consumer behaviour project

Title : Study of Consumer Behaviour on Casual/Sports attire

Consumer Behavior

Executive PGDM – 2008-2009

GROUP PROJECT

Study of Consumer Behavior on Casual/Sports attire

Submitted By- Submitted To - Group No : Alok Gupta (08XPGDM05) Dr. Neena SondhiModak Priy (08XPGDM31)Praveen Gupta (08XPGDM36)Vineet Dixit (08XPGDM59)

Batch : Executive PGDM 2008-09

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Acknowledgement

We hereby regard my sincere thanks to Dr. Neena Sondhi, IMI Delhi under whose

guidance this study was undertaken.

We would like to thanks Mr. Amik Kumar Singh, Mr. Amit Srivastav, Mr.Nitin Mishra,

Mr.Gurpreet Singh for giving their valuable piece of time for participating in the

interview to complete the study.

Yours Sincerely

Group MembersModak Priy (08XPGDM31)Vineet Dixit (08XPGDM59)Praveen Gupta (08XPGDM36)Alok Gupta (08XPGDM05)


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Table of ContentSr. No. Topic Page

01. Objective 4

02. Methodology 4

03. Introduction 4

04. Sample Profile 6

05. External Factors 8

06. External Influences on Product Purchase 8

07. Marketing Implications 10

08. Exhibit 1.1 13

09. Exhibit 1.2 15

10. Exhibit 1.3 17

11. Exhibit 1.4 19

12. Exhibit 2.0 21


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01. OBJECTIVE

The main objective of this project is to study the buying behaviour of the consumer in Casual/sports attire and what are the various factors (external or internal) which influence a person to purchase casual/sports attire

02. METHODOLOGY

All the data collected is from the primary source in which interview was conducted with individual by each group member) on respondent convenient time where we had asked several question in the form of questioner (attached) which consist of question on the demographic details (Age, Gender, Qualification etc) the culture and subculture and the various ritual and norms, about the family structure he belongs to and the factor on which he decide to purchase casual/sports attire. Some of the open ended question also asked abstract the information (i.e who is the decision, initiator, influencer, payer, user the various source of information and finally the place of purchase) 03. INTRODUCTION

The field of consumer behaviour is enormous, and highlights the importance of the customer at the centre of the marketer's universe. Each consumer is unique with different needs and wants and buying choices and habits are influenced by habit, and choice that are in turn tempered by psychological and social drivers that affect purchase decision processes. It is a complex multi dimensional variable.

Knowledge of consumer behaviour is critical for influencing not only product purchase decisions but also important marketing decisions for commercial firms, non profit organizations, and regulatory agencies. Applications of consumer behaviour decisions lie on marketing strategies, regulatory policies, social marketing, and informed individual.

The general structure and concept of consumer behaviour is fragmented into four major categories External influence, Internal influence, Self concept and lifestyle, Decision making. External influences include culture, subculture, demographics, social status, reference group, marketing activities and family. Internal influences include perception, learning, memory, motives, personality emotions, and attitude. The self concept and lifestyle produce needs and desire, many of which consumption decision to specify.

Culture plays the most pervasive influence on external factors of consumer behaviour. Culture varies in values and nonverbal communications. Sub culture is a segment of larger culture hose members share distinguishing values and patterns of behaviour. Affect of cultural factors on consumer behaviour and marketing strategy is shown below.


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Demographics consist of structure, size and distribution. Social status refers to ones position in relatives to others on one or more dimensions valued in society. House hold plays an important decision on most consumption decisions. Family house hold consists of a family and any unrelated people residing in the same housing unit. Effect of hose hold culture, values play an important role in buying decisions.

Consumer behaviour theory prior to the Second World War was based on accepted economic theory of the "rational man" model of decision making. The central idea of economics is that people make decisions by weighing costs and benefits in a rational manner. The consumer's objective is therefore to select a set of product quantities that maximise satisfaction (or utility), subject to available income. Utility in this context means the ability of a product to meet functional needs. The consumer then expends their income (budget) and selects specific amounts of the two products. Product prices and income are predetermined and, consequently only the quantities of the two products purchased are varied to maximise utility. Rational therefore means the "explainable" processes of consumer behaviour.

Current approaches suggest that behavioural underpinnings in consumer decision processes are beyond pure rational dimensions and stem from both innate and acquired needs that involve a complex combination of conscious and unconscious processes as well as rational and emotional factors.


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ConsumerBehaviour

Demographics

Norms

Traditions

Non verbal communications

Language

Marketing strategy


Thus consumer rationality is mediated by dynamics such as personal paradigms and perceptual distortion, risk tolerance, and power relations which in turn are subject to cultural and intellectual prejudices such as gender, age, and ethnicity. This contributes to the notion of marketing as a normative discipline with elements of art rather than science in its practice. Arguably as research "explains" the complexity of the dynamics of consumer behaviour, it will expand the definition of what constitutes a rational consumer. This behavioural component allows marketers to identify prospective customers' needs and wants, and influence the exchange, perception, and satisfaction dynamics of the purchasing decision process.

04. SAMPLE PROFILE

Profile of the respondent:

The respondents (Exhibit 1.1 to 1.4) for this objective are under the category of 31-35 years of age and are working professional in Pvt. Ltd. Organization some of the best multinational companies in India . The education of sample ranges from graduate level to post graduate in Technical as well as Professional fields. All respondents were Hindus except one who was a Sikh and belonged to lower-upper and upper-middle class families. Two respondents in the sample had nuclear families and the other two respondents were residing with their parents. The respondents are financially independent and there income lies in the bracket of 5 - 8 lakh per annum.

Media habits of the respondents were found to be similar in most cases. Their major choice of extracting information was through news papers and televisions though there were differences in the likes of channels viewed by individual respondents.

Social stratification of the sample lied between upper middle class to middle class.

Being in the same age the respondents lied in the category of full nest I (married, child less than 6 yrs of age), where the source of income was dual in one case and single in all the other cases.

Eating habits of the respondents were found to be similar and all of them responded negatively when asked whether they drink or smoke highlighting the fact that they were conservative and followed the norms of their typical Indian culture to which they belong.

The respondents are socially active and participate frequently in various social gatherings .All the respondents are very high family oriented every individual is a part of many different groups based on their common interest.


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Respondents are very well aware of emerging trends and are a fashion conscious people. They are aware of various domestic as well as international brands available and the designers. More exposure to television and internet has further contributed in increasing the awareness. They have a great influence on their choice of brand and quality of apparels. In most cases they were brand loyal and preferred big multinational brands.

Purchase decisions of the respondents were highly influenced by their family members and friends. Location preferences were mostly malls and showrooms.

Demographic variableDemographic variable is almost same in all the Respondents can be categorized as Empty Nest I

Respondents are living with wife and kid in all the case. Respondents all are social active and cultural and like to be associated in one particular group. Media habits -Respondents are aware of the technology and using watch media and internet.

Respondents belong to some sub social group based on their hobbies and liking and disliking. Feel

Income – All the Respondents were in the Income range of 7 Lac to 12 Lac . One of the Respondents was found price sensitive. One Respondent was very loyal towards a particular brand and he was more biased towards that brand. Education - All the Respondents were Graduate and well proverbial. One of the Respondents was Masters in Environmental science. Respondents were aware about the development and new arrival and they used their reading skills on print media or entertainment media .

Occupation- All the Respondents in well known private Firms which are paying them well. Respondents were taking general advise to their colleagues in their offices about the new and particular range and they will show interest and ask their availability.

Social class- All the Respondents were in the age bracket of 30-35 years .One of them was found in spiritual class and others are associated into various other cultural activity. In case of one Respondent the attire was norms when he is attending the spiritual function but rest of the time all the Respondents were acting as more bend towards casual wear.Age - All the Respondents were in the age bracket of 30-35 years .


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05. EXTERNAL FACTORS

External factors are the factors which are not under our control and which will create a impulse to consumer to behave in a particular way to make or change his/her decision.These factors are: Age Sex Occupation Education Income Class Subclass Brand loyalty Print media Social class Electronic Media

In our sample size major external factor which played the role in change in decision making such as “Brand loyalty “in one Respondents case. An other Respondents case the external factor was spirituality ( Religious) . Rest all were active about and keen about the latest band in the market. Physiological influences include perception, learning, memory, motives, personality emotions, and attitude. The self concept and lifestyle produce needs and desire, many of which consumption decision to specify leads to a impulse generation with association with external factors. This factor makes the brand come under the consideration set and finally make into the decision .Our respondents were using the external factors as mention above to take their sports attire purchasing decision.

06. EXTERNAL INFLUENCES ON PRODUCT PURCHASE

One of the Respondents was more keen about the particular brand and very loyal.Price- Generally We found all the Respondents are price sensitive. Regular purchase of brand will be 2-3 pair per month. Our Respondents are selecting the brand on the basis of selective occasion. Brand- Respondents usually prefers to have branded attire on selective brand available in the market; Respondents choose the brand for the comfort level and media presence. The selection could be done on the basis of mail receive and the print add which used to appear into the. Peer Group- Respondents are associated with some type of group official/ religious peer group in one of the respondents he belong to religious social class and he was wearing the attire on particular occasion but all the cases


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Quality- All the respondents were keen about the quality in terms of fabric ,cotton % in the fabric, Brand Ambassador- Respondents were in our sample space shown very little on brand ambassador. Income: It was observed that the respondents whose families were in the income group 50,000 Rs or above opted for designer wear. Family values: It was also observed that they were high on fashion-opinion leadership. They were very close to the family and seek advice for their purchasing. Style was an independent factor and therefore all the respondents were independent when it came to purchasing decisions most of the time. Very rarely they tae the sports attire decision in presence of their wife’s. Media: All the respondents were taking their purchase decisions based on the brand presence in media either in electronic media / Print media/ TV . They all were very keen about the new arrival of the brand presence in the media.Salesman influences – All the respondents were not influenced by salesman recommendation while purchasing. While purchasing the sports attire they some times ask any discount or offer available on particular variety. Culture and subculture- Subculture: Each culture contain smaller group of subculture that provide more specific identification and socialization for its members. Four types of subculture can be distinguished .Nationality groups such as the Irish, polish, Italians, and Puerto Ricans are found with in large communities and exhibits distinct ethnic tastes and Jews represent subculture with specific culture preference and taboos.Social Class: The Extent of this mobility varies according to the rigidity of social stratification a given society. A consumer’s behaviour is also influenced by social factors, such as the consumer’s reference group, family, and social roles and statuses. Persons with in each social class tend to behave more alike than persons from two different social classes. Second, persons are perceived as occupying inferior or superior positions according to their social class. Reference Group Respondents belong to secondary group, which tend to be more formal and where there is less continuous interaction. They include religious organizations, professional associations; get together on the marriage or committee. Family Group: Since the most of respondents are living their wife’s. They mostly do not involve their parents to take their sports attire decision because of the fact of generation gap. They sometime consider their wife’s while they go outside or weekend purchase. They some times recall the particular brand with help of their wives and search the particular available in the market place .


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07. MARKETING IMPLICATIONS

Consumers do not make their decisions in a vacuum. Their purchases are highly influenced by cultural social, personal, and psychological factors. For the most part, they are “non controllable” by the marketer but must be taken in to account. We want to examine the influence of each factor on a buyer’s behaviour.The basic belief of marketing-oriented company is that the customer is the hubAround which the business revolves. Therefore, understanding what makesPeople in general buy and what makes your customer in particular buy is a vitalpart of business success. Market itself means – customer, around whom allmarketing strategies are formulated and implemented. In order to meetcompetition at the market place, the marketing managers are using variousmethods to add value to the final product which will reach the hands of theconsumers. It means in ever changing marketing environment, there is agrowing concern or awareness among marketers to go for a careful study of theconsumer behaviour around which all marketing activities are made. Followingare the key marketing implications of consumer behaviour.

Family Structure

The purchase and consumption of many products are driven by the household life cycle. The reason for this is that each stage in the family poses unique problems or opportunities to the family members; and the resolution of these problems often requires the consumption of products. The implication for the marketer is to decide which segment the product has to be focussed i.e on which house hold life cycle stage the product has to be marketed. In the sample group selected for our research we found that most of the respondents lay in the full nest I category in the age group of less than 35 years, married, having a child of age less than 6 years. In this category the decision initiators or opinion leaders were family members in most of the cases where the decision was targeted towards Lifestyle casual /sports attires. Respondents were middle classes , brand loyal and fashion oriented.Opportuniy for the marketer lies in innovating fashionable products and focus on opinion leaders. Building brands is important as most of the respondents are brand loyal and have different perceptions on various brands.

Cultural Factors

In a diversified country like India cultural factors exert the broadest and deepest influence on consumer behaviour; we will look at the role played by the buyer’s culture, subculture, and social class. Today, physical fitness, good health and smart appearance are on premium. Slimming centres and beauty parlours are mushrooming in all major cities of the country. Cosmetics for both women and men are being sold in increasing numbers. Even exclusive shops are retailing designer clothes Cross-cultural marketing is defined as “the effort to determine to what extent the consumers of two or more nations is similar or different. This will facilitate marketers to understand the psychological, social and cultural aspects of foreign consumers they wish to target, so


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as to design effective marketing strategies for each of the specific national markets involved.

Marketer should look into following categories to canalise products on casual/sports attire in the market.

1. Product selection: The marketer going for cross cultural marketing has to select the customers/ market not on the basis of the superficial similarities of age or income, but by using the real motivating factors that prompt them to accept or reject products. Cultural influences like colour play an important role in marketing of casual and sports attire. Colours like red were found to be symbols of joy and celebration whereas colour white was found to be a symbol of death and mourning. Sports attire are generally wore in leisure times and hence colours like red would be targeted in this segment.2. Promotion /marketing communication: Promotion and communications should be targeted to focus not only on indusial respondents but also on influencers like wife, family members, friends who play the role of opinion leaders.3. Pricing: The marketer has to adjust his pricing policies according to the local economic conditions and customs.

4. Distribution channel: Showrooms and malls have been found major places where the sample respondents generally purchase .Marketing channels should be focussed on these areas where visibility of the product plays an important role in individual decision making.

Some important characteristics of Indian cultural traits.

1. Homogenous Harmony to be valid and preserved,

2. Group, not individual, important

3. Ambiguous

4. General Hold back emotions in public

5. Product-oriented

6. Make a long story short

7. Nonverbal communication important

8. Interested in who is speaking

Cultural Variations & Non-Verbal Communication

In a culture we have many variations in non-verbal communications. Eachculture assigns a meaning to non-verbal signs utilised by it. There are somevariables in non-verbal communication. These are:


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(a) Use of time(b) Use of space(c) Friendship(d) Agreements(e) Things(f) Symbols(g) Etiquette

TimeTime is a resource which is distributed equally amongst everybody. Everyperson has the same amount of time at his disposal. What view individuals andsocieties take of time makes them different. In our category the role of time plays an important parameter for marketers as people in India mostly purchase attires during occasions, festivals like Diwali, Holi etc.Marketters should focus effectively in sport events like World cup , Olympics and other events which are highlighted on electronic media. Promotion of attires through integrated marketing communications should focus on these events.

FriendshipFriendship plays an important role in business transactions. Good personalRelationship and feelings matter most in a long term agreement. Social contactsdeveloped by parties gain priority over technical specifications. In India Personal ties, personal trust leads to cooperation and a lot of transaction can take place between parties. Friends play the role of opinion leaders and should be targeted by the marketers.

MediaInformation SearchIdentified needs can be satisfied only when desired product is known and alsoeasily available. Different products are available in the market, but consumermust know which product or brand gives him maximum satisfaction. And theperson has to search out for relevant information of the product, brand orLocation. Consumers can use many sources e.g., neighbours, friends and family.Marketers also provide relevant information through advertisements, retailers,dealers, packaging and sales promotion, and window displaying. Mass medialike news papers, radio, and television provide information. Now a day’s internethas become an important and reliable source of information. As a Marketers we are able to under stand the exposure behaviour to the various source of media by a person as in the case of our sample group that the person are highly computer savvy and internet savvy so the product should made available to the internet also it is important to understand the preference of channel like most of our sample respondent are prefer to watch some business news channel like CNBC18 ,NDTV profit Etc.

Target Segment


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For a marketer the opportunity to segmentise the product would be in a middle class segment with age ranging from 30-35 years, income level 5 Lac 10 Lakhs. Having family, major decision taken jointly and shopping location is mostly in showroom and malls. The focus should be on male who wear sports attire and casuals frequently

EXHIBIT-1.1RESPONDENT DETAILS -1

DEMOGRAPHICSName : Amit Kumar SinghAge : 33Gender : MaleOccupation : Manager (Dell India Ltd.)Education : B.E.Income (Family) : 5-8 Lac per AnnumReligion : HinduResidential Area : Lajpat Nagar, New DelhiNationality : Indian

MEDIAPrint Media : News PaperTelevision : History Channel, Discovery, 24x7Internet : Limited surfing

SOCIAL STRATIFICATIONClass : Middle Class

ETHNIC SUBCULTUREBirth Place : Northern India, VaranasiCaste : RajputFamily : Wife, Daughter, FatherTendency to spend : Likes to save moneyTraditional/Modern : TraditionalActive/Passive : ActiveReligion/Secular : Moderate ReligiousDecision makers : Wife

FAMILY STRUCTUREWife : Business (Website development)Daughter : Baby Father : Retired (Ex. Businessmen)

ENTERTAINMENTFavourite Time pass : TelevisionFavourite pass time accompanying with : Wife


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EATING HABITSNon-Veg/Veg : Non-VegatarienDrinking : NoSmoking : No

GROUPSWork group : OfficialEntertain group : Family get together

FOR ITEM : CASUAL / SPORTS ATTIRE

ITEM PURCHASEDJeans

PURCHASE LOCATIONMall, Showrooms

PURCHASE DECISIONInitiator : WifeDecision maker : JointUser : Wife and SelfOpinion leader : Friend and Wife

BELIEF IN ITEMBrandedQuality Oriented

MOTIVE : AffectiveINTANGEBLE CHOICE Style

BRAND PREFERENCEConsideration set : Flying Machine, Spyker, Lee, Numero Uno.Brand Loyal


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EXHIBIT-1.2

RESPONDENT DETAILS -2

DEMOGRAPHICSName : Gurpreet SinghAge : 32Gender : MaleOccupation : Zonal Manager(Sales)Education : GraduateIncome (Family) : Above 8 Lac(per Annum)Religion : SikhResidential Area : Janakpuri, New DelhiNationality : Indian

MEDIAPrint Media : News PaperTelevision : CNBC TV 18Internet : Regular Net Surfing

SOCIAL STRATIFICATIONClass : Upper Middle Class

ETHNIC SUBCULTUREBirth Place : Northern IndiaCaste : SikhFamily : Wife, Son Parents and Grandparents.Tendency to spend : Likes to save moneyTraditional/Modern : ModernActive/Passive : ActiveReligion/Secular : Moderate ReligiousDecision makers : Wife

FAMILY STRUCTUREWife : Home MakerSon : Baby Father : Retired

ENTERTAINMENTFavourite Time pass : TelevisionFavourite pass time accompanying with : Wife and son

EATING HABITSNon-Veg/Veg : Non-VegetarianDrinking : YesSmoking : No


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GROUPSWork group : OfficialEntertain group : Group Get Together


ITEM PURCHASEDPullovers


PURCHASE DECISIONInitiator : Self and WifeDecision maker : Self and WifeUser : SelfOpinion leader : Friend

BELIEF IN ITEMBranded Quality Oriented


BRAND PREFERENCEConsideration set : Addidas, Reebok, Priangle, and Numero Uno.Brand Loyal


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EXHIBIT-1.3


DEMOGRAPHICSName : Amit SrivastavaAge : 31Gender : MaleOccupation : Sr. Engineer (LN&T)Education : M.E.(Environmental)Income (Family) : 5- 8 Lakh (per Annum)Religion : HinduResidential Area : Gurgaun, HaryanaNationality : Indian

MEDIAPrint Media : News PaperTelevision : Star TV,CNBC 18Internet : Regular Net Surfing


ETHNIC SUBCULTUREBirth Place : Northern IndiaCaste : HinduFamily : Wife & DaughterTendency to spend : Likes to save moneyTraditional/Modern : TraditionalActive/Passive : ActiveReligion/Secular : ReligiousDecision makers : Joint


ENTERTAINMENTFavourite Time pass : TelevisionFavourite pass time accompanying with : Wife & Daughter

EATING HABITSNon-Veg/Veg : VegetarianDrinking : NoSmoking : No


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ITEM PURCHASEDShoes




MOTIVE : AffectiveINTANGEBLE CHOICE Price

BRAND PREFERENCEConsideration set : Spark, Reebok, Bata.Brand Loyal


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EXHIBIT-1.4

RESPONDENT DETAILS-4

DEMOGRAPHICSName : Nitin MishraAge : 35Gender : MaleOccupation : ManagerEducation : B.Tech., PGDBMIncome (Family) : 5-8 Lac(per Annum)Religion : HinduResidential Area : Gurgaun, HaryanaNationality : Indian

MEDIAPrint Media : News PaperTelevision : MTV & 24x7Internet : Regular Net Surfing


ETHNIC SUBCULTUREBirth Place : Northern IndiaCaste : HinduFamily : Wife & SonTendency to spend : Likes to save moneyTraditional/Modern : Moderate TraditionalActive/Passive : ActiveReligion/Secular : Moderate ReligiousDecision makers : Joint


ENTERTAINMENTFavourite Time pass : TelevisionFavourite pass time accompanying with : Wife & Son

EATING HABITSNon-Veg/Veg : VegetarianDrinking : NoSmoking : No


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ITEM PURCHASEDT-SHIRT





BRAND PREFERENCEConsideration set : Addidas, Reebok.Brand Loyal


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PROJECT PHASE II

INTERNAL FACTORS

01. OBJECTIVE

The objective of this part of the project is to study the effect of internal influences of the consumer’s purchases in Casual/sports attire and the marketing strategies relevant to their purchases in this segment.

This part of the project highlights the influence of various internal factors on the purchase of Casual/Sport attire. The respondents were asked subjective questions and the following implications were derived .These implications have been highlighted into their respective traits discussed below.

NEED

Maselow’s need hierarchy is readily adaptable to market segmentation and the development of advertising appeals because there are consumer goods designed to satisfy each of the need levels and because most of the needs are shared by large segment of consumers. From the study conducted the various types of needs of the respondents are as follows.

Parameter Amit Kumar SinghJeansRespondent I

Gurpreet SinghPulloverRespondent II

Amit SrivastavaShoesRespondent III

Nitin MishraT-shirtRespondent IV

Need Social(Active External)

Physiological(Active Internal)

Social(Active Internal)

Social(Active External)

The need hierarchy is openly used as a basis for market segmentation with specific advertising appeal directed to one or more need segment. For example in our sports/casual attire we will use an add in which a social appeal is highlighted by showing a group of young people enjoying themselves and advertise the product.

EMOTION Emotions are strong, relative uncontrolled feelings that effect behavior. Emotions are generally triggered by environmental events .Anger, Joy, Sadness are most frequently response to a set of external events. Three dimensions of emotions are pleasure, arousal and dominance. The table given below shows the emotions of respondents in the conducted study.


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Parameter Amit Kumar SinghJeans

Gurpreet SinghPullover

Amit SrivastavaShoes

Nitin MishraTshirt

Emotion Arousal Pleasure Pleasure Arousal

Indicator feeling

Attentive, Curious, Keen about his looks

Desire to buy a pullover

Desire to buy a pair of shoes for evening walk

Activation. Was aroused to see his friends wearing T-shirt

SELF-CONCEPT

Self concept is defined as the totality of the individual thoughts and feelings towards himself as an object. Table below shows the implications of self concepts of various respondents.

Parameter Amit Kumar SinghJeans

Gurpreet SinghPullover

Amit SrivastavaShoes

Nitin MishraT-shirt

Self Concept

Ideal Self/Private Self

Ideal Self/Private –Self

Ideal Self/Private -Self

Ideal self/Social self

Self- Concept model can be shown below:


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ProductBrand image

ConsumerSelf concept

Relationship

Behaviour Satisfaction

F E E D B A C K


Marketer should strive to develop a product image that is consistent with the self concept of their target market like Independent self concept which is found common in our case.

PERSONALITY

Personality is an individual’s characteristics response tendencies across similar situation. Personality is a useful concept because it enables us to categorize consumers into different group on the basis of Single trait and multiple traits.

Single traits theories emphasize on one personality trait. These are classified as follows.

01 Romanticism/classicism trait can be characterized by being inspirational, imaginative, creative, and economical and carefully proportional.

02 Need for Uniqueness is defined as an individual’s pursuit of differentness relative to others that is achieved through the acquisition ,utilization and disposition of consumer goods for the purpose of developing and enhancing one’s personal and social identity.

Multi Trait Theory specifies several traits that in combination capture a substantial portion of the personality of the individuals.

A tabular presentation of five factor model is shown below.

Core Traits Manifestation

Extroversion Prefer to be in large group rather than alone, talkative when with other Bold

Instability Moody, temperamental & touchy

Agreeableness Sympathetic, kind to others & Polite with others

Openness to experience Imaginative, Appreciative of arts

Conscientiousness Careful, precise & Efficient

Freudian Theory.

ID , Superego and Ego

ID is warehouse of primitive and impulsive drives –basic Physiological need.Superego is conceptualized as the individual’s internal expression of society’s moral and ethical code of conduct.


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Ego is the individual’s conscious control. It functions as an internal monitor that attempt to balance the impulsive demand and socio-cultural constraint of the super ego.

Neo-Freudian Theory

Complain individuals are those who move towards others (they desire to be loved, wanted and appreciated ).Aggressive individuals are those who move against others (they desire to excel and win admiration).Detached Individuals are those who move away from others( they desire independence, self-reliance, self-sufficiency, and individualism r freedom from obligations)

Parameter Amit Kumar Singh(Jeans)

Gurpreet Singh(Pullover)

Amit Srivastava(Shoes)

Nitin Mishra(T-shirt)

Personality Prefer To live in Large group

Bold Talkative When With Others

Introvert, Kind to others

Info savvy person

Analytical

Ego Ego/classicism Classicism Uniqueness

Detached Compliant Imaginative

Trait Need for cognition

Need For Cognition.

Need For Cognition

Trait Visualizes Visualizes Verbalize

A Particular type of image that some brands acquire is a brand personality. Brand personality is a set of human characteristics that become associated with a brand .


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MARKETING IMPLICATION

Marketers have to pay attention to Brand Personality that matches the personality of the segment targeted by him. In casual and sports attire the brand personality is of a masculine, cool, and easy to use. In the study conducted it was found that

Respondent I Excitement Respondent II and Respondent III Sincerity. Respondent IV Sophistication.

ATTITUDE

Attitude refers to what a person feels or believes about something. It may be reflected in how an individual acts based on his or her beliefs. Once formed, attitudes can be very difficult to change. Thus, if a consumer has a negative attitude toward a particular issue it will take considerable effort to change what they believe to be true. It is made up off three component . These components are

Affective Cognitive

Behavioral

Key functions that attitude serves are highlighted in the table below.

Parameter Amit Kumar Singh(Jeans)

Gurpreet Singh(Pullover)

Amit Srivastava(Shoes)

Nitin Mishra(T-shirt)

Function of Attitude

Knowledge Utilitarian Knowledge Knowledge


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Sincerity

Brand Personality

Excitement Competence Sophistication

Ruggedness

Down To EarthHonestCheerfulWholesome

DaringSpiritedImaginativeUp-to-date

ReliableIntelligentSuccessful

Upper Class

Charming

OutdoorsyTough


PROJECT PHASE III

DECISION MAKING PROCESS

01. OBJECTIVE

The objective of this part of the project is to study the decision making process of the consumers purchases in Casual/sports attire and the marketing strategies relevant to their purchases in this segment. 02. INTRODUCTION

The term consumer decision produces an image of an individual carefully evaluating the attributes of a set of products, brands, services and rationally selecting the one that solves a clearly recognised need for the least cost. Consumers make numerous decisions everyday; sometimes even when they are not consciously aware of how and why they have made a choice. The consumer as a decision maker is viewed in different ways by different groups of researchers. The economic view holds that consumers are rational decision makers, while some other researchers view the consumers as uninvolved passive decision makers.

Yet another group of researchers view consumers as cognitive decision makers. But all these views ignore the influence of emotions on consumers’ choices. There are three types of consumer decision making:–

1. Nominal decision making (low purchase involvement with no external information).

2. Limited decision making (consumer evaluates limited alternatives with some external information).

3. Extended decision making (large number of alternatives with the help of extensive information search from both internal and external sources).

There are three phases in consumer decision making process:–1. Problem recognition2. Information search3. Alternatives evaluation and selection.

Problem recognition is initiated with identification of a gap in the actual state and the desired state as perceived by the consumer. The consumer may be aware or unaware of the problem or need.

The need awareness can trigger through non-marketing and/or marketing triggers. Marketing triggers involve identifying consumer problems through various techniques and then acting on these. Marketers may also try to suppress problem recognition by consumers.


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Information search is initially done from internal sources, i.e., memory and experience, and then from external sources, i.e., friends, internet, etc. Consumer decision making involves seeking information on three important aspects of product – evaluation criteria, alternatives available, and attributes of each alternatives. The amount of external search to be done depends on various market, product, consumer, and situational variables. Alternatives evaluation and selection involves making the brand choice after evaluating all the alternatives. There are three types of consumer choice processes – affective choice (based on ‘it feels right’ factor), attitude-based choice (based on decision rules), and attribute-based choice (based on attribute-by-attribute comparison across brands.

CONSUMER DECISION MAKING PROCESS

As we look into the buying behaviour of the respondents towards the purchase of Casual / Sports attire we find that the purchase is of a high involvement in almost all cases. The questionnaire study that was done to tab the responses indicates that the respondents were brand loyal and were able to relate the advertisements of their liked brands. Most of them even indicated the name of the brand ambassadors of their respective brands. They were keen towards the product attributes like casual designs, colour preferences, the type of dressing, brand image, the perception of brand in the market, influence of society on their particular brand etc. The overall purchase involvement towards the purchase was high. It was also found that though the purchase involvement of the respondents was high but the product involvement was low. They were ready to buy any product may be a T-shirt, a trouser etc but of their preferred brand only.

MODULAR APPROACH OF CONSUMER DECISION MAKING PROCESSExtended decision making model is used as shown in the figure below to relate the responses of the purchases towards casual/sports attire.


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Problem Recognition

Information Search

Evaluation and Selection of Alternatives

Decision Implementation

Post-purchase Evaluation


This model has been divided into five parts :


Problem Recognition:

The interviewed study found that the respondent was very keen about his looks and comforts. The respondent realised that his present apparels did not look contemporary any more. Because of this latent need the respondent purchased his jeans. Thus from here we find that the problem was generic for the respondent and sensing the need for the purchase he straight away bought the jeans.

Information Search:

As soon as the respondent identified his need of buying a jeans trouser he was in search of the right alternative. He had some brand names in his mind set before the actual purchase but was unsure whether he would get the right product. The respondent actively seek information through internal search and very little of external search which is through advertisements in print and electronic media. His consideration set included brands like Flying Machine, Spyker, Lee, Numero Uno.

Evaluation criteria

Attribute Based Choices:The respondent’s evaluation criteria for the purchase of jeans were found to be attributed based. Price, Quality, Brand name, style were the relevant alternatives under which the choice was made. Motive of the choice was found to be affective. Style as the major intangible criteria of the purchase. He also liked that brand and had a very good experience of the purchase before the current one.

Decision

The final decision was made by evaluating the prime alternatives and ranking them in order of their preference to come to the final conclusion. A lexicographic style of decision making was seen in the purchase.

Post Purchase evaluation

There is no other dissonance as such from the part of the respondent and he is fully satisfied with the product.

Consumer satisfaction


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The respondent was found to be fully satisfied with the purchase and was ready to go for a repeated purchase of the brand.


Problem Recognition:The purchase in this case was a pullover, which the respondent bought to meet his requirements during the coming winters. The actual state was a need which the respondent had and the desired state was the fulfilment of his purchase. Thus the problem here was found to be generic leading to the purchase.

Information Search:

Once the need for the purchase was identified the respondent sought his internal information search. He had considered some brands before the purchase and at the point of purchase he was influenced by the style of the pullover, the brand tag imprinted on the pullover, the colour , etc .His information search was the outlets of various brands to which he had already visited, the varieties of the product, preference of place. His consideration set included brands like Reebok, Pringle, NumeroUno.

Evaluation criteria

Attribute Based Choices:The respondent’s evaluation criteria for the purchase of pullover were found to be attributed based. Price, Quality, Brand name, style were the relevant alternatives under which the choice was made. Motive of the choice was found to be consummatory. Style and price were the major intangible criteria’s of the purchase. He also liked that brand and had a very good experience of the purchase before the current one.

Decision

The final decision was made by evaluating the prime alternatives and ranking them in order of their preference to come to the final conclusion. A lexicographic style of decision making was seen in the purchase.





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The respondent bought a pair of sport shoes for himself. The actual state was the need of sport shoes for evening walk which drived him to buy the product. The desired state was the fulfilment of his latent need for the product. The respondent was waiting for a seasonal sale and as soon as the sale arrived the product was bought. Problem found was generic leading to the purchase.

Information Search:

Once the need for the purchase was identified the respondent sought his internal information search. He had considered some brands before the purchase and at the point of purchase he was influenced by the price of the product. His information search was the outlets of various brands, and the variety of the product. His consideration set included brands like Reebok, Spark, Bata.

Evaluation criteria

Attribute Based Choices:The respondent’s evaluation criteria for the purchase of pullover were found to be attributed based. Price, Quality, Brand name, style were the relevant alternatives under which the choice was made. Motive of the choice was found to be consummatory. Price was the major intangible criteria’s of the purchase. He also liked that brand and had a very good experience of the purchase before the current one.

Decision

The final decision was made by evaluating the minimum required performance standards to come to the final conclusion. A conjunctive style of decision making was seen in the purchase.






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In this case the respondent bought a T-shirt for himself. He was influenced by his friend wearing an Addidas shirt and this lead to the purchase. Here the desired state was the looks that the respondent presumed after wearing the shirt.

Information Search:

Information search was internal. He knew the brand and was adamant to buy that.

Evaluation criteria

Attitude Based Choice

Decision

Brand name was the surrogate indicator of quality and the decision was taken .


There is no dissonance from the part of the respondent and he is fully satisfied with the product.



Howard – Sheth Model:

The entire study conducted above to analyse the buying behaviour of Casuals/Sports apparel purchases can be summarise in a structured module as shown in the figure below. This diagram depicts the Howard-Sheth model which distinguishes three levels of decision making: The Howard-Sheth model of buying behavior attempts to explain the complexity of the consumer decision making process:


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This model suggests three levels of decision making:

1. The first level describes the extensive problem solving. At this level the consumer does not have any basic information or knowledge about the brand and he does not have any preferences for any product. In this situation, the consumer will seek information about all the different brands in the market before purchasing.

In the case study the respondent 1 want to purchase a jeans which give him a good look but he does not have preference of brand though some of the brands is there in his consideration set.

2. The second level is limited problem solving. This situation exists for consumers who have little knowledge about the market, or partial knowledge about what they want to purchase. In order to arrive at a brand preference some comparative brand information is sought.

In the study conducted the respondent 2 has the limited problem solving he has knowledge of some brand before purchasing a pullover and after a comparative analysis between the various consider brand he purchased one

3. The third level is a habitual response behavior. In this level the consumer knows very well about the different brands and he can differentiate between the different characteristics of each product, and he already decides to purchase a particular product.

From the study it was found that respondent 3,4 had a habitual response as respondent 4 had already decided to purchase addidas t shirt and respondent 3 had in his mind three brand Sparx, Reebok, and Bata and as he found a sale on shoes he purchased it .


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1. The input variable- The significative stimuli present in the purchase of the brand was Quality- quality of stiching and cloths in case of jeans and tshirt and pullover and leather in case of shoes

Price compatative price Distinctiveness the style like stretchable in case jeans and sweat absorbing in

case of shoes Availability is it available near by store, malls, and the store of his choice

Symbolic stimuli were found to be generated through advertisements and social stimuli was generated through family and groups.

2. The output variable- The output variable in the model is the buyer’s response to the input stimuli and is shown in the diagram according to their preferences: Attention towards the brand, brand comprehension, attitude, intention, purchase.In the study we can generate attention towards the brand by giving add in media ,website ,Hording board, point of purchase like in case of respondent 3 the respondent purchase shoes when he found the sale on the brand of his choice. By this the customer comprehends various stimuli provided by marketer .

3. Perceptual and learning constructs- Perceptual constructs include overt search. We would present our add at websites, magazine specially in man and sports magazine newspaper specially newspapers and try to create clubs.Attention and perceptual bias since people are able to remember only few of the things so we are try to be present our add in most of the search option and repeat the information at least 14 time as it is found that people are able to remember after 14 repetition .motives since the motive in our study is pleasure choices and satisfaction.

Exogenous variable

These are variables that play an important role in the decision making process of an individual in the purchase of casual and sports attire. Three variables such as importance of purchase, personality and social class seem to play an important role in this case.

MARKETING STRATEGY

INTRODUCTION


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In this part of the project a fictions brand AXE CASUALS has been selected and an advertising and promotional strategy has been designed that can meet the desired needs of the particular segment into consideration.

STRATEGY DESIGNING

A zoom look at the implications of the various parameters discussed in various phases of this report has a major contribution towards building a strategy to project our brand. The buying behaviour of respondents studied in this report towards casual/sports attire reflects a shift of paradigm of the Indian customers. With the gradual removal of market access restrictions and the liberalization on the regulations of foreign investments, the Indian apparel industry has gone through a significant change .Foreign investments have not only provided opportunities in the market but they have played an important role in creating jobs, providing high salaries etc which in tern has made a revolutionary change in the buying patterns of Indian consumers. Buying clothing’s now is not just the fulfilment of needs but above than this.

TARGETED NEED

The need that has been targeted to advertise our brand is the social need of the consumer. The implications from the buying behaviour of respondents obtained as a part of our study highlights the Affective motive of an individual in buying casual/sport attire. The print advertisement features the Affective preservative motives of an indivisual namely active internal and active external. This component of need set influences an indivisual to purchase casual/sports attire.

TARGETED PERCEPTION

The component of perception targeted in the given advertisement is exposure which would create an impact on the consumer’s mindset. The background of the advertisement is coloured so that it creates a significant attention to the consumers mind. Position of text has been kept in a form so that the consumer is able to read the text.

LEARNING PRINCIPLESConsumers’ decision is not an individual decision but it’s a collective decision made by his friends, parents and tech expert people. They were keen towards the product attributes like casual designs, colour preferences, the type of dressing, brand image, influence of society, culture on their particular product etc. High involvement learning was seen in the individuals.

MESSAGE APPEAL AND THE ATITUDE FUNCTION

The message of our advertising will focus on our USP which is Brand Image. As shown from the study above the attitude of the respondents was found to be affective,


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where the individuals were concerned about image of the brand and how it is perceived in the society. The targeted segment would be a lower middle class educated, in the age group of 24 to 38, having nuclear families and are concerned with the quality of the product in their price range. Price would be kept in a range so that this segment can purchase the product easily.

BRAND PERSONALITY

We would position our brand as:

“The one that gives me pleasure and pride and a sense of confidence in myself.”

EXTERNAL INFLUENCE

The external influence that would play a strong role would be the age, occupation, Income, Class, sub class and social class. Building a branded image for our product would be the focus of our marketing strategy.

ADVERTISING STRATEGY

The print advertisement shown below incorporates the social need of the individual who perceives himself as the one shown in the advertisement. The background of the advertisement shows a feeling of joy where two persons standing in a lighter mood near a sea beach. A sense of pleasure, pride and confidence has been depicted by the punch line used in this advertisement …

“FOR THE MEN WHO THINK THEY CAN……..” Yes here is a solution.

PRINT ADVERTISMENT


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QuestionnairesDemographic Details

a) Name:_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


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WHATS on YOUR mind is on YOUR body

AXE CASUALS

For MEN who think THEY CAN………………………


b) Age: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

c) Gender: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

d) Location: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

e) Religion: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

f) Place of Origin: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

g) Nationality: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

h) Family Size: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

i) Family Income: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

j) Residential Area: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

k) Internet Surfer: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Education

a) Undergraduate

b) Graduate

c) Post Graduate

d) Nil

Occupation

a) Govt. employee

b) Self Employed

c) Student

d) Private Company

Income-group (Optional)

a) Below 2 Lakhs Per Annum

b) Between 2 – 3.5 Lakhs per Annum

c) Between 3.5 – 5 Lakhs per Annum

d) Between 5 – 8 Lakhs per Annum

e) Above 8 Lakhs

Your Family Includes? (With whom you reside)

a) Parents

b) Wife


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c) Children

d) Relatives

Who all are involved in making important decisions in your family?

a) Parents / Relatives

b) Wife

sc) Children

d) Friends

e) All

f) Others

You like spending your free/pass time with?

a) Family Members / Relatives

b) School / College Friends

c) Professional Friends

d) Others

You belongs to_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Please tick)?

a) Hindu

b) Muslim

c) Sikh

d) Christianity

e) Atheist

f) Others (Please specify_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _)

You like to be a part of?

a) Clubbing/ Community/ Society

b) Events/ Concerts

c) Theatre/Art shows

d) Family get-togethers

e) Others (Please specify_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _)

What type of cuisine you generally prefer?

a) Vegetarian

b) Non Vegetarian


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c) Continental

d) Indian

e) Others (Please specify_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _)

Do you drink?

a) Yes ( Generally with ----------------------------------- Please specify)

b) No

Do you Smoke?

a) Yes ( Generally with ----------------------------------------Please specify)

b) No

What is your favourite pass time?

a) Watching Movie

b) Reading

c) Listening Music

d) Visiting Places

e) Celebrating ( Festivals, Family Occasions , etc)

f) Travelling

g) Others (Please specify_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _)

How often you go for religious ceremonies / Place ?

a) Frequently

b) Often

c) Rarely go

d) Don’t go

On a scale of 10 please rate the following attributes.( 10- Most important, 1- Least important )

a) Patriotism

b) Cleanliness is next to goddiness


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c) Women dominance in society

d) Individual status in society

e) Entrepreneurs in society

f) We can do it

g) Material wealth brings more status than family ties.

h) Save for rainy day

i) Live for today

j) Bigger is better

k) Friendship

From where do you generally purchase clothes?

a) Malls/ Showrooms b) Local markets c) Internet Buying d) Others

You generally take your purchase decisions with?

a) Parents

b) Wife

c) Relatives

d) Friends

e) Sales Person

What type of Casual/Sports wear you generally purchase?

b) Branded

c) Non branded

d) Both

e) Traditional Specify (Please specify_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _)

f) Khadi

Please tick your favourite choices?

a) Jeans

b) T shirts

c) Sport shoes

d) Others (Please specify_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _)

Do you follow any dress code in your social group and what if you don’t adhere to it?


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Match the following? (Use straight lines to match responses)

White Marriage

Pink Death or Mourning

Red Baby girl

Blue Others (Please specify_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _)

How important to you are the following factors fro the casual/sports attire purchase?

Rate them on a scale of 1- 5. (1=least important and 5=most important)

Rating 1 2 3 4 5

Factors

Price

Brand

Peer Group

Style

Brand Ambassador

Quality

Modes of media you are exposed to? (Please tick or specify the name if possible)

a. Television _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

b. Radio _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

c. Newspaper _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

d. Magazines _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

e. Movies _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

f. Others _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Do you remember the symbol of your favourite apparel brand?

a. Yes Please Specify_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

b. No

Do you remember the brand ambassador of your favourite apparel brand?

a. Yes Please Specify_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

b. NoBatch : Executive PGDM 2008-09

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consumer behaviour project

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