Jakob Knauf (ESR 13)
Community Investment – a Segmentation Approach
Research on social acceptance often yields results about attitudes and preferences of average respondents. However, not all stakeholders of a project are equally salient to its success or failure. This research project will borrow from research in marketing to explore the value of a segmentation approach for analysing and ultimately managing social acceptance. In particular, it will distinguish between stakeholders strongly in favour, somewhat in favour, rather against and strongly against a given project. The aim is to predict changes in the attitudes of these groups as a project nears implementation, and apply target group-specific communication strategies.
The project will produce a literature review on segmentation approaches in consumer and voter behaviour, a representative survey in 2-3 of the participating countries, development of target group-specific communication strategies, and validation of these strategies with practitioners.
Jakob's supervisors
Prof. Dr Rolf Wüstenhagen
Professor of Management of Renewable Energies
University of St.Gallen
Professor Patrick Devine- Wright
Professor in Human Geography
University of Exeter