Qualitative and quantitative customer analysis of professional and non-professional campervan users in the french market

: strategic marketing recommendations for Indie Campers

Abstract

A shift in the global economy has brought several challenges placing society in a difficult situation. With the fast development of the internet, new models as the Sharing Economy (SE) emerged as a possible solution. Through a peer-to-peer (P2P) online platform that ensures match-making between demanding customers and supplying customers, the SE can increase employability and sustainability by giving access to underutilized assets. Despite the high degree of attention P2P rental platforms have received, the field of research of customer behaviour in terms of motivations, characteristics, and strategic marketing remains mostly untouched. The purpose of this study was to investigate the customer behaviour of professional and non-professional campervan owner in France in order to (1) understand their motivation to participate in a P2P rental platform, (2) review their demographic characteristics, and (3) develop a recommended course of actions for Indie Campers to enter the French market. The study involved secondary and primary research to evaluate and get further insights into customer behaviour. An online survey was completed with 111 participants identified as French campervan owners, and further six in-depth interviews were conducted through semi-structured guidelines with professional campervan owners. Aggregate results indicated that respondents are mainly motivated by economic reasons and the gain of visibility. It is also demonstrated that Indie Campers should focus on young campervan owners and small professional renters. By capturing motivations and potential target groups, useful recommendations for further steps are provided to Indie Campers.

Date of Award	26 Jan 2021
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	João Cotter Salvado (Supervisor)