Research Reports: Vega School of Brand Leadership

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Big Brands Need Big Data: Investigating How Major Retail Brands in South Africa Use Consumer Data to Shape Consumer-brand Engagement.
(The IIE, 2015) Mutendadzmera, Tare
Never before has society generated such vast amounts of data pertaining to how we communicate, interact, shop and spend our free time. For most people living in this digitally connected world, our digital companions (computers, laptops, tablets and phones) record and store vast amounts of data on our state of fitness, what we eat and the places we go. Your phone for example, just by being in your pocket can record ‘how much exercise you’ve been getting and how many stairs you have been walking up and so on’ (Katz, 2012). Every time we make a call, send a text message, email, swipe our bank or loyalty cards, we leave behind a digital ‘paper trail’ that can be used to accurately determine who you are and how you choose to live your life. Over the past two years humans have generated more data than we had recorded in the whole of human existence prior (Shaw, 2014). This data is stored in different databases around the world, and while it is scattered and unusable to most in its raw form, ‘data analytics’ has made it possible for this raw data to be ‘mined’ (Oliver and Vayre, 2015; Osei-Bryson and Rayward-Smith, 2009; Power, 2014). Once mined, patterns can be established. These patterns can be used to successfully predict how one will live their life, down to predicting what brands one will purchase in favour of competitors.
Music and its Relevance to Brand Personality amongst the Female Your Market
(The IIE, 2015) Makhuza, Ponatshego
The current consumer lives in a cluttered market where brands try to communicate various messages. Brands thus need to stand out by communicating with intelligence and uniqueness.
eCommerce: To Compare How Online Business-to-consumer retailers Build Their e-Brands to Become Competitive Players in Their Respective Markets.
(The IIE, 2015) Agnelli, Ana Lucia
ECommerce News (2013) predicts that South Africa will grow at a rate of 20-25% for the next 3-7 years which indicates that online retailing is an emerging market in South Africa. The growth potential can be attributed to growing wealth and the increased middle class consumer as well as better broadband availability. The South African eCommerce market is lagging in growth compared to developed markets worldwide. While South African e-brands are still attempting to conquer the local market, with the exception of Yuppiechef and Zando, American businesses are looking abroad for opportunities for growth. United States of America is the top eCommerce country in the world in terms of turnover, achieving a $419 billion in turnover for 2013. With this being said, America is also the most popular country in cross-border B2C eCommerce (North America B2C ECommerce Report, 2014). This provides reason for the researcher to compare these two business markets, the developed American market and our developing South African market. The researcher would like to establish whether there is potential for growth in this industry or if the market will continuously be dominated by a few e-brands, who are currently at the forefront of South Africa’s eCommerce. The four online stores selected as case studies are highly competitive in their respective markets and have their own strategies and reasons for success. The markets in which they operate in have their own trends and the consumers within these markets have their own perceptions, habits and preferences for making online purchases. The online shopping industry and e-brands have to work a lot harder to make a success of their virtual businesses. The element of physical touch and physical store is non-existent which makes the virtual experience that brands provide their consumers, vital to its success. E-tailers have to ensure each feature and touch point with a consumer is memorable and that they deliver a great experience overall.
Analysis of the Brand Experiences of Customers at the Johannesburg Neighbourgoods Food Market
(The IIE, 2015) Lephadi, Omphile
Food has long been a part of South African culture, and will continue to be so as a member at the majority of events which South African’s attend. The South African food industry as a whole has witnessed numerous changes and trends, currently the trend that is resonating with consumers most is food markets. The Neighbourgoods Market is a food market which was established in Cape Town at the Old Biscuit Mill in 2006, it went on to establish a sister market in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, as part of the refurbishment of Braamfontein. Since its establishment the market has grown in popularity and in its ability to draw crowds of people consistently on a weekend-to-weekend basis (Neigbourgoods, n.d.). This popularity that The Johannesburg Neighbourgoods market has found left the researcher curious as to the factors which contribute to consumers frequenting the market and as to what the experiences of these consumers are with the brand as a whole.
An Analysis of Online Presence of the South African Government Departments: Websites, Facebook and Twitter.
(The IIE, 2015) Mashego, Mmatau, F
The Consume-Brand Relationship: Understanding Consumer Behaviour and Reaction to Brand Transgression.
(The IIE, 2015) Heydenrych, Luke, A
In a perfect world, the relationship between a consumer and a brand would be an infallible one. A relationship where supply and demand go hand in hand, and expectations are managed and aligned from both sides of the relationship spectrum. Unfortunately, this utopian market is not one that all consumers will experience. The reality is, that brands are human by association (brands are managed by people, hence display behavioural characteristics of those who represent them), and therefore imperfect. The focus of this research is less concerned with if brand failure or transgressions occur will occur, as that will be taken as inevitable but rather on what impact that failure will have on the behaviour of the consumer who experience it. It is in this thinking that the research problem and objectives can be introduced. The research problem can be posed as a question, being ‘What are the specific situational characteristics in which behaviours of a brand could lead to a negative change in consumer behaviour?’ Not a benign or inconsequential behavioural change, but rather a fundamental change to the purchasing behaviour and loyalty of the consumer towards the brand. To begin this analysis, concepts such as relationship theory and consumer-brand relationships must first be defined in detail. From this foundation, the next step would be to understand the paths a relationship could take, what could impact it, and specifically for this research, how it could possible end.
The Remix: The Influence of Hip Hop Culture on Brand Identities in Johannesburg from 2012 to 2015
(The IIE, 2015) Modiko, Keabetswe
It can be deliberated that music has occasionally been an intertwined part of human culture, the advancement of technology in modern society has created its increased accessibility and portability, which has led to unprecedented production and listening of this medium that enables individuals to enacts and perform various identities during everyday life. Research also shows that young people are consuming music more than any other age group. As a result music can in some respect be considered to be important cultural influencer in the lives of young individuals. Research that has been conducted thus far has been conducted in gaining understanding the various forms and functions of this influence has focused in the disciples that a linked to musicology and sociology. European and American psychologists have gained an interest in understanding the role that music has in constructing identity in young individuals. As a contribution to this field of application outside of these contexts and located within a qualitative framework, the purpose of this study is to explore the idea that the Hip Hop sub culture has an influence on the way brands have been positioning themselves from 2012 till 2015, specifically in South Africa. It debates whether or not Hip Hop music has had any impact on how brands in Johannesburg align themselves and create relevance to their target audiences. This research document will argue that Hip Hop culture is creating a new generation of consumers that are finding new ways of creating cultural expression that are redefining how young people are seeing themselves in post apartheid South Africa. Focusing the research on how brands like Ama Kip Kip (Sunday Times best SA brand 2013 and 2012 Old Mutual Teen Choice Award) and Nike S.A. have used Hip Hop to their advantage to grow their urban footprint in Johannesburg’s consumer landscape. The study will also look at how Hip Hop has been contextualized in South Africa to move away from its US cultural imperialist constrains (Adam Haupt, 2012).
To Analyse the Perceived Attitude of Bankmed Medical Scheme Members, Age 18-30 Years, Toward the Medical Aid within the Framework of the Censydiam Model.
(The IIE, 2015) Bam, Michelle
Following the outcome of the Bankmed quantitative Member Satisfaction and Loyalty survey where the member segment aged 18 – 30 years was identified as “Potentially Lost”. Potentially lost members are characterised by poor attitude and behaviour in that there is a small likelihood that they would continue using your product and service should they be able to choose an alternative. In addition your brand is also not their preferred brand (Ipsos Loyalty 2015). It was determined that research into this segment be conducted in order to ascertain how best to favourably position the Bankmed brand and brand offering in the minds of this target audience. The research objective is to analyse the perceived attitude of the Bankmed medical scheme members, age 18-30 years, toward the medical aid within the framework of the Censydiam Model. The research will focus on an understanding of these members’ needs and motivations and provide direction as to how to connect the Bankmed brand with these deeper human motivations and ultimately ensure the brand resonates with this segment. The Censydiam Model research framework will be utilised as it seeks to uncover core human motivations associated with a specific category (in this case medical aid), thereby growing brands by recommending how they can connect to these deeper human motivations. To address the research objectives two 3-hour Censydiam qualitative focus groups, semi-structured conversational interviews, has been conducted with males and females, age 18 – 30 years, separately within a targeted accessible and most appropriate population given the complexity of the research problem. This research has shown that a one-size-fits-all approach is not likely to be successful with the younger segment in Bankmed. The segment feels disempowered and disengaged from the category, and is unable to see return on investment in their health, particularly given that they are contributing monthly, which compromises their take-home salary, but making minimal use of medical facilities. Part of their disempowerment lies in the all-inclusive communications distributed by Bankmed, which presents as a one-way communication that puts members in a subordinate position, whereas young members respond better to a dialogue between Michelle Bam_PHBL_student no: 12016236 (part time) Page 10 equals. It was also seen that changes in life stage, specifically the arrival of dependants, result in a change in the motivational space underlying members’ approach to healthcare cover from a ‘me-orientation’ to an ‘us-orientation,’ which is where the core motivational space for the category is to be found. The core motivational spaces for the medical aid category have been identified on the Censydiam model as Security (segment name “Sanctuary Seekers”) and Belonging (segment name “Carers”). Sanctuary Seekers want to know that they are covered for every medical eventuality, and want to feel reassured that their healthcare cover provider has the track record and capabilities to guarantee this cover. The Carers need to know that all their loved ones are covered by their healthcare cover, and that they are receiving similar care from their provider. Currently Bankmed is positioned in the Sanctuary Seeker segment but it is advised to investigate the feasibility of relocating itself in the Carer segment The primary audience for this research is the Bankmed CEO and the Bankmed Brand Council, and the key message to this audience is to reposition the brand as a brand that does not merely care for members (enable them to take care of their primary medical needs), but cares about them – positioning Bankmed as a co-traveller on the journey to achieve and maintain health, thereby optimising oneself in all spheres of life. The secondary audience for this research is the brand team, and the key message to this audience is to reconsider the channel, tone and content of communications to reinforce the relationship between provider and member as a collaboration rather than an enablement; it would be advisable that channels include social media platforms in order to cue relevance, and that messaging be personalised and targeted rather than over-generalised. The results of the research will influence the strategic direction of how to position the Bankmed value offering and communication content and channels to optimise brand resonance and equity.
Banks and their Physical Space: How Design can Enhance Traditional Banking Brands.
(The IIE, 2015) Johnson, Tammeryn, T
This research report is a qualitative analysis on a how the internal culture within a traditional bank affects the branch design and what elements in the design of a branch are the most important. The analysis aims to understand what form traditional bank’s branches should take in the next decade in order to become more customercentric and create great experiences with the customer. Methods used involve a thematic analysis of various case studies on similar surveys and investigations done across the World. The results include findings which relate point to the fact that the internal culture and lack of long term vision is the main obstacle in the transformation of traditional banks. It also suggests that service customers receive in a branch is the most important aspect and branch aesthetics come secondary to branch functionality.
The Good Fortune of Online Influencers
(The IIE, 2015) Mabie, Zoe
The introduction of the internet has created a whole new dimension of opportunity and connectivity for people around the world (DiMaggio, Hargittai, Neuman & Robinson, 2001). The number of peo-ple gaining access to and using the internet increased exponentially over time. In 1995 there were less than 20 000 live web sites on the internet, in under six years, it grew to over ten million (Di-Maggio et al. 2001). The internet allowed for people all over the world to not only communicate and share but to also converse and learn. It also created a new platform of communication for brands. Media, in a traditional sense has always involved press and television, now, brands are able to communicate to their audiences on a more personalised, specified level, talking directly and more promptly to conversations people are having about their brand. Brands started seeing this platform as an additional channel through which brands can speak to their audiences (DiMaggio et al. 2001). While big brands were developing strategies to talk to their audiences through the digital platform, another phenomenon was developing. The phenomenon of social media, where individuals all over the world were sharing and conversing about topics of interest as well as themselves, it became an opportunity for people to connect with each other and communicate without necessarily being in each other’s presence (Kietzmann, Hermkens, McCarthy & Silvestre, 2011). Social media gave users an opportunity to stay connected to each other without having to physically be in contact with each other; soon enough, activity on social media became a form of self-expression (Kietzmann et al. 2011). Never before was it this easy to communicate with individuals on a global platform, peo-ple in China where learning about and communicating with people in Brazil. People who had formed friendships from travelling the world, were able to stay in contact and maintain their friend-ships, the term globalisation had never been more relevant (Kietzmann et al. 2011). Social media was here to stay. Social media has changed the landscape of communication; it would only make sense to investigate the phenomenon’s that have arisen from it.
Research into the Relevance of Print Fashion Magazines in the Digital Era.
(The IIE, 2015) Kubeka, Zinhle
MacCullum (2013) writes that there has been a change in the way readers access information. Readers have moved from print to digital platforms. In 2013, print circulations and advertising declined (Gillespie, 2014 ). This follows the trend of the decline in the print media industry. This research aims to investigate whether print magazines are still relevant and if there are models print media publishers can use in order to remain viable.
The Psychological Impacts of Instagram on Young South African Adults' Self-esteem.
(The IIE, 2015) Hene, Yandisa
The growth in smartphone penetration and access to social networking sites has seen an emergence of online personal brands as people with social media presence are knowingly or unknowingly communicating a crafted brand identity to an audience. This research paper is guided by the theory of social comparison and will examine the psychological effects of Instagram use on young South African adults in relation to Aakers Brand Identity model. The current academic research on psychological effects of social media presence is limited to one social networking site, Facebook. This study fills in the obvious gap by studying the visual SNS’s, Instagram which is a photo and video sharing platform where over 300 million of personal brands converge. An online survey that included a 40 young people between the ages of 20-30 was conducted. The survey was followed by in-depth interviews (IDIs) with 10 respondents to gain deeper insights and understanding of the common themes around Instagram usage, behaviours and psychological implications. Results from the research study reveal that the need for relevance is a key driver for Instagram use and that the aesthetic nature of Instagram drives young adults to seek perfection and validation. Visual brand that compete on social media drive competition and upward social comparison. Instead of being impacted negatively this has a positive effect by motivating young adults to improve their lives.
The Effect of Web Design on Brand Building According to the Brand Identity Model.
(The IIE, 2015) Human, Ernest
In this paper the researcher would like to see how a well developed and designed website can be integrated into the brand identity model. As a marketing manager and brand manager, I often feel there is a huge gap in cooperation between web design and web development on one hand, and brand and marketing management on the other, when it comes to building a successful website. The purpose of the research is to identify the effects of the lack of effective communication between marketing and brand managers, and web developers, web designers and other key role players, and determine how this influences brand building.
Despite the Negative Perception around the Use of Corsets, Why are they Growing Increasingly Popular amongst Women in Modern Society?
(The IIE, 2015) Jobson, Ellen
Historically, tight lacing and corsetry was practiced mostly for the purpose of fashion, patriarchal attempts to control and discipline women’s bodies as well as reducing the size of a women’s waist in order to achieve the ideal feminine figure. According to A. S Hornby (2005: 329) a corset is defined as, “A piece of women’s underwear, fitting the body tightly, worn especially in the past to make a women’s waist appear smaller.” This was followed by great controversy due to the oppression placed by the patriarchal system whereby a growing dissatisfaction among women had emerged (DeFrancis, 2005; 165). A number of women’s movements were established with the aim of fighting the “corset evil” as well as gaining personal, social, economic and political freedom. With the steady decline of the use of corsets in the early twentieth century, corset manufactures made efforts to revamp and revitalise these garments with the hope of; once again, increasing its popularity as the century progressed (Fields, 1999: 355). Today, the new term waist training has gained widespread popularity around the world where women are beginning to use this garment for a number or reasons including weight loss (www.womenshealthmagazine.com: 2014). Advocates of waist trainers and body shapers would most likely agree with the assumptions I assert below, but for those who do not use these garments as well as those who have a negative perception about the garment as a whole may read this passage with skepticism. And so for this reason I will attempt to provide insight on the latter as well as unpack the controversy around Corsetry (www.corsetreturn.com; 2014).
An Exploration on the Role Digital Image Manipulation Plays in Fashion Magazines on the Perceptions of Physical Attractiveness of Black Women in S.A, According to the Social Constructionism Theory
(The IIE, 2015) Dunn, Germaine
“Retouching model portraits has become a standard, usually with the intent of enhancing the subject’s best features and minimizing their worst in fashion and magazine photography” (Reaves et al, 1990: 24). With South African black women being identified as the largest readership race percentage within True Love Magazine namely 96 % (Media 24, n.d.). The researcher aims to unpack the term digital image manipulation (retouching) within fashion magazines in relation to an individual’s perceived physical attractiveness. The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a link between digital image manipulation and physical attractiveness amongst Black South African women between the ages of 25 and 34 in South Africa using True Love Magazine as a case study. The research undertaken made use of qualitative research methods in the form of a field study including focus groups and unstructured in-depth interviews which were facilitated and guided by the researcher in order to answer the research questions. This study explored the role digital image manipulation plays in fashion magazines on the perceptions of physical attractiveness of black women in SA, according to the Social Constructionism theory. In conducting the study the researcher found that True Love has set an acceptable standard for women reading the magazine as the retouches are subtle and do not set unrealistic standards. Women can relate to the cover girls portrayed on the magazine as diverse women with various skin tones, hair styles such as natural hair, weaves, dread locks are used ensuring all African women are represented. Although the influence the magazine exerts is one of reference to fashion and make-up tips, True Love is seen as the epitome of black excellence for women as the celebrities or stars chosen are women that participants in the study aspire to be like. Women in the study were all aware of the magazine cover retouches and would be influenced if the covers were untouched as there is a certain expectation for the covers to be perfect and flawless. True Love merely represents what society has already constructed and what women find attractive and aspiring.
A qualitative study in Gauteng to investigate if CSR contributes to brands being top of mind awareness to consumers’ and how this affects buying behaviours.
(The IIE, 2015) Madondo, Nokuthula
This research will explore brand perception with regards to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the South African context. In the early 1990’s CSR was driver to many changes needed and happening in the country and still continues to be a driver of change. Brand positioning with the use of CSR has become a critical objective and aim for organisations as consumers have started to associate brand credibility with transparency. How an organisation behaves across its value chain, including CSR has an impact on how the brand is perceived and also guides consumer interaction. The environment, society and economy should be part of every organisations list of importance, financial gain should not be the driver in organisations but rather a result of organisations behaving ethically and improving the environment.
Analysing the Impact of Internal Branding on Employee Engagement in the Permanent Recruitment Industry within the Social Exchange Framework
(The IIE, 2015) Mwenje, Filda
Although it is widely perceived that the attraction and retention of staff is the greatest aspect of strategy implementation, O’Reilly and Pfeffer (2000) argue that it is important for brands to create internal cultures and systems that permit employees to use their talents. King and Grace (2008) conclude that a key factor in determining customer experience of a brand is reliant on employees own internal experiences with the organisation. This draws attention to the need and importance of internal branding within organisations and its relationship to developing engaged employees. Therefore, the problem of this study was to determine if there is a correlation between internal branding programs and employee engagement at the anonymous recruitment agency. This empirical research was conducted in the social world and took the form of an iterative inductive approach as the author sought to generate theory related to internal branding and its impact on employee engagement after having analysed the findings in the field of study. Mixed method research which was both qualitative and quantitative was employed and more specifically the triangulation classification as the qualitative data was used to validate the findings from the quantitative data. The research instruments took the form of focus group interviews and self- completion questionnaires. The results from this study showed that internal branding and employee engagement are areas that require attention within the studied property. It was uncovered that open feedback systems should be implemented for the employers to stay in tune with employees in order to assist them in achieving a “work- life” balance which is the greatest pain area. Ultimately the social exchange theory must be used simultaneously by the mutually dependant themes of internal branding and employee engagement to alleviate low levels of employee engagement attributed to the poor internal branding programs. This study highlights the importance of leadership teams paying particular attention to the state of their brand internally as determined by staff engagement without only looking to measure their external brand performance.
The Importance of Brand Identity for Environmental Conservation Brands
(The IIE, 2015) Killian, Sarah
The purpose of this research paper is to unpack how effectively environmental conservation companies position themselves within youth market. This paper aims to establish if environmental conservation companies appeal to younger children between the ages of 11 and 14. This will be done by looking at a case study of a South African environmental company, the Endangered Wildlife Trust, and analysing how they have constructed their brand identity to engage with the youth market. The Endangered Wildlife Trust, is a company that; ‘Is dedicated to conserving threatened species and ecosystems in Southern Africa to the benefit of all people’ (Endangered Wildlife Trust. 2015) This study is motivated by three research questions: (1) To determine how the Endangered Wildlife Trust has currently positioned their brand? (2) To establish how the youth market perceives the Endangered Wildlife Trust? (3) To evaluate the Endangered Wildlife Trust brand within the framework of Aaker’s brand identity model? The purpose of these questions is to establish solid information pertaining to the research problem. The research problem for this study is: To establish if there is a lack of environmental conservation companies brand identity amongst the Tween youth market in Johannesburg, between the ages of 11 and 14. The study has been conducted using Case Study qualitative research design. A field collection method will be used where focus groups will be conducted. The data findings will be analysed within Aaker’s Brand Identity Model. The significance of this research paper is that it could benefit environmental companies in creating strong brand identities. This study will give an indication as to how environmental conservation companies should be positioning their brands within the 11 to 14 year old market. The results of this study have been aligned with categories set out in Aaker’s brand identity model. The results indicate that, in certain areas of these categories, the Endangered Wildlife Trust is lacking when engaging with the Tween market. Recommendations have been included in this paper, if the brand at hand were to implement these recommendations; it could lead to a sustainable, life time relationship with the target market.
A Comparative Study Between Native Advertising and Display Advertising on CNBCAFRICA.COM
(The IIE, 2015) Boshoff, Lieria
The battle for consumer attention as a reaction to the constant flow of commercial messages in the online environment has led to a decline in click-through rates, accompanied by advertising avoidance tactics such as banner blindness and skipped pre-roll ads. Native advertising is seen as the solution to these advertising avoidance tactics. As an increased share of advertising budgets are being allocated towards this online advertising format, this research paper aims to test the effectiveness of native advertising compared to display advertising by focusing on the attitudes these two advertising formats evoke. The online news site, CNBCAfrica.com will be used as a case study. A quantitative research methodology was used for the research in which self-administered questionnaires were distributed via SurveyMonkey. The questionnaire contained several statements designed to measure respondents’ attitudes towards native and display advertising, with the aim of confirming or rejecting the stated hypotheses. From the findings, two of the three hypotheses were supported. Thus, it can be concluded that native advertising is favoured over non-native advertising on CNBCAfrica.com. However, the findings of the study rejected the hypothesis that native advertising elects a more positive brand attitude than display advertising. One possible explanation for these results is that the brand chosen for the study had a previous association that skewed the results. The results imply that further research is needed to test this hypothesis, perhaps using a more neutral brand for the case study. In conclusion, this study adds value as it helped contribute to the research on native advertising and its effectiveness on consumers, thus filling a much-needed gap in the market.
Analyzing the Narrative in the Game of Motlotlo to Better Understand the Relationship that Customers have with Product Brands
(The IIE, 2015) Makhafola, Kelebogile
The game Motlotlo is not only a storytelling game exploring the significant moments in the tellers life, the game has the opportunity to decode consumer perception of consumers in a manner that brings forward the external brand story. In contextualizing the game, the research process seeks out the degree in which brand association is informed by experiential and collective memory, and further more unpack how word of mouth communication (such as in the game) has an impact on building or breaking perception. The paper aims to analyse the content of consumer stories to further understand the relationship between consumers and product brands. Thus Motlotlo becomes a tool which may be used to analyse brand contact points and consumer relationship key points. The paper aims to seek how the game can be used for brand analysis platforms such as healthy brand audits, brand score cards and report cards.

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