CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

IN RELATION TO
BRANDED
VS.
UNBRANDED PRODUCTS





CONTENTS

Serial
no.
Topic Page no.
1. Introduction
2. Objectives of the Study
3. Research Methodology
4. Analysis & Interpretation of Data
5. Conclusion
6. Appendix





OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

Primary Objectives:
To study consumer behavior in relation to branded vs. unbranded products
To study the level of preference for branded and unbranded products among different
genders and age groups
To study the level of importance of a brand name while choosing a product
To determine the peoples level of knowledge about the products they use
To study consumer buying behavior and patterns regarding these products
To determine factors which influence consumer purchase decision
To determine the proportion of branded to unbranded products in the homes of
students
To study whether the students understand the difference between branded and
unbranded products
To study the satisfaction level of students regarding the products they use
To determine the preference of students for the type of products they prefer branded
To know if students prefer international brands to local brands
To study whether factors such as age, gender, income determine product purchase
decision
To study if premium products only cater to the higher income segment of the society
To determine whether students would switch to branded products if there was a rise in
their income/allowance
To determine the reason why students would choose branded products over
unbranded products
To study if brand endorsement by celebrities affects consumers product purchase
decisions
To determine if students are more price conscious or brand conscious







RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The data needed for the study has been collected from 20 students of Symbiosis International
University, i.e. BBA, Mass Communication and Design with the help of a questionnaire,
telephonic interview and electronic mail. Analysis and interpretation has been done by using
the statistical tools and data is presented through tables and charts.
Conducting surveys among people can be one of the best ways to measure consumer
satisfaction and determine consumer behaviour pattern. It also provides a set of results one
can begin planning action for almost immediately. By conducting this research on Branded
vs. Unbranded Products, it shall enable us to analyse, interpret and draw conclusions about
consumer behaviour relating to these types of products, the importance of branded products
in the lives of students and their knowledge regarding these products. There are number of
patterns affecting the consumer spending pattern, which includes growing income level
resulting in higher disposable income with the individual, changing attitude towards
consumption, changes in prices, members in the family, and brand constrains include loyalty,
awareness and prestige.
Two focal points are pondered and resulted. One is to understand the variation between the
branded and unbranded products, variations in buying/consumption. Second, the factors that
causes variations in consumption of these products.
The study design adopted for this research is Cross Sectional study design. This is best
suited for studies aimed at finding out the prevalence of a phenomenon, situation, problem or
attitude of the general public.








Drafting the Questionnaire:
While framing the questionnaire, we first decide various questions that are to be
incorporated. This decision depends upon the objectives of the study and purpose of
enquiry. In this regard, precaution is taken to avoid unnecessary and irrelevant
questions.
Types of questions
1) Simple Alternative Questions (Yes/No)
2) Multiple Choice Questions,
3) Specific Information Questions
Questions used in the questionnaire are worded in such a manner that they are easily
understood by all respondents.
Questions are adjusted in a manner such that there is no sudden jump from one area to
another. It is arranged in a proper sequence so as to maintain a flow.
The questionnaire contains 20 questions which make it easier for the respondents to
answer them as it is not time-consuming.
The sample size is 20 students.
Research has been carried out among the students of Symbiosis International
University.
The respondents remain anonymous.
Various statistical tools such as pie charts and column charts have been used to
analyze and interpret the data obtained from the questionnaire.











ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
1. GENDER
Gender Frequency
Male 8
Female 12
Total 20

2. AGE GROUP
Age Frequency
17-19 13
20-22 6
Above 22 1
Total 20

Gender
Male
Female
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
17-19 20-22 Above 22
Age Group
Age Group
3. Family Income per month
Family Income (per month) Frequency
Below Rs.25000 3
Between Rs.25000 and Rs.50000 9
Above Rs.50000 8
Total 20

4. While buying a product, do you prefer branded over unbranded products?
Option Frequency
Yes 11
No 7
Indifferent 2
Total 20


0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Below 25000 Between 25000-
50000
Above 50000
Family Income (per month)
Family Income (per month)
Preference of Branded products over
Unbranded
Yes
No
Indifferent
5. Proportion of branded to unbranded products in your house?
Option Frequency
20:80 4
50:50 9
60:40 7
Other 0
Total 20

6. Which of the following do you prefer?
Option Frequency
a. Products from bigger companies with
wider distribution
8
b. Products from companies with good
warranty and after-sales service
3
c. Products from local companies with
better price and slightly lesser quality
4
d. Products belonging to companies with
good brand image
5
Total 20

0
2
4
6
8
10
20-80 50-50 60-40 Other
Proportion of Branded products to
Unbranded
Proportion of Branded
products to Non-branded
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Option a Option b Option c Option d
Preference
Preference
7. Does association of product with a particular group of companies lead to
preference for such products?
Option Frequency
Always 7
Sometimes 8
Never 5
Total 20

8. While buying a product, what influences your purchase decision?
Option Frequency
Quality 10
Affordability 5
Brand image 4
Advertisements 1
Total 20


Association of a product with a company
Always
Sometimes
Never
Influencers
Quality
Affordabilty
Brand image
Advertisements
9. Do you prefer branded products for basic necessities?
Option Frequency
Yes 6
No 10
Sometimes 4
Total 20

10. Do you think premium products cater only to the higher income segment of the
society?
Option Frequency
Yes 15
No 5
Cant say 0
Total 20

Branded Basic Necessities
Yes
No
Sometimes
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Yes No Can't say
Premium Products only cater to higher income
segment
Premium Products only cater
to higher income segment
11. Do you think with increase in income, people become more brand conscious?
Option Frequency
Yes 17
No 3
Total 20


12. Do you prefer products which are endorsed by your favorite celebrities?
Option Frequency
Yes 6
No 14
Total 20

Increase in income leads to brand consciousness
Yes
No
Preference for brands endorsed by favorite
celebrities
Yes
No
13. Do you mind paying a little extra money to acquire a branded product?
Option Frequency
Yes 4
No 7
Depends on the type of product 9
Total 20

14. Pick one of the following options:
Option Frequency
You are only price conscious 4
You are only brand conscious 6
You are both price and brand conscious 10
You are neither price nor brand conscious 0
Total 20

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Yes No Depends on the
type of product
Payment of extra money for a branded product
Pay extra money for a branded
product
Price vs. Brand consciousness
Only Price conscious
Only Brand conscious
Both Price and Brand
conscious
Neither Price nor Brand
Conscious
15. Do you think expensive branded products are associated with high quality and
better services?
Option Frequency
Yes 17
No 3
Total 20

16. You choose branded over unbranded products because:
Option Frequency
They are of higher quality 6
They are more impressive 2
They boost your self-esteem 3
They are affordable to you 5
All of the above 4
Total 20


Association of branded products with higher
quality and better services
Yes
No
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Higher
Quality
Impressive Self-esteem
boost
Affordable All of the
above
Reason for purchase of a branded product
Priority for purchase of a
product
17. Which type of products do you prefer buying branded?
Option Frequency
Clothing 10
Fashion Accessories 7
Basic Necessities 0
Electronic Devices 3
Other 0
Total 20

18. Does the country of origin affect your product purchase decision?
Option Frequency
Yes 10
No 10
Total 20

0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Clothing Fashion
Accessories
Basic
Necessities
Electronic
Devices
Other
Preferred type of branded products
Preferred type of branded
products
Effect of country of origin on product purchase
decision
Yes
No
19. Do you compare shops or websites while purchasing products of different brands?
Option Frequency
Yes 7
No 13
Total 20

20. Which of the following types of brands do you prefer?
Option Frequency
International Brands 14
Local Brands 6
None of the above 0
Total 20



Comparision of shops/websites which buying
products of different brands
Yes
No
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
International Local None of the above
Type of Brands
Type of brands
FINDINGS:
Out of a total of 20 respondents 12 of them are female and 8 are male.
The survey was conducted among students. 13 out of 20 respondents belonged to the
17-19 age category, 6 belonged to the 20-22 age category and only 1 respondent was
above 22 years of age.
9 out of 20 respondents belonged to families which earned between Rs.25000 and
Rs.50000 while 8 belonged to families which earned above Rs.50000. Only 3 of the
respondents families earned below Rs.25000. Hence, it is observed that most of the
respondents are moderately affluent.
It was observed that a whopping 11 out of 20 respondents preferred branded products
whereas only 7 preferred unbranded products. 2 of the respondents were indifferent
towards the type they purchased.
On being asked the proportion of branded to unbranded products the respondents
used, 4 of them chose 20:80, 9 of them chose 50:50 and 7 chose 60:40. Therefore, the
proportion of branded products is higher.
On being asked their preference, 8 respondents preferred products from bigger
companies with wider distribution, 3 preferred products from companies with good
warranty and after-sales service, 4 preferred products from local companies with
better price and slightly lesser quality, 5 preferred products belonging to companies
with good brand image. Hence, it is observed that except for the majority for option a,
rest of the options remain nearly equal in preference.
Respondents were asked if the association of product with a particular group of
companies lead to preference for such products. For most of them, i.e. 8, it was
sometimes the case. For 7 respondents this was always the case and for 5, this was
never the case. It is observed that brand image of a company influences the consumer
purchase decision.
It is determined that while buying a product, the top most influence is quality of the
product for 10 of 20 respondents. For 5 it is affordability, for 4 it is the brand image
and for 1 it is the advertisement of the product which is the top influencer.
When asked if the respondents preferred branded products for fulfilling basic
necessities as well, the majority, i.e. 10 respondents answered no. Only 6 of them
preferred branded basic necessities while 4 respondents sometimes preferred it.
The respondents were asked if premium products cater only to the higher income
segment of the society. The majority of 15 respondents agreed to this while only 5
disagreed.
It is observed that a whopping 17 out of 20 respondents felt that with an increase in
income consumers become more brand conscious while only 3 disagreed.
It is observed that brand endorsement by celebrities does not play a major role in the
consumers purchase decisions. Only 6 respondents felt that it influenced their
decision while 14 disagreed.
When asked if they would mind paying a little extra money to acquire a branded
product, 7 respondents answered they would not mind while only 4 would mind. 9 of
the respondents felt that this decision depended on the type of product.
It is observed that 4 respondents are only price conscious while 6 are only brand
conscious. 10 of them are both price and brand conscious whereas 0 are neither price
nor brand conscious.
When asked if branded products are associated with higher quality and better services,
a majority of 17 respondents agreed with this while only 3 disagreed.
The respondents were asked the reason why they would choose branded over
unbranded products. 6 of them answered, it was because of higher quality of branded
qualities, for 2 of them branded products are more impressive, for 3 it boosted their
self-esteem. For 5, it was because branded products are affordable to them and for 4
respondents it was all the reasons mentioned above.
It is observed that 10 respondents preferred their clothes branded 7 preferred branded
fashion accessories. None of them preferred branded basic necessities whereas 3
preferred branded electronic devices.
When asked if the country of origin affected the product purchase decision, the
response was equal with 10 respondents answering yes and no each.
7 out of 20 respondents compared shops and websites while buying products of
different brands while 13 did not.
It is observed that 14 out of 20 preferred international brands while only 6 of them
preferred local brands. This proves the general consumer perception of international
products being of better quality than that of local brands.














CONCLUSION
It is the general perception that branded items are better than unbranded ones. Most of the
time, this is the case since the brands have a reputation to maintain. The major and possible
the only drawback of buying a branded item is the price factor. Branded items are generally
of higher quality, better brand image and good after-sales services. Brand companies claim
that they set high levels of quality checks, rigorous screening methods at each stage of
manufacturing, pay higher wages to employees to improve performance, have many
overheads, spend huge amounts on advertising, after-sales network, etc.
The survey conducted among the students makes it evident that more than 70% would prefer
branded items over unbranded items and immediately switch to using branded items with an
increase in income. Their reason for choosing branded items is because of the high quality it
provides. Most of the students would prefer branded clothes and unbranded basic necessities.
It is clear from this research that most students would rather buy a branded item than an
unbranded one. Their knowledge regarding the products they buy is also very extensive. It
can be observed that they are more brand conscious than they are price conscious as they
belong to moderately affluent families and can afford to buy such products.














APPENDIX
QUESTIONNAIRE
CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR IN RELATION TO BRANDED VS. NON-BRANDED
PRODUCTS

As a part of my project I would like to gather some information which will help me in
an in depth study of project. I would be obliged if you co-operate with me in filling the
questionnaire. Since the questionnaire is being used for academic purpose, the
information gathered will be strictly confidential.

Kindly fill the following:
(Please put a tick mark in the appropriate option)
1. Gender:
a) Male
b) Female
2. Age Group:
a) 17-19
b) 20-22
c) Above 22
3. Family income per month:
a) Below Rs.25000
b) Between Rs.25000 and Rs.50000
c) Above Rs.50000
4. While buying a product, do you prefer branded over unbranded products?
a) Yes
b) No
c) Indifferent
If not, why?
5. Proportion of branded to unbranded products in your house?
a) 20:80
b) 50:50
c) 60:40
d) Other _________________
6. Which of the following do you prefer?
a) Products from bigger companies with wider distribution
b) Products from companies with good warranty and after-sales service
c) Products from local companies with better price and slightly lesser quality
d) Products belonging to companies with good brand image
7. Does association of product with a particular group of companies lead to preference for
such products?
a) Always
b) Sometimes
c) Never
8. While buying a product, what influences your purchase decision?
a) Quality
b) Affordability
c) Brand image
d) Advertisements
9. Do you prefer branded products for basic necessities?
a) Yes
b) No
c) Sometimes
10. Do you think premium products cater only to the higher income segment of the society?
a) Yes
b) No
c) Cant say
11. Do you think with increase in income, people become more brand conscious?
a) Yes
b) No
12. Do you prefer products which are endorsed by your favorite celebrities?
a) Yes
b) No
13. Do you mind paying a little extra money to acquire a branded product?
a) Yes
b) No
c) Depends on the type of product

14. Pick one of the following options:
a) You are only price conscious
b) You are only brand conscious
c) You are both price and brand conscious
d) You are neither price nor brand conscious
15. Do you think expensive branded products are associated with high quality and better
services?
a) Yes
b) No
16. You choose branded over unbranded products because:
a) They are of higher quality
b) They are more impressive
c) They boost your self-esteem
d) They are affordable to you
e) All of the above
17. Which type of products do you prefer buying branded?
a) Clothing
b) Fashion Accessories (Jewelry, Shoes, Bags, Wallets, Belts etc.)
c) Basic Necessities
d) Electronic Devices
e) Other, please specify ____________________
18. Does the country of origin affect your product purchase decision?
a) Yes
b) No
19. Do you compare shops or websites while purchasing products of different brands?
a) Yes
b) No
20. Which of the following types of brands do you prefer?
a) International brands
b) Local brands
c) None of the above