The purpose of this section is to account for our methodical approach and considerations, which are related to the thesis’ theoretical, empirical and analytical procedure. In our work with this thesis we have made some considerations and assumptions, which have influence on how we work with our problem statement, and how we perceive the world within the scope of our thesis. The challenge is to be conscious of our considerations and to make them visible, since it will make us able to reflect on the implications they have on the process and result.
We will strive to avoid our decisions influencing the validity negatively and aim to make our methodical considerations transparent and evident to pass on the results of this thesis as reliable as possible.
7.1 Science Study Perspective
Our methodological approach in this thesis is founded in holism. The thesis is thereby based on a perspective, which emphasizes that a phenomenon should be regarded as a whole and that the components should not only be looked upon separately. The components are moreover considered as dynamically interrelated or interdependent, and the whole is believed to be greater than the sum of the parts92. This perspective is applied both in regard to how we understand and view upon an optician retail brand and the industry but also in connection to the consumer perspective.
In connection to an optician retail brand, it should be evident from our literature review that the customers’ brand experiences are a combination of a complex mix of influences and perceptions. When we analyze the optician retailers, we therefore need to understand that the brand experience offered to the consumers is multi-fold, and the marketing mix must be seen as a whole. The holistic perspective is thereby evident in how we have made our literature review concerning the store image attributes.
92 Philips, Charles D. (1976): Holistic Thought in Social Science.
In developing the optician brand concept, all components of the formula are important and due to our methodological approach, we need to be aware of all aspects concerning both the rational and emotional values of a brand93. It can seem straight-forward to state that e.g. price and assortment strategies need to be aligned and seen as interdependent but due to our holistic perspective, we should always try to understand how changes in one attribute might affect the others and also the entire offering and brand promise.
Moreover, we shall not consider an optician retail brand as isolated, but be aware of that the consumers’ perceptions of the different brands are mixed together in their minds and memory, and that an optician retail brand is always considered relatively to the others. In addition, we also have a holistic perspective towards the entire optician retail sector, since changes in some part of the industry are believed to have some or great influence on the sector as whole. An implementation of a certain strategy by one of the optician retailers is considered to possibly lead to counteractions from the competitors. Any market characteristics or changes should thus not be evaluated isolated but be viewed upon in the context, which they are a part of.
When looking upon the holistic perspective within the field of consumer behaviour, it must be stated that we consider the consumers as whole human beings with both psychical and physical needs, and we believe a person only functions if all human needs are taken into account. As already pointed out, the consumers’ perceptions of an optician retail brand are considered to be complex and contain experiences of and attitudes towards the different attributes. In this thesis, it is therefore seen as crucial that the consumers’ thoughts are compiled and gathered to create an understanding of the overall image, and how the optician retail brand as a total is perceived and positioned in the minds of the consumers.
Finally as described earlier, we presume the consumers’ approach to acquire glasses concerns both cognitive and emotional considerations and we always need to be aware of the consumers’ total interpretation and not analyze different elements separately.
93 Van Tongeren, Michael (2002): Retail Branding/Platform Development: The holistic approach to retail branding.
7.2 Thesis Structure
The aim of this section is to create an overview of our thesis and explain how we have structured our analyses. The thesis structure is very much aligned with and follows our four research questions and thus complies naturally with our working process.
First and foremost, we conducted a literature review concerning retail branding and how to build a differentiated store image. The review was among others completed to gain knowledge of the concept of store image from a retailer perspective and to find, which store image attributes should be applied in our analyses. The literature review resulted in the selection of five store image attributes; Service, Assortment, Price, Location and Store Design and Atmosphere, which therefore will be integrated in our market analysis and later be examined further in our empiric consumer analysis.
When focusing on the market analysis, our aim is to create an understanding of the current competitive situation in the optician retail sector and gain insights about the different retail brands and their current market positions. To be able to answer our first research question, we will analyze the overall optician retail sector, examine the current competitive situation and look upon which market characteristics are considered to influence the optician retail brands and the dynamics within the sector. Finally, the market analysis will include an audit of the different optician retail brands’ marketing mix, the applied positioning strategies and obtained positions.
Next we will conduct an empiric analysis where we will examine the importance of the five selected store image attributes from the literature review and also seek to gain an insight of the participants’ perceptions and associations of the optician retail brands. Finally, the consumer analysis will contain an examination of which brand personalities are linked to the different brands, and how the optician retail brands are compared to each other, in regard to the different store image attributes.
Market Analysis Consumer Analysis Literature Review
Positioning Strategies
Thiele
After the completion of the empiric analysis, we will look upon the theoretical positioning strategies and make a comparison to our findings in the analyses to build an understanding of which attractive retail brand positions are obtainable and sustainable in the optician market.
The insights and results from the market and consumer analyses will therefore be utilized to look upon, how the optician retail brands can use the store image attributes in a positioning strategy based on the current situation in the optician retail sector.
Finally we will use the results of our analyses to examine how Thiele can create a differentiated store image and to identify which attractive position Thiele is recommended to obtain. The last section will moreover look upon which positioning strategies Thiele should pursue in order to obtain the suggested position, and also treat what needs to be implemented and tactical executed by Thiele to succeed in obtaining an attractive position.
Figure 1: Thesis Structure
Source: Own construct