Predictors of student beer brand choice at institutions of higher learning : a case study of the Witwatersrand University

In a quest to ascertain why students prefer specific beer brands over other beverages and what perceived benefits are associated with their preferred brands, the current study was established to investigate the key factors that drive student beer brand choices at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Wits University). Irrespective of the rich body of literature on this subject, the problem of what brands really mean to students and what antecedents influence brand choice still remain unanswered. Consecutively, another important line of research reveals that in spite of a plethora of studies on this issue, available literature still remains inconclusive and is greatly confined to developed countries. In light of these two research outlines, the current study aims to ascertain, firstly, which beer brand is the most preferred amongst students and to quantitatively establish the main factors prompting Wits students to prefer a specific beer brand over another. Through these and other objectives, this study managed to fill the lacuna that exists in current literature, particularly with regards to South Africa. To realise the objectives of this study, a conceptual model was formulated and from this model, hypotheses were derived and later tested using Path Modelling. A structured survey questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 273 students registered within the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management (CLM), at Wits University. Thereafter, the data was coded and analysed using SPSS 22 (for descriptive statistics) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) (for inferential statistics). AMOS 21 statistical software was used for SEM. The results suggested that Heineken was the most preferred beer brand in comparison with the fifteen listed brands and other brands that were specified by respondents. Brand advertising was found to be the key antecedent that influences student beer brand choices. The findings of the current research provided several theoretical and managerial implications and these will serve to boost and guide future research endeavours within the student beer brand domain. The contributions of this study will undoubtedly improve managerial practices in terms of effective branding strategies, while simultaneously and positively shaping policies relating to the field under study

Sensory branding and buying behavior in coffee shops : a study on Generation Y

With the rise of globalisation and the infiltration of global brands into emerging markets, retailers are facing challenges to win market share in this competitive landscape. As a result, retailers are reverting to innovative methods such as experiential marketing to influence consumer buying behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of using experiential marketing as a way of influencing consumers’ purchase intentions in coffee shops. The influences of scent and sight as predictors of purchase intention among Generation Y consumers is explored. By means of a quantitative study, 256 self-administered questionnaires were distributed amongst Generation Y individuals in Johannesburg. The data analysis was done by means of structural equation modelling (SEM), with the main focus being placed on path modelling for testing the proposed hypotheses. The findings indicate that both scent and sight are predictors of purchase intention. Although several studies have explored this phenomenon in an array of contexts, few studies have investigated Generation Y within a South African context. This paper is of paramount importance to retailers who seek to gain market share in the competitive landscape by implementing innovative ways in a bid to effectively influence consumer buying behaviour