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MARKETING IMAGE MANAGEMENT FOR A LOCAL PAGING COMPANY:

ITS DESIGN, MEASUREMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

by

YU YAT-WAH

MBA PROJECT REPORT

Presented to

The Graduate School

In Partial Fulfilment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

TWO YEAR MBA PROGRAMME

THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

May 1992

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ABSTRACT

The paging industry is becoming very competitive in Hong Kong in the 1990s.

Companies are offering similar products and services to their customers. As a result,

marketing image is one of the most important differentiation factors for a company

to stand out from its competitors. This research studied the marketing image of

Telecom Paging Limited through consumer research. The findings are compared to

that of its major competitor. New World Paging. In order to give a more detailed

analysis, the actual and perceived images are also con^j-ed

A total of 109 questionnaires were completed. Eleven product attributes were

found to be important in evaluating the company image after interviews with the

Telecom Paging senior staff. The research showed that there was a neutral or no

image among the studied companies. For the comparison between the actual and

perceived image, an image gap analysis was conducted. Based on the image gap

analysis, the researcher tried to recommend a marketing strategy that would bring

the company back to its desired image.

• • • 111

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iii

LIST OF TABLES v

UST OF FIGURES vi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vii

CHAPTER

1. INTRODUCTION 1

2. MARKETING IMAGE STUDY FOR TELECOM

PAGING LIMITED 3 Market Situation of the Paging Industry 3 Marketing Strategy 6 The Target Company - Telecom Paging Ltd. 11 Research Objective 12

3. LITERATURE REVIEW 13

4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 19 Exploratory Study 19 Descriptive Research 20

5. LIMITATIONS 24

6. RESULTS 26 Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents 26 Media Through Which Respondents Became Aware of Telecom Paging and New World Paging 29 Top of Mind Paging Companies 31 Mean Score of Each Attribute 32 Mean Importance of Each Attribute 35

7. IMAGE GAP ANALYSIS 37 Telecom's Image versus New World's Image 40 Actual Image versus Perceived Image 44

iv

8. RECOMMENDED MARKETING STRATEGY FOR TELECOM PAGING LIMITED 49

9. CONCLUSION 56

BIBLIOGRAPHY 58

APPENDICES 60

V

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE 1 Growth Rate of Pager Users 5

TABLE 2 Market Share of Paging Companies 5

TABLE 3 User/Potential User Profile of the Respondents 27

TABLE 4 Sex of Respondents 27

TABLE 5 Age of Respondents 28

TABLE 6 Occupation of Respondents 28

TABLE 7 Income of Respondents 28

TABLE 8 Media Through Respondents Became Aware of Telecom Paging 29

TABLE 9 Media Through Which Respondents Became Aware of

New World Paging 30

TABLE 10 Awareness of Paging Companies by Respondents 31

TABLE 11 Mean Score of Each Attribute 32

TABLE 12 Attitude Rating of Telecom Paging

(Percentage Distribution) 33

TABLE 13 Attitude Rating of New World Paging

(Percentage Distribution) ‘ 34

TABLE 14 Mean Importance Score of Each Attribute 36

TABLE 15 Total Attitude Scores for Telecom Paging and New World Paging 38

TABLE 16 Direct Rating Scale: Perceived Importance and Images 41

TABLE 17 Actual Image versus Perceived Image 44

vi

LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE 1 Bipolar Mapping : Image of Telecom Paging and

New World Paging 40

FIGURE 2 Importance and Image Mapping : Telecom Paging 42

FIGURE 3 Prescriptions for Management Actions 43

FIGURE 4 Actual and Perceived Product Technology 46

• • Vll

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who helped me in

completing the research. Firstly, I give my sincere thanks to my friends Miss Jenny

Tarn and Mr. Willy Hung. They helped me in preparing the on-street interviews and

data inputing.

I am indebted to Mr. Billy Cheung, the Sales Director of Telecom Paging

Limited who gave generously of his time in discussing the related issues concerning

this research.

Finally, I would like to express my special thanks to my advisor, Dr. Julie H.

Yu, for her insightful suggestions and guidelines. Her patience and encouragement

during the course of the research helped me to solve many difficulties and I am

greatly benefited from her knowledge and talents.

Marketing Image Management: Telecom Paging Limited Page 1

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

The concept of image has long been an interesting topic in the marketing

field. There is a good deal of literature which addresses the concept , as well as the

method of measuring it. However, the image concept was not widely used by

marketing practitioners because of the intangible nature of the subject and difficulty

in measuring it. The research conducted here is inspired by the article by Barich and

Kotler on marketing image management . The authors clarified the concept of

image and developed a framework for marketing image management. The major

difference between their framework and other literature on image studies is that the

former focuses on the managerial decision in measuring the image. The objective of

the framework is to help companies develop a good image in the customer's minds.

The choice of the paging industry as the object of study is also not a

coincidence. The communication business of Hong Kong is expanding at an

unprecedented rate in the 1990s. The number of paging companies, as well as the

iFor example, John G. Myers, Consumer Image and Attitude (Institute of Business and Economic Research, University of California, Berkeley, 1969) presented a comprehensive overview of the concept of image; Elinor Selame and Joe Selame, The Company Image : Building Your Identity and Influence in the Marketplace (John Wiley & Sons, 1988) illustrated how company image can be a competitive tool for success in the marketplace; and Li Chi Hung, "Image Measurement of Four Supermarkets Chains in Hong Kong" (Unpublished MBA thesis, University of Hong Kong, 1983) applied the image concept to Hong Kong supermarkets.

^Howard Barich and Philip Kotler, "A Framework for Marketing Image Management," Sloan Management Review. Winter, 1991, pp.94-104.


demand for paging services, are increasing very fast. The market situation is

competitive but its attractiveness is also high. As a result, customers are choosing

among the diversified products and services of different companies. Understanding

the decision making process and the consumers' perceptions of the company become

an important job for all senior executives.

As a result, these two subjects are then a perfect match. This research is

aimed at applying the marketing image concept in a local paging company. It is

hoped that the marketing image management system can help the company, not only

to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors in the paging industry, but at

the same time to attract new customers and satisfy existing customers.

t •


CHAPTER 2

MARKETING IMAGE STUDY FOR TELECOM PAGING LIMITED

A« Market Situation of the Paging Industiy

Paging services were introduced to Hong Kong about 20 years ago. During

these 20 years, the market situation has changed a lot . With the increasing demand

for telecommunication services, the industry witnessed a boom in the 1990s. The

number of paging companies has grown to 23 companies. The booming of the paging

industry is aided by the following factors :

a. The growing economic condition of Hong Kong requires

fast communication. The pager is a good and inexpensive

solution for many people.

b. A pager is also a good complement to the mobile

telephone. People are using mobile phones and pagers at

the same time to achieve maximum efficiency. According

to some statistics, about 70% of mobile phone users are

pager users. This shows the close relationship between

these two forms of communications.

^For a brief history of the paging industry in Hong Kong, see "The Competitive Strategy of the Paging Companies," (in Chinese) Capital. Sept. 1991，pp.104-106.


The CT2 (Cordless Telephone Second Generation)

system^ a one way mobile phone with which the owner

can only dial out within a particular calling post

established elsewhere in Hong Kong, is particularly useful

when the system is used in conjunction with the pager.

Since the price of the CT2 is relatively cheaper than that

of the mobile phone, the market is expected to have a

great demand for the product. As a result, new and

existing companies are targeting on this market since it

will facilitate a large client base for them.

c. The pager is no longer considered as a product used only

by "bad" people. In the past, there was a general belief

that only people employed in illegal businesses would have

pagers. For example, if a girl has a pager, people will

think that she is working in a night club. However, as

attitudes have changed, people now think that pagers are

very convenient products for communicating and keeping

in touch with others. As a result, many women and young

people have their own pagers now. It greatly enlarges the

market potential of the industry.

4For a brief overview of the CT2 system and technology, see Nick Ingelbrecht, “ CT2 - A Brief Review," Hong Kong Business. August 1991，pp.44-48.


At present, there are about 760,000 pager users in Hong Kong. The growth

rate of the paging industry is about 20% (Table 1). Hutchison, Star and ABC are the

leaders of the industry (Table 2). To conclude, the market of pager is very attractive

and competitive.

Table 1 Growth Rate of Pager Users 、

Year Number of Pagers Growth Rate

w

12/82 164,101 N/A 12/83 166307 +134 12/84 205,010 +23.27 12/85 219,164 + 6.90 12/86 287,356 +31.11 12/87 376,843 +31.14 12/88 486,640 + 29.14 12/89 594,216 + 22.11 12/90 711,420 +19.72 5/91 761,257 + 7.01

Source : Hong Kong Government, Post Office

Table 2 Market Share of Paging Companies

Company No. of users Market Share

w

Hutchison 300,000 40 Star 150,000 20 ABC 110,000 14 CSL 60,000 8 Telecom 40,000 5 Others 100,000 13

TOTAL 760,000 100

Source : Individual paging companies


B. Marketing Strategy

As mentioned above, the market situation of the paging industry is very

competitive. In order to give an overall picture of the existing marketing strategies

employed by different paging companies, a brief analysis of marketing strategies will

be presented:

a. High End Market - this strategy is employed by the market

leader, Hutchison Paging. Hutchison Paging positioned itself as

a company which provides a reliable paging service and a

technologically sophisticated pager. As a result, the price of the

pager is relatively more expensive than its competitors. On the

other hand, in order to reinforce the high end image, Hutchison

Paging has extensive advertisements on local TV networks.

Recently they have been promoting the pager for family usage in

order to increase the number of potential customers.

b. Low End Market - this strategy is employed very well by another

market giant, Star Paging. Star Paging is the pioneer of

introducing the "$10 rent-a-pager" service. This is a service that

enables the user to pay a $10 dollar rental fee to rent a pager

instead of buying the pager. Besides, the price of the pager and

some special service fees are cheaper than those of its


competitors. The company also has the widest distribution

network in Hong Kong. As a result, it can capture a large

proportion of the lower end pager user.

c. Service Innovation Strategy - This strategy is employed by several

paging companies because it is a very good way to differentiate

itself from its competitors. The pioneer in this strategy is New

World Paging. New World Paging was first in introducing a

service called "Personal Secretarial Service". In using the service,

users can have their own line (this is a direct line for the user

with no need to call a personal code number). When people dial

the number, the operator will answer as if she were the user's

personal secretary. After receiving the information, the operator

will call the user through the pager, or forward the call to the

user's assigned telephone. The main feature of this service is its

personal contact and call forwarding functions. This kind of

service attracted much attention from the market. Many

companies like Telecom Paging, ABC Paging, Star Paging and

Epro Paging are now providing this service.

Other areas of service innovation include the

King-Phone by Star Paging and the Hong Kong-China

Roaming Paging Service by Telecom Paging and CSV.

^Hong Kong Economic Journal. 4th January, 1991, p.9.


d. Product Innovation Strategy - This strategy is also employed by

many companies. However, this strategy cannot greatly

differentiate the company from its competitors because of the

similar technological level. Epro is the first to introduce a second

generation pager. The size of the pager is approximately two-

thirds the size of a credit card. Other products like credit card-

like and pen-like pagers are introduced to meet the different

need of customers.

After discussing the different marketing strategies employed by different

companies, it is now helpful to evaluate the marketing mix of the paging industry.

i. Promotion mix. Many large companies like Hutchison Paging,

ABC Paging, Star Paging, New World Paging and Chevalier

Paging have large scale promotional campaigns on television and

radio, and in newspapers and magazines.

ii. Product. The source of the pager is different. Hutchison is the

sole agent of Panasonic (Japan) and Motorola (USA). Besides

this, there are two main sources of the product. The first is using

some foreign brands like NEC(Japan), Casino(Japan) or

Ericssion (Sweden). Companies like Chevalier, New World,

Telecom and ABC are using these products. The second source


comes from PRC and locally. Star Paging has a large

manufacturing plant in PRC and Epro is also using products with

its own brand name.

iii. Distribution. Only large companies like Star, ABC, Hutchison,

Chevalier and New World have their own shops. Other

companies will use agents or other distribution networks like

convenience stores or telecommunication shops to attract

customers or as payment centres. For example, Epro uses Circle

K convenience stores as payment centres.

iv. Price. Price becomes a critical factor with an increasing number

of firms entering the market. Because of the competitive

environment, different companies use different marketing tactics

to attract new users and facilitate brand switching. There was a

price war in 1991 among these large companies. Some companies

like Chevalier had introduced a package that would give the

pager free of charge if the client paid 6 month service fees in

advance. Other companies followed with similar packages.

Besides the major players, there are many other small paging companies

operating in Hong Kong. They do not have their own shops and are relying on some

agents or telecommunication shops for distribution. Besides, direct sales calls are


also commonly used by these companies. Their marketing strategies are mainly

focused on price. They will lower the price of the pager or service fees to attract

users. No promotional activities except direct sales calls are offered.


C. The Target Company - Telecom Paging Ltd.

Telecom Paging Limited was found in 1974 by the Cheung family. At present,

it is the fifth largest paging company in Hong Kong after Hutchison Paging, Star

Paging, ABC Paging and CSL Paging. Telecom Paging has about 40,000 clients. The

marketing mix of Telecom Paging is as follows :

a. Product - pager comes from NEC (Japan)

b. Distribution - it has twenty shops and 30 salespersons

c. Price _ set at medium level, not premium pricing

d. Promotion - remains low profile, mainly through print

advertisements

Seeing a large market potential for the personal secretarial service, Telecom

has been shifting its focus from a conventional paging service to personal secretarial

service. Besides, Telecom also introduced the China-Hong Kong Paging Service,

which provides roaming paging service between China and Hong Kong.

Telecom Paging is preparing to launch a major promotional campaign in

1992. Its major competitor is New World Paging, a newly established paging

company which is focusing its business in the Personal Secretarial Service and is in

direct competition with Telecom Paging.


D. Research Objective

The objective of the research is to develop a marketing image management

system for Telecom Paging Ltd. The marketing image management system is a

system of collecting, analyzing, and acting on information that describes how

different publics view key attributes of the company's performance. In this research,

the image of the customers towards the target company will be tracked. The findings

will be compared to a) the image of its major competitor and b) the ideal or desired

image. The reason of comparing New World Paging only is that New World Paging

provide similar service and target on the same market. The objectives of the study

are summarized as follows:

i. to investigate the attributes that are most important to customers'

purchase decision

ii. to track the company image

iii. to compare the perceived image with that of its major competitor

iv. to design and develop a marketing image management system for

Telecom Paging Ltd.


CHAPTER 3

LITERATURE REVIEW

It is generally agreed that a company does need an "image" to sustain its

development, and a good image will certainly provide the company with a

competitive edge. Modern companies are very concerned about how people perceive

their companies and brands. However, few of them do systematic studies on a

regular basis. Besides, they believe that advertising or communication means are the

only ways to establish a desired image in the mind of their customers . This view

results in a heavy reliance on the advertising or communication media in conveying

their image.

However, to be a market-driven company, it must provide what its customers

want. Therefore, the image is not what the company believes it to be, but rather the

feelings and beliefs about the company that exist in the minds of the audience and

which arise from observation and experience. This observation or experience is

generated by what the brand or company offers. Therefore, the company with a good

image is the company which can give its customers satisfactory offers in its marketing

mix.

^Alan Topalian, "Corporate Identity: Beyond the Visual Overstatements," International Journal of Advertising. Vol.3, 1984, pp.55-62.


This section will first discuss the various concepts related to the marketing

image by reviewing the relevant literature.

a. Corporate Personality

Corporate personality, to a certain extent, is the culture of the organization.

This guides how the organization behaves. Bernstein observed that corporate

personality does not "grow" in exactly the same way as human personality does?, for

two reasons:

i. It has more influences that act to influence and modify the

unique personality, e.g., colleagues, customers, suppliers

and market.

ii. There is far greater degree of control over a corporate

personality. Corporate personality can be determined

before the company is formed by deciding on what is to be

done, what it shall believe in, and how it shall operate all

the factors which constitute a corporate personality.

^D. Bernstein, Company Image and Reality： A Critique of Corporate Communications (Eastbourne, Holt, Rhinehart & Winston Ltd., 1984).


b. Corporate Identity

Olins proposed that a sense of identity is natural and necessary to every social

group®. He also stressed that in order to be effective, every organization needs a

clear sense of purpose that people within it can understand . Therefore, corporate

identity is how the company behaves from its own personality. A company can

present its identity in its mission statement. There are four main areas of the

corporate identity :

Product/Service - what you make or sell

Environment - where you make or sell it

Information - how you describe and publicize what you do

Behaviour - how people within the organization

behave toward each other and toward

outsiders

Therefore, corporate identity is an aggregate of the above areas, by which an

audience can recognize the company and distinguish it from others, and which can

be used to represent or symbolize the company.

Q ^ ^

Waly Olins, The Corporate Personality : An Inquiry into the Nature of Corporate Identity (London: Design Council, 1979).

^ a l y Olins, Corporate Identity : Making Business Strategy Visible Through Design (Harvard Business School, 1989).


c. Corporate Image

Bernstein stressed that the corporate image is not what the company believes

itself to be, but rather the feelings and beliefs about the company that exist in the

minds of its audience, which arise from experience and observation ®.

The subdivisions of the corporate image include :

i. Product image • the way people view a particular category

ii. Brand image - the way people view a particular brand that

is in competition with other brands.

d. Marketing Image :

The above three concepts are widely used in the marketing literature in

describing the concept of "image". However, these concepts may not be adequate for

us to understand the functions of the "image" for two reasons:

i. the corporate image concept can only give an overall

impression of the customers towards the company without

knowing the weak or strong aspects of its marketing mix

in comparison to those of its competitors, and

l Bernstein, op.cit.


ii. it is difficult for the managerial level of the company to

track and manage its image systematically.

As a result, Barich and Kotler proposed the concept of marketing image: the

way people view the quality of the company's overall marketing offer and marketing

.11 mixu.

The marketing image shall include the marketing factors of product, price,

sales force, distribution channels, communications, service, and support in different

product and brand categories. Barich and Kotler also stressed that a good corporate

image may not contribute much to the company, especially if the company suffers

from poor marketingi2. Therefore, a good marketing image is very important to the

company's success. Marketing image management is simply a management system

for the marketing image of a company. It includes four main processes :

a) design

b) data collection

c) image gap analysis

d) image modification actions and tracking

^^Barich and Kotler, op.cit. 12 ibid., p.96.


The main advantage of this image tracking and management system are that

(1) the company can detect unfavourable image shifts early, before they hurt the

company; (2) the company can identify key areas where its performance lags behind

its competitors and work to strengthen those areas, and (3) the company can identify

key areas where it outshines its competitors and can capitalize on those strengths.


CHAPTER 4

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

A. Exploratory Study " In-depth Interview with the Target Company

The researcher interviewed the target Company, Telecom Paging Ltd. After

discussions with the senior executive of the company, he was able to identify:

i. the company's existing marketing strategy

ii. the company's major competitors

iii. the attributes that are most influential in purchase

decisions

iv. the existing market environment and the strength and

position of the company

From this interview, the researchers was able to identify 11 attributes that the

senior management of Telecom Paging considered as important. They were:

a. Product Technology

b. Pager Appearance

c. Price of Pager

d. Service Fees


e. Reliability of Service

f. Courtesy of Operators

g. Store Locations

h. Sales Personnel's Knowledge

i. Promotion Activity

j. Signal Coverage

k. Maintenance Service

The researcher also identified the major competitor of Telecom Paging is

New World Paging, since this company provides similar paging services.

B. Descriptive Research

1. Survey population

For reasons of resource constraints (i.e, finance, time, manpower, etc.), it was

not possible to survey the entire population. Rather, people walking into the MTR

stations were studied. It deliberately included MTR stations in both industrial and

commercial areas. The MTR stations located in the commercial areas were Central

and Tsimshatsui. For the industrial area, the Kwun Tong MTR station was chosen.

The reasons for choosing these three stations were their high flow of passengers and

representativeness of the industrial and commercial areas.


2. Sample size

It is too costly and impossible to investigate the entire population. As a result,

the method of sample size determination of probability sampling was used for

calculating the sample size of this research. The total sample size was 119. This was

the largest sample size required for the research, which involves sample proportion

estimation, at 95 percent confidence with E(error) not greater than 9 percentage

points, (see Appendix 3 for sample size calculation)

3. Sampling procedure

Nonprobability convenience sampling was used. The survey was conducted on

Friday (from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.) and Saturday morning (from 8:30 a.m.-

1:30p.m.). The researchers randomly selected persons, who were aged over 16, at the

entrances of the Central, Tsimshatsui, and Kwun Tong MTR stations.

4. Method of Data Collection

Five researchers were responsible for the data collection. Four of them were

female and one was male. They were divided into 3 groups (two groups of 2 persons

each, and one group with only one person). Each group was assigned to one of the


three MTR stations mentioned above. The researchers randomly asked people over

16 passing by the MTR stations to complete a questionnaire (see Appendix 1 and

2). If he/she refused, the interviewer asked another person. The interviewers first

asked the screening questions in Section One of the questionnaire. The interview

proceeded when the respondent passed the screening questions.

5. The Questionnaire

The questionnaire used in this survey was divided into three sections. The

English and Chinese versions of the questionnaire are shown in Appendix 1 and 2，

respectively.

i. Section One contains the screening questions and some

background information. The purpose of the screening question

is two-fold: a) to make sure that the respondent is a pager user

or potential user and b) to make sure the respondent is aware of

Telecom Paging and New World Paging. After the screening

questions, the researcher asked three questions about the

background knowledge of the respondent. «

ii. Section Two is the main part of the questionnaire. It is used to

find out the respondent's attitude towards different attributes of


the two paging companies. There are a total of eleven statements

which can be divided into the categories of product, price,

distribution, communication and support. Besides, there is an

importance rating question to find out the relative importance of

different attributes.

iii. Section Three consists of the demographic details of the respondent.


CHAPTERS

LIMITATIONS

There are several limitations in this research; they include:

a. Bias will occur when choosing the sample, since a convenience

sample was employed. Firstly, the locations of the MTR stations

and the respondents interviewed at these stations may not fully

reflect the profile of the target population. Secondly, it is not a

probability sample. It is under the researchers，control, and this

may introduce some personal bias in the choice of respondents.

b. Researcher bias in asking the respondent questions may exist, as

the way of conducting the interview may have induced the

respondent to have different responses. Besides, the respondent

may also have misinterpreted the questions raised.

c. Among 109 respondents, only 27 were potential users. It was

difficult to find a large number of potential users because of the

resources available. As a result, it was not possible to conduct a

separate analysis of the potential users，image of the target

companies.


‘ d . Besides the limited number of potential users, the researchers

only successfully interviewed twenty females. Therefore, for the

same reason as mentioned above, a separate analysis of the

female group was not possible.

e. Based upon the limited sample size, one cannot draw direct

inferences for the general population. As a result, the image

tracked in the research may not be that of the target population.

f. For convenience purposes during analysis, the statements in

Section Two of the questionnaire were converted into attributes.

This conversion may not directly reflect the true perception of the

respondents in agreeing or disagreeing with the statements.

I


CHAPTER 6

RESULTS

A. Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents

The researchers successfully interviewed 109 respondents at the selected MTR

stations. Among the 109 respondents, 89 were male and 20 were female. There were

82 existing users and 27 potential users.

With respect to age, a high percentage of respondents (41.3 %) were in the

16-25 age group while 33 percent of respondents were within the 26-35 age group.

About 22 percent of respondents were aged 36-45. Only 3.7 percent were 45 or

above.

The occupations of the respondents were quite evenly distributed.

Sales/Marketing (24.8%) and Executive/Manager( 18.3%) were the two occupations

that had the highest percentages. This shows that there may have been some

correlations between the occupations and the use of pagers. One point which needs

to be mentioned here is that 6.4 % of those using or potentially using pagers were

students. This was not a small number when compared with the other occupations.


The majority (53.2%) of the respondents belonged to the $6,000 to $15,999

monthly personal income group.

The demographic data are summarized in Tables 3 to 7.

Table 3 User/Potential User Profile of the Respondents

Frequency Percent

User 82 75.2

Potential User 27 24.8

TOTAL 109 100

Table 4 Sex of Respondents

Sex Frequency Percent

Male 89 81.7

Female 20 183

TOTAL 109 100


Table 5 Age of Respondents

Age Group Frequency Percent

16-25 45 413 26-35 36 33.0 36-45 24 22.0 45 or above 4 3.7

TOTAL 109 100

Table 6 Occupation of Respondents

Occupation Frequency Percent Professionals 9 83 Executive/Manager 20 18.3 Clericals 17 15.6 Sales/Marketing 27 24.8 Service 14 12.8 Manufacturing 9 83 Student 7 6.4 Others 6 5.5

TOTAL 109 100

Table 7 Income of Respondents

Income Frequency Percent Less than $6,000 32 293 $6,000-$15,999 58 53.2 $16,000-25,999 15 13.8 Above 26,000 4 3.7

TOTAL 109 100


B. Media Through Which Respondents Became Aware of Telecom Paging and

New World Paging

From Tables 8 and 9, a large percentage (66.1%) of respondents became

aware of Telecom through TV/Print advertisements, while a similar percentage

(62.4%) of respondents became aware of New World Paging through the same

media. However, Telecom Paging only employed print advertisements in promoting

the company, while New World had organized a large TV campaign. As a result, the

efficiency of the print advertisement in achieving that high reach (66.1%) of Telecom

Paging was questionable.

Furthermore, many respondents (29.4% for Telecom and 26.6% for New

World Paging) became aware of the two companies through the medium of friends.

It may be very interesting to these companies to know that word-of-mouth is quite

important in the paging industry.

Table 8 Media Through Which Respondents Became Aware of Telecom Paging

Media Frequency Percent

TV/Print Ad. 72 66.1 Friends 32 29.4 Shops/Billboards 19 17.4 Promotion Counters 10 9.2 Sales Persons 2 1.8 Others 4 3.7


Table 9 Media Through Which Respondents Became Aware of New World Paging

Media Frequency Percent

TV/Print Ad. 68 62.4 Friends 29 26.6 Shops/Billboards 14 12«8 Promotion Counters 15 4.6 Sales Persons 1 0.9 Others 1 0.9


C. Top of Mind Paging Companies

The findings showed that the "big three" in the paging industry were also the

3 top of mind companies of the respondents. Hutchison Paging (77.1%), Star Paging

(64.2%) and ABC Paging (52.3%) were well known to the respondents. It was

interesting to note that Chevalier Paging, which was just established in 1991, had

already achieved 36.7% top of mind awareness from the respondents. This was

because the company launched an intensive advertising campaign in different media.

The top of mind awareness of Telecom and New World Paging was not tracked here

because all respondents were aware of the two companies.

Table 10 Awareness of Paging Companies by Respondents

Company Frequency Percent

Hutchison Paging 84 77.1 ABC Paging 57 523 Star Paging 70 64.2 BB Telecom 20 183 Telepaging 3 2.8 CSL 20 183 Asia Paging 5 4.6 Chevalier Paging 40 36.7


D. Mean Score of Each Attribute

For the ease of data analysis, the statements asked in the personal interview

were converted into some corresponding attributes for image tracking. The score of

each attribute was then averaged, as shown in Table 11. Sampling statistics were

used to test the differences between the two means to see whether they were large

enough to be considered statistically significant. The confidence interval is set at

95%.

Based upon these tests, none of the differences in mean attribute ratings were

statistically significant; i.e., we could not draw the conclusion that there were

differences between the two companies with respect to these eleven attributes.

Table 11 Mean Score of Each Attribute

Attribute Telecom New World

Product Technology 3.3 3.5 Pager Appearance 3.2 3.3 Price of Pager 3.1 3.2 Service Fee 3.0 3.1 Reliability of Service 2.9 3.5 Courtesy of Operators 3.1 3.6 Store Locations 2.9 2.9 Sales Persons’ Knowledge 3.0 3.2 Promotion Activity 2.8 3.2 Signal Coverage 2.9 3.4 Maintenance Service 3.0 3.0

These attributes are converted from the statement rated based on a scale of 1 to 5’ where 1 is strongly disagree and 5 is strongly agree. The scores are then averaged.


It should be noticed that respondents scoring at the midpoint are significantly

greater than those scoring at other scale points (see Tables 12 & 13). This central

tendency of the rating did suggest that both companies had a neutral image or no

image at all .

Table 12 Attitude Rating of Telecom Paging (Percentage Distribution)

Attribute % 1 2 3 4 5 TOTAL

Product Technology 2.8 5.5 49.5 40.4 1.8 100 Pager Appearance 1.8 13.8 50.5 33.0 0.9 100 Price of Pager 0.0 17.4 58.7 23.9 0.0 100 Service Fee 3.7 12.8 63.3 202 0.0 100 Reliability of Service 0.9 24.8 532 21.1 0.0 100 Courtesy of Operators 0.0 15.6 58.7 25.7 0.0 100 Store Locations 0.9 17.4 69.8 11.9 0.0 100 Sales Persons' Knowledge 0.0 11.0 77.1 11.9 0.0 100 Promotion Activity 3.7 22.9 66.1 7.3 0.0 100 Signal Coverage 0.9 26.6 56.9 15.6 0.0 100 Maintenance Service 0.9 10.1 73.4 15.6 0.0 100

P.H.G. McDougall and J.N. Fry, "Combining Two Methods of Image Measurement," Journal of Retailing. Vol. 50, No.4, Winter 1974-5, p.55.


Table 13 Attitude Rating of New World Paging (Percent Distribution)

Attribute % 1 2 3 4 5 TOTAL

Product Technology 0.0 4.6 55.0 29.4 11.0 100 Pager Appearance 0.0 83 61«5 20.1 10.1 100 Price of Pager 0.0 9.2 66.1 21.0 3.7 100 Service Fee 3.7 7.3 69.7 19.3 0.0 100 Reliability of Service 5.5 56.9 22.9 14.7 0.0 100 Courtesy of Operators 2.8 56.9 21.1 19.2 0.0 100 Store Locations 3.7 15.6 67.9 12.8 0.0 100 Sales Persons' Knowledge 3.7 80.7 11.0 4.6 0.0 100 Promotion Activity 2.8 11.0 58.7 16^ 11.0 100 Signal Coverage 0.0 7.3 59.6 21.2 11.9 100 Maintenance Service 2.8 11.0 74.3 10.1 1.8 100


E. Mean Importance of Each Attribute

The importance of each attribute was included in the survey based on the

multi-attribute model to show the weight of each attribute in the respondent's mind.

Among the eleven attributes (Table 14), the five most important attributes were (in

order of importance):

1. Reliability of Service

2. Signal Coverage

3. Courtesy of Operators

4. Product Technology

5. Maintenance Service

The findings showed that respondents were very concerned about the

reliability of the service and the signal coverage. The attribute "Courtesy of the

Operators" was rank third, perhaps because of the increasing demand by the

customers for better service.

Respondents seemed to see attributes like "Store Locations", "Sales Persons'

Knowledge" and "Promotion Activity" as relatively unimportant. This might infer that

customers expect a good and reliable paging service rather than some "external"

factors like location and promotional activities.


Table 14 Mean Importance Score of Each Attribute

Attribute Perceived Importance

Product Technology 4.0 Pager Appearance 3.4 Price of Pager 3.6 Service Fee 3.6 Reliability of Service 4.5 Courtesy of Operators 4.2 Store Locations 3.1 Sales Persons, Knowledge 3.3 Promotion Activity 3.3 Signal Coverage 4.3 Maintenance Service 3.8

The importance scores are rated on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is strongly important. The scores are then averaged.


CHAPTER 7

IMAGE GAP ANALYSIS

Although there is a central tendency for the rating of each attribute, it is still

worthwhile to look at different ratings which contributed to the image of Telecom

Paging, as compared to that of New World Paging. In fact, the above analysis of the

image and the perceived importance are based largely on the multi-attribute

modeli4:

Aj = E liBij 2 = 1

where Aj : attitude toward brand j

Ij : importance weight given attribute i

Bjj : belief as to the extent to which

attribute i is offered by brand j

n : number of attributes

^^William L. Wilkie and Edgar A. Pessemier, "Issues in Marketing's Use of Multi-Attribute Attitude Models," Journal of Marketing Research. Vol. 10，November 1973, pp.428-441; James R. Bettman, Noel Capon and Richard J. Lutz, "Cognitive Algebra in Multi-Attribute Attitude Models," Journal of Marketing Research. Vol.12, 1975, pp.151-164.


Based on Tables 11 and 14, the total attitude scores for Telecom and New

World Paging are as follows:

Table 15 Total Attitude Scores for Telecom Paging and New World Paging.

Attribute Telecom New World

Product Technology 13.20 14.00 Pager Appearance 10.88 11.22 Price of Pager 11.16 11J2 Service Fee 10.80 11.16 Reliability of Service 13.05 15.75 Courtesy of Operators 13.02 15.12 Store Locations 8.99 8.99 Sales Persons' Knowledge 9.90 10«56 Promotion Activity 9.24 10J6 Signal Coverage 12.47 14.62 Maintenance Service 11.40 11.40

TOTAL 124.11 134.90

* Attitude scores are perceived importance times the individual rating of each attribute

From Table 15, the total attitude score for Telecom Paging is 124.11, while

the attitude score for New World Paging is 134.90. The multi-attribute model

assumes that a person's perception is a combination of the individual reactions to

the attributes making up the stimulus^ . As a result, marketers can use the model

to determine the customer's overall perception of a particular brand or product.

The marketing image concept mentioned here is adopting the multi-attribute

model. The underlying rationale is to achieve a high image rating on each attribute

that is highly important to its target customers. Therefore, the marketing image

^^Gilbert A. Churchill, Jr., Marketing Research : Methodological Foundations (The Dryden Press, 1991, 5th ed.), pp.461-462.


management system aimed at developing a system to track and improve the image

of different offerings and factors of the company. The approach is to treat each

factor as an individual one, and try to produce the best image to the customers.


A. Telecom's Image versus New World's Image

From the bipolar mapping (Figure 1), the ratings of image on different attributes

are very similar. This showed that in the minds of customers, neither Telecom

Paging nor New World Paging has a comparative advantage over the other in every

aspect of the image rating. As a result, the images of these two companies cannot

influence the purchasing decision or recommendation of one company over the other

to other people.

Figure 1 Bipolar Mapping : Image of Telecom Paging and New World Paging

Telecom New World

Product Technology I 1 1 Ty 1 1

Pager Appearance | 1 1~~ 1 1

Price of Pager I 1 1 1

Service Fee I 1 1 1

Reliability of Service | 1 () ^ 1 1

\ \ Courtesy of Operators h 1 14 1 1

Store Locations I 1 ^ 1 1

I , \、\ I

Salesman's Knowledge | 1 1

Promotion Activity | 1 H ^ 1 1

Signal Coverage | 1 7* 1 1

V ^ Maintenance Service | 1 r 1 1

1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Strongly disagree agree

Telecom New World


Table 16 Direct Rating Scale: Perceived Importance and Images

Attribute Perceived Image Image Importance Telecom New World

Product Technology 4.0 33 3 5 Pager Appearance 3.4 3.2 33 Price of Pager 3.6 3.1 3.2 Service Fee 3.6 3.0 3.1 Reliability of Service 4.5 2.9 35 Courtesy of Operators 4.2 3.1 3.6 Store Locations 3.1 2.9 2.9 Sales Persons'Knowledge 3.3 3.0 3.2 Promotion Activity 3.3 2.8 3.2 Signal Coverage 4.3 2.9 3.4 Maintenance Service 3.8 3.0 3.0

Since there was no significant difference between the images of Telecom Paging

and New World Paging, the question of the differences between the two companies

did not exist However, the findings still had managerial importance, since they

offered insight on the present position of Telecom Paging. The Importance and

Image Moping (Figure 2) showed that the image of Telecom is average for

different attributes. Therefore, Telecom should still follow some prescriptions for

management actions (Figure 3) to improve the image rating of the company. Based

on the actions suggested in Figure 3, Telecom should focus on improving its ratings

and redudng the importance of the attributes.


Figure 2 Importance and Image Mapping: Telecom Paging

1 High 2 Importance

5-

e •

J • f •

4 “ / k i d c •

b i h •

Low g High 春

-H -i ^ i

Image 1 2 3 4 5 Image

2'

1 -

Low

3 Importance 4


Figure 3 Prescriptions for Management Actions

High

2 Importance 1

+ +

• Capitalize on strengths 參 Capitalize on strengths

• Consider improving rating • Use in communications = =

• Consider improving rating • Consider using in communications • Consider improve rating

— —

• Improve rating • Improve rating • Reduce importance • Reduce importance

Low High

Image Image + +

• Consider using in communications • Consider using in communications • Consider improving importance and • Improve importance

rating

= =

• Consider improving importance and • Consider improving importance and rating rating

一華

• Improve rating • Improve rating

Low

3 Importance 4

Taken from Howard Barich and Philip Kotler,"A Framework for Marketing Image Management", Sloan Management Review

Winter 1991, p.l03

\ .


B. Actual Image Versus Perceived Image

In order to generate meaningful recommendations for Telecom Paging based

on the most important attributes in the image map, the analysis will focus on the five

most important attributes mentioned in the previous section. In discussions with the

senior management of Telecom Paging, they profiled the expected image of the

different attributes :

Table 17 Actual Image versus Perceived Image

Important Attribute Actual Image Perceived Image

Product Technology (4.0) High Average Reliability of Service (4.5) High Average Courtesy of Operators (4.2) Average Average Signal Coverage (4.3) Average Average Maintenance Service (3.8) High Average

()represents the average importance rating of that attribute

The reason for Telecom's actual high image on three of the above attributes

is due to its perceived competitive strength over its competitors.

For product technology, Telecom is using the most sophisticated pager from

NEC. Models range from the conventional Numeric Pager to the most sophisticated

Chinese-English Display Pager. However, they claimed that the models which New

World Paging used were not of the latest technology. Therefore, they are confident

about having a good image on this attribute.


For reliability of service, Telecom is equipped with the latest computer system

from the U.S., which can handle messages quickly and accurately. Besides, the

operators are well-trained in receiving calls and forwarding messages to the users.

For maintenance service, Telecom claimed that it could repair the pager with

high efficiency. Pagers normally could be repaired within hours. This was

unmatchable by New World Paging.

Based on the above analysis, the actual and perceived images will be

compared, and management proposals will be made. Detailed analysis of the

recommended strategy will be discussed in the next chapter. Product technology will

be used to illustrate the action required (Figure 4):


Figure 4 Actual and Perceived Product Technology

Actual Product Technology

High Average

1 2

High Perception : True Perception : False

Action : Compare with Action : Improve product

competitors technology

Perceived Product

Technology 3 4

Average Perception : False Perception : True

Action : Demonstrate product Action : Improve product

technology technology

Modified from Howard Barich and Philip Kotler, "A Framework for Marketing Management," Sloan Management Review.

Winter 1991, p.l03.

Based on the above matrix, the actual product technology of Telecom is high.

However, the perceived product technology is only average. Quadrant 3

demonstrates that the perception of the product technology is false. The suggested

action for the Telecom is to demonstrate product technology to the customers.


The above comparison between perceived and actual images of different

attributes is very useful in tracking the perceived image and suggesting proper action

for management to implement. The other four attributes can also be applied here:

i. Reliability of Service :

Actual Reliability : High

Perceived Reliability of Service : Average

Perception : False

Action : Demonstrate Reliability of Service

ii. Courtesy of Operators

Actual Courtesy of Operators : Average

Perceived Courtesy of Operators : Average

Perception : True

Action : Improve Courtesy of Operators

iii. Signal Coverage

Actual Signal Coverage : Average

Perceived Signal Coverage : Average

Perception : True

Action : Improve Signal Coverage


iv. Maintenance Service

Actual Maintenance Service : High

Perceived Maintenance Service : Average

Perception : False

Action : Demonstrate Maintenance Service efficiency

The suggested actions for management were based on a cost-effective

approach, trying to improve the image using a step-by-step procedure. For example,

if the actual and perceived images are both average, the suggested action will be to

improve the performance of that attribute before demonstrating it.


CHAPTER 8

RECOMMENDED MARKETING STRATEGY FOR TELECOM PAGING LIMITED

The objective of the study is to develop a marketing management system to

track the image of the target company. The system will suggest some prescriptions

for management action. These prescriptions set the main directions for the

management to follow, and identify the most important ways to improve and

integrate them into its marketing strateg/、These actions, from the objective of the

management system, are aimed at helping the company to modify the company

image on the attributes that are most influential to the purchasing decision, and also

the areas that fall behind its competitors. The ultimate objective is to establish a

good image within the customers' minds so that the company can better differentiate

from its competitors and also facilitate an intention to buy the products, as well as

recommending them to others.

After examining the image of Telecom Paging Limited and comparing its

image to those of its competitors as well as the desired image, there are several

points that can be summarized here :

^^Edmund R. Gary and Larry R. Smeltzer, “ Corporate Image - An Integral Part of Strategy,“ Sloan Management Review. Summer 1985, pp. 73-78 and “ Planning a Facelift: Implementing a Corporate Image Program, “ Journal of Business Strategy. Vol. 9 No. 1, pp.4-10.


J a. Neutral or no clear image of the company

b. A gap between the perceived and actual image

Corporate Identity - The Foundation of Strategy

Olins stressed that every organization needs a clear sense of purpose in doing

business口. Therefore, a company must have a clear understanding of what it offers »v

and what business it is in. A clear corporate identity can enhance its efforts to

differentiate and reposition its companies. The strategy, then, would be the reflection

and actualization of this corporate identity.

Before setting the marketing strategy for image modifications, Telecom

Paging must first clearly understand its own identity. At present, Telecom Paging

does not clearly define its business. As a result, it does not have a clear corporate

identity. Thus, the company can not determine for itself the image which it wants to

project to its customers.

It is suggested that Telecom Paging should define its business by focusing on

the telecommunications industry, not just the paging industry. Telecom's objective

is to provide a better telecommunications service to meet the customers' demands.

I7waly Olins, Corporate Identity： Making Business Strategy Visible Through Design (Harvard Business School Press. 19891 p.6


Based on the results of the survey, the following marketing objectives are

proposed for Telecom Paging's image program:

1. To increase awareness of the company

2. To improve the marketing image of the company

The first objective is important since this survey found that a large proportion

of the respondents had a neutral or no image of Telecom Paging. As a result, the

company cannot differentiate itself from its competitors. Therefore, Telecom Paging

should put more emphasis on increasing awareness of the company.

The second objective is derived from the image gap between the actual and

perceived image. Although the survey cannot conclude that there is a significantly

difference between the images of the two companies studied, there is a gap between

the actual image and the perceived image. In fulfilling this marketing objective,

Telecom should identify the cost effective areas for improvement. Five important

attributes were identified ,namely, Product Technology, Reliability of Service,

Courtesy of Operators, Signal Coverage and Maintenance Service. The marketing

strategy recommended here will not be based solely on the promotion side of the

company. The process is

Corporate identity -> Marketing strategy -> Marketing image


Therefore, the process is to clearly present the actual identity of the company

through implementation of the marketing mix and to minimize the gap between the

identity and the image.

Marketing Strategy

A three step marketing image program is suggested for Telecom Paging:

A. The Basic Startup

In designing an appropriate marketing strategy, Telecom Paging should clearly

identify its mission by clearly defining its business. The mission of Telecom should

be:

a. to provide a telecommunication service for the target

customers

b. to focus on the secretarial service and cross border

roaming paging services

/

By achieving this mission, Telecom Paging can clearly defined the target

customer, based on a detailed analysis of the strengths of the company. As

mentioned above, Telecom Paging is only a medium size paging company in Hong

Kong. It cannot compete with the market leader in terms of range of services and


promotions. As a result, Telecom should find a "niche" in the paging service, i.e., the

personal secretarial service and cross border roaming service. These services focus

on the higher end market, which needs better paging services.

Customers will have higher expectations of these kinds of services than of the

conventional services. As a result, Telecom should first try to improve the internal

strengths of the company.

B. Improve Internal Strengths

The image of Telecom Paging can be improved in two ways: a) improve

ratings, and/or b) reduce importance. However, since the importance ratings are

more difficult to change than the company ratings, it is suggested that the company

should focus on improving company rating.

Based on the image gap analysis, the strength of Telecom on the attributes

of Courtesy of Operators and Signal Coverage is only average. Telecom should

therefore improve these areas by providing better training for the operators and

setting up more transmission stations.

The rationale behind these suggestions is that the company should have actual

strengths in different areas and not depend entirely on advertising and promotion.


As we can see in Figure 4, the perception of the company is false if the actual and

perceived image do not match. As a result, it is important to improve the company

strengths in the first place, with the hope of building a long-term good image for the

company.

C Communication For Better Image

The final stage of the marketing strategy will be the communication process.

It is not enough to just change what you are; the customers must perceive that you

have changed. The analysis shows that there is a neutral or no image for Telecom

Paging. Therefore, the communication programme should aim at increasing the

awareness in the first place. On the other hand, communicating the strengths of

Telecom Paging on different attributes is also very important.

In designing the image program, it is suggested that Telecom stage an

advertising campaign in the print media as well as on television. The advertising

objective is to increase the brand awareness and position Telecom Paging as a

reliable and good service paging company to demonstrate the strengths of the

company on these attributes.

However, since the image of the company is the perceptions in the customers'

minds which arises from observation and experience, the communication process


should not be limited to advertising. Therefore, Telecom Paging should pay attention

to the actual transactions with the customers. The research findings showed that

29.4% of the respondents became aware of Telecom Paging through their friends.

It is a logical inference that peer group influence is important. The recommendations

by the existing users to their friends and the experiences of the customers with the

company constitute important components of the marketing image of Telecom

Paging. It is suggested that the company should pay more attention to these areas.


CHAPTER 9

CONCLUSION

This research project is a good application of the marketing image

management concept to the actual business environment of Hong Kong. During the

process, the researcher has identified the most important attributes which influence

the buying decisions of the customers. The image of Telecom Paging is tracked by

asking respondents' ratings on those attributes. The results are then summarized and

compared with those of its major competitor. New World Paging.

This research can only be considered as the beginning of the marketing image

management system study. Since the market situation as well as consumer behaviour

are changing rapidly, Telecom Paging should conduct similar research to track the

image of the company over time. Also, this kind of system can test the effectiveness

of the marketing image programs implemented to see whether they can achieve the

desired results.

In future research, the company may want to extend the scope of the research

by comparing more competitors and tracking the different positions of its

competitors in the customer minds. Such information may facilitate more effective

formulation of the marketing strategy.


Finally, the marketing image management concept is still a very new concept.

In the past, marketers mainly employed the multi-attribute model to compare

attitudes among customers. However, the marketing image management concept can

have more detailed analysis on different important attributes so that the

management can design a marketing program that can directly focus on individual

attributes. Therefore, the application of this concept is strongly recommended for

marketers who want to create and maintain a good images of their respective

companies.


BIBLIOGRAPHY

Barich, Howard and Kotler, Philip, "A Framework for Marketing Image Management," Sloan Management Review. Winter, 1991, pp.94-104.

Bernstein, D., Company Image and Reality : A Critique of Corporate Communications. (Eastbourne, Holt, Rinehart & Winston Ltd, 1984).

Bettman, James R., Capon Noel and Lutz, Richard R.，"Cognitive Algebra in Multi-Attribute Attitude Models," Journal of Marketing Research. Vol. 12, 1975，pp.151-164.

Churchill, Jr., Gilbert A., Marketing Research : Methodological Foundations (The Dryden Press, 1991, 5th ed.).

Gray, E.R. and Smeltzer, L.R., "Planning a Facelift : Implementing a Corporate Image Programme," Journal of Business Strategy. 8(1) 1987, pp.4-10.

Gray, Edmund R. and Smeltzer, Larry R., "Corporate Image - An Integral Part of Strategy," Sloan Management Review. Summer 1985.

Li, Chi Hung, "Image Measurement of Four Supermarket Chains in Hong Kong," (Unpublished MBA thesis, University of Hong Kong, 1983).

McDougall, G.H.G. and Fry, J.N.,"Combining Two Methods of Image Measurement," Journal of Retailing. Vol. 50, No. 4，Winter 1974-75.

Myers, John G., Consumer Image and Attitude (Institute of Business and Economic Research, University of California, Berkeley, 1969).

Olins, Waly, The Corporate Personality : An Inquiry into the Nature of Corporate Identity (London : Design Council, 1979).

Olins, Waly, Corporate Identity : Making Business Strategy Visible Through Design (Harvard Business School Press, 1989).

Selame, Elinor and Selame, Joe, The Company Image : Building Your Identity and Influence in the Marketplace (John Wiley & Sons, 1988).

Topalian, Alan, "Corporate Identity : Beyond the Visual Overstatements," International Journal of Advertising. Vol.3, 1984，pp.55-62.


Wilkie, William L. and Pessemier, Edgar A., ” Issues in Marketing's Use of Multi-Attribute Attitude Models, ” Journal of Marketing Research. Vol. 10, November 1973, pp.428-441.


APPENDIX 1

ENGLISH VERSION OF QUESTIONNAIRE

SECTION I

1. Do you use a pager now? 1 一 Yes (Go to Q.3) 2 No 1

2. Do you plan to have a pager within 1 year? 1 _ Yes 】 ‘ 2 No (End of Questionnaire) 2

3. Are you aware of Telecom Paging Ltd? 1 _ Yes • 2 No (End of Questionnaire) 3

4. Are you aware of New World Paging Ltd? 1— Yes . 2 No (End of Questionnaire) 4

—

5. How did you know about the Telecom Paging Ltd? (You can choose more than I response)

TV/Print Advertisement 5 Friends 6 — Shops/Billboards 了一 Promotion Counters 8 — Sales Persons 9 — Others, please specify i。 No opinion/ Don't know ~ u —

6. How did you know about the New World Paging Ltd ？ (You can choose more than 1 response)

TV/Print Advertisement 12 Friends — Shops/Billboards — Promotion Counters — Sales Persons le — Others, please specify ^ —

No opinion/ Don't know 一

— 18

• 、


7. Can you name any company other than the two mentioned above? Hutchison Paging i9 _ ABC Paging 20 _

~ Star Paging 21 _ — B B Telecom 22 二

Telepaging Paging 23 _ — C S L 24 =

Asia Paging 25 — Chevalier Paging 26 — Others, please specify 27 — Don't know 28 一


SECTION II

8. Read the following statements and then give your opinion on each statement, using a five point scale. (Check one only on each row)

point 1 represents strongly DISAGREE point 5 represents strongly AGREE

(T: Represents Telecom Paging N: Represents New World Paging)

Strongly Slightly Neither Slightly Strongly Disagree Disagree Disagree Agree Agree

/Agree 1 2 3 4 5

a. T h e p a g e r i s T 29 — t e c h n o l o g i c a l l y N _ _ 30 — sophisticated

b. The pager is fashionably T 31 — designed N 32 —

c. The initial cost of pager T 33 — is inexpensive N 34 —

d. The service fee is T 35 — expensive N 36 —

e. The paging service is T 37 — reliable N 38 一

f. T h e o p e r a t o r is T 39 — courteous N 40 —

g. The location of stores is T 41 — inconvenient N 42 —

h. The sales persons are T 43 — knowledgeable N 44 _

i. The company spends T 45 -little on promotion N 46 —

j. The signal is well T 47 — received everywhere in N 48 _ Hong Kong

k. The maintenance service T 49 — is inefficient N 50 —


9. Please rate the importance of the following items. A 5-point scale is used. Point 1 stands for the least important and point 5 stands for the most important. (Check only one on each row)

1 2 3 4 5

a. Pager Technology 51 _

b. Pager Appearance 52 —

c. Price of Pager 53 —

d. Service Fees 54 —

e. Reliability of Service 55 —

f. Courtesy of Operators 56 _

g. Store Locations 5 7 _

h. Sales Personnel's Knowledge 58

i. Promotion Activity

5 9 — j. Signal Coverage —

60 —

k. Maintenance Service

61 —


SECTION III

10. Your Sex: 1 一 _ Male 2 Female 62 —

11. Your Age: 1 16-25 2 26-35 3 36-45 4 46 or Above 63 —

12. Your Occupation: 1 Professional 2 Executive/Manager 3 Clerical 4 Sales/Marketing 5 Service Sector 6 Manufacturing 7 Student 8 Other, please specify 64 一

13. Your monthly personal income: 1— Under 6,000 2 ~ 6,000-15,999 3 16,000-25,999 4 26,000 or Above 65 _


APPENDIX 2

CHINESE VERSION OF QUESTIONNAIRE

第一部份

詩勿馆

寫此供

1 .你現時有沒有使用傳阵機？

1 — _ 有（請答問題 3 )

2 — - 沒有 • 1 —

2 .你有沒有打算在未來一年内使用傳评捜？

1 … 有

沒有（問卷完畢） 2一一

3 .你有沒有瞎過霄訊傳评逭間公司？

1---有

2 — -沒有（問卷完畢） 3

4 . 你有沒有瞎過新世界傳訊逭間公司？ .

1 — — •

沒有（問卷完畢） 4...

5 . 你従那些途徑知道笛訊傳呼逭間公司 .？（可 S择多遇一項）

, _ —笛視 /報刊廣告 5 —-

_ _ 親戚 / 朋友 6 —-

——門市部 /廣告牌 7 …

— _宣傳播位

_ —營業員 9

其他 (請註明） 10---

有意見 /不知道 11 —

6 . 你従那些途徑知道新世界傳訊這間公司？（可S揮多遇一項）

笛視 /報刊廣告 12 —-

親戚 /朋友 13-—

— — 門市部 / 廣告牌 ‘

_ _ 宣傳播位

——營業員 16...

——其他 — (請註明） 17---

沒有意見 /不知道


7 .除了以上兩間傳呼機公司外•你還可以說出堪幾間？（可選揮

多遇一項）

和記傳訊（H U T C H I S 0 N P A G I N G ) 佳訊傳訊（ A B C P A G I N G ) 一 -

星光傳訊（ S T A R P A G I N G ) 21 — -必備通訊（ B B T E L E C O M ) 22—-

— 一通用通訊（ T E L E P A G I N G ) 23 — -——香港電訊（C S L )

亞洲傳訊（ A S I A P A G I N G ) 25—-其士傳訊（C H E V A L I E R P A G I N G ) 26.

_ _ 其他 (請註明） 27 —-一一不知道

Marketing Image Management: Telecom Paging Limited 、 Page 67 u .

第二部份

8 .讓出以下句子及表逢你努該句子的意見，（毎句只選揮一項）

選择 1 代表你非常不同烹

選揮 5 代表你非常同意

T ：代表電訊傳评 N : 代表新世界傳訊

非常不同意不同意無宽見同意非常同意

( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) • *

a •傳阵機具有先進 T _ _ — _ 一 — 一一 29 — -

功能 N _ _ — — — _ — _ _ 一一一 -

b . 傳评機設計新親 T - 一 _ 一 — _ 一一 —

N — _ _ — — 32 —

C . 購買傳呼機資用 T _ _ — _ —— 一一

不昂資 N — _ 一 — — — 一一

d . 傳呼服務費昂貴 T —— —— —一一—

N — 一一 — 36 …

e . 傳呼服務準確可 T — _ — _ — 一 37.

n N 一一一一一一一一 — -38—

f • 接结員很有植貌 T — _ _ _ - 一一一一 59—_

N 一一一一一一一一 — .40 —

S . 門市部地點不方 T _ _ _ _ 一一 41 —-

便 N — 二 ——

h •營案員對産 a 知 T ——、 _ _ 一一一一一一 43—-

进宣富 N — — _ 一一一 — 一一一 44 —一

i • 該公司花了很少 T •—_ — — 一 — 一 ― 一一 45 — -

金錢於推廣及宣 N —— — _ _ _ 一一 4 6 . . .

傳用途上

J •訊息能在香港毎 T —— 47-—

—角落清楚接收 N — _ 一— 4 8 . „

k . 维修服務没有效 T _ _ 一 _ _ _ 4 9 . . .

宰 N 一 ― — _ 一 — 50. . .


9 . 諸列出以下句子的重要性

苗揮 1 代表非常不重要

選揮 5 代表非常重要

W 勿馆

寫此探

非常不重要不重要無意見重要非常重要

(1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 )

a . 傳评機之功能一一一一一一一一 «

b . 傳呼機之外型 — 一一一一一一一一一

C . 傳阵機之價格 — — _ _ 一 — 一一一一 5 3 . _

d . 傳呼服務費 —— 一一一一一一一一 54...

e . 傳呼服務之準孩及

可靠性一 — _ 一一一一 —一 55...

f . 接结員之箱统 —— — _ ―一一一

g . 門布部之位置 _ _ — — — _ 一一 5 7 . . .

h . 營案員對産 S 之

知斑 —一一一一一一一一一 58...

i . 推廣及宣傳活動 _ _ _ _一

j •訊息覆蓋面 —— -•一

k . 维修服務 _ _ — — — _ - 一一 61.

«


u

第三部份

寫此探

1 0 . 你的性別：

1 — 男

2 … 女 . 62.._

1 1 . 你的年龄：

1 — 1 6 - ' 2 5

2 … 2 6 - 3 5

3 … 3 6 - 4 5

4-— 4 6 或以上 —_

1 3 . 你的裙業： .

1 — 專案人仕 .

2 — 行政人員 / 经理

3 … 文員

4 — _ 推銷及市場人員

5 — 服務從業員

6 — 製造業工人

學生

8 — - 其他（諸註名） 64

1 4 . 你的毎月收入：

1 — 6 , 0 0 0 以下

2 … 6 , 0 0 0 - 1 5 , 9 9 9

- 3 … 1 6 ， 0 0 0 - 2 5 ， 9 9 9

4 — - 2 6 ’ 0 0 0 或以上 6 5 . . .

——-一 _ _

兀

I 香湛中文大學齒雀梓 & 書 I


APPENDIX 3

SAMPLE SIZE CALCULATION

The sample size of the research is calculated by using the following formula:

Z2 (pq) N

E2

N : number of items in the sample

7? : square of the confidence interval in standard error units

p : estimated proportion of success

q : estimated proportion of failure

E2 ： square of the maximum allowance for error between true proportion and sample proportion

Keeping Z and E constant, the largest sample size is required when p=q=0.5.

Therefore, the largest sample size required for the research at 95 percent confidence

level with E not greater than nine percentage points is 119.

(1.96)2 (0.5)2 N = = 119

(0.09)2

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