Do UK universities communicate their brands effectively through their websites?

This paper attempts to explore the effectiveness of UK universities’ websites. The area of branding in higher education has received increasing academic investigation, but little work has researched how universities demonstrate their brand promises through their websites. The quest to differentiate through branding can be challenging in the university context, however. It is argued that those institutions that have a strong distinctive image will be in a better position to face a changing future. Employing a multistage methodology, the web pages of twenty UK universities were investigated by using a combination of content and multivariable analysis. Results indicated ‘traditional values’ such as teaching and research were often well communicated in terms of online brand but ‘emotional values’ like social responsibility and the universities’ environments were less consistently communicated, despite their increased topicality. It is therefore suggested that emotional values may offer a basis for possible future online differentiation

Management and intrinsic hurdles in the development process of integrated communication between service providers and consumers

Integrated communication is an effective strategic tool that enables creating and maintaining tight dialogue and cooperation between service providers and consumers, managing communication chaos, information flow, matching consumers’ needs. Its successful application requires reorganizing the communication processes, implementing their strategic changes, introducing new attitudes towards work and new culture, striving for overall synergy. Under such changes, this article aims at identifying the hurdles hindering the effective integration of smooth service providers and consumers’ communication. Testing hypotheses based on a survey demonstrates that hurdles reflecting employees’ competences, integrated communication development resources and result evaluation are more frequent in the stage of communication channel integration than in the functional one

SMEs' purchasing habits : A procurement maturity model for stakeholders

Although micro companies overpower the small and medium enterprise (SME) segment, generalizations are often with medium size companies, and therefore, there are many unknowns, especially when it comes to its buying behavior. Conformist studies and industry practices assume SMEs to be “normative” or “conservative” buyers; however, this hypothesis is untested. This article aims to scrutinize the reality, and proposes a unified model that rejects pre-containerization in buying behavior typologies, as well as selectiveness in terms of audience type, whether it is corporate, SME, or consumer. While replacing researchers’ perceptions with the audience’s, the model yields actual knowledge that can lead to audience’s beliefs in lieu of the opposite, which is used to mislead stakeholders. The study shows that SMEs also buy like individuals and spend in a similar way to consumers’, including not only “normative” and “conservative” but also “negligent” and “impulse” zones. From the research-implications perspective, future studies by behaviorists can explore why SMEs purchase in this way. Marketers may benefit from the finding that SMEs buy like individuals. In addition, SMEs may want to be conscious of their purchasing habits, and—utilizing the newly introduced “risk score” frontier—policymakers should assess the consequences of these habits at the macro level

Dynamics of generalized PT-symmetric dimers with time-periodic gain–loss

A parity-time (PT)-symmetric system with periodically varying-in-time gain and loss modeled by two coupled Schrödinger equations (dimer) is studied. It is shown that the problem can be reduced to a perturbed pendulum-like equation. This is done by finding two constants of motion. Firstly, a generalized problem using Melnikov-type analysis and topological degree arguments is studied for showing the existence of periodic (libration), shift- periodic (rotation), and chaotic solutions. Then these general results are applied to the PT-symmetric dimer. It is interestingly shown that if a sufficient condition is satisfied, then rotation modes, which do not exist in the dimer with constant gain–loss, will persist. An approximate threshold for PT-broken phase corresponding to the disappearance of bounded solutions is also presented. Numerical study is presented accompanying the analytical results

Fashion retailing – past, present and future

This issue of Textile Progress reviews the way that fashion retailing has developed as a result of the application of the World Wide Web and information and communications technology (ICT) by fashion-retail companies. The review therefore first considers how fashion retailing has evolved, analysing retail formats, global strategies, emerging and developing economies, and the factors that are threatening and driving growth in the fashion-retail market. The second part of the review considers the emergence of omni-channel retailing, analysing how retail has progressed and developed since the adoption of the Internet and how ICT initiatives such as mobile commerce (m-commerce), digital visualisation online, and in-store and self-service technologies have been proven to support the progression and expansion of fashion retailing. The paper concludes with recommendations on future research opportunities for gaining a better understanding of the impacts of ICT and omni-channel retailing, through which it may be possible to increase and develop knowledge and understanding of the way the sector is developing and provide fresh impetus to an already-innovative and competitive industr

Marketing: An Introduction 5th Edition

This easy to use resource opens windows to the world of marketing through cases that are vibrant and engaged, links that allow students to explore topics in more detail and content to encourage relating theory to practice. Recognizing the importance of ongoing technological and social developments and the increasing connectedness of consumers that has profound implications for the way marketing operates and students learn, the 5th edition demystifies key technologies and terminology, demonstrating where and how emerging digital marketing techniques and tools fit in to contemporary marketing planning and practice. The new edition has been fully updated to include: New case studies and examples, offering truly global perspectives. Even more content on digital marketing integrated throughout, including key issues such as social media, mobile marketing, co-creation and cutting-edge theory. A new and fully streamlined companion website, featuring a range of resources for students and lecturers. Focus boxes throughout the text such as Global, Research, B2B and Ethical - all with a greater emphasis on digital communication - reinforce key marketing trends and relate theory to practice. Each chapter also ends with a case study revolving around topics, issues and companies that students can relate to. The new edition comes packed with features that can be used in class or uploaded onto a course management system and which students can use in their own self-directed study

Management and marketing A position paper

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:6217.4971(LBS-OP--14) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo