Effects of Branding on Consumer Purchase Decisions: A Study on M&S

This project, titled "An investigation into the effects of branding on consumer purchase decisions," examines the impact of branding on consumer behavior, specifically focusing on Marks & Spencer. The research explores the background of branding, the research rationale, questions, aims, and objec...Read More

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Contents
Research Title: “An investigation into the effects of branding on consumer purchase decision”. A
study on Marks & Spencer..............................................................................................................3
Background to Research Topic........................................................................................................3
Background to Research Organisation............................................................................................4
Research Rationale..........................................................................................................................4
Research Questions..........................................................................................................................5
Research Aims and Objectives........................................................................................................5
Research Methodology....................................................................................................................5
Timescale.........................................................................................................................................6
Resources.........................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

Research Title: “An investigation into the effects of branding on consumer
purchase decision”. A study on Marks & Spencer
Background to Research Topic
Branding refers to the marketing practices in which an organisation develops a name,
design or symbol that is simply recognisable as belonging to the business. There are different
number of areas that mainly used to create a brand, these are customer service, advertising,
reputation, promotional merchandise and logo. Buying decision introduces to the effective
process or procedure that leads a customer from recognising a requirement, creating options, and
selecting a definite brand and product (Ahn and Back, 2018). Therefore, both branding and
consumer purchasing behaviour are important for business as well as customers.
Branding is important and significant part for business organisation because it helps them
in attracting of large number of customers towards the product and brand. Strong branding will
also help in changing the consumer buying decision toward the brand. There are number of ways
that will be essential for an organisation in changing the buying behaviour of the customers
towards the brand (Bär, Herbert-Hansen and Khalid, 2018).
These ways are change social conversation, appeal to millennials, engage customers
online and offline, start authentic Facebook conversation, be available at all times, provide
quality products etc. These are considered more effective and significance ways for company in
changing purchasing behaviour of the client. Company should provide all information about their
products, services, brand etc. to the customers as it facilitates them in increasing of customer
trust towards the product and brand. This will also assist in increasing sales and profitability
easily (Chadwick and Piartrini, 2019).
Therefore, branding and consumer buying behaviour has positive relationship that
facilitate an organisation in improvement of its growth and success at national as well as
international marketplace. Strong branding helps in attracting of millions customers that assist
business in improvement of its growth (De Mooij, 2018). Brand knowledge is an important and
essential factor. As the customers is more conscious of the brand and they have entire knowledge
or information regarding its price, quality etc., the additional they will be attracted or involved
towards that brand or an organisation. The faithfulness or loyalty level maximise with the age.

M&S is a strong and well-known brand that is essential and significant in changing of
customers buying behaviour. This will help and facilitate company in attainment of competitive
advantages and long term goals and objectives within limited time periods and in successful
manner (Golnar-Nik, Farashi and Safari, 2019).
Background to Research Organisation
For this research, M&S is a selected multinational British retailer. Company focus in
selling or producing the home products, clothing and food products. M&S founded by Michael
Marks and Thomas Spencer in year 1884 and headquartered in London, England . M&S
presently has 959 shops throughout the United Kingdom such as 615 that only promote or
endorse food products, and thru its television marketing, asserts the specific nature and luxury of
its meals and drinks; it additionally offers an online food shipping Carrie. Company has strong
brand image in national as well as international marketplace because of their quality products
and design (Hamilton and et. al., 2019). In UK, Marks & Spencer is most well-known and oldest
brand. Company wants to attract large number of customers towards their brand, for this they
also improve their product quality and sell to all types of customers either lower class, middle
class and premium class at affordable price. This will help company in improvement of its brand
image and also attracting of large base of customers that results are higher productivity and
profitability, increase in sales, increase in customer satisfaction and enhancement of brand
image.
Research Rationale
Main rationale behind doing this research is to evaluate the significance of branding in
changing the purchase decision of consumers towards the brand. This is a main reason that helps
at personal and also professional level. At personal ground, this study facilitate researcher by
boosting their research skills i.e. data collection, time management, data analysis, literature
review and so on (Högberg and et. al., 2019). These are useful skills for researcher because with
the help of these, they can easily complete research project in systematic and timely. Reliant on
professional level, current investigation support students by increasing their understanding
regarding the branding and its usefulness or effectiveness while changing of customer decision
regarding the brand. Therefore, present investigation is important at both level either personal
and professional.

Research Questions
 Explanation about the branding and consumer purchase decision?
 What are the effective and useful ways for changing of consumers’ decision about the
brand?
 What are the relationship between branding and consumer decision making?
Research Aims and Objectives
Research aim:
“To identify the effects of branding in changing purchase decision of consumers towards
the brand”. A study on Marks & Spencer.
Research Objectives:
 “To develop basis knowledge about the branding and consumer purchase decision”.
 “To explore ways for changing of consumers’ decision about the brand”.
 “To determine the relationship between branding and consumer decision making”.
Research Methodology
This is an important section of the research as it facilitates investigator in gathering as
well as evaluating of appropriate information or data regarding the specific field of study
(Wiedmann and et. al., 2018). This section includes different types of research methodologies
that will be explained as below:
Research design: This refers to the useful process of gathering and analysing information about
the research topic. There are three types of research design including exploratory, experimental
and descriptive. All these are significant bur in accordance to the present investigation,
descriptive design will be applied (Hoyer and et. al., 2020). As it assists researcher in collecting
as well as analysing of quantitative type of data without taking maximum time.
Data collection: There are two essential types of data source are known as primary and
secondary. Secondary information will be gathered from articles, books, magazines, publication
research, journals etc., sources. For collecting primary information, there are number of research
instruments such as interview, questionnaire, observation, focus group etc. All these are effective
but for carrying out present investigation, questionnaire is a useful instrument. This instrument
will be selected for collecting primary data about the significance of branding in changing of
customer decision about the brand (Sharda and Bhat, 2018).

Choice of the research: There are two essential choice of the research are called
qualitative and quantitative. In order to carrying out current investigation, quantitative research
choice will be applied as it helps researcher in collecting and analysing of numerical information
without consuming maximum time and cost. Another rationale behind selecting quantitative
choice as it provides valid outcomes within minimum time period and in effective way.
Qualitative research choice is not suitable according to the present study because it takes
maximum time and also not provides a valid outcome (Machiels, Yarar and Orth, 2019).
Sampling: This is an essential technique of selecting or choosing appropriate sample size.
There are two techniques that are effective in selecting of sample i.e. probability and Non-
probability. By using probability sampling 30 customers will be selected randomly. Main
rationale behind selecting probability sampling as it helps in selecting of large sample and also
not consumes maximum time as compare to non-probability sampling (Rauschnabel, Felix and
Hinsch, 2019).
Data analysis: This is the process that used by researcher for analysing data collected
from the qualitative or quantitative research instruments. According to the present investigation,
data will be gathered for questionnaire that is an instrument of quantitative data. In order to
analyse such type of information, frequency distribution analysis will be applied. As it facilitates
researcher to evaluate quantitative data within less period of time (Malone and Lusk, 2018). Ms-
Excel will also use for making graphs in accordance to the research questions. This assist
investigator in accomplishment of research aim and objectives successfully.
Timescale
Time is important for investigator in starting and completing of full project. Gantt chart
will be used as a time management tool for this research. This is a useful tool that that helps
investigator in identifying of starting and ending time of research completion. This chart includes
activities that will be required in completing of full project within given time period and in
systematic manner (Nyffenegger and et. al., 2018). Gantt chart of current investigation will be
displayed as below in graphical way:
Resources
Resources are requiring for completing each activities of the research in systematic and
successful manner. These sources are time, communication, internet, cost etc. These are

important sources that will be essential for investigator in completing of full project
systematically and successfully. Along with this, there ae also some essential sources for
collecting secondary information for literature review. These sources are books, articles
publication research, journals, magazines and so on. Therefore, sources are important for
investigator in completing or implanting all activities of the research in successful manner
(Rather, Sharma and Itoo, 2018).

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Ahn, J. and Back, K. J., 2018. Influence of brand relationship on customer attitude toward
integrated resort brands: a cognitive, affective, and conative perspective. Journal of
Travel & Tourism Marketing. 35(4), pp.449-460.
Bär, K., Herbert-Hansen, Z. N. L. and Khalid, W., 2018. Considering Industry 4.0 aspects in the
supply chain for an SME. Production Engineering. 12(6). pp.747-758.
Chadwick, C. and Piartrini, P. S., 2019, March. Product quality, convenience and brand loyalty:
A case study of Silverqueen’s adolescent consumers. In 12th International
Conference on Business and Management Research (ICBMR 2018). Atlantis Press.
De Mooij, M., 2018. Global marketing and advertising: Understanding cultural paradoxes.
SAGE Publications Limited.
Golnar-Nik, P., Farashi, S. and Safari, M. S., 2019. The application of EEG power for the
prediction and interpretation of consumer decision-making: A neuromarketing
study. Physiology & behaviour. 207, pp.90-98.
Hamilton, R. and et. al., 2019. The effects of scarcity on consumer decision journeys. Journal of
the Academy of Marketing Science. 47(3). pp.532-550.
Högberg, J. and et. al., 2019. Creating brand engagement through in-store gamified customer
experiences. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. 50. pp.122-130.
Hoyer, W. D. and et. al., 2020. Consumer behaviour. Cengage AU.
Machiels, C. J., Yarar, N. and Orth, U.R., 2019. Symbolic Meaning in Beverage Packaging and
Consumer Response. In Trends in Beverage Packaging (pp. 73-104). Academic
Press.
Malone, T. and Lusk, J. L., 2018. An instrumental variable approach to distinguishing
perceptions from preferences for beer brands. Managerial and Decision Economics.
39(4). pp.403-417.
Nyffenegger, B. and et. al., 2018. How Should Retailers Deal with Consumer Sabotage of a
Manufacturer Brand?. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research. 3(3).
pp.379-395.
Rather, R. A., Sharma, J. and Itoo, M. H., 2018. Exploring relationships among customer Brand
engagement, Brand equity and Brand loyalty towards hospitality
brands. Abhigyan. 36(2). pp.41-51.
Rauschnabel, P. A., Felix, R. and Hinsch, C., 2019. Augmented reality marketing: How mobile
AR-apps can improve brands through inspiration. Journal of Retailing and Consumer
Services. 49. pp.43-53.
Sharda, N. and Bhat, A. K., 2018. Austerity to materialism and brand consciousness: luxury
consumption in India. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An
International Journal.
Wiedmann, K. P. and et. al., 2018. The power of experiential marketing: exploring the causal
relationships among multisensory marketing, brand experience, customer perceived
value and brand strength. Journal of Brand Management. 25(2). pp.101-118.