MBA GRADUATE DISSERTATION
A quantitative analysis of Consumer Behaviour in relation to
Electronic Cars resulting in a new Green Marketing approach for
the German car industry
Dublin Business School
MBA Programme
January Intake 2013
Supervisor: David Hurley
Attached by:
Julia Dieterich
Student Number: 1779797
Date of attachement: 23th May 2014
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Declaration
I declare that the work described in this dissertation is, except where otherwise stated, entirely my own
work and has not been submitted as any type of exercise for a degree at this or any other
college/university.
Signed :
Julia Dieterich
23th May 2014
!
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Table of contents
Table&of&contents&...............................................................................................................................................&3!
List&of&Figures&.....................................................................................................................................................&6!
Acknowledgements&..........................................................................................................................................&8!
Abstract&................................................................................................................................................................&9!
1.&Justification&of&the&Dissertation&Topic&.................................................................................................&10!
1.1!Academic&Justification&...................................................................................................................................&10!
1.2!Industrial&Justification&...................................................................................................................................&11!
1.3!Personal&Justification&.....................................................................................................................................&12!
2.&Literature&Review&.......................................................................................................................................&13!
2.1&Introduction&..........................................................................................................................................................&13!
2.2&Academic&Review&.................................................................................................................................................&13!
2.2.1!Consumer!Behaviour!in!the!German!E5car!industry!.........................................................................................!13!
2.2.1.1!Role!of!Marketing!Communication!in!Consumer!Behaviour!Theory!.....................................................................!13!
2.2.1.2!The!Hierarchy!of!Effects!model!..............................................................................................................................................!13!
2.2.1.3!Consumer!Proposition!Acquisition!Process!Model!........................................................................................................!14!
2.2.1.4!Influence!factors!on!the!E5car!Purchasing!Decision!Process!.....................................................................................!15!
2.2.1.4.1!Consumer!Opinion!leads!to!Consumer!Attitude!....................................................................................................!16!
2.2.1.4.2!Rational!and!emotional!driven!Purchasing!Process!of!an!E5car!.....................................................................!16!
2.2.2!Branding!Strategy!in!the!German!E5car!industry!...............................................................................................!17!
2.2.2.1!Definition!of!a!Brand!...................................................................................................................................................................!17!
2.2.2.2!Consumer5based!perspective!on!Brand!Equity!...............................................................................................................!17!
2.2.2.2.1!Brand!Perception!................................................................................................................................................................!18!
2.2.2.2.2!Brand!Image!..........................................................................................................................................................................!19!
2.2.2.3!The!ValueDrivers!model!............................................................................................................................................................!19!
2.2.3!!A!Green!Branding!approach!in!relation!to!the!German!E5car!industry!....................................................!21!
2.2.3.1!Definition!of!Green!Branding!...................................................................................................................................................!21!
2.2.3.2!Danger!of!Green!Washing!.........................................................................................................................................................!21!
2.2.3.3!Marketing!Communications!of!a!Green!Brand!.................................................................................................................!22!
2.2.3.4!Green!Brand!building!of!German!E5car!producers!.........................................................................................................!22!
2.3&Contextual&Review&..............................................................................................................................................&23!
2.3.1!German!E5car!industry!...................................................................................................................................................!23!
2.3.1.1!Evolution!and!Future!Outlook!of!the!German!E5car!industry!...................................................................................!23!
2.3.1.2!Reasons!for!the!actual!low!Consumer!Demand!of!E5cars!in!Germany!..................................................................!24!
2.3.2!E5car!Brand!Strategy!of!BMW!.....................................................................................................................................!25!
2.3.2.1!Brand!Strategy!of!BMW!.............................................................................................................................................................!25!
2.3.2.2!Goal!of!the!Brand!Strategy!of!the!BMW!Group!................................................................................................................!25!
2.3.2.3!Communicated!Brand!Image!in!the!Marketing!Campaign!of!the!brand!BMWi!.................................................!26!
2.4&Conclusion&.............................................................................................................................................................&26!
3.&Research&Methodology&&and&Methods&..................................................................................................&27!
3.1&Introduction&..........................................................................................................................................................&27!
3.2&Overall&Quantitative&Research&Objectives&..................................................................................................&27!
3.3&Positivism&..............................................................................................................................................................&27!
3.4&Deductive&Method&...............................................................................................................................................&28!
3.5&Hypotheses&............................................................................................................................................................&28!
3.6&Survey&......................................................................................................................................................................&30!
3.7&NonUProbability&Sampling&................................................................................................................................&30!
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3.8&Quota&Sampling&....................................................................................................................................................&31!
3.9&Sample&and&Quota&groups&.................................................................................................................................&31!
3.9&Quantitative&data&collection&and&sampling&tool&........................................................................................&32!
3.10&Data&Analysing&...................................................................................................................................................&32!
3.11&Methodology&Plan&.............................................................................................................................................&32!
3.11.1!Limitations!........................................................................................................................................................................!32!
3.11.2!Ethical!Implications!......................................................................................................................................................!33!
3.11.3!Time!Allocation!...............................................................................................................................................................!34!
3.12&Conclusion&...........................................................................................................................................................&34!
4.&Data&Analysis&................................................................................................................................................&35!
4.1&Introduction&..........................................................................................................................................................&35!
4.2&Data&Analysis&of&the&Sample&.............................................................................................................................&35!
4.3&Data&Analysis&for&Hypothesis&1&.......................................................................................................................&39!
4.3.1!Product!Information!........................................................................................................................................................!39!
4.3.2!Brand!Personality!.............................................................................................................................................................!43!
4.3.3!Product!Associations!.......................................................................................................................................................!45!
4.3&Data&Analysis&for&Hypothesis&2&.......................................................................................................................&50!
4.4&Data&Analysis&for&Hypothesis&3&.......................................................................................................................&54!
4.5&Data&analysis&for&Hypothesis&4&........................................................................................................................&57!
4.6&Recommendations&..............................................................................................................................................&62!
4.6.1!Future!Academic!Study!..................................................................................................................................................!62!
4.6.2!Recommendations!for!the!Industry!..........................................................................................................................!64!
4.6.2.1!Recommendations!for!the!Consumer!Behaviour!............................................................................................................!64!
4.6.2.2!Recommendations!for!Hypothesis!1!....................................................................................................................................!65!
4.6.2.3!Recommendations!for!Hypothesis!2!....................................................................................................................................!65!
4.6.2.4!Recommendations!for!Hypothesis!3!....................................................................................................................................!66!
4.6.2.5!Recommendations!for!Hypothesis!4!....................................................................................................................................!66!
4.7&Conclusion&.............................................................................................................................................................&66!
5.&Overall&Conclusion&.....................................................................................................................................&67!
6.&Self&Reflection&on&Own&Learning&and&Performance&........................................................................&68!
6.1.&Introduction&.........................................................................................................................................................&68!
6.2.&Learning&Style&Theories&...................................................................................................................................&68!
6.3.&Personal&Achievements&....................................................................................................................................&70!
6.4.&Problems&encountered&.....................................................................................................................................&71!
6.6.&Action&plan&for&a&life&long&Learning&Process&..............................................................................................&71!
6.7.&Conclusion&............................................................................................................................................................&72!
7.&Appendices&...................................................................................................................................................&73!
Appendix&A:&The&BMW&overall&corporate&strategy&‘Number&One’&..................................................&73!
Appendix&B:&Questionnaire&..........................................................................................................................&74!
Appendix&D:&EU&Data&Protection&Legislation&.........................................................................................&81!
Appendix&E:&BMWi3&Marketing&campaign&in&Germany&......................................................................&81!
Appendix&F:&Brand&portfolio&of&BMW&.......................................................................................................&82!
Appendix&G:&Reasons&for&the&high&price&of&EUcars&................................................................................&82!
8.&Bibliography&.................................................................................................................................................&84!
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List of Abbreviations
% Per cent
BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke
BMWi E-car series of BMW
BMWi3 E-car of BMW
BMWi8 Sports E-car of BMW
bn Billion
CO2 Carbon dioxide
E-car Electronic car
eco ecological
EU European Union
EV electronic vehicle
LOHAS Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability
mil Millions
R&D Research and Development