Using Netnography to Understand Customers: A Report

Description of the assignment

 

This course work is an individual piece of work to be written in report format. The course work is divided in two parts: 

1)A preliminary draft, worth 30% of the marks

2) A definitive submission worth 70% of the marks on this module. 

You must carefully read and analyse the following papers:

Kozinets, R. W. 2006. Netnography 2.0.in R. W. Belk, editor. Handbook of Qualitative Research Methods in Marketing. Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, Cheltenham, UK.

Kozinets, R. W., and J. M. Handelman. 2004. Adversaries of Consumption: Consumer Movements, Activism, and Ideology. Journal of Consumer Research 31:691-704.

In particular you must thoroughly understand the concept of netnography, being able to define and explain it, including its benefits and limitations as an approach to understand consumers. Read carefully in particular Kozinets & Handelman 2004

You must then visit four consumer reviews web sites:

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g187768-i20-k10545526-EU_or_Italy_authorities_to_complain_about_Maggiore_car_rent-Italy.html

 

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g186411-d943588-r174070663-Casa_Mia_Chapel_Allerton-

 

Leeds_West_Yorkshire_England.html 

 

https://www.complaintsboard.com/

 

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=14444

 

https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pushchair_chat/3277944-Londoners-what-do-you-actually-use

 

(With this web site, you must focus on reviews of products (start from the “talk section” and move from there).

 

After visiting these four web sites, please select any two of these web sites. Select and analyse several consumers’ reviews and/or complaints (minimum five, maximum 15). Please select one type of product, for example, two brands of cars, or two types of restaurant. Do not mix different products.

1. Write notes on Kozinets & Handelman 2004. This paper describes netnography as a research strategy. Please describe how the authors used netnography. What other methods did they use to research consumers? Please use everyday words – describe the strategy and methods in your own words instead of repeating the expressions the authors use.

2. Visit the two web sites you selected from the list above. Identify some of the themes emerging from the reviews / complaints / comments on the two web sites.

a. What themes do you see coming up in a single review?

b. What commonalities (themes in common) are there between two or more reviews?

3. Compare with the theories studied in the course: what insights do these data give you in the consumers’

a. Values?

b. Attitudes?

c. Motivation?

Any specific instructions: 

 

DO NOT interact with any of the reviewers or complainants – or with the web sites. The work must be secondary research (in other words, you must just read what is there)

Student Support and Guidance

• For further help, contact your module leader in their drop-in hours or by email.

• Use the Grading Criteria and Mark Scheme to help improve your work.

• Go to CASE workshops, use the CASE website and drop-in hours www.studynet.herts.ac.uk/go/CASE/ 

• Academic English for Business support is available through daily drop-ins from the CASE office.  See the CASE workshop timetable on the CASE main website page for details.

• Make full use of Library search to identify relevant academic material and the ‘Subject Toolkit for Business’ which contains links to other Information Databases and the Information Management contact details. 

 

(http://www.studynet1.herts.ac.uk/ptl/common/LIS.nsf/lis/4DAF5390094771C2802575ED004212BF)  

 

• Some tutors allow students to test their work using Turnitin.  Guidance on submission to Turnitin via StudyNet can be found by using the following link. http://www.studynet1.herts.ac.uk/ptl/common/asu.nsf/resource+library/TURNITIN+FOR+STUDENTS+2016+USER+GUIDE.pdf/$FILE/TURNITIN+FOR+STUDENTS+2016+USER+GUIDE.pdf