SACM - United Kingdom
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://drepo.sdl.edu.sa/handle/20.500.14154/9667
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Item Restricted Customer behaviour in e-retail: Investigating cultural e-touchpoint differences within the consumer journey(Leeds beckett, 2024-09) Alazwary, Wed; Andrews, DavidThe consultancy project focused on enhancing website engagement and expanding consumer reach for an SME specializing in vegan sustainable jewellery. With the growth in e-commerce within the Eastern market, the company faces the challenge of maintaining visibility for new consumers during their consumer journey (CJ). To address this, SMART KPIs were formulated based on the client’s objectives. This project seeks to gain insights into the behavioral effects, attitudes, and intentions of eastern consumers (EC) and western consumers (WC) during the online CJ. Exploring the online shopping behaviors of both WC and EC, the project utilizes consumer decision-making theories, Hofstede's cultural framework, and a three-stage CJ model (pre-purchase, purchase, and post-purchase). The literature review identifies a gap in understanding the cultural affects within an online context of the CJ and the identification of touchpoints deemed critical to consumers. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 10 ethnically diverse female consumers representing WC and EC groups. This sample was selected to reflect the client’s target demographic. Thematic analysis revealed several shared critical e-touchpoints, such as using Google and viewing reviews during the pre-purchase stage. EC place significant importance on social touchpoints like word of mouth (WOM) because of their collectivist nature and high uncertainty avoidance (UA), whereas WC prioritize incentives and customized content due to their promotion-focused behavior. To fulfill the KPIs and client objectives, the researcher proposed e-marketing strategies informed by analyzing SEMrush data, which evaluates the client’s current organic traffic and backlinks. It became evident that search engine optimization, involving keywords tailored to Eastern regions and partnerships with Eastern bloggers, could enhance market reach and meet the WOM e-touchpoint of EC. This approach is expected to reduce UA among EC. Furthermore, including a review feature on client's website, addressing a critical journey-ending e-touchpoint of both consumer groups, is recommended. For WC, strategies like incentivized deals and customized mailing lists are suggested to increase engagement and interaction on both the website and client’s social media platforms. Additionally, a conceptual framework was constructed to guide SME managers and marketers, illustrating critical e-touchpoints through the online CJ stages. This framework helps identify where consumers most often end their CJ due to unmet touchpoints, demonstrating the importance of a customer loyalty loop. By successfully addressing these e- touchpoints, the client can create a more relevant online consumer experience, ultimately driving continuous engagement and loyalty among their target market and facilitating entrance into the eastern region for greater market reach.56 0Item Restricted The Effectiveness of Source and Message Characteristics on Consumers' Behavioural Response to Social Media Influencers Event Marketing Posts(Bournemouth University, 2024-07-25) Alawairdhi, Fatimah; Moital, MiguelWith social media being the centre of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) communication and connections, marketing strategies and initiatives have aligned with current trends. This is seen in all sectors, and the event industry is no exception. One of the strategies used is social media influencer (SMI) marketing and it continues to rise in prominence for its perceived ability in persuasive communication. This dissertation explores the effectiveness of source and message characteristics on consumer behavioural responses within the context of SMI marketing promotions for events, specifically focusing on the Riyadh Season events Boulevard World and Boulevard City. This study employs a quantitative approach, utilising an online questionnaire distributed via social media platforms to a sample of Saudi citizens. The research investigates key characteristics such as trustworthiness, likeability, message credibility, strength of delivery and richness, alongside the interpersonal factor of homophily. Different consumer responses were explored but the focus of this study is on behavioural. The study also explored theories such theory of planned behaviour (1898) and the AIDA model (1985) to understand consumer behaviour and response and to how efficiently persuade them to interact with marketing and promotional content. The choice of Saudi Arabia as the geographical focus for this research is justified by the Saudi society’s high social media usage and the significant role SMIs play in marketing within the region in addition to the surge of event the country is experiencing. The data collected revealed that message characteristics are more effective in generating a behavioural response from consumers to the event promotional content than source characteristics. Recommendations for future research include expanding the geographical scope to other Gulf regions, conducting longitudinal studies and exploring additional source and message characteristics.25 0