Chapter-1

INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction
Brands are like human beings. They are born, fed and nurtured, made
strong and responsible so that they can be faithful friends of the people
(customsustaining strong long term “parent-brand-people” relationships. These brands
form the potential for present growth and future expansion. They help the organizations
conquer peaks at the time of booms and stay afloat and swim at times of depression.”
We come across a number of brands in our daily lives. Our morning starts
with using a toothpaste (Colgate, Pepsodent or Close-up) using a bathing soap (Lux,
Fairglow or Cinthol) and shampoo(Clinic All Clear or Vatika), wearing clothes ( Allen
Solly, Levi’s or Raymonds), breakfast bread (Britannia or Modern) and butter (Amul)
or jam (Kissan), lunch and dinner (Nature Fresh or Pillsbury flour and Safal
vegetables), morning and evening tea and coffee (Tetley, Nescafe or Bru),going out in a
car (Hyundai Santro, Honda Accord or Mercedes Benz).
Talking on the cell phone (Motorola, Nokia, Siemens or Samsung),
watching television in the evening (LG, Sony or Philips) or listening to music (Philips
or Apple) etc. But how often do we think of what all a company does to put a positive
imprint (fight for ashelf space) in the mind of the customer?
Today nearly all the companies are focusing more and more on building
strong brands. The conceptof brand equity and its management has come to the fore
like never before.
ers), form mutually beneficial and satisfying relationships with them and become their
companions for life. Such brands, make their parents (organization or corporate) proud of
them.

Objective of the Study

Importance of understanding branding and its impact on modern days
market is vital to the health and growth of most industries. the aim of this
report is to put into perspective the functional value of branding as well as
assessing its role in the consumer purchase decision making process
• Understanding the concepts of branding and consumer behaviour
• To study the effect of brands on consumer buying behaviour
• The objective of research is to understand the choice of the customer
is branded or non branded goods.
• To know about the marketing skills used while convincing the
customers
• To do a comparative study of a branding strategies adopted by the
companies in the different type of products
Limitation of the project
 • This project is limited due to time constraint it involves a lot of complex variables which
required a detailed study over a period of time.

• The project did not cover the effect of branding on a very large scale only a small
population was studied which may not be enough to show correct picture.

• The consumers were reluctant to answer the questions and their response may be based.

Review of Literature
BRAND
Products are what companies make, but customers buy brands. Therefore marketers
resorted to branding in order to distinguish their offerings from similar products and
services provided by their competitors. Additionally, it carries an inherent assurance to the
customers that the quality of a purchase will be similar to earlier purchases of the same
brand.
A brand is a name, term, sign, symbol or design or a combination of one seller or a group
of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors.

BRANDING
• Branding is the process by which a marketer tries to build long term relationship with the
customers by learning their needs and wants so that the offering (brand) could satisfy their
mutual aspirations.

• Branding can be used as a differentiation strategy when the product cannot be easily
distinguished in terms of tangible features or in products which are perceived as a
commodity (e.g. cement, fertilizers, salt, potato chips etc.).

• Brand building is a conscious customer satisfaction orientation process. The brand owner
tries to retain customers to its fold over their competitors by a mix of hardware software
because when a customer feels satisfied he / she develop a kind of loyalty for the same.

1. Attributes :-A brand will communicate specific attributes, such as prestige

2. Benefits:- A brand strengthens a product’s attributes by communicating a set of
benefits that makes it more attractive

3. Values:- A brand represents a company’s core values and belief system

4. Culture:- A brand is representative or target a target audiences socio cultural

characteristics

EVOLUTION OF BRANDING
Branding in Today’s Markets
Due to the complexity of having to select a product amongst thousands of similar offerings,
consumers will instinctively attempt to simplify their choice process by selecting brands that
have satisfied them in the past. Thus, one can conclude that pleasant past experiences is highly
conducive to consumers associating benefits to a brand. One can conclude that a central function
of branding is its ability to negate the need for a consumer to seek out information when a need
or a want has been recognized, but rather, lead him to a brand that has been satisfying in the past.
One must acknowledge however, that frequent
purchasing of a brand cannot always be linked to previous experiences, but can alternatively be
formed by embedded perceptions. A consume might strongly favour a brand with no prior
purchasing experience. This type of consumer behavior is based on stimulus provided by direct
exposure to advertising campaigns, a company’s PR efforts
or even a high concentration of local distribution in an area that is in close proximity to a
consumer.
In terms of companies’ views on branding, it can induce
the natural differentiation of their offerings, which ultimately, will produce a state of competitive
advantage. Differentiation can only allow for competitive advantage if the cost of differentiating
is significantly lower than the revenue earned by the sales

Brand identity could be defined by answering the following questions:

• What is the aim and individual vision of a brand?

• What makes a brand distinguished?

• How can satisfaction be achieved?

• What is brand equity?

• What are brand competence, validity and legitimacy?

• What are the features of its recognition?

Importance of Branding in Marketing

• Marketing primarily involves the study of demand in a market and creating a response in the
form of supply.

• In the field of marketing, the brand name plays an important role as it helps the people to
promote the brand name and its merits quite easily.

• It also becomes possible for the marketing people to generate intelligence information about
the brands popularity and also what people exactly want from the brand owning company.
 Importance of branding in advertising
• Advertising is often considered to be a part of marketing, branding a particular product help
advertisers to provide catchy logos and advertisements

• Brand name can never be copied, advertisers face lesser heat from unauthenticated
advertisements, effectively their advertisement creations get protected.

• Advertisers can initiate fearless and independent advertising as due to the process of
branding

• Consumers were well aware of the product its identity and nature

The competitive advantage of brand loyalty

• Brand loyalty is a direct consequence of ability to better satisfy the desire of a customer that mean
competitors do

• It is now become clear that a modern days marketers principle objective is to build sustainable form
of loyalty between a company and its customer instead of focusing on the individual sale of
products

• Brand loyalty is the customers conscious or unconscious decision expressed through intention or
behaviour to repurchase a brand continually

• Brand offers the right product features for level of quality at the right price

• Consumer behaviour is habitual because habit are safe and familiar

• Challenge for all brand is to avoid the the negative image and create a broad brand vision or
identity that recognises a brand as something greater than a set of attributes that can be imitated

Factors Affecting Consumer Buying Behavior

Consumer buying behavior is influenced by the major three factors:
1. Social Factors
2. Psychological Factor
3. Personal Factors.

1. Social Factors
Social factors refer to forces that other people exert and which affect consumers’ purchase
behavior. These social factors can include culture and subculture, roles and family, social
classand reference groups.

2. Psychological Factors
These are internal to an individual and generate forces within that influence her/his purchase
behavior. The major forces include motives, perception, learning, attitude and personality.

3. Personal Factors
These include those aspects that are unique to a person and influence purchase behavior. These
factors include demographic factors, lifestyle, and situational factors.

Consumer Buying Decision Process

1- Problem recognisation:
There are several situations that can cause problem recognization:-
• Depletion of stock
• Dissatisfaction with goods in stock
• Change in financial situation
• Environmental changes
• Marketers initiated activities
2-Information Search:
Sources of information include:
• Personal sources
• Commercial Sources
• Public sources

3-Alternatives Evaluation:
The consumer will decide which product to buy from a
set of alternative products depending on each unique feature that the product offers
and the benefit he / she can get out of that featurs.
4-Purchase Action:
• This stage involves selection of brand and the retail outlet to purchase such a
product.
• Retail outlet image and its location are important.
• Consumer usually prefers a nearby retail outlet for minor shopping and they
can willingly go to a far away store when they purchase items which are of
higher values and which involve higher sensitive purchase decision.
5- Post-Purchase Actions:
• Consumer favorable post-purchase evaluation leads to satisfaction.
Satisfaction with the purchase is basically a function of the initial
performance level expectation and perceived performance relative to those
expectations.
• Consumer tends to evaluate their wisdom on the purchase of that particular
product. This can result to consumer experiencing post purchase
dissatisfaction

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Introduction
In order to understand the methodology used to compile this Project, this chapter is
included in order to clarify how an effective methodological philosophy can to contribute
the successful production .This also serves the purpose of justifying and authenticating
the research procedures employed in order meet the set objectives and answers the main
research question of
this Project.
Research Approach
Primary Data
• Consumer Survey on the affect of brands on their buying behaviour
Secondary Data
• Articles in Newspapers, Magazines and Internet
• Study Reports from Internet
Data Collection Tools
• Questionnaire Survey
• Books
• Internet

OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
Importance of understanding branding and its impact on modern days
market is vital to the health and growth of most industries. the aim of this
report is to put into perspective the functional value of branding as well as
assessing its role in the consumer purchase decision making process
• Understanding the concepts of branding and consumer behaviour
 • To study the effect of brands on consumer buying behaviour
• The objective of research is to understand the choice of the customer
is branded or non branded goods.
• To know about the marketing skills used while convincing the
customers
• To do a comparative study of a branding strategies adopted by the
companies in the different type of products

NATURE OF RESEARCH

DATA COLLECTION

The task of knowledge collections begins once analysis search enquiry quest pursuit
probe exploration groundwork a hunt a research a look drawback has been known and
therefore the research style has been chalked out. Whereas deciding the tactic of
knowledge assortment to be used for the study, the investigator ought to confine mind
kinds of data:

a. Primary information

b. Secondary information

during this scientific research the info being collected is as follows:

Primary Data:
Primary Research Findings-

• Popularity of reality television speaks volumes about the heart beat of the
consumer.
• People are watching more newscasts and making a bigger effort to
understand current events.
• Innovation, promotion and marketing a brand is essential, but only after one
understands the psychology of the marketplace and develops products that
match it.

Secondary Data:
Consumer Behavior is the study of the processes involved when individuals or
groups select, purchase, use, or dispose of products, services, ideas, or experiences
to satisfy needs and desires.The items that are consumed can include anything:
Gucci handbags, a massage, democracy, rap music, or hoopster rebel Dennis
Rodman. Needs and desires to be satisfied range from hunger and thirst to love,
status, or even spiritual fulfillment.
• A consumer may purchase, use, and / or dispose of am product, but these
functions may be performed by different people
• Marketing activities exert an enormous impact on individuals. Consumer
behavior is relevant to our understanding of the dynamics of popular culture.
• The Internet is transforming the way consumers interact with companies
and with each other.The benefits are accompanied by potential problems,
including the loss of privacy

4.2 Data Analysis

1. Are you?

Female

Male

Table 4.1 Gender

Responses
MALE 8.7 MALE
FEMALE 3.6 FEMALE

29%

MALE

FEMALE

71%
 Fig.4.1 Gender

Interpretation: This questionnaire was mostly answered by the Male. Therefore, we

would be concluding this on the basis of Male consumer behavior.

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2. Under what age bracket do you come?

23-29

18-22

Table 4.2 Age

Responses

23-29 4.8 23-29

18-22 3.2 18-22

40%

23-29
 18-22

60%

Fig.4.2 Age

Interpretation: The maximum age group who answered the questions was
between 23-29.

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3. Do you mostly shop during festive season?

Always

Sometimes

Table 4.3 Festive Occasion

Responses

ALWAYS 4.2 ALWAYS

SOMETIMES 3.8 SOMETIMES

 48% ALWAYS

52% SOMETIME
S

Fig.4.3 Festive Occasion

Interpretation: The data is almost equivalent which means people now prefer
to shop not just in festive season, though the value is higher for festive shopping.

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• Do you get influenced by social media, reference groups while

purchasing any specific brand?

Never

Always

Table 4.4 Social Media Influence

RESPONSES

NEVER 5.2 NEVER

 ALWAYS 12 ALWAYS

30%

NEVE
R

ALWA
YS

70%

Fig.4.4 Social Media Influence

Interpretation: The analysis shows that mostly people get influenced by

their reference groups and social media while going for the brands which
has the great impact on the consumer behavior.

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5. From where do you prefer to shop mostly?

Local Stores

Online
 Table 4.5 Shopping Site

Responses

LOCAL STORES 2 LOCAL STOR

ONLINE 8.2 ONLINE

20%

LOCAL
STORES

ONLINE

80%

Fig.4.5 Shopping Site

Interpretation: The analysis shows that now people prefer shopping more
over internet rather than going to the market. This majorly affects the retail
sellers and their business that people are more towards online shopping.

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6. Do the names of brand influences you to purchase a specific product?

• Always
 • Sometimes

Table 4.6 Brand Influence

Responses

ALWAYS 10 ALWAYS

SOMETIMES 3.2 SOMETIMES

24%

ALW
AYS

SOMETIMES

76%

Fig.4.6 Brand Influence

Interpretation: Maximum people answered this question to YES as the quality

and quantity provided by any brand matters to the consumer a lot.

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7. Do you prefer to buy more when there are special offers and sales on brands?

Always

Never

Table 4.7 Purchase Season

Responses

ALWAYS 9.5 ALWAYS

NEVER 2 NEVER

17%

AL
W
AY
S

N
E
V
E
R

83%
 Fig.4.7 Purchase Season

Interpretation: Yes, people tend to buy more on sales and special offers
given by the brands. This affects the market of local stores majorly and
increases the Brand Image in the minds of the consumers.

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8. Do you like to switch brands?

Frequently

Never

Table 4.8 Brand Loyalist

Responses

FREQUENTLY 5.2 FREQUENTL

NEVER 6.2 NEVER

46% F
 Y

54% N

Fig.4.8 Brand Loyalist

Interpretation: As per the data shown above most of them are brand loyalist.
Though the percentage is not that high.

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9. What influences you the most to shop in a specific store?

Prices

Brands

Table 4.9 Influencing Factor

Responses

BRANDS 6.2 BRANDS

PRICES 4.8 PRICES

 44%
BRANDS
56% PRICE
S

Fig.4.9 Influencing Factor

Interpretation: The analysis says that the brand influences the most to
the customers while shopping.

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• Are you a brand cautious person?

Yes
 No

Table 4.10 Brand Influencer

Sales
Yes
No

Sales

No

30%

Yes

70%

Fig.4.10 Brand Influencer

Interpretation: The analysis says that the people are more brand aware as the
percentage is 70.
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11. Which brand does it come to your mind when we say Luxury Pen?

Montblanc

Pelikan

Faber- Castel Design

Parker

Table 4.11 Brand Awareness

Sales
Montblanc
Pelikan
Faber-Castel Design
Parker

Sales

Montblan
c
Parker 34%

40%
Faber-Castel Pelikan
Design

7%
19%
 Fig: 4.11 Brand Awareness

Interpretation: The analysis says that people know more of Parker in India more
than other luxury brands. Still Montblanc which is one of the most luxury brand all
nd
over the world is been recognized as 2 in the list.

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Chapter – 5

CONCLUSION AND FUTURE PROSPECTS

5.1 Conclusion
This study basically focuses on understanding the relationship between brand identity and
its impact on Consumer Behavior. And along with it how brand recall helps to grow the
business. Secondly, the methodology used to collect the data is Primary, where the
Questionnaire will be designed in such a way to analyze the personal, psychological, and
social influence of the consumer towards the Brand.

5.2 Future Prospects

The quest for knowledge is unending. Whatever may be the research carried on till now
there exists a scope for further research. In fact the existing research pens the doors for
further research. This study is not an exception to that.

For the purpose of this study only one company has been taken, but the same research can
be carried on by taking more number of units to make inter firm comparison by taking
different units belonging to different sectors to make inter sector comparison. Marketing
can be made more effective by practicing the latest trends and also the cost of recruitment
can also be reduced by making the best practices.
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Chapter – 6

SUMMARY
.

In today’s scenario the Marketing has become easier because of the different tools
available. WilliamPenn Pvt. Ltd. has done a lot to improve the brand and product
visibility compared to last couple of years. The reason is because only through Marketing
the visibility of products can be improvised and the target market can be easily tapped. So
many activities like creating and spreading EDM’s about new and existing products,
conducting events and workshops, etc. Research has clearly shown that Brand Identity
Recall is a very important factor to keep the business going especially when a company
deals with Multi-brands because every brand helps in keeping the business going.
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