Data collection is the process of obtaining or gathering information carefully so that the analysis of the information collected is credible (Parveen & Showkat, 2017). Data can be obtained from
53 numerous sources. This section outlines the functions of primary and secondary data, followed by the use of questionnaires as the data collection method.
3.10.1. Source of Data
The process of obtaining data is expressed either through primary or secondary sources. Primary data is the term used when a researcher gathers information first-hand for a specific purpose of a study (Sekaran & Bougie, 2017). Primary data can be obtained by making use of interviews, observations, focus groups or by administering questionnaires (Sekaran & Bougie, 2017).
Secondary data is a term used for the reanalysis of previously collected data (Martins, da Cunha
& Serra, 2018). Secondary data can be collected from, amongst others, books, journal articles, case studies, company websites, government publications and statistical bulletins (Sekaran & Bougie, 2017).
3.10.2. Questionnaires
The study utilised the quantitative research method; therefore, questionnaires were administered electronically. A questionnaire is defined as a form of questions that have been formulated in advance. Respondents answer the questions that have been provided to them (Sekaran & Bougie, 2017). Mathiyazhagan and Nandan (2010) highlight benefits of using questionnaires:
Questionnaires are practical as well as cost- and time efficient.
They can be handed out easily and quickly to large groups of respondents.
They allow for the anonymity of the respondents.
Uniformity of responses can be ensured.
The questions are standardised; this also allows the researcher to cover all topics needed to conduct the research.
They allow for easy scientific and statistical analysis as well as predictions and trends.
There is a possibility of a high return rate.
For the purpose of the study, closed-ended questions were used to ensure that the respondents can answer the questions quickly and easily as they have to select responses from a set of preformulated options. There are many benefits of using closed-ended questions, such as that the respondents can answer the questions quickly and easily as they have to choose from a set of preformulated options as well as that the information is easier to understand (Hyman & Sierra, 2016). Other benefits of
54 close-ended questions include that it is easier to code, enter and analyse and that no unnecessary information is obtained (Sekaran & Bougie, 2017).
3.10.3. Construction of the questionnaire
The questionnaire was divided into two sections, Section A and Section B. Biographical data is contained in Section A. This relates to the respondents and includes categories such as: gender, age, race, educational level and College. A nominal scale has been used for these categories. A nominal scale is defined as a scale that allows the researcher to allocate themes into groups or categories (Sekaran & Bougie, 2017). This scale allows the researcher to allocate subjects to certain categories and groups (Sekaran & Bougie, 2017). Benefits of a nominal scale include that it is easy to generate statistics from closed-ended questions, there is no magnitude on a nominal scale, and it is divided into two or more categories in which the answer to a particular question can fall into either category (University of Regina, 2005).
Section B incorporated the key dimensions of the study. The first key dimension studied is brand elements (brand names, URLs, logos, symbols, slogans, jingles, characters, packaging, spokespeople and celebrity endorsers), followed by the effectiveness of the brand elements in building brand awareness, brand image and customer loyalty. The last dimension looks at evaluative criteria such as price and affordability, quality, brands, aesthetics and appearances, performance, marketing communications, availability and accessibility, packaging, quantities and sizes. An ordinal scale has been used in the form of a 5-point Likert scale ranging from:
1. Strongly disagree (SD) 2. Disagree (D)
3. Neither agree nor disagree (N) 4. Agree (A)
5. Strongly agree (SA)
An ordinal scale categorises variables to denote differences among the categories and places the categories in rank order in some meaningful way (Sekaran & Bougie, 2017). Benefits of an ordinal scale include that it provides more information than the nominal scale, there is ease of collation and categorisation, and besides categorising information, ordinal scales rank them in order (Sekaran & Bougie, 2017).
55 Owing to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, along with lockdown and social distancing rules, the questionnaires were administered electronically. A link to the online questionnaire and the letter of Informed Consent was emailed to all registered students at Westville Campus via the University Notices. Students who were willing to participate accessed the online questionnaire.
3.10.4. In-House Pretesting and Pilot testing
A pilot test was conducted using 15 respondents in order to ensure that there were no issues with the understandability of the questionnaire. A pilot test is a preliminary study that helps the researcher in understanding whether there are any errors in the instrument and to make changes accordingly. Benefits of doing a pilot test include that it gives insights to the research. It also helps the researcher to detect problems early in the research, such as looking at whether the study can go further or whether questions on a questionnaire are ambiguous, as well as enhancing the outcomes so that changes can be made timeously (Schade, 2015).