Walking on the light side: Investigating the world of ghost tour operators and entrepreneurial marketing

© 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: Ghost tours are an important part of tourism in many towns and cities around the world. Described as light dark tourism, they are a mix of the macabre and entertainment. Ghost tours are usually small business enterprises. In order for their venture to be sustainable, ghost tour operators must engage in effective entrepreneurial marketing (EM) practices. This study aims to evaluate the extent to which ghost tour operators use EM within their business. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative bricolage approach is used as a way to explore the use of EM practices within ghost tourism; that is, a niche tourism product. Data were collected using 21 in-depth interviews, participant observation and analysis of venture websites. This study used a two-stage data analysis procedure. Findings: Findings reveal that ghost tour operators practice several dimensions of EM that are often simultaneously present and interwoven through the practices ghost tour operators use, as identified by thematic analysis. Originality/value: This study adds an EM lens to the light dark tourism literature

Gravidographics: A Health Lifestyle Segmentation of Pregnant Women in Transition to First Time Motherhood

The purpose of this thesis is to contribute a new health psychographic/ lifestyle segmentation of pregnant women in New Zealand who are in transition to first time motherhood. It provides a better understanding of the make up of the market and the way it aggregates into health lifestyle segments. By using a wide selection of pre-existing and pregnancy related health and attitude dimensions, it complements existing understanding and classifications of pregnancy health lifestyle. First, the study richly describes pregnancy health behaviour within a representative cohort of pregnant women in a transitional lifestyle using a holistic framework. It takes into account lifestyle as made up of a combination of factors and underlying motivations. Furthermore, it establishes the application of 'lifestyle' as it is used in marketing as legitimate for the study of a transitional health lifestyle. The research is cross disciplinary, and for that reason, integrates two perhaps seemingly disparate (marketing and health) understandings of lifestyle, using a somewhat novel approach. It is inclusive of high risk pregnant women and a much less oft studied group, normal, healthy or low risk women. Second, a key component of this study is the seminal development of a segmentation typology that classifies women's health in pregnancy through a situation specific psychographic approach. This typology has been termed 'Gravidographics', and identifies segments of pregnant women, who have distinct or unique identifiers in regard to their pregnancy health lifestyle. This knowledge will be useful for health behaviour change through social marketing and also the design and targeting of products and services to specific groups of pregnant consumers. A third focus of the study is the examination of health lifestyle within the concept of life stage transition. As pregnancy marks the transit into a new life stage, there are many adaptations that need to be made, and several underlying factors influence the way such a journey is approached and achieved. The study is exploratory and the conceptual framework, derived predominantly from the marketing and health literature, guides the study and informs development of the data collection tools. Eight main research questions are explored. The study uses a survey design and is cross sectional, with quantitative enquiry the dominant logic. A survey using a self administered health psychographic questionnaire was distributed by Lead Maternity Carers to pregnant women in their care. A sample of 478 women was obtained for this stage of the study. Quantitative analysis was undertaken through descriptive statistics and bi-variate analyses. Secondly, two step clustering was undertaken to develop pregnancy health lifestyle clusters. Four health lifestyle segments were identified. These segments were then profiled against additional variables and data that led to rich descriptions of each segment. Several managerial recommendations are made that will assist in the delivery and positioning of maternity health goods and services particularly in regard to healthcare marketing and segmentation. Secondly, recommendations for future marketing communication strategies targeting pregnant women are made. Through this work, the study's ultimate aim; making an academic contribution to knowledge that will lead to improved health outcomes for mother and baby, has been achieved

Women Staff In Business Schools: An Exploratory Study

This paper presents the findings of a study which aimed to identify equity issues in the working lives of women staff in a New Zealand university business school. A participatory action research methodology was adopted which includes several stages. This paper reports on the first two: focus groups and a survey. The findings suggest that over-work and lack of community are key issues. Some women feel disadvantaged in relation to male colleagues, while others reject this notion. The paper links challenges in carrying out the research to the findings themselves. Distinctive features of the project are the emphasis on overall quality of work life and the inclusion of all women staff (general/professional and academic)

Progress in dark tourism and thanatourism research: An uneasy relationship with heritage tourism

This paper reviews academic research into dark tourism and thanatourism over the 1996–2016 period. The aims of this paper are threefold. First, it reviews the evolution of the concepts of dark tourism and thanatourism, highlighting similarities and differences between them. Second it evaluates progress in 6 key themes and debates. These are: issues of the definition and scope of the concepts; ethical issues associated with such forms of tourism; the political and ideological dimensions of dark tourism and thanatourism; the nature of demand for places of death and suffering; the management of such places; and the methods of research used for investigating such tourism. Third, research gaps and issues that demand fuller scrutiny are identified. The paper argues that two decades of research have not convincingly demonstrated that dark tourism and thanatourism are distinct forms of tourism, and in many ways they appear to be little different from heritage tourism

Just how prepared are you? An application of marketing segmentation and theory of planned behavior for disaster preparation

The threat of a disaster is very real for many, and preparation is vital. To identify differences in how people respond to disaster preparation, a segmentation approach may be useful. Based on a survey, cluster analysis and application of the theory of planned behavior, this study finds four segments in the population. The unprepared and uninterested segment may be encouraged by associating preparation tasks with benefits other than disaster resilience. Willing but could do more may respond to information highlighting that government support may not be enough in a disaster. For it’s just too difficult, barriers need to be addressed, lowering costs of preparation and changing perceptions of difficulty. Those in knowing, interested, and prepared could be encouraged to help spread the word of the importance of preparation. Further recommendations are made for the wider public policy context, including a call for more segmentation approaches to build understanding and resilience

“Migrants Are Splendid Types”: The “Beautiful Balts” Megamarketing Campaign to Boost the Reception of Displaced Persons in Australia after World War II

© The Author(s) 2018. Human migration is often a result of flight from post-conflict socio-economic disintegration, where dysfunctional marketing systems exacerbate the suffering of people. Despite the potential trauma and disruption incurred, a move away to systems perceived to be better are favored. Using a historical research approach, this article focuses on the end of World War II that heralded an unprecedented humanitarian crisis involving millions of displaced persons, marshalled in Displaced Persons’ (DP) Camps. This investigation focuses on the “Beautiful Balts” megamarketing campaign in Australia, the promotion of a handpicked consignment of DPs from the Baltic States of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to host-to-be communities, in order to satisfy the economy’s growing need for fresh industrial labour input. The authors argue that this campaign was crucial in dismantling the “white only” frame through the use of the hitherto undocumented process of frame demystification. This campaign set the stage for the opening up of Australia to greater numbers of post-WWII DP migrants from different ethnicities and fundamental changes to beliefs and practices that configured Australian marketing systems of the day

Clothing of righteousness: exploring tensions of halal maternity wear on online apparel websites

Purpose: This paper aims to explore marketing practices related to online halal maternity wear by examining the characteristics of halal maternity wear promoted to Muslim women (Muslimah) and how these differ between sponsoring websites. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative content analysis of 24 websites promoting halal maternity wear to pregnant customers was undertaken. Findings: Several issues related to the availability and promotion of halal maternity wear online, particularly when addressing the needs of Western Muslim women, were found. Successful marketing solutions to the problems of halal maternity wear require solving a number of tensions arising at the intersections of the following distinctions: mahram versus non-mahram settings, crude versus stylish fashion and the normative perceptions of immodesty versus modesty. Practical implications: Careful research and attention need to be taken before promoting and targeting products as appropriate for Muslimah maternity wear. Those brands that display the requisite skills and knowledge necessary to determine whether a product meets the needs of modesty, fashionability and local climate/weather conditions in their maternity lines have much to gain from the Muslimah maternity market. Social implications: The availability of maternity wear that makes Muslimah feel comfortable and satisfied with their appearance will contribute to a positive pregnancy body image. Positive pregnancy body image is associated with positive pre and postnatal infant attachment by the mother, which in turn leads to beneficial outcomes for mother and baby. Originality/value: Research to date has focused on Islamic fashion in general, with a dearth of research on Islamic maternity wear. This paper addresses the gap by focusing on maternity wear and associated marketing practices, from the Islamic point of view

Decoding service brand image through user-generated images

© 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: Despite the growing number of studies surrounding user-generated content (UGC), understanding of the implications, potential and pertinence of user-generated images (UGI), the visual form of UGC, on brand image in services is limited. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept and a comprehensive framework of image word of mouth (IWOM), which identifies UGI as visual articulations of service experiences that result in consumer judgment of service brand image. The framework takes a consumer-focussed approach and covers key branding issues relevant to services marketers such as identifying and linking valued services dimensions, made evident through IWOM, to ideas and thoughts inferred by consumers (viewers) of the brand image and consequent consumer intentions. Design/methodology/approach: The paper reviews and synthesises current services, marketing and branding literature surrounding electronic word of mouth (WOM) and UGC, where it highlights the need to consider interpretations of UGI as persuasive forms of visual WOM or IWOM, as well as a critical stimuli of brand image. Findings: The paper illuminates the importance of adopting a visual perspective that applies constructs developed in cognitive psychology, to decode how viewers (consumers) interact and form associations of brand image via IWOM. Originality/value: The paper examines, integrates and adds to extant literature surrounding WOM, UGC, visual images and brand image within services