brand concious society

1

Business Research

Report

Brand Conscious

Society

Presented To

Prof. Fauzia Ali Hadi

Presented By

Ayesha Qazi Roll no.630

Kasha Iftikar Roll no.636

Mydaa Toheed Roll no.642

Rabia Arshad Roll no.634

Saba Sadia Roll no.601

Semester 5 B-Com Section A (aftr )

Hailey College of Commerce

Acknowledgements

“Do your best and leave the rest

To dedicate the destiny of your quest

In the hands of one who can change

The fate of things not in your range”

Firstly we bow our heads before Almighty Allah for the completion of this project.

We feel pleasure to express our gratitude to our parents and our respectable instructor,

Prof. Fouzia Ali. Without her kind understanding, guidance and valuable suggestions,

it would not have been possible for us to conduct this project.

Special thanks to all those people who with the help of those, we have been able to

complete our project successfully.

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Table of Content

ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................................4

PROBLEM......................................................................................................................................................5

STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS...............................................................................................................5

NULL HYPOTHESIS.......................................................................................................................................6ALTERNATIVE HYPOTHESIS.........................................................................................................................6

AIMS & OBJECTIVES.................................................................................................................................6

THEORETICAL/CONCEPTUAL FRAME WORK.................................................................................7

DESIGN OF QUESTIONNAIRE.........................................................................................................................7MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE.........................................................................................................................7CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................................8RECOMMENDATION......................................................................................................................................8

RELEVANT LITERATURE........................................................................................................................8

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY................................................................................................................12

NATURE OF DATA......................................................................................................................................13SOURCE OF DATA.......................................................................................................................................13THE RESEARCH INSTRUMENT....................................................................................................................13SAMPLE TECHNIQUES.................................................................................................................................14SAMPLE SIZE..............................................................................................................................................14ANALYSIS OF DATA...................................................................................................................................14

DEFINITION OF VARIABLES.................................................................................................................14

SEQUENCE OF ACTIVITIES...................................................................................................................15

RESULTS......................................................................................................................................................16

FINDING.......................................................................................................................................................37

THEORY.......................................................................................................................................................37

CONCLUSIONS...........................................................................................................................................38

RECOMMENDATIONS.............................................................................................................................39

Appendix.......................................................................................................................................................40

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Abstract

Brand consciousness is more than simply an awareness or preference for brand names. It

is the understanding that brand names, in general, have personal relevance or value in that

they serve as a signal of functional or symbolic value. In the Pakistan, the importance of

brand names is well established. However, there is little understanding of the importance

brand names hold in other cultures.

Introduction

Brands are everywhere. There is no denying that corporations have taken the marketing

of brand names very seriously. Billions of dollars have been spent trying to impress

consumers while aiming to increase brand loyalty and recognition.

Branding seems to be the key ingredient of every design; a company with a great brand

reflects a great identity. In today's brand conscious society, a company's logo and brand

styling are more important than ever. They are the interface between a business and its

clients, and speak volumes to potential new customers. A logo can have one brief

opportunity to make an impact and deliver its message, and can make all the difference in

creating and sustaining customer confidence, and developing brand strength. Brand

consciousness is awareness of a brand as a distinct product separate from others. It is

about image and perception.

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If we need to define brand consciousness it would be like the consumer is aware that

Coca-Cola is a cola, - and we could say, -they have a positive impression of the brand.

Brand consciousness is more than simply an awareness or preference for brand. There are

differences in the level of brand consciousness. Self-conscious individuals are especially

concerned about the impression they make on others. They are more likely to be

concerned about physical appearances and fashion. They are also more compliant with

standards in the society and are more sensitive to interpersonal rejections.

Thus there is a difference in brand consciousness between self-conscious teens who more

highly value peer approval, than those who do not. Self-conscious consumers who are

brand conscious will most likely have a negative attitude towards counterfeits of luxury

brands. Building a campaign around a well-known product like Lifebuoy can be effective

precisely because even the world’s poorest citizens can be “brand conscious".

Problem

Some customers today are extremely brand conscious. Why do they need or want those

branded items? Do they really love the items or they just want people to love what they

have?

Statement of Hypothesis

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“Hypothesis is a solution tentative/temporarily in nature, the truth or failure of

which is being checked through data collection”.

The statement of the hypothesis, for which the research is conducted, is as follows:

Null Hypothesis

"Upcoming generation of our country is brand conscious”

Alternative Hypothesis

We can say about the alternative hypothesis as:

"Upcoming generation is not brand conscious”

Aims & Objectives

The main objective of the research study was to ascertain about the market position of

branded products, see whether people are buying them or not and if yes then what main

reasons are forcing them to buy branded products instead of the local ones.

By having a research background of branded products we can say that people much

prefer it due to its high quality, high competition, high advertisement and attractive

design. Its major competitors are local producers which do not have strength upon their

quality & Goodwill. Advertisement policies of the branded products are too strong.

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Theoretical/Conceptual Frame Work

The procedure which will be followed by us in this term report is simple. As the topic of

our term paper has already been discussed above, the core concept of our term paper is to

measure brand consciousness in our society keeping it in view the conceptual frame work

is subsequent.

Questioner/Interview

Measurement

Conclusion

Recommendations

Design of questionnaire

The questionnaire will be prepared to measure the brand consciousness among our

society members. We will have a questionnaire in which there are different questions

regarding brands and what our society thinks about them. People from different walks of

life were the respondents of this research and both genders were included in it.

Measurement technique

The situational questionnaire will consist of five options (strongly agree, agree, neutral,

disagree and strongly disagree) ranging from 5 to 1 ... 5 for strongly agree and 1 for

strongly disagree. If someone will tick the strongly agree of any attribute it mean that

attribute is more likely present in that student. Based on the Wight/score (from 1 to 5) we

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will note down the answers of the questions and then we’ll see the percentage of people

response to the questions

Conclusion

The conclusion will be based on measurement techniques. After passing questionnaire

from measurement phase we will give conclusion based on results. We will compare it

will our results also which we have already perceived.

Recommendation

There is always a space for improvement. In light of conclusion we will suggest some

ways in which there can be a positive impact of brand consciousness on our society

Relevant Literature

The rapid growth of the fashion industry in Pakistan has triggered the mushrooming of

franchises of foreign brands within the country, adding to brand diversity and a surfeit of

product variety.

International brands woo status-conscious Lahoris (By Shahrukh Ayub)

LAHORE: At least two-dozen international brand outlets are doing robust business in the

city with their summer collections, and the trend is expected to attract another five

international brands to invest in the city, owners of brand outlets told Daily Times.

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Owners and administrators of outlets selling products such as sunglasses, watches,

handbags, shoes, cufflinks, ties and suits say the business has never been better. The

outlets are mostly situated on MM Alam Road, Gulberg Main Boulevard and in the

Defence Housing Authority (DHA).The shopkeepers told Daily Times that the country’s

economic slump did not affect them much because their number of customers had not

fallen. They said that because they sold branded items, their ‘brand-conscious’ customers

always returned. “Lahoris are very brand conscious,” said Farhan Nadeem, the manager

of a Slazenger outlet on MM Alam Road. He said buying branded items gave people the

satisfaction of buying good-quality products. Since most brands had become status

symbols, the status-conscious always bought branded products, he added. “Branded

products have become part of their lives and they cannot go anywhere without them,” he

said.

“We have lot of expensive products and people buy them without caring how much they

cost. They prefer comfort and satisfaction over the cost,” said Farrukh.

“Women, particularly employed women, buy very expensive handbags,” said

Muhammad Azeem, the manager of the Ammar Belal designer wear outlet. He said

young men mostly bought expensive cufflinks and glasses, elderly men went for watches,

ties and shoes, while women’s favourite buys included shoes and handbags.

Amina Ahmad, a shopper in Gulberg, said, “I buy branded shoes and bags because they

are of the best quality and are most comfortable.” Arsalan, a young boy buying Nikes,

said, “I buy branded products because I don’t get satisfaction from buying unbranded

things.”

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Fashion designer Taufiq Hussain said brand-consciousness came from self-awareness. He

said that people who want good quality products always go for the best products

available. Fashion designer Bee Gee, a pioneer of designer fashion in Lahore, said that

people buy branded products because such products help them maintain a high status in

society.

Shazia Khalid, a psychologist at Punjab University, said that people who wanted to keep

their ‘status’ above the rest chose branded items to convey a message without having to

say it out loud. She said that this trend had created a brand new community of people

who bought only branded items, especially apparel

Ever wondered why popular apparel brands like Van Huesen, Louis Phillipe and Park

Avenue appeal to people who seek intimacy in relationships? Well, the answer lies in

their upbringing, says a new study.A team, led by Indian-origin researcher Vanitha

Swaminathan of Pittsburgh University, has found that people's relationship styles can

affect their brand choices to a large extent, the 'Journal of Consumer Research' reported.

"Depending on the nature of the relationship between the infant and caregiver, an

individual will develop an attachment style characterized by the following two

dimensions -- anxiety and avoidance.”The anxiety dimension refers to the extent a

person's view of self is positive or negative; whereas the avoidance dimension is based on

the extent to which the view of others is positive or negative," according to the

researchers.

In fact, according to them, anxiously attached individuals are more influenced by "brand

personalities", the idea that a brand possesses human-like traits, like sincerity or

excitement. "Because of a low view of self, anxious individuals use brands to signal their

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ideal self-concept to future relationship partners and therefore focus more on the

personality of the brand," the researchers wrote.

In their study, the researchers tested participants to determine their attachment styles.

Then they asked about their desires for "sincere" versus "exciting" products to reach the

conclusion. "This research points out an interesting but counterintuitive finding: Brand

personality can be most useful for forging consumer-brand connections with consumers

who tend to enjoy such deep connections in the interpersonal context," the researchers

said.

For those with a penchant for shopping, Karachi's malls and shopping centres are a

blessing. With so many places to choose from, Karachiites are spoilt for choice, though

many prefer one over the other for their own reasons and the uniqueness each place has

to offer By Aqsa Hussain

Whoever said money can't buy happiness probably didn't know where to go shopping.

Karachi's landscape, which is dotted with many shopping centres, could provide much

relief in form of retail therapy to those seeking it. Shopping centres such as Saddar, Tariq

Road, Zamzama, Zaib-un-nissa Street, Hyderi and Water pump are popular for extreme

shopping binges. Karachi's malls on the other hand; Park Towers, Forum, Millennium

Mall and Dolmen Mall, attract hoards of people, not all of them looking to shop. Most

people just enjoy hanging at the malls. Come heat, rain or power breakdown, Karachiites

find refuge at the malls. This is not to say mall enthusiasts don't shop. Avid customers

head out to malls to browse at their favourite stores, with a growing variety of brands

available at all of them, from groceries and electronics to designer clothes; these malls

house everything from local to high-end brands.

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They may argue that there is really a point in having branded clothes, as they might not

want to look like cheap in other people's eyes if the clothes are not of a real brand. Or

they might be quality conscious, getting the branded ones also for the quality of the

materials or the uniqueness of their pieces, as if the brand were a promise of quality.

Hmm, branded items do ensure quality to a certain extent. Maybe with a brand attached

to you, you can be more certain that the products will not spoil after a short period of

time, unlike the cheap stuff you find along the side of the streets. But I think most people

take branded things as a status symbol and they just wear brands to show off like walking

billboards. Brands are not only on the surface, but also a way of flaunting their wealth to

others. The main factor behind what makes brands dearer is that they keep up with the

current trends and are also a means of elevating your social status. Of course, among

those who are brand conscious, some are not blind brand followers.

Research Methodology

It is a plan of what data to gather, from whom, how and when to collect the data, and how

to analyze the data obtained.

Main and major method, regarding this research, for the collection of the raw material is

by the means of questionnaires, personal interviews and published annual audited report..

We distributed hundred questionnaires to different categories of people included in the

scope of our research study.

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Nature of Data

The data is gathered from different methods on the basis of which report is compiled. In

this research the data has gathered through a comprehensive market survey, therefore, the

nature of the data is primary. The questionnaires are used for collection of data.

Source of Data

The major source of the data is the general public familiar with the branded products in

universities. So the target areas are the universities. An attempt was made to include

every possible locality of the target areas so to avoid any chance of biasness.

The Research Instrument

The questionnaires, market surveys, personal interviews and published data about brand

consciousness are the research instruments used for collecting the data from the market. It

has developed in such a way that it reflect all aspect of problem and every possible

attempt was made that the respondent did not face any problem in answering the

questions.

Sample Techniques

The random sampling techniques were employed for the selection of sample. It avoids

bias in the data and it also ensures the representation of the entire segment.

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Sample Size

The researcher got his questionnaire filled by 100 respondents but he did also interview

many people for deeper insight of the subject. These way persons were other than who

filled the questionnaire and in this the researcher's sample size exceeded the original

number assigned.

Analysis of Data

After the data was gathered, the next stage was of coding, tabulation the data and

analyzing the data. The technique used for the data analysis was percentage. We gave

weights/ scores to the answers of our questionnaire ranging from 5 to 1, here 5 depicts

strongly agree and 1 shows strongly disagree. (It will be further discussed in the

operational definitions of variables below).

Definition of Variables

An operational definition indicates the specific procedures by which something is

measured; it depicts the meaning of something in highly explicit, usually quantifiable

terms.

Every variable in our experiment was “operationally defined” precisely in a way that

anyone else can know what the variable means. The independent variable is the variable

we manipulate or which varies for other reasons, which is “brand consciousness” in our

research. The dependent variable is the variable we observe or measure and here

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“society” is the dependent variable. To understand how one variable either (a) causes the

other or (b) is correlated with the other we have precisely defined what we mean by the

variables.

The operational definition we describe the procedures (that is, the "operations") we use to

change the independent variable, and to measure the dependent variable.

For example, if some individual thinks that he is brand conscious what will be the effect

of this on the society? To measure this relation between brand consciousness and society

we designed questionnaires which cover different aspects

Sequence of Activities

Following activities will be followed:

1. Designing of questionnaire.

2. Distribution and collection of questionnaire.

3. Evaluation and tabulation of results.

4. Summarization of results

5. Submission of report

Results

The following tables show the result of our questionnaire. And our analysis upon them

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Brand Consciousness

Male10%

22%

8%36%

24%

Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree

Female4%

20%

32%

32%

12%


16

0

5

10

15

20

Male

Female

Male 5 11 4 18 12

Female 2 10 16 16 6

Strongly disagree

Disagree Neutral AgreeStrongly agree

According to the above graph, males tend to be more brand conscious as compared to

females. 36% (18 out of 50) of the males agree and 24%(12 out of 50) of males strongly

agree that they are brand conscious in comparison to 32% of females who agree and 12%

females who strongly agree to be brand conscious. How ever there is a greater number of

females who are neutral about brand consciousness. The disagreement level in males is

greater as 22% disagree and 10% strongly disagree to be brand conscious.

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Brand Charge High for Their Products

Female

0% 8% 0%

70%

22%


Male0% 8%

6%

46%

40%


18

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Male

Female

Male 0 4 3 23 20

Female 0 4 0 35 11

Strongly disagree


This graph shows that 40% (20 of 50) males and 22% (11 of 50) females strongly agree

that brands do charge high price for their products. However there is a greater number of

females (35 of 50) who agree to this statement as compared to males (23 of 50). 6% of

males showed a neutral response to this and equal number of males and females i.e. 8%

disagree to this statement.

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People Buy Branded Things to Maintain Their Status

Female

2% 6% 4%

46%

42%


Male

2%0% 8%

64%

26%


20

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Male

Female

Male 1 0 4 32 13

Female 1 3 2 23 21

Strongly disagree

Disagree Neutral AgreeStrongly

agree

According to the above graph, there is a higher number of females (41%--21 of 50) who

strongly agree that people buy branded products in order to maintain their status. But

64% males agree to this statement as compared to 46% (23 of 50) of females. Small

number of males shows a neutral attitude toward this statement and disagreement from

both males and females about this is just 1%.

21

High Prices of Branded Products Cause Unreasonable Increase in the

Level of Inflation

Female0% 10%

18%

48%

24%


Male

6%

22%

8%

50%

14%


22

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Male

Female

Male 3 11 4 25 7

Female 0 5 9 24 12

1 2 3 4 5

High prices of branded products cause unreasonable increase in the level of inflation,

24% (12 of 50) of females and 14% (7 of 50) of males strongly agree to that. There is a

very minor difference between number of males and females who simply agree to this,

i.e. 50% and 48%. Females have a bit more neutral response about this as compared to

males. However 22% males and 10% females disagree. 6% males strongly disagree to

this statement.

23

Purchases of Branded Things Cause Discrimination amongst Rich and

Poor

Female

2% 4% 6%

42%

46%


Male

8%8%

4%

44%

36%


24

0

5

10

15

20

25

Male

Female

Male 4 4 2 22 18

Female 1 2 3 23 21

Strongly disagree


According to this graph, there is a high number of females who strongly agree that

purchasing branded things cause discrimination between the rich and poor (42% females

and 36% males). There is a slight difference in number of males and females who simply

agree to this (46% females and 44% males). The disagreement level is quite low and is

more from the male side (8%).

25

Branded Things Are Preferable Due To Their Guarantee

Female

0% 14%

20%

38%

28%


Male

6%

16%46%

12%

20%


26

0

5

10

15

20

25

Male

Female

Male 3 10 8 23 6

Female 0 7 10 19 14

Strongly disagree


From the results of this graph it is concluded that in case of females they think that

branded things are preferable due to their guarantee. They graph above shows that 38%

females agree to this fact and 28% females strongly agree. Whereas in case of males there

are 46 % who agree and only 12% who strongly agree. In case of disagreement with this

statement there are greater percentages of male who disagree. Those who disagree are

20% with 6% male who strongly disagree.

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Paying High Prices for Branded Products Bring Satisfaction to Our

Minds

Female

4%16%

6%

48%

26%


Male6%

16%

10%

46%

22%


28

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Male

Female

Male 3 8 5 23 11

Female 2 8 3 24 13

Strongly disagree


According to this graph we see that there are a lot of people who think that paying high

prices for branded products brings satisfaction to our minds. The graph shows that there

is a high percentage of female which agree to this statement. 48% women agree to this

fact and there are 26% who strongly agree that paying high brings satisfaction to our

minds. In case of males there are 46% which agree and 22% which strongly agree. It is

seen that the disagreement level in both the genders is same to some extent.

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Brand Consciousness Has Taken Stronger Position in the New

Generation As Compared To the Older One

Female6% 2% 6%

52%

34%


Male0% 16%

4%

48%

32%


30

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Male

Female

Male 0 8 2 24 16

Female 3 1 3 26 17

Strongly disagree

Disagree Neutral AgreeStrongly

agree

From the results shown above we see that more than 80% of the male and the female

think that brand consciousness has taken stronger position in the new generation as

compared to the older ones. In case of females there were 52% which agreed and 34%

which strongly agreed that the new generation is more brand conscious. In case of males

48% agreed and 32% strongly agreed to this statement. As far as disagreeing with this

there were only 2% female who disagreed and 6% who strongly disagreed.

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Uniform Want of Brand across the Walks Of Life

Female

4%20%

22%48%

6%


Male

10%

44%

12%

28%

6%


32

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Male

Female

Male 5 22 6 3 14

Female 2 10 11 24 3

Strongly disagree


The graph above shows a mix result both from male and female. There is a hug variation

in the comments of both the gender about 48% female agree that want of brand is

uniform across all the walks of life and there are only 28% male which agree with this

statement. As far as the disagreement is concerned there are 44% male which disagree

with this and only 20% female who disagree.

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What makes a brand more important?

Female

58%

42%

Quality Social standard

Male

52%

48%


34

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Male

Female

Male 26 24

Female 29 21


The above graph shows that there are 42% females who think that social standard make

brand more important and 58% think that quality is more important, in case of male there

are 48% which think that social standard is important and 52% which think that quality is

more important in making of a brand.

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Finding

There are some weaknesses as well as strength points in the branded products. We have

also tried to highlight them in "CONCLUSIONS". As a researcher, we suggest the

following points which can; by implementation, generate more market for branded

products in Pakistan.

The prices of branded products should be lowered in order to control inflation.

The purchase of branded products should not serve as a tool for the discrimination

of rich and poor.

The policy of branded companies should be improved according to the new

circumstances.

Steps should be taken to discourage the use of branded products in all walks of

life

Research should be conducted to know the market demand with the passage of

time.

Theory

Overall mean for the female participant is more then the overall mean of the female

participant therefore we come to a conclusion that male are more brand conscious in our

society then the females.

In the research our hypothetically statement was

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Brand consciousness in the upcoming generation

Dependent variable

According to the definition it is understood that dependant variable is the one which is

affected by the change in the independent variable or which automatically changes with

the change in the independent variable. In the research process we study the effect of

change in the independent variable on the dependent variable therefore in this research

process our dependent variable was upcoming generation and the independent variable

was brand consciousness

According to our results we have come to a conclusion that the upcoming generation of

our country is brand conscious. The upcoming generation give preference to high quality

of branded products over high prices charged y the manufacturers

Conclusions

With the support of data collected by the means of Questionnaires, interviews, surveys

and background information and rough observation, we have reached to the following

conclusion:

Branded products are popular in youngsters as compared to the people below 25.

Fifty-eight percent people think that branded products are good in quality, it

means that the main purpose to posses the branded product is its quality

assurance.

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The motivational factor to buy branded products is inner-stimulation as well as

group influence.

Sixty percent of the people gave opinion that brands charge very high for their

products.

The users of branded products are seemed to be more brands loyal.

Advertisement of branded products on media is threatening for the local

manufacturers.

Sixty six percent of the branded product users said that high prices of the branded

products cause unreasonable increase in the inflation level.

Recommendations

With our research on this topic we would like to give the following recommendation

Branded products should not be made the status of symbol

High prices of the brand should not become the image of the product

There should be no compromise on the quality of branded products

The branded products are promoting the vicious circle of poverty in our country.

We should always remember that the poor are as brand conscious as the common

person. Therefore the prices should be set accordingly

38

Appendix

References

http://sevencastles.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!7C5A2F3DB6C97D9A!10213.entry?

sa=926855253

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C08%5C11%5Cstory_11-

8-2008_pg13_7

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/apr2008-weekly/nos-20-04-2008/kol.htm

39

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/apr2008-weekly/nos-20-04-2008/kol.htm

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C08%5C11%5Cstory_11-8-2008_pg13_7

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C08%5C11%5Cstory_11-8-2008_pg13_7

http://sevencastles.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!7C5A2F3DB6C97D9A!10213.entry?sa=926855253

http://sevencastles.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!7C5A2F3DB6C97D9A!10213.entry?sa=926855253

Questionnaire

Dear Respondent,

We are students of B.Com (5th semester) at Hailey college of commerce

(Punjab University). We are having a course of Business Research Methods and

conducting a research on brand consciousness. For this purpose, we designed a

questionnaire, which will give us clear picture about brand consciousness. You are

requested to fill the Questionnaire so that the researcher will be able to accomplish his

research.

Male Female

Age:

Questionnaire

1. Are you brand conscious?

a) Agree b) Disagree c) Neutral

d) Strongly agree e) strongly disagree

2. Do brands charge high for their products?



3. People buy branded things to maintain their status

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4. High prices of branded products cause unreasonable increase in the level of

inflation.



5. Purchase of branded things cause discrimination amongst rich and poor.



6. Branded things are preferable due to their guarantees?



7. Paying high prices for branded products brings satisfaction to our minds?



8. Do you feel brand consciousness has taken a stronger position in the new

generation as compared to the older one?



9. Is the want of brand uniform across the walks of life?



10. What makes a brand more important?

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Thank you very much for your

Cooperation and time

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brand concious society

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