Pilot Study for Honours thesis

16 Imvubu Park Place
Riverhorse Valley
Durban
4000
June 2014

Pilot Study for Honours thesis

To whom it may concern,

My name is Katharina Steffen. I am a B.A. Honours student at the Vega, the School of Brand Leadership in Durban. For my thesis I am conducting a study on: “Food health branding: exploring its influence on consumer perceptions and purchase behaviour using Nature’s Choice as a point of reference.” As such I shall be exploring the branding techniques used to socially construct ‘healthy’ images of food and the role these techniques play in influencing consumer perceptions and driving purchase decisions in the LSM categories 7-10 in South Africa. The study further aims to examine the Nature’s Choice brand to ascertain whether their communication techniques are a true reflection of the healthiness of the brand’s products. This will be done to determine whether the brand positions itself in an honest manner to cater to current consumer demands.

Before conducting the actual study a pilot study needs to be administered to test the research instrument. It would be greatly appreciated if you could take the time to answer the attached survey for me and critically assess the questions to determine whether they are easy to understand, to the point and whether the answer options are relevant. Please feel free to add any suggestions, questions or comments that could improve the survey. Your help is much appreciated.

Study supervisor: Alec Bozas

Kind regards,
Katharina Steffen

Please note that you are not obliged to answer questions you may perceive as sensitive

Thank you very much for your time and support. Please start with the survey now by clicking on the Continue button below.