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Nowadays the senior customers’ population (people aged 65 and more) represent 8,1% of the worldwide population and this figure will increase by 255%, from 589 million in 2014 to 1.5 billion in 2050 (representing 16,3% of world population). The trend of population ageing poses new challenges for global businesses because senior customers begin to have more influence in industrialised economies. The senior customer’s segment is more loyal, wealthier and spends a higher proportion of its total expenditure on services than the global population. However, all major players on the market do not understand the senior market because they do not have a clear understanding of consumer decision-making and also have a limited comprehension of the way to serve older consumers online.
The goal of this dissertation is to interview 19 people aged 65 years old and more about their motivations and barriers when purchasing on the Internet. We have also focused our research on this goal to purchase on online pharmacy websites. Finally, this research also aims to have a first approach on which lever is efficient to sell services more effectively to senior customers. 
After the first part dedicated to the literature review, we will present the research design with the research methodology. Afterwards, we will present the results of the study. Chapter 5 will discuss the findings. Last but not least, we will provide a theoretical conclusion, including the managerial implications, and finally we will expose the limitations of this piece of research, and offer suggestions for further research.
The results show that senior customers have cited 19 times a willingness to purchase on the Internet. The most cited motivation was “convenience”, secondly “product available only on the Internet” and thirdly “security”. Senior customers have also cited 22 times a barrier. The most cited barrier was “cannot see the product”, secondly “method of payment” and thirdly “distortion of the reality”.

Senior customers --- motivations and barriers --- e-Commerce --- mailing --- social media --- SEO --- help system --- adapted website --- blogging --- word of mouth --- e-Pharmacies --- NewPharma --- Sciences économiques & de gestion > Marketing

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This thesis aims at identifying the Walloon consumers’ main motivations and barriers with respect to the bulk buying of food products, beyond the traditional fresh fruit and vegetables. The final purpose of this paper would be to obtain a qualitative understanding of the underlying reasons inciting individuals to adopt, or not, this purchasing behaviour. 
By means of a multidisciplinary literature review, ten interviews to experts and twenty in-depth interviews with consumers, this dissertation allows to envisage the principal factors advocating for or discouraging individuals to buy unpackaged food. It results a key variable that would encourage consumers to buy food in bulk: their psychological characteristics. These ones seem to constitute the source of their main motivations and barriers towards this practice. 
The hypotheses issued by this paper bring to the academic literature the initial foundations of a new research thematic. This dissertation also offers to managers a potential bulk buyers’ segmentation as well as some recommendations to exploit or remove their motivations and barriers pointed out throughout the present qualitative study.

food bulk buying --- green behavior --- consumer behavior --- packaging --- food retailing --- nutritional risk --- Sciences économiques & de gestion > Marketing

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Dаy by dаy sеrviсе prоviding соmpаniеs аnd оrgаnisаtiоns аrе fасing а mоrе аnd mоrе соmpеtitivе еnvirоnmеnt rеgаrding thеir асtivity. Сustоmеr соmfоrt, sаtisfасtiоn аnd lоyаlty tоwаrds а соmpаny hаs bесоmе pаrаmоunt in this соnstаntly сhаnging mаrkеtplасе. Hеnсе, sеrviсе prоviding соmpаniеs аrе bеtting оn а gооd imprеssiоn оn thе соnsumеr tо triggеr rеpurсhаsе intеntiоns frоm thеm. Сustоmеr fееdbасk аnd rеviеws is ехtrеmеly vаluаblе аs it mаy influеnсе thе dесisiоns оf pоtеntiаl nеw сustоmеrs. But, dеspitе аll thе еffоrts thаt соmpаniеs dо tо оffеr а gооd sеrviсе оr just а gооd ехpеriеnсе аftеr sеlling а prоduсt, it саn hаppеn thаt things dо nоt gо аs plаnnеd аnd nеgаtivе оutturns саn оссur. Thе rеgаrdеd litеrаturе is mоrе fосusing оn thе prосеss оf sеrviсе fаilurеs аnd sеrviсе rесоvеry, rаthеr thаn its соmmuniсаtiоn tо thе соnsumеr whiсh is а priоr stеp оf sоlving thе prоblеm. Thеrеfоrе, in this rеsеаrсh wе pivоtеd spесifiсаlly thе bаd nеws dеlivеry in sеrviсе еnсоuntеrs. Соrrесtly аnd prоpеrly dеlivеring thе unwеlсоmе nеws tо thе сliеnt is а сritiсаl pоint sinсе thе pеrсеptiоn оf this nеws mаy bе influеnсеd by thе еmplоyее оf thе соmpаny whiсh is dеlivеring thеm. This study fосusеs оn thе bаd nеws pеrсеptiоns аnd disсоmfоrt сrеаtеd tоwаrds bоth асtоrs, thе givеr, аnd thе rесеivеr оf thе nеws whеn thеrе is rаppоrt, hоw it influеnсеs thе furthеr еmоtiоns аnd fееlings оf thе pаrtiсipаnts аnd hоw thеy pеrсеivе еасh оthеr’s disсоmfоrt lеvеls. 
Thе findings оf this study rеvеаlеd thаt thе сustоmеrs shоw highеr pеrsоnаl disсоmfоrt lеvеls аs thе nеws is dirесtly аffесting thеm. Thе rеsults оf this rеsеаrсh аlsо highlight thаt thе еmplоyееs in thе prеsеnсе оf rаppоrt shоw highеr disсоmfоrt lеvеls thаn thе сustоmеrs suppоsеd. Thе еmplоyееs hаvе fееlings оf vulnеrаbility аnd hеlplеssnеss tо сhаngе thе оutсоmе оf thе nеws. This mаkеs thеm fееl vеry unсоmfоrtаblе whilе brеаking bаd nеws. This phеnоmеnоn hаs bееn ехtеnsivеly rеsеаrсhеd in thе mеdiсаl litеrаturе whiсh еluсidаtеs thе psyсhоlоgiсаl impасt оf bаd nеws оn dосtоrs аnd pаtiеnts. Hоwеvеr, thеsе psyсhоlоgiсаl fооtprints during bаd nеws dеlivеry hаvе nоt bееn invеstigаtеd in sеrviсе еnсоuntеrs. This study hаs dеmоnstrаtеd thе nееd оf implеmеnting bеst prасtiсеs bаsеd prоtосоls аnd соdеs оf соnduсt fоr еmplоyееs whilе brеаking bаd nеws tо сustоmеrs. Vаriоus mаnаgеriаl аnd thеоrеtiсаl impliсаtiоns саn bе drаftеd frоm this study findings. Undоubtfully this rеsеаrсh lеаvеs rооm fоr furthеr invеstigаtiоn.

Bad news delivery --- Service encounter --- Rapport --- Actor perspective --- Perception --- Discomfort --- Sciences économiques & de gestion > Marketing

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This thesis focuses on a specific digital company, Emakina, taken as benchmark for a market development strategy in the European market. On one side there is the ambition of the company to be the Top European digital communication agency; on the other side, there is the justification, with theoretical models, of the feasibility of this strategic decision.
The document, in the introduction chapter, gives an overview of the European digital market with key takeaways and facts.
Always in the first section, Emakina is introduced explaining what they do and which are the main services they offer, then it will be explained RECMA and its ranking criteria to better understand how RECMA works and to define which indicators will be improved.
In the exposition section, the document focuses its attention on the mission Emakina wants to accomplish: be in the first position of the RECMA ranking in the “independent digital communication agencies in Europe” category; in the last report, in 2011, it was in position number three.
As a result, it will be applied a market development strategy to expand the geo-coverage of the company. The chosen countries for the expansion are Germany and UK. It will be assessed the attractiveness of the markets and the competitiveness of the company thanks to the use of some theoretical models, having always a look on what and how the direct competitors of the ranking are acting.
Finally, in the last section, are given recommendations to the company to solve the problem in question.

Company competitiveness • Digital agency • Digital business • Emakina • European competition • Expansion • External environment • Geo-coverage • Germany • Internal capability • Market attractiveness • Market development strategy • Ranking criteria • RECMA • United Kingdom --- Sciences économiques & de gestion > Marketing

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Generation Z attracts more and more interest among companies and brands. Indeed, they have totally different needs from the other generations and have a huge influence on the households’ purchases. The market research sector wants to collect information about them in order to study their behavior and preferences. GfK is part of this sector. 
One of the ways for this company to collect information is to ask questions on one of its online consumer panels. It’s fast and cheaper than doing interview by call center or face to face. An important drawback of online surveys is the low response rate of younger generation. It’s the reason why the company GfK Belgium would like to find solutions in order to engage these youngsters in market studies, and more specifically in the online consumer’s panels. 
In order to solve the problem, different steps had been undertaken. After giving you an insight of the environment in which the company works, the first step will analyze the generation Z and the actual problem that the panels have to deal with. Then, the focus is on the existing practices to engage people in consumers’ surveys. Afterwards, based on the previous researches and analyses, some solutions will be implemented in the company GfK Belgium. Finally, the conclusion will sum up the findings of these works and make some recommendations to the company.

Gfk, Online panels, Belgium, market research, generation Z, survey, engagement --- Sciences économiques & de gestion > Marketing