An exploratory study on the marketing strategies adopted by small micro and medium enterprises in Johannesburg Central Business District

Over the years marketing theory development has been limited and small enterprises often have to rely on marketing models used in big businesses. There are a number of marketing strategies that are currently applied by large companies in South Africa which cannot be implemented by small retailers. This is because of the complexity of some of the marketing strategies alluded above are not suited to small retailers because of their limited educational background and resources. Facing the problem of intense competition, SMME entrepreneurs often have to rely on price and other short term strategies to market and sell their products to the ultimate consumer. Entrepreneurs are constantly faced with challenges that restrict their productivity and economic potential. SMMEs face the challenge of marketing their products and services properly to the right markets in order to get returns from their investments. The data for the study was collected by means of interviews. The study used a judgemental sampling. Findings from the study prove that entrepreneurs rely on word of mouth, reducing prices and other low cost promotional strategies for marketing and sale purposes. The findings indicate that it might be useful for SMME’s to change their promotional strategies to suit the South African consumer market to ensure long term profitabilityKIM201

An assessment of the public attitudes towards the inner City of Johannesburg as a branded destination

Cities across the world have shifted their focus to urban development and place marketing strategies. These concepts are increasingly becoming important since the competition between cities have intensified globally in order to obtain investments, attract tourists, provide better living space, and to improve community businesses and overall economies of the city. Johannesburg has made use of various labels to provide a unique and attractive destination brand. The city has undergone significant changes in order to improve and reposition its image. In particular, there has been a focus on the redevelopment and brand image repositioning of the Inner City of Johannesburg. Redevelopment strategies have been outlined and implemented in order to improve the areas within the Inner City of Johannesburg. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the current attitudes and perceptions of the public towards the Inner City of Johannesburg. A quantitative approach was used. A convenience sample consisting of 343 individuals within the Inner City of Johannesburg completed the distributed survey instrument. The data analysis consists of multiple linear regression analysis. The results of this study indicate that Government services and social bonding are the key factors the public value when they visit the inner city.KIM201

The role of government in the implementation of sustainable development initiatives by adventure tourism SMMEs in South Africa : an exploratory inquiry

Abstract: Sustainable development suggests that there are restrictions to the obtainability of ecological resources and the planet to engage human activities. Limited South African research exists in the field of sustainable development in adventure tourism SMMEs especially the role of Government in terms of implementation of sustainable development initiatives. A structured questionnaire was administered via email and hard copies. A total of 105 usable responses were received. Government, business associations and certification bodies have unrelated methods for evaluating sustainability issues. The tourism sector is overwhelmed with initiatives and certifications intended at facilitation and adoption of sustainable development practices. This adds to the confusion that entrepreneurs face when it comes to choosing an appropriate tool. There is consensus that entrepreneurs want to develop their sustainability knowledge base. It is recommended that the different institutions or actors in the arena of sustainable development should make information on sustainable development easily available. The SMMEs also indicated that the legislative framework affecting small businesses should be improved. The government, should award rebates to SMMEs for implementing sustainable development initiatives. Alternative funding for implementing sustainable development initiatives should also be established

The effectiveness of product placement in music videos: A study on the promotion strategies for brands and products to target the Y generation in Johannesburg

Product placements are strategic brand placements within media that are meant to be noticed by the consumer, to further influence purchase intentions. Placements in music videos have grown in recent years however, there is little research on placements in this medium and available research has not measured the influence of product placement on purchase intention. The study addressed the gap where product placement in music videos was under researched. This paper investigated the effectiveness of brands and products placements in music videos in influencing the purchase intentions of the Y generation population living in Johannesburg. A self-administered research questionnaire was used to collect data through a quantitative research method by convenience sampling of 420 randomly chosen respondents, aged between 18-27, obtained from the University of the Witwatersrand and Johannesburg. A six minute music video stimulus was used for respondents to base their opinions about placements. The results indicate reliability of the constructs in the model developed as Cronbach Alphas were greater than 0.6 for the variables. The main findings show the variables individual factors and execution stimulus are significantly related to brand recall, brand recognition and brand choice. In turn, brand recall, brand recognition and brand choice influence the consumer’s purchase intentions. The strongest linear relationship existed between brand choice and purchase intention. Placement strategies are equally effective for consumers in the Y generation of differing genders, income brackers and age groups. The research reveals that music videos are an effective platform to reach the targeted Y generation population and the model adapted for placements in music videos shows the stages of the processing in the consumer’s mind from exposure to placements to the final purchase intention. The findings contribute to the knowledge of strategies marketers should use to promote brands and products to effectively target the South African Y generation.KIM201

The relationship between SMEs and insurance providers in Nelson Mandela Metropolitan area, South Africa

Media reports on the effects of climate change on Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa has increased over the past decade. The amount of loss in terms of assets and infrastructure suffered by SMEs is disturbing. Yet insurance providers are not eager to insure SMEs and prefer to deal larger organisations. An empirical study of 203 SMEs was done, structured questionnaires were administered to SME owners. Data was analysed and the results illustrated factors such as the reliability of an insurer, staff knowledge and brand name of the insurer have a great impact on the decision made by SMEs to build a relationship with insurance providers. The respondents, who had been approached by an insurance broker and received training, had a business relationship with an insurance provider. This helps to reach the conclusion that any form of interaction between SMEs and insurance providers helps to facilitate a business relationshipKIM201

Brand endorsements: An exploratory study into the effectiveness of using video game characters as brand endorsers

Celebrity endorsements have been established as one of the most preferred methods of advertising by marketers (Patel, 2009). Biswas, Hussain and O’Donnell (2009) enumerates five specific benefits of employing celebrity endorsers for a brand, they can be summarised as follows: drawing attention, crisis management, brand repositioning, global marketing, and boosting sales. However the benefits of using a celebrity endorser can be markedly reversed if the celebrity, is involved in a controversial incident, loses credibility by endorsing too many brands, suddenly changes their image, overshadows the brand which is being endorsed, experiences a drop in popularity, is the centre of negative publicity, or fails to perform within their specific career (Erdogan, 1999). As a solution to these problems this research has investigated the use of video game characters as celebrity brand endorsers. Video game characters are celebrities in their own right but they are not plagued by the same risks and problems as ordinary celebrities (Avery, Ferrand, Nicholas & Rowley, 2006; Shimp & Till, 1998). This exploratory study used a quantitative research approach. A self-administered questionnaire using a 7-point Likert scale was developed and piloted. The questionnaire was distributed at the University of the Witwatersrand to a sample group of 484 respondents between the ages of 18 to 25. Fictitious adverts were used as stimuli during the questionnaire. Convenience sampling was used because of time and monetary constraints. The linear regression results proved that video game characters are effective as brand endorsers and can be used in place of an ordinary celebrity to increase the purchase intentions of the target audience. It can be recommended that video game companies seek opportunities to create partnerships with marketers to use their characters as brand endorsers.KIM201

Mobile TV as a marketing tool in South Africa: A consumer’s perspective

Mobile Television is highly considered to be the next breakthrough application in wireless technology. Recently mobile marketing has become an important method of communication with the recent advances in mobile phone technology. The primary objective of the study was to find solutions that could possibly increase the number of mobile TV subscribers in South Africa so as to increase mobile TV usefulness as a marketing tool for products and services. The design of the study was a quantitative design. This research involved distributing a questionnaire at The University of The Witwatersrand to a sample group of 380 students between the ages of 18 to 25. The data collected was analysed using Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) Enterprise Guide 5.The results of the empirical study indicated that size of screens being too small was a major concern for mobile TV viewers and would make viewers less likely consider viewing mobile TV.KIM201

The level of awareness and use of risk management techniques by SMEs in the construction industry : a case of King Williams Town and Port Elizabeth

The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of awareness and use of risk management techniques by SMEs in the construction industry conducting business activities in King William’s Town and Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather data from 82 SME owners or managers in the construction industry. The statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse data. The Chi-square, cross tabulation and descriptive statistical tests were employed to analyse the data. The results of the study revealed that there is a low level of awareness and use of risk management techniques by SMEs in the construction industry. In addition, the results revealed that SMEs in the construction industry have a positive attitude toward risk management techniques. The results of the study recommend that the government, tertiary institutions, construction industry development board and SME owners or managers in the construction industry should work together to improve the level of awareness and use of risk management techniques

An assessment of the effectiveness of self-service technology in a university enviroment: The case of University of the Witwatersrand

Self-service is basically a method of serving oneself in business-related organisation without the help of an employee. With the exponential increase of the technology, service companies adopt Self-Service Technologies (SSTs) as their innovative tools to create value. A great amount of research has focused on customers’ perspectives of adopting SSTs using factors of SST adoption, attitudes and intentions toward to use the SST. However, studies on the adoption of SSTs at University institutions particularly in South Africa has not been explored extensively. The notion of self-service is positioned as an important part of the overall system where students are to view, input and modify administrative and financial information on themselves, their work and their courses. Convenience is a major benefit of self-service technology and individuals that are not techno savvy or lack technological resources cannot reap the benefits of SSTs to its fullest potential. The study evaluates the attitudes and perceptions that students have regarding SSTs. This research consisted of a self-administered quantitative research questionnaire, which was initially tested using two pilot studies of 30 and 20 respondents respectively. The questionnaire was distributed at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) to a sample group of 380 respondents between the ages of 18 to 30. The data collected was analysed using statistical analysis to examine the relationships between the variables in the research model. Results indicate that some students still value face-to-face service encounters, others lack resources to use SSTs and the effect of self-efficacy limits other students from using SSTs to their fullest potential. Perceived waiting time also has a great influence on the actual use and frequency of SSTs.KIM201

The Influence of Website Content on the Purchase of Pharmaceutical Health Products

The purpose of this research was to determine what web content, according to the perception of consumers and their purchase behaviour, are optimal for the healthcare industry and also understand which content factors are more important than others.A quantitative, single cross-sectional approach was undertaken. A convenience technique was used. Data was collected from a sample of 362 University students by means self-administered questionnaires.Regression analyses were conducted as means of data analysis. The study shows that consumers are significantly affected by the different types of content components incorporated into a webpage. Within these content components, consumers view quality information as more valuable as they are informed about products more effectively, relevant to their needs. This then influences the consumers’ information satisfaction. Once the consumer is satisfied with the information provided through the relevant content components, loyalty towards the firm is developed due to the consistent quality of the content thus, resulting in purchase behaviour. This shows that it is important for online health websites to provide relevant and quality information to in assist consumers in making an online purchase. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n25p12