Apple's Branding Impact on Consumer Buying Behavior

Dissertation

Abstract
With the dynamic and suddenly changing external environment, it became inevitable and
important decisions of the organization to retain competiveness and get rid of turbulent
marketing conditions. Now-a-days, the success of the company greatly depends upon how
effectively it gathers and analyzes enough set of information about their market in which it
transacts and operates. Marketers need to research and investigate about user requirements,
desires, buying preferences and purchasing habits to derive success in the market. In the study, it
has been founded that branding strategies have high level of impact on the buying behaviour and
purchasing decision making aspect of customers. Advertisement is the main extrinsic factors
that closely influence the decision making aspect of customers. It helps organization to achieve
strong competitive position, larger revenue and good reputation in the market. From the data
analysis, it has been analyzed that Apple provided quality products to the consumer that enable
the business to gain strong position and become a leader in the industry. Moreover, majority of
the participants had agreed that technological advancement is the main factor that enables Apple
to build a distinctive position in the market and enable the firm to compete effectively in the
market.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to thank my guide as they have provided me good knowledge and effective
support for conducting study in an appropriate manner. I would like to express my thanks to
friends, colleagues as well as family members. Moreover, they have guided me at every step of
thesis. Through their support I was able to accomplish my dissertation in the best possible
manner. In the series I would also like to state special thanks to my team members who have
assisted in collecting data and in analyzing it further.

Table of Contents
Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................2
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................4
Background of the study..............................................................................................................4
Rationale of the study..................................................................................................................5
1.3 Research aims and objectives................................................................................................6
1.4 Research questions.................................................................................................................6
1.5 Significance and scope of the study.......................................................................................7
1.6 Structure of dissertation.........................................................................................................7
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.........................................................................................9
Theme 1: Meaning and types of branding strategies...................................................................9
Theme 2: Significance of branding strategies to the organization............................................12
Theme 3: Customer buying behavior and decision making......................................................14
Theme 4: Impact of branding strategies on customer buying behavior.....................................15
LITERATURE GAP......................................................................................................................17
Conceptual Framework..................................................................................................................18
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY...........................................................................19
3.1 Introduction.........................................................................................................................19
3.2 Research type.......................................................................................................................19
3.2 Research approach..............................................................................................................20
3.3 Research philosophy............................................................................................................21
3.4 Research design...................................................................................................................21
3.5 Data collection.....................................................................................................................22
3.6 Sampling..............................................................................................................................23
3.7 Data analysis........................................................................................................................24

3.9 Ethical consideration..........................................................................................................25
3.10 Reliability and validity......................................................................................................26
3.11 Research limitations...........................................................................................................27
CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AMND FINDINGS...............................................................29
CHAPTER 5: CONSLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS...................................................48
REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................54

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Tile: Impact of branding strategy on customer buying behavior: A study on Apple
Background of the study
In the globalized economy, most of the companies’ desires to expand their operations
worldwide, however, differences in people needs and wants makes it essential for the
establishments to analyze their market requirement first and determine the factors which may
drive success to the organization. In the 21st century, a significant shift and changes can be seen
in the marketing strategies of the firm as now-a-days, commercial organization pay extensive
focus towards their advertisement, marketing and promotional policies to become highly
competitive and sustainable (Treen and et.al., 2016). With the dynamic and suddenly changing
external environment, it became inevitable and important decisions of the organization to retain
competiveness and get rid of turbulent marketing conditions. Now-a-days, the success of the
company greatly depends upon how effectively it gathers and analyzes enough set of information
about their market in which it transacts and operates. Marketers need to research and investigate
about user requirements, desires, buying preferences and purchasing habits as well. In order to
ensure sustainability and better survival, business units are greatly interested in creating and
building strong branding position, so that, long-lasting relationships can be maintained with the
final users. In this respect, firms inject enough time and resources to study the sociological and
behavioural aspects so as to get deeper insight towards buying pattern of the consumers (Patha
and Lim, 2016).
With the changing period, branding has emerged as vital and key elements of
corporation’s marketing strategies and represents corporate reputations and image in the mind of
customers. In order to build a good reputation and image, companies often employ various
branding theories, concepts and strategies, so that, a unique preposition can be developed in
customers to build loyalty and competitive strengthening (Hayran and Gürhan-Canli, 2016).
With the shift and movement in marketing paradigm, business units give high focus towards
marketing research so as to underpinning the key variables that affect buyer’s decisions such as
attitude, preferences, perception, cognition, learning, spending pattern, likes and dislikes & so
on. In the competitive market, it becomes important for the marketers to determine that what

consumer expects and what are the unsatisfied need and wants, how they make purchase
decisions and prefer a particular brand over others and so on (Gürhan-Canli, Hayran and Sarial-
Abi, 2016). With this, they will be able to set appropriate plans and policies like production,
goods quality, pricing policies, logistic supply, designing, packaging and labeling to drive
success. Supply of desired quality goods exactly in which it user expects leads to strongly satisfy
their requirement, boost sales, maximize repetitive buying and make them loyal towards specific
brand (Olbrich, Jansen and Hundt, 2017).
Apple Inc. is an American public limited company traded on NASDAQ and founded by
Steve Jobs in the year 1976. Headquarter of the business is established in California, US and
operates in consumer electronics industry. It is the leading supplier and distributor of latest
technological products and devices around the globe. It has an superb goods portfolio comprising
variety of items such as iPod, iPhone, Operating System, TV, iPad, Watch and many others. It
transacts and delivers its services in number of countries such as UK, US, Canada, Spain,
Germany, Hong Kong, Sweden, Brazil, Switzerland, China & others. Its Operational
management (OM) policies such as quality management, better design, process & capacity
development, layout designing, supply chain management (SCM) and others are the main
reasons behind the success of the business.
The target of the present thesis is to determine various branding strategies and concepts
that are being available to Apple Inc to influence audiences positively. The report will also
critically examine that how branding ways will enable managers to strengthen competitive
position & promote success to the firm. Along with this, the dissertation will also analyze the
usefulness of branding theories and concepts in the context of Apple Inc to affect buying
preferences and purchasing decisions of the people positively to satisfy them, build loyalty and
create superb corporate image.
Rationale of the study
In the current complex and competitive corporate world, though many companies have
excellent and superior quality product portfolio and able to deliver better products and/or
services to the customers, but still, they fails and unable to survive and gain competitive edge
just due to poor branding operations. However, in the current era, only that company can run
operational activities successfully and ensure stability that have excellent competitive strength, in

such regards, strong & well-established brands have full potential and capacity to generate loyal
customers and retain them for a longer duration (Khan and et.al., 2016). It will eventually leads
to maximize business sales, net return, market share and drive competitive benefits also. Further,
in the turbulent era, corporations face significant number of challenges to manage their brand,
henceforth; the report will bring attention of the readers towards critical evaluation of the
branding policies along with its impact towards buyer’s decisions. With this, marketers will be
able to make smarter choices and selection to combat threatening and challenges and assure
success (Haffar and et.al., 2016).
1.3 Research aims and objectives
Aim the present study is to analyze the influence of branding strategy on the buying
behavior and decision making aspect of customers. In accordance with such aim following
objectives have been drafted are as follows:
 To identify the various types of branding strategies.
 To assess the significance of branding strategy in the context of Apple.
 To evaluate the impact of branding strategies on buying behavior and decision making
aspect of customers.
 To recommend effective strategies to Apple for making improvement in business position
and performance.
1.4 Research questions
Q.1 Which kinds of branding strategies can be used by Apple to strengthen its position in the
market?
Q.2. How branding strategies might be proving as a useful and successful way to achieve success
in the competitive market place?
Q.3 How various types of branding strategies influence people behavior and their purchasing
decisions?
Q.4. What are the best theories and approaches available to Apple to develop an excellent
branding policies for the performance enhancement?