brief for assessment is attached and part one of this assignment is also attached
2 Assessment 1a: Annotated Bibliography Assessment 1a: Annotated Bibliography Ahmed S. Sohail Torrens University 1. Boon, E., Pitt, L., Ofek, N. (2015). “Deal of the Day”: An Analysis of Subscriber Purchase Behaviour. Tourism and Hospitality Research, [online] 15(2), pp. 105-114. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/26478266 [Accessed 4 Jul. 2019] The article takes a look at smaller web-based subscriber purchase websites and presents information on the kinds of consumers that frequent the databases of these websites. Through statistical data and questionnaire studies, the article broadly lists two types of consumers that are frequently found purchasing discounted products and purchases: only a small number of people are found to purchase discounted products online while the majority of consumers are in favour of waiting for deals to come to shops. While the demographic may be changing in favour of online subscribers, the lack of registrations of small and large business owners online in smaller markets leads the writers to conclude that in order to boost sales, online companies need to plan marketing outreaches to consumers. This stance is shared by Hughes and Breytenbach in their article and how internet companies have yet to gain access to a larger market. The small market consumer forms an important part of my research and this article will prove helpful in providing necessary statistical data. 2. Dev, C. (2012). Branding and the Internet. Hospitality Branding. New York: Cornell University Press. [online] Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.cttq42pg.6 [Accessed 4 Jul. 2019] This book chapter looks at the common problems faced by vendors who are unsure of how to brand themselves successfully online. Dealing exclusively with hospitality business, Dev argues that most vendors are unable to market themselves properly as they do not actively advertise on websites. He points out that while larger hotel chains do not need as much marketing, smaller inns and bed & breakfasts need to turn to the internet in order to boost sales and launch internet campaigns detailing all they have to offer in terms of tourism and lodging. As the intended audience of my research are vendors who are reluctant to use the internet to boost their sales, the points mentioned in this chapter will help in my questionnaires and during my case studies to figure out the strong points of the smaller lodging businesses. 3. Dev, C. (2012). Groupon. Hospitality Branding. New York: Cornell University Press. [online] Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.cttq42pg.6 [Accessed 4 Jul. 2019] This chapter provides a success story for a small enterprise. The chapter denotes how a small business was able to multiply its sales by registering with Groupon and offering discounted prices on lodgings and its restaurant. The chapter briefly explores the Groupon business model and its ability to be more accessible to walk-in customers. Dev contends that Groupon promotes itself by creative writing, a similar stance was taken by Donnelly too, which keeps the reader entertained and also open to the possibility of purchasing discounted services and products. The positive features detailed in the chapter will form a key argument in my own work as I seek to show the benefits of Groupon and how the experience is made more personal for consumers. 4. Dholakia, U. (2010). How Effective are Groupon Promotions for Businesses? SSRN, DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.1696327 [Accessed 4 Jul. 2019] In this article Dholakia states that the success of Groupon is based on how many small businesses it can include in its database. He argues that most small businesses who are searching for a newer demographic of consumers should consider investing in Groupon as it provides them with a wider variety of buyers. It also allows them to showcase their strong points. Dholakia also notes that apart from internet marketing, the second most used form is word of mouth and smaller businesses can boost their profits by opening up to clients who share their experiences online. As my research will look at ways in which small business owners can be persuaded to use the internet for marketing purposes, this article can provide statistical data of increased profits by businesses which registered with Groupon. 5. Donnelly, K. (2012). Coupons of the 21st Century: The Golden Age of The Daily Deal Industry. The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications, [online] 3(2), pp.85-93. Available at: http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=835 [Accessed 4 Jul. 2019]. In this article, Donnelly posits that the popularity of daily deal coupons is predicated on the company’s ability to create humorous and witty advertisements and display them via social media platforms to engage with targeted audiences. She argues that companies such as Groupon use relevant biographical details and information about consumers to provide them with offers for deals. The article illustrates that coupon companies rely solely on social media platforms for publicity but do not provide coverage to those places that have not registered on coupon websites. In essence companies only cater to a clientele that registers with them and not those that are not geographically accessible. Donnelly’s comments on the inaccessibility to certain geographic regions is a valid point for my own work as I seek to undertake a study of how Groupon only functions in areas and does not reach out to consumers who do not use social media as a marketing tool. 6. Edelman, B., Jaffe, S. and Kominers, S. (2011). To Groupon or Not to Groupon: The Profitability of Deep Discounts. Harvard Business School Review, [online] pp.1-23. Available at: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/11-063_42425cdb-81ee-4d66-9420-4ebdb809358f.pdf [Accessed 4 Jul. 2019]. Edelman et. all in their article draw comparisons on the success rates of web-based coupon services. They argue that while coupons available off the internet tend to offer consumers lower costs, this tactic is profitable only for smaller companies with a smaller consumer market. The article points out that the business model used by Groupon is unable to meet the demands of the company as the increase in the number of companies registering their services and the increase in the clientele puts a strain on their ability to maintain profits. The article notes that the only way for companies to remain profitable is if the numbers of registered businesses and consumers increase and with every exponential increase, they reduce their charging fee. The issues regarding expansion are important to my research work as I will try to assess the intended profits of small business owners who register their discounted services on web-based coupon sites. 7. Hughes, S., Breytenbach, C. (2013). Groupon’s Growth and Globalization Strategy: Structural and Technological Implications of International Markets. International Business and Economics Research Journal, [online] 12(12), pp. 1589-1604. Available at: 10.19030/iber.v12i12.8252 [Accessed 4 Jul. 2019] This article looks at the growing market of Groupon and how the company has dominated the American deal-based market in recent years. Hughes and Breytenbach argue that while Groupon has been successful in the ultramodern market of America it has yet to achieve the same success in lesser accessible markets. Furthermore, the article calls into question the spending on acquisitions in other markets to make a global impact. The fact that Groupon relies on developed markets for most of its business leads the readers to believe that other markets either do not wish to or are unable to provide these services. The notion of domination in a single market will form a core part of my work as I seek to show how the majority of digital marketplaces have been devoid of Groupon services and how their database remains incomplete without requesting sponsorships from other countries. 8. Luo, X., Andrews, M., Song, Y., Aspara J. (2014). Group-Buying Deal Popularity. Journal of Marketing, [online] 78(2), pp. 20-33. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/26654758 [Accessed 4 Jul. 2019] The article argues that group buying is a process that consists of two main decisions: firstly, the consumers decide whether or not they will buy a discounted product and secondly, they decide when they want to redeem the coupon for the product/service. Furthermore, the article notes that consumers are more likely to buy and redeem products based on the popularity of the product by perusing the peer reviews. Also, consumers tend to wait for further discounts before redeeming their coupons. The study does not take into account any particular service of product and the data is unable to show a correlation between web-based buying and consumer concerns. However, the study does show the initial thought process that most consumers go through when buying online and that aspect will be helpful when I seek to determine what kinds of services can be offered to those consumers who are reluctant to switch to internet marketing as a viable medium of commerce. 9. Odeniyi, O. Ayodeji, Lawal, N. Tunde, Kareem, A. E. (2015). An Appraisal of Groupon E-Business Model. International Journal of Scientific and Technology Research, [online] 4(1), pp. 291-297. Available at: http://www.ijstr.org/final-print/jan2015/An-Appraisal-Of-Groupon-E-business-Model.pdf [Accessed 4 Jul. 2019] This article takes an in-depth look at the business model of Groupon and towards the end suggests ways to improve upon it. The study notes that Groupon relies solely on social media platforms for marketing, a notion shared by Donnelly in her article, and thus does not cater to a larger demographic of online buyers to do not conduct business via Facebook and Twitter. Furthermore, a large number of people, who still do not consider online business a viable fiscal option do not have access to Groupon and are thus unable to achieve a consumer experience that Groupon promises to deliver to its subscribers. The writers attempt to offer certain updates to the business model of Groupon mostly centred on reaching buyers outside of social media. They require the readers of the article to conduct research on other ways to make Groupon a global enterprise and not just a service with a limited number of consumers. 10. Van Horne, O., Orge, S. (2013). Impact of Group-Buying Models on Small Business Purchasing: Pilot Research Analysis. The Journal of Private Equity, [online] 16(2), pp. 58-63. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/43503744 [Accessed 4 Jul. 2019] The article forms a study conducted by the writers to calculate the benefits of group buying models in smaller businesses. The results verified that group buying is a cost-effective alternative to both vendors and consumers but any model that is based on these types of transactions requires constant updates. This stance is shared by Donnelly in her article as she also comes to the conclusion that the wider a company gets in its influences, the more it needs to alter the way it interacts with consumers and vendors alike. Furthermore, the article notes that a larger study in more diverse markets is needed in order to form a conclusive opinion whether group buying can prove beneficial for businesses both small and large. As one of my