BRAND CULTURE: FACTORS THAT DETERMINE MEN’S BUYING BEHAVIOUR OF ASO-EBI INNIGERIA ECONOMY
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Research into brand culture has gained the interest of many marketing scholars since 1970s when they began to examine attributes of brand preferences over a range of products (Conner and Armitage, 1998). Whether marketers like it or not, brands gain a personality and reputation among consumers which will influence their buying decisions. This is why marketing and brand managers should plan for their brands’ personality. Researchers, in consumer behavior studies, have done some research into how a brand culture enables consumers to express their own self, ideal self or specific dimensions of self through a brand (Keller, 2003).
The evolution of the study of brand culture on consumer buying decision and pattern dates back into the ancient times. Organization used rare customer service, symbols and pictorial signs to attract their product users. Over the centuries, these elements were used to instill a positive buying decision in customers (Jalees, 2006).
Brand culture is a business management technique that aligns business objectives, and consumer needs to form a cultural system that defines the organizations decisions and actions. It is a company culture in which employees “live” to brand values, to solve problems and make decisions internally, and deliver a branded customer experience externally. It is the desired outcome of an internal branding, internal brand alignment or employee engagement effort that elevates beyond communications and training (Khan, 2007).
A brand in order to be relevant to consumer buying decision and pattern must operate much like a culture. A company must develop an ethos and a worldview that it absolutely believes in and then should act in accordance with it to suit the modern trend. Everything the company does – every product or service it offers, every public statement, advertisement, website, internal policy, memo and business decisions it makes must be congruent with that ethos and worldview. If the brand truly represents an ethos and worldview which are attractive to consumer they will embrace the brand as part of their own identity. They will join the brand culture and participate in that culture as a way of expressing to the rest of the world who they are and what they believe in.
Cultural branding that is targeting the consumer goes beyond the product to include how young people experience the product. Brand culture refers to the cultural codes of brands – history, images, myths, art, and theatre – that influence brand meaning and value in the marketplace. From this perspective, research questions often include understanding cultural influences and implications of brands in two ways. First, we live in a branded world: brands infuse culture with meaning, and branding profoundly influences contemporary society (Steve, 2006). Second, brand culture constitutes a third dimension for brand research – in conjunction with traditional research areas of brand identity and brand image, brand culture provides the necessary cultural, historical, and political grounding to understand brands in context (O’Reilly, 2005). The brand culture concept occupies the theoretical space between strategic concepts of brand identity and consumer interpretations of brand image, shedding light on the gap often seen between managerial intention and market response, in other words between strategic goals and consumer perceptions (Schroeder and Salzer-Mörling, 2006).
Keller (2003) and Biel (1992) stated that a positive Brand culture is created when a consumer associate him/herself with a particular brand with unique association and that person could recommend that brand to another person and hold a positive attitude towards that brand. This brand culture has a direct impact on the buying decision of the consumer. Asim, Syed, Emadul and Mohammad (2012) stated in their research study that a number of companies give valuable consideration for building brand culture and utilize capital for formulating and executing marketing strategies and practices. They further argued that Brand culture is one of the most powerful aspects that establish the reputation of a specific brand in the marketplace. Without a positive and strong Brand Culture, companies cannot get a great part of the consumer in the market share.
Asoebi in recent times has become a city phenomenon that has diffused to other West African cultures. Dealers of imported and local textile materials have also benefited from the boom in demand for uniform dressing. Some textile dealers offer consultation services and bulk rates for the choice and cost of the dress and fabrics. While the price of fabrics in sewing the traditional attire is affordable, the asoebi practice is still sometimes used as an identification with affluence, some wear expensive embroidery and extra layers of cloth, whereas others, who could not afford a whole outfit, added only matching tops and head coverings
1.2 Statement of the Problem
In recent times, thestandard of living is on the high side at the detriment of low sources of income. The researcher observed that men, who are the head of the family, are rational in spending at the detriment of their income. Men purchasing power is constraints by the level of family most pressing needs, unavoidable cost, recurrent expenditure and capital cost.
Other inherent factors that affect men’s buying behaviour of Aso-ebi in Nigeria includes: tastes of the local made clothes, cost of production processing and selling price of the local made clothes, the level of technological changes of locally made product, source of income level, fashion, level of consumers education level, government policy, level of branding packaging, family pressures, cultural values, among others. It is against this background that the researcher intends to carry out an in-depth study on the brand culture and factors that determine men’s buying behaviour of Aso-ebi in Nigeria economy.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The aim of study is to determine the brand culture: factors that determine men’s buying behaviour of Aso-ebi in Nigeria economy.
Other objectives of study includes to:
- To ascertain if peer influence on men’s demand for Aso-Ebi is from the spouse or partner.
- To ascertain if peer influence on men’s demand for Aso-Ebi is more of friends and associates.
- To ascertain if men’s demand for Aso-Ebi is a function of personal decision to keep up with joneses
- To ascertain if men’s demand for Aso-Ebi is a function of respect to culture
- To ascertain if men’s demand for Aso-Ebi is a function of fashion consciousness
1.3 Research Questions
The following are the research questions of this study:
- To what extent is peer have influence on men’s demand for Aso-Ebi is from the spouse or partner?
- To what extent do peer influence on men’s demand for Aso-Ebi is more of friends and associates?
- To what extent do men’s demand for Aso-Ebi is a function of personal decision to keep up with joneses?
- To what extent do men’s demand for Aso-Ebi is a function respect to culture?
- To what extent do men’s demand for Aso-Ebi is a function of fashion consciousness?
Research Hypotheses
The research hypotheses will be as follows:
- Ho: There is no certainty that peer influence on men’s demand for Aso-Ebi is from the spouse or partner
- Ho: There is no assurance that peer influence on men’s demand for Aso-Ebi is more of friends and associates
- Ho: There is no possibility that men’s demand for Aso-Ebi is a function of personal decision to keep up with joneses
- Ho: There is no assurance that men’s demand for Aso-Ebi is a function of respect to culture
- Ho: There is no certainty that men’s demand for Aso-Ebi is a function of fashion consciousness.
1.5 Significance of study
The outcome of this research study will help to unravel the factors that influence men’s demand for asoebi in Nigeria. The following factors to consider includes; peer influence on men’s demand, friends and associates, personal decision to keep up with joneses, among others culture, fashion consciousness.
Firstly, the outcome will be an eye opener to peer group since birds of the same feather flock together. So it is easy for group of associate friends to have same taste towardsAso-ebi in the community.
Secondly, the research outcome will enhance friends and associates, personal decision to keep up with joneses, among others culture, fashion consciousness management of manufacturing firms in Nigeria will benefit immensely from this study. This is because it will uncover some of the factors required to be checkmate for efficient and effective brand culture which will enable the company to attract consumers to purchase its products at a profit.
The study will be of great benefit to industries and the Nigerian economy. This stems from the fact that good brand culture helps companies to gain advantages over competitors.
The study will be of immense benefit to consumer products as adequate measures will be recommended, this will go a long way to boost the satisfaction and value delivery ability of manufacturer and consumers above all, the study will not only be of benefit to the researcher but also the readers, as adequate knowledge and understanding will gained from the information contained in the study.
This study reveal that sound and effective brand culture will have an impact both on the product because brands today plays important role that improves consumers life and enhance the financial value of firms.
Finally, the research focused on the effect of brand culture on consumer product preference in increasing sales, increasing the acceptability of the product and commitment of the consumers.
1.6 Scope of Study
The scope of this research study will be limited to the brand culture: factors that determine men’s buying behaviour of Aso-ebi in Nigeria economy. The research study will be limited to Shomolu-Bariga Local Government area of Lagos state. The category of people is within includes: the civil servants, corporate workers, traders and artisans, and casual workers among others.
Methodology
This section will explain the techniques to be used in collecting and analyzing the relevant data and information for this study. The methodology specifies the research design, sampling design, population of the study, the research instrument, method of data analysis etc. It also states the extent to which the findings of the study can be generalized.
Definition of Terms
Packaging: This refers to the process of designing, evaluating, and producing packages. Packaging can be described as a coordinated system of preparing goods for transport, warehousing, logistics, sale, and end use.
Promotion:This means any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or issue. The aim of promotion is to increase awareness, create interest, generate sales or create brand loyalty.
Marketing strategy: Thisis the section of your business plan that outlines your overall game plan for finding clients and customers for your business. Sometimes marketing strategy is confused with a marketing plan, but they are different.
Brand: Abrandis a name, term, design, symbol, or other feature that distinguishes an organization or product from its rivals in the eyes of the customer. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising.
Decision: A choice made between alternative courses of action in a situation of uncertainty.
Purchase: This refers to a business or organization attempting for acquiring goods or services to accomplish the goals of the enterprise.
Organisation: an organized group of people with a particular purpose, such as a business or government department.
Sales: The exchange of goods or services for an amount of money or its equivalent; the act of selling.
Performance: an organized group of people with a particular purpose, such as a business or government department.
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