on evaluating the company's definition of their target segments, as well as actions regarding current trends. In addition, it aims at identifying further opportunities in the German gaming market concerning untargeted segments and emerging trends.
Research relies on books and scientific publications, as well as websites, newspaper articles and forum discussions. HP's target segments are examined using behavioural and profile based segmentation variables; the results of this re-segmentation are summarized graphically. An analysis of major trends includes a SWOT analysis for each trend in order to identify the course of their development.
Research has shown that families and silver gamers will become increasingly important in the future. Additionally, further studies should be conducted concerning HP's target segments and mobile gaming. HP performs quite strong in terms of identifying the overall needs of its target segments, as well as regarding technological trends. The company should, however, increase its efforts concerning trends that go beyond technology, such as eSports.
In a time, where supply increases and thus distinguishing oneself from the competition becomes increasingly important, different neuroscientific methods are being used in order to find out what consumers want, how they react to stimuli and how they make a decision. The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to find out how neuroscience can help understand what happens in the human brain, and how neuromarketing influences the consumer behaviour, answering the question whether the drugstore chain ‘dm-drogerie markt’ has the key to the brain of their consumers. By clarifying the neuroeconomic foundations like the structure of the human brain and the human senses, and by explaining the modern measuring techniques which are being used nowadays, the foundation is laid which is needed in order to be able to understand the insights of neuromarketing, its prospects and limitations, as well as Limbic®. By understanding the influence of emotions and motives with regard to decision making, the four ways into the brain of a consumer, as well as the prospects and limitations of neuromarketing, the relevance and importance of neuromarketing becomes clear. Taking a closer look at Limbic® (Limbic® map, emotional systems and the Limbic® types) offers theoretical support, which is being combined with the results obtained from an online survey as well as a store analysis, allowing a clear idea of why ‘dm-drogerie markt’ is this successful and to what extend neuromarketing plays a role with regards to the success. In the end the conclusion is being drawn that ‘dm-drogerie markt’ has the key to the brain of their customers, and that using neuromarketing elements is one of the major reasons for the success.
Creating effective cross-cultural advertising campaigns is one of the most challenging ongoing topics in international marketing. This paper aims to apply the insights of cross-cultural neuroscience of emotion to advertising in China and Germany.
Examining the differences in cross-cultural perception of emotions will be instrumental for models used in advertisements across China and Germany, help understand the role of consumer age for the emotional reaction to advertisements and elucidate the influence of emotions on cross-cultural prejudices and memory.
Based on an expert interview conducted with the neuroscientist Dr. Henning Beck, several hypotheses were generated. In order to investigate the hypotheses, a cross-cultural survey in China and Germany was conducted testing the influence of the own-race bias on emotional advertising using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM). The results of the primary research suggest that the perception of emotions is culturally trained and can lead to a different emotional experience of advertising for Chinese and German citizens.
Mercedes-Benz Trucks, one of the largest commercial vehicle manufacturers in Europe, will launch the eActros LongHaul, a zero-emission battery-electric commercial vehicle in 2024. As battery-electric commercial vehicles have not been on the market for long, manufacturers face many new challenges when launching new products. Therefore, this thesis investigates which factors influence the product introduction of the eActros LongHaul and how to address them. To this end, the following research questions were posed to evaluate which external factors influence the product introduction of the eActros LongHaul and what difficulties and challenges can be expected during the market launch of the Actros LongHaul and what measures could Daimler Truck take to circumvent these difficulties. Therefore, the external factors that have a potential influence on the market launch of the product were considered. For this purpose, current studies and legal requirements were analyzed. Furthermore, qualitative interviews were conducted with experts from Mercedes-Benz Trucks who are involved in the product launch.The factors that could hinder a successful market launch of the eActros LongHaul were analyzed and evaluated. In addition, measures were proposed to reduce the influence of
these factors.
The following thesis aims at analyzing the development of media in travel planning and the role of Google.
The theoretical part of this thesis deals with the media used and their evolution and impact in travel planning. Due to tools like Google Maps, Google Hotel Finder and Google Flight Search the company has enormous opportunities to step further into the online travel market. If the European Parliament does not restrain Googles power, it is likely to extend its current position as an uncontested market leader in search engine marketing even further, leading to a monopoly in online travel planning. The vast impact of Google in travel planning is tested and proven by the advertising spending of the Danish holiday house portal Cofman A/S and a survey among newsletter subscribers of this company in the practical part.
This study explores the attitudes and perceptions of consumers of the baby boomer generation (age 50-62) concerning contents on the social media channels of Facebook and YouTube. Ten in-depth interviews are conducted in which representatives of the target group perform tasks on the two platforms such as gathering information about a firm or comparing advertisements. The main finding of the empirical research conducted is a set of preferences and attitudes about social media contents classified in following categories: 1) company profiles on Facebook 2) company channels on YouTube 3) sponsored posts on Facebook 4) sponsored search results on YouTube and 5) navigation on the two platforms. The obtained results significantly complement existing research on firm-supplied contents on social media for several reasons. Firstly, baby boomers represent a highly valuable target group as they possess immense consumption power and demonstrate high willingness to try new products and services, as well. Moreover, they increasingly join social networks, first of all Facebook,and they browse other social media channels, but they have been mostly neglected in research about social media in Germany. Secondly, this study links inbound marketing via social media to small and medium-sized enterprises. For the latter, this holds substantial benefits to facilitate being found by consumers on social media platforms in order to compete against larger firms. Therefore, implications for small business managers and marketing representatives are given. Thirdly, the study focuses on the attitudes and perceptions of consumers in order to replenish data on consumer behavior on Facebook and YouTube obtained by the algorithms of the platform providers. Therefore, it complements extensive existing studies focusing on analyzing the latter. Furthermore, the distinct advertising and targeting functions of Facebook and YouTube have been considered in the creation of the interview in pursuance of pertinent practically oriented results.
The rapid development of digital technologies has stimulated the shift from real life interaction to online communication. Internet audience is rapidly growing every day, while cost of reaching it is remains affordable.
Transformational changes in business environments, skills and cultures have led to the shift from product-based to knowledge-based economies.
New models of employment are getting more and more common, non-standardized employment has risen. The work lifecycle is changing. Instead of linear pattern— education, work, and retirement— there is a move to “cyclic life plans,” with periods of education, work and recreation overlapped and interspersed across a lifetime. This trend challenges standardized career paths, development programs and incentive systems. “Employee consumerism” is rising, especially for those with in-demand skills and experience.
All the above trends in global economy bring a new challenge for the individuals who want to succeed in their careers and personal development. This challenge is decent self-promotion on a labor market, which can be achieved by using efficient self-marketing channels and tools, in particular online.
The topic of simplicity has drastically increased in branding in recent years, as it allows companies to conquer a competitive world dominated by growth and complexity. There are studies explaining the benefits and power of simplicity in business in general. Nevertheless, simplicity is a field that has not been explored extensively for single industries.
The bachelor thesis attempts to investigate the critical importance and power of simplicity in the customer journey of the car rental business and to provide an overview of possible improvements for the customer experience on the example of car rental company Hertz. Secondary data adopted from academic books, academic journals, study reports and press articles are used to develop a comprehensive analysis and a theoretical framework on the topic of customer experience, customer loyalty in connection with simplicity. The car rental company Hertz and its customer journey are being investigated through the lens of simplicity. Qualitative and quantitative research is adapted to cover insufficient information on Hertz and to uncover the pain points in Hertz’s customer journey. An expert interview with a Hertz executive is conducted to gather first-hand insights on Hertz's viewpoint of simplification and to what extent the company aims to use simplicity as a tool for its customer journey. A succeeding customer survey is executed to gain a better understanding of Hertz customers' perceptions and towards Hertz and to collect a broader picture of Hertz's customer journey. The conclusion drawn is used to derive possible simplification enhancements for Hertz in order to achieve various desired business results. A critical assessment for future research on the topic and limiting conditions are discussed in the conclusion.
Pricing is an essential element when it comes to marketing and selling goods and different price promotions are widely used tools to attract and retain consumers. However, the expected positive impacts of such price promotions on consumer perceptions have been increasingly questioned in recent years. In particular, with regard to quality perceptions and internal reference prices, a number of past research findings suggest that monetary price promotions might be more likely to result in unfavourable consumer perceptions than non-monetary promotions (Diamond & Campbell, 1989; Darke & Chung, 2005). Instead of only focusing on the short-term effects of different promotion methods, the aim of this study is to examine the long-term effects of the use as well as the choice of price promotions on consumers’ value perceptions. Using an internet-based survey, subjects’ long-term willingness to pay for three non-durable consumer goods (a pack of pasta, a toothpaste and a basic t-shirt) was investigated under the following three conditions: the post-promotional phase of a "buy one, get one free" offer, the post-promotional phase of an economically equivalent 50% discount and a situation in which no price promotion was applied at all. For the consumer non-durable pasta, the results suggested that consumers’ value perceptions would be significantly influenced by whether or not a price promotion was previously applied and if so, which one. Furthermore, for the noodles, the findings seemed to corroborate the hypothesis that consumers' willingness to pay is highest in the absence of any previous promotion. Surprisingly, no significant difference was found between the post-promotion phase of the discount offer and the post-promotion phase of the BOGOF offer for any of the three products. All in all, this research provides some meaningful insights on the potential long-term impacts of price promotions on consumers’ value perceptions and willingness to pay. Moreover, our findings could be of particular relevance for managerial decisions regarding the marketing of non-durables in the grocery sector.
Knowledge Sharing in Enterprise Social Networks - Exploring the use of the Aesculap GMS Magazine
(2019)
This study assesses the usage of the Aesculap GMS Magazine, an Enterprise Social Network dedicated to the employees of the Global Marketing and Sales area at the Aesculap division of the B. Braun Melsungen AG, with particular focus on knowledge sharing. To address this issue, the purpose of this study is to explore the users’ perceptions, as well as the strengths and weaknesses and usage enablers and barriers of the Aesculap GMS Magazine via a group discussion with four potential users, semi-structured interviews with two experts and an employee survey. The interviews and the group discussion were recorded and analyzed and the survey was assessed with descriptive statistics. Results show that the vast majority is satisfied with the Aesculap GMS Magazine and does not perceive any barrier that hinder them from engaging in knowledge sharing. This data was further processed in a Scoring Model which finally resulted in a prioritization of various alternative measures that will be useful for the future of the Aesculap GMS Magazine.
This thesis is assigned by Carestream Dental in order to implement a launch plan of the Showpad (A Sales Enablement Platform) application in the EMEA region for the sales and marketing teams. To ensure successful implementation, a thorough analysis was conducted in order to review and established the necessity of the Showpad application. It was imperative to build an implementation plan before the launch. The application was structured and tested among the sales and marketing team to examine the benefits of the application before making any decisions about the Launch. The purpose of this thesis was:
To understand the full capabilities of the platform for sales and marketing.
To define and build a structure that fits the EMEA sales needs.
To this effect, build an implementation plan for a successful launch of the platform. Studying whether the application would add value to the sales and marketing team processes. This thesis was executed as quantitative research collecting data through primary research. A survey was conducted to find out whether the marketing and sales team found the platform useful for them and how they experienced the built-in structure and layout. The purpose of Showpad was to enable our sales and marketing work more efficiently when it comes to having materials for their working needs and the platform was intended to replace previous system, the decision to launch was based on their opinions and experiences. A workshop was organized with the sales and marketing representative as part of implementation plan to discuss internal and external processes of usage. The first step was to roll-out for internal marketing and sales and the second step to launch for external dealers. The overall look and feel of the platform was created in alignment with the Carestream Dental branding guidelines. The structure of the platform was built based on the sales needs and information collected during the workshop. The structure was clear, and content found easy to access in comparison to the platform already in place like Sharepoint. The platform improved the alignment and communication between the marketing and sales team to a good extent.
Internationally standardized POS layout considering success factors - the example of Würth Group
(2017)
This work is part of the project “International expansion – Standards”. The overall objective of this thesis is to develop an internationally standardized POS layout which ensures a uniform international appearance. The situation in Germany as the headquarters and development center and the surrounding countries Austria, Switzerland and France has been taken into consideration. An analysis of the current layouts regarding shelving system, arrangement of the product groups, guidance system and design factors has been carried out in selected pick-up shops in these countries. In addition, a customer survey has been conducted whereby orientation, overview and legibility of the store have been focal points. As a third analysis the assortments of the respective countries have been analyzed and compared. It was found that some areas at the POS vary from country to country. Major differences exist in the assortments of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France. Among the areas of arrangement of the shelves and product groups, size of the sales area, guidance system and coloring scheme, differences have been revealed as well. Taking into consideration the differences and similarities in the layouts and assortment optimization possibilities have been worked out. As a result an ideal layout has been developed on the basis of the conducted analyses. The layout itself can be implemented cross-nationally. Due to limitations in the analysis of the assortment, it must be analyzed in more detail in order to implement it for the new shop concept. However, a cross-national uniform appearance can only be reached if in addition to the new stores all existing pick-up shops are adapted to the ideal layout.
With the rise of the internet and the flood of information it provides at no cost, print is no longer the main source of information. The German magazine market has been highly affected by this change. Publishers are faced with declining sales volumes, loss of advertising income and increasing costs. The implementation of Augmented Reality technology could make print magazines less static by providing the opportunity to add extra content and create an interactive reading experience. However, so far the use cases of this technology in print magazines have been rare, which might be due to the deficiency of information publishers have about its likelihood of success. To reduce this information gap and provide some recommendations for publishers, a web survey and expert interviews were conducted to establish the consumer perspective on an implementation of AR technology and to provide a potential future outlook based on the opinions of German AR solution providers. It was concluded that an implementation of AR would lead to a value addition for consumers and would result in an increase in purchase intention. Despite also resulting in an improved perceived image of the magazine, it should only be implemented if it does not lead to an increase in price or the reduction of editorial content, to avoid losing readers, who will not access the additional content. The substantial costs involved in implementing AR as well as existing technological limitations, which affect the ease of use for consumers, will likely prevent many publishers from realising such an implementation. AR glasses will play a significant role in the decision if AR technology will have a future in German print magazines according to the interviewed experts, in case they are accepted by the general public.
Social media and social networks are terms which appear daily in all sort of different contexts. The importance of such online platforms is growing day by day. People spend an immense time of their everyday life in such networks. Therefore, it is not surprising that marketers have encountered the great opportunity coming along with this. This paper contributes to the little research on follower demographics and delivers an insight into the hotel industry in the Black Forest. It attempts to close the knowledge gap of comparing social media followers of hotels to actual hotel guests, shows how hotels can integrate social media in their marketing strategy and why it is relevant for different market participants. Moreover, a comparison of possible target groups was made.
For analysing social media followers of hotels, own primary data was collected in form of an email survey of hotels in the Black Forest. The findings were afterwards compared to actual tourist demographics derived from a former hotel guest survey in the Black Forest. According to responses of 85 hotels, the study found that hotel guests are usually from older generations (60+) and mainly male, whereas hotel social media follower tend to be younger (around 30) and female. This shows the possibility for hotels to target customers, different from their loyal customer base, via social media. Secondary data helped drawing further conclusions. Instagram clearly supports hotels to attract new customers. It has high relevance for hotels, as well as individuals, and can be integrated in each step of a marketing planning process. Target group analysis of current guests and potential new clients, who are present on social media, has made clear that both are coming with advantages and disadvantages. Hotels should enter new markets to enlarge their customer group, however, not at the dispense of loyal guests. Loyalty and customer relation management in the accommodation industry will always be an essential point.
This bachelor thesis deals with the topic of how companies can develop a successful marketing strategy in influencer marketing. Influencer marketing is coming under increasing criticism due to negative headlines from influencers. In the theoretical part of the paper, influencer marketing as well as marketing with opinion leaders is presented. Subsequently, the structure of an influencer marketing strategy is presented. In addition, the cooperation between the influencer Pamela Reif and the sports brand Puma is considered, as well as the cooperation between the influencer Anne Wünsche and the sports brand Oceans Apart. Due to the topicality of this subject, the work is particularly interesting for companies to develop an optimal marketing strategy and to achieve its marketing goals optimally.
The interest in topics such as understanding the communication between product design and customer has increased dramatically in recent years. Researchers have been dedicated to understanding more of product design, its dimensions and the consumer perception of it.
The spirits industry competition is dominating in the alcoholic beverages, and the second largest spirit which has a highly competitive market, is vodka. Companies are struggling to stand out from the competition and grab the consumer attention. The following study will explore the aesthetic and symbolic dimensions of a product design and it will show how the design of the vodka bottles is communicating with the consumer. The research questions that are going to be explored are: Which parts of the aesthetic dimension are positively influencing the consumer and how does the consumer perceive the bottle shape when there is no brand influence?
In answering these questions, a secondary data has been reviewed and a questionnaire has been developed where participants will be answering attitudinal questions, open-ended questions and picture choice questions. The questionnaire has been completed from a random sample group of 92 participants of whom mostly are students.
The findings of the questionnaire indicate that angular shape and thin body of a vodka bottle are most positively appraised by the customer. In combination with a bright colour, the bottle express feelings of excitement and elegance. However, the questionnaire has been conducted with no brand logos, shapes or descriptions, and consumers still have found similarities in the shapes because of the strong influence of some world-famous brands.
This research shows that consumers are affected of how a product is designed and, that certain shapes and colours do not seem to be an option for a vodka bottle. The findings in this study are important, because a better understanding of colour-shape composition could potentially improve vodka company’s marketing strategy.
Online commerce is growing rapidly. With the wide accessibility of the internet, e-commerce is becoming the most important ways or medium for doing business globally. The growth of e-commerce business provides companies a great opportunity to invest online so as to position their brand.
This thesis observes the elements of online brand positioning. Furthermore, it analyses whether these elements can be applied to an online business. For this Zalando the online fashion retailer, will be taken as an example. It starts with a literature review on e-commerce definition, important factors for e-commerce business, advantages of e-commerce business, brand positioning, importance of brand positioning and online brand positioning elements. The chosen brand positioning elements are then applied to analyse the online brand positioning of Zalando. Furthermore, it observes the influence of brand positioning elements on their competitive advantages.
The brand positioning elements are benefits and feature, price and value statements, competitive advantages, information on product and services, processes, partnering and relationship, leadership claims and corporate power, corporate social responsibility and credibility. All these brand positioning elements are addressed by Zalando and these elements have played an important role for the positioning of Zalando`s brand.
The topic of the thesis is ‘‘Identification of success patterns of the most successful SAP SFSF VARs as a base to recruit new high-potential partners. A way to achieve time to revenue efficiency for new partners joining the SAP ecosystem.’’. The whole approach is based on SAP SE, an international company providing enterprise application software with a focus on cloud solutions. The objective of the thesis is to help SAP SE to expand their cloud partner ecosystem and achieve time to revenue efficiency for new partners joining SAP ecosystem. The research question explores what are the success patterns of SAP TOP 20 SuccessFactors (SFSF) value-added resellers (VARs). The aim is to use the insights as a template to recruit new partners who show high potential for future success in reselling SAP SFSF (cloud) solutions. Currently, SAP is facing a challenge to recruit partners who are successful as VARs for cloud solutions in the small and medium size enterprises (SME) market. So far, SAP focused on increasing its market coverage by continuously expanding its Ecosystem, while the quality of the recruited partners was neglected. As a result, SAP invested a lot of resources in terms of time and money trying to onboard partners who could not deliver the expected impact. Recruiting partners who have the right patterns will decrease the resources that SAP spends on onboarding and training process while at the same time the partners will generate the revenue faster. However, SAP needs to have a clear view what a high-potential partner looks like. Therefore, it could be said, that the topic of the thesis is crucial for SAP further channel development and expansion, invested resources and indirect revenue. In order to answer the research question, the whole study is divided into seven chapters. The theoretical framework provides a general idea about the importance of partners for reselling cloud services to SMEs and what are the factors and practices that make partners successful. The empirical research explores the common success patterns of the Top 20 most successful SAP SuccessFactors value-added resellers. The author came to the conclusion that in order to be achieved time to revenue efficiency, the company should recruit only those partners who are representing the following set of success patterns: international presence, quality webpage, human capital management as a core line of business, strong digital and event marketing.