Dissertation: Enhancing Brand Image Through Customisation at Deloitte

This dissertation investigates the role of customisation in enhancing brand image, focusing on UK professional service providers with a case study of Deloitte. The research aims to identify how customisation impacts brand perception, examining its benefits and challenges. It explores the basic concept of brand image, the role of customisation in improving it, and the advantages and disadvantages faced by Deloitte in implementing customisation strategies. The study reviews relevant literature, discusses research methodologies, presents data analysis and findings, and concludes with recommendations for leveraging customisation to strengthen brand image in the competitive UK market. The research covers the importance of customer satisfaction, personalization, and the impact of these factors on brand loyalty and overall business success.

DISSERTATION
(To identify the role of customisation in
increasing the brand image for UK
professional service provider)

Table of Contents
Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................3
Overview of the topic.............................................................................................................3
Background of the company...................................................................................................4
Problem statement..................................................................................................................4
Research aim, objectives and questions.................................................................................4
Research rationale..................................................................................................................5
Significance of the research....................................................................................................5
CHAPTER 2- LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................7
To determine the role of customisation in improving the brand image for UK professional
service provider .....................................................................................................................7
To examine the benefits availed by Deloitte by adopting customisation as the practices for
increasing brand image.........................................................................................................10
To determine the challenges faced by Deloitte while adopting customisation as the practices
for increasing brand image...................................................................................................13
Conclusion ...........................................................................................................................15
CHAPTER 3RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................................16
CHAPTER:4 DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS ..................................................................19
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS..................................................33
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................37
APPENDIX:...................................................................................................................................40

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION
Overview of the topic
Customisation plays a prominent role in an organisation as it helps in building a positive
image in the competitive market. It is considered to be a branding strategy that assists in
increasing the employees efficiency, ensures better optimisation of the business resources, and
cutting down the cost by reducing the unwanted waste (Wijayaa and et. al., 2021). Customers are
key element of the business because they contributes the company in increasing their overall
sales and revenue in the market. Customisation is the action that helps in altering the particular
product or service of business in order to create better experience for customers. The main
purpose of adopting customisation in an organisation mainly allows customers to make changes
according to their suitability so that they achieve the predetermined goals and objectives.
Customers always want perfect and quality products for mainly branded products that are buying
and which makes them feel that the following item belongs to them and is providing them
maximum satisfaction.
The ideal experience of customers provides shoppers with wide of range of options and
the ability to modify the products according their taste and preferences. By using a high quality
of customisation in their particular products and services, business organisation can achieve high
growth and success in the competitive business market (Zollo and et. al., 2020). If the company
wants to grow in the emerging market, it is important to provide customised products on the
basis of customer choices and tastes that other competitor companies are offering to them by
using right advertising for products promotion. One of the significant reason why customisation
is more essential within the company is that customers are emotionally attached with the
products which they use frequently in their daily life. Customisation is considered to be an
effective business strategy because it helps in making customers happier and satisfied. Happy
customers generally means repeat customers that do not shift easily from one particular brand. It
also assists in increasing the service quality of the product, in satisfying customers, building
customer trust, and ultimately gaining loyalty among customers towards a particular service
provider (Liu and Jiang, 2020). It is necessary for the company to take care of their customers as
they are the only consumers for whom they are producing products and services.

Background of the company
The chosen organisation in the present research which is suitable for customisation is
Deloitte. Deloitte is known to be an international professional network of providing services to
the customers which is headquartered in London, United Kingdom (Jordan and et. al., 2019). It
comes under Big four accounting firms and is considered to be the largest professional service
network by number of professionals and revenue across the world. Deloitte provides consulting,
financial advisory, audit, risk advisory, legal and tax services with 334,800 professionals
approximately in the global world.
Problem statement
The main problem determined in the present study is the customisation of products
according the to the taste and preferences of customers as different customers have different
thought and opinion regarding a particular product. Deciding the pricing strategy for the
customised products is also a problem that business will face as high process prices will not
attract much number of customers towards the business organisation in the market (Cannas and
et. al., 2022). Quality of the product is also an issue for the company as customers always want
best product which give high satisfaction and variability. It is important for the business to
maintain the quality services and decide on the suitable price that helps in attracting more
number of customers from the competitive market.
Research aim, objectives and questions
Research aim
To identify the role of customisation in increasing the brand image for UK professional
service provider. A Study on Deloitte
Research Objectives
 To understand the basic concept of brand image in context of UK professional service
provider
 To determine the role of customisation in improving the brand image for UK professional
service provider
 To examine the benefits availed by Deloitte by adopting customisation as the practices
for increasing brand image
 To determine the challenges faced by Deloitte while adopting customisation as the
practices for increasing brand image

Research Questions
 What is the basic concept of brand image in context of UK professional service provider?
 What is the role of customisation in improving the brand image for UK professional
service provider?
 What are the benefits availed by Deloitte by adopting customisation as the practices for
increasing brand image?
 What are the challenges faced by Deloitte while adopting customisation as the practices
for increasing brand image?
Research rationale
The main idea of carrying out the present study is to understand the key concept and role
of customisation in an organisation for improving the image of the brand. It will also covers
about the benefits of customisation to customers in the market and its overall impact on the
performance of the company (Virkar and et. al., 2019). There are mainly tow important
objectives which researcher will gain while conducting the particular study: personal and
professional objective. In context of personal objective, researcher will learn about the
customisation concept and its role in improving the image of the brand in a positive manner. This
will also help the researcher in gaining prominent knowledge about the different methods for
collecting and analysing information related to the topic in an effective manner. Whereas, in
terms of professional objective, the researcher will gain detailed knowledge about the research
topic in an efficient way.
Significance of the research
The present study mainly highlights about the role of customisation in improving the
image of the brad of the company in the competitive market. The study wills also provide
insights about the key benefits that customisation offers to the business so that they attain the
predetermined goals and objective of the business (Grek, 2020). The research helps in
highlighting about the use of the following research methods that results in carrying out the aim
and objectives in a proper way. The study will also provide second hand information about the
research topic which results in increasing the overall knowledge and skill of the researcher
significantly. This particular research is useful for students, future researchers and companies
who want to deal with this situation in any manner. This study will help future researchers in
conducting the future research related to the same topic in a more precise and scientific manner.

CHAPTER 2- LITERATURE REVIEW
To determine the role of customisation in improving the brand image for UK professional service
provider
From the perspective of Batat, (2019), Customization plays a crucial role in businesses that
focus on tailoring goods and services to fit the needs and preferences of customers.
Customization is a procedure in which customers are permitted to alter or improve on a product
provided by an organisation. By keeping customers content and loyal to the business, this
approach raises customer happiness. It has gained popularity in the e-commerce sector swiftly,
which is attracting businesses' attention. The client is the most crucial component of every
business organisation because customers love to feel connected to the products they purchase.
The customization is also known as personalization that helps customer in connecting with the
product that is purchased by them. At personal level along with evoking some emotions such as
pride, sense of identity etc. To the UK professional service provider, it provides better insight
into consumer behaviour by permitting customer to personalize products. It helps in learning
about current trends, their preferences. Client insight can be claimed to increase sales and bring
in more money from a devoted customer base in order to build a brand's reputation (Ardley,
McIntosh, and McManus, J. 2020). The goal of the majority of businesses is to build a loyal
consumer base. The user can choose what they want to see or set preferences for how
information is organised thanks to customisation. It enhances the user experience and it is based
on natural intelligence imposing high interaction cost.
Here, each customer is considered unique with its set of demands or needs. That is why it
is very important for the business to determine uniqueness as in today times, there are several
service providers and suppliers. To save time from dealing with customers, it is required to
implement customized live chat platform which connects to audience 24/7. This tool helps
business in creating better customer experience for the professional service provider along with
there is decrease in operating cost (Awad, and et.al., 2021). The customization programs yield
more engaged customers which results in positive experience leading to high customer
satisfaction along with boost in sales conversion rates therefore increase of brand image.
According to study, strong brand image for any business is vital which requires consistency and

lot of time. The strong brand image helps in attracting larger audience which also enhances the
relationship service provider. Therefore, the business not only meet the customer needs but
anticipate and exceed them.
Brand image is created
Brand image is created by keeping customers happy by creating positive customer
experiences. The company can also make use of social media as it will be easy to capture large
audience.
Difference between product and service
 Product is defined as the tangible item which is placed in the market for attention and
consumption. While services are intangible in nature.
 The products are stored, manufactured and transported while the services are not stored,
manufactured and transported.
 It can also be said that production and consumption of things occur at different times
While services are both produced and consumed alongside.
 Products are the things which are bought and used by the customers while the services
are such transactions in which no physical goods are transferred from the seller to final
buyer.
 Products are offered through a particular market for the target of consumption. That is
why the customers can find, try and touch the product as per their needs. On the other
hand, the services are not perishable in nature.
 The quality of any product can be felt and measured at the time of purchase but the
quality of the service cannot be measured. It can only be analysed by making use of
reviews and various testimonials from other customers.
 When the customers want to return a product, it will be easy to do that and returning a
service is not easier.

Ling et al. (2021) claim that personalization gives businesses a competitive edge over
rivals by boosting their brand image and reputation through increased sales. Customers are more
likely to purchase goods from a company where they have the option of customising the goods
and services to suit their needs. When a client may alter or improve on a product that a brand
offers, that product is said to be customised. The personalised item gives the customer a sense of
individuality. It helps them in connecting with better as it adds a human touch towards the brands
by creating business consumer focused instead of product focused. In this way it helps enhancing
brand image for the UK professional service provider. By bringing brand closer to product and
making it more authentic as catering specific preferences of each customer (Gaur, and Afaq,
2020). To provide customer with sufficient options to customize their products & services will
attract more towards the brand and improving of customer retention. The researcher consider that
customization automatically makes the products unique, edgy and its perceived value goes up
because of its uniqueness.
It will help professional service provider to prepare for the future in better way by
making use of best opportunities and catering needs of customer to develop business further. The
customization is the newest branding strategy which plays an important role in increasing
efficiency ensuring maximum optimization of resources and cutting down wastage. As they are
more likely to purchase if brand is having more customization options which are different from
competitors. The business is required to invest in develop capabilities for having better
consumer-centric business models. The professional service provider has built several ICT
applications & infrastructure for addressing the critical business needs by customizing solutions
as per requirements of customers (Larceneux, and Guiot, 2019). Henceforth, customization of a
product is the ability of a manufacturer to offer a variety of designs or details for a single
product, made specifically to a buyer's liking, owing to advances in technology and
manufacturing production processes. Customization of products refers to the ability of a
customer to choose features such as colour, design, functionality, add-on components, or other
options. In order to create a more unique item than a mass-produced one.
Theory related to service customisation
Mass Customization
It is defined as the process which is utilised when the market goods and services are delivered
which have been modified as per the needs of the customers. Along with it, the mass

customisation is said to be the manufacturing and marketing strategy that combines mass
production's inexpensive per-unit costs. It can be done by adaptability and personalisation of
custom-made items and it is also referred to as made-to-order or built-to-order. In that process
the customers are allowed to personalize some features in the products. It is of different types
that is collaborative customization, adaptive customization, transparent customization and
cosmetic customization. It is explained as the business concept which has the ability to produce
the customized products and services on the basis of needs of the individual customers. Under
this the customers get the variety of design which comprises of colours, patterns and various
structures. Due to which it provides businesses and brands with a competitive advantage.
It aids companies in preserving long-term client connections and retaining future customers.
To examine the benefits availed by Deloitte by adopting customisation as the practices for
increasing brand image
In accordance to Mogaji, (2021), the organisation is looking the new ways of improving
customer experience and evolve the marketing programs to more digital, targeted and
personalised. To respond the changing customer perceptions and market conditions it requires an
ability to leverage customer data at smoothest level. There are constant fluctuations in the
marketplace and it is important for the organisation adapting connecting the power of analytics &
artificial intelligence to make the required changes to survive. With the change in customer
expectation the competition becomes advance. It is considered that there are several benefits
which company in context to Deloitte gain while adopting the practice of customization in order
to increase the brand image. The customers are encouraged to pay more which boost sales and
customer satisfaction as they get the product of higher quality (Nayyar, 2022). The rate of return
is reduced by offering customized products and services which helps in keeping customers happy
in this way it leads to increase of brand image. The product become more attractive when
customer customize their products that helps in enhancing the brand image. Consumers value
choice when purchasing a product or service, and customised goods entice them to participate in
a sale even more. With the rise of online retail and mass customization in manufacturing, more
businesses in almost every industry are offering some level of customization for their goods and
services. The growing popularity of customised products demonstrates how much consumers
enjoy them which provides benefit of Matching customer demand. Offering customization
options allows potential customers to find added value in choosing business in framework to

Deloitte (Rahman, and et.al., 2021). It is critical for the company to maintain product quality and
set a reasonable price in order to attract more customers in a competitive market.
As per the opinion Singh, (2022), for the organisation it is very important to focus on the
customization practices adopted in the business for making the customer satisfied. With the
product and service as to enhance the brand image. The customization helps in improving the
brand loyalty by involving the design of final product. As it fosters and emotional attachment
regarding the brand in framework to Deloitte by offering a positive brand image. The ideal
customer experience provides shoppers with numerous options and the ability to personalise their
products to their preferences, allowing them to feel confident in their purchase. Product
personalization via customization software provide brand. In context to Deloitte with even more
insight into customers as their tastes and preferences can be gauged based on the various features
that they select in their favourite products (Singh, 2019). This information can be used to make
personalised product recommending that are likely to appeal to them and keep them
returning. The product customization brings more sales by having loyal customers towards the
brand as they do not hesitate in paying extra for the personalised item. According to study of
Deloitte it reports that 1 in every 5 consumers would not mind to pay 20% extra for an exclusive
product. With this it also helps in taking online business to one step ahead as per study 53% of
online shoppers feel that brand offering product personalization leads to valuable services.
Customers are drawn to online shopping because of the growing popularity of product
customization. So, now is the time to start offering product customization services and grow your
business. Buying a customised product gives more insight into the customer base's likes,
preferences, and perceptions than buying generic items which helps Deloitte in gaining market
research. It helps in learning more about the customers and use that data and information in
future marketing campaigns (Wong, and Sultan, 2021). If the company wishes to expand in the
emerging market, it must offer customised products based on customer preferences and tastes,
which other competitors do not. Customers are emotionally attached to the products they use
frequently in their daily lives, which is one of the major reasons why customisation is becoming
more important within the company.
According to the viewpoint of Whitmer (2021) customisation is becoming progressively
increasing popular among all kinds of customers. Customisation helps in increasing demands for
the products or services offered by the brand. It is researched that 36% of customers like to go

for brands that offer customised products or services. If the organisation is providing customised
offer then it may affect their demand as well. Customisation deals with the emotions of
customers which is attached to the products or services. Also, it makes customers to pay extra on
the customised products and services. In addition to increasing business sales together with
customer satisfaction, customisation also make people to spend more on the product or service. It
is seen that customised items can sell for as much fifty percent than those mechanised in physical
outlet. The reason behind this that consumers are more promising to pay higher prices if the item
they are purchasing feels more individualized. Moreover, it also helps in increasing customer
loyalty, customised items can also develop more loyalty of customers towards brand, as buyers
feel more satisfied buying from brand that provide them some control over their shopping. When
customers have good experience utilising product customisers then it will help in making more
loyal towards the brand (Aktan, Zaman and Nawaz, 2021). Also, they will less likely to return
the products while making future purchases as well. Furthermore, customisation also helps in
gaining competitive benefits. Through customisation practices, a company can deliver unique
customer experience that audiences would not find elsewhere, thus, one can set the business
apart from their competitors. In addition to this, while many organisations are utilising product
customisers as well as configurators, other businesses are avoiding to exploit them or take
benefit of them. But, using a simple customisation effect can also give a better experience to the
audiences. Furthermore, customization can reduce return rates. One problem or challenge that
every organisation owner awful is a product return. It signifies that lost earning and extra costs or
resources invest on delivering the product ways. But, with customised effect, the organisation
can highly decrease the rate of returns that are more promising to keep customers satisfies and
happy. If buyers have more control over an item through visual customiser and understand what
to anticipate, then there is much lower chance they will be dissatisfied. Customisation also helps
in avoiding abandoned shopping carts (Rehman and et. al., 2021). Another big issue that most
organisations try their level best to decrease is that of the abandoned shopping cart. When
customers appear that they are likely to shop item from the brand and but never go to the
checkout screen, then it is quite irritating to the entrepreneurs try to learn what is holding back to
the customers. Therefore, if the customers are provided with a chance to customise their
shopping then they will be appear in the checkout screen, or they will be much more promising
in their shopping (Whitmer, 2021).

To determine the challenges faced by Deloitte while adopting customisation as the practices for
increasing brand image
As per the opinion of Jain (2021) customisation in businesses is increasing day by day.
However, it involves of some challenges to organisations. The first and prior challenge that
customisation imposes is the fundamental rethinking of the manner the operations run. Every
small things from web design to managing orders, shipping, equipment, manufacturing process
and many more. Once the business owners make decision to include customisation, they also
require to think about all the machineries and equipment. In order to meet the demands of
customisation. Such modifications need to accommodate in an accurate manner and must comply
with the standards of industry (Plattfaut and Koch, 2021). Organisations require to make sure
that their processes scale expeditiously and are quick enough to adapt changes that the customer
demands. Costly and tricky to implement is another challenge that has been faced by the
organisation while implementing customisation as a practice to enhance the brand image.
Product optimization on e-commerce websites is tough to apply (Cuesta-Valiño, Gutiérrez-
Rodríguez and Núnez-Barriopedro, 2021). Even most of the consumers would be unable to
follow through. With a product tool, it is not easy to see a spike in the sale due to the massive
series of options that customisation indulges. The tool of customisation provides a range of
options to the users in which they may or may not have an interest. In addition, getting a
platform for customisation for the website is generally a way more expensive as it needs to work
with proficient. It is important to identify a cost-effective tool in order to minimise the
unnecessary costs. The author also views that managing customer expectation is far more
challenging in the implementation of customisation process. The professional service industry
has a stiff competition going on with organisations providing discounts, enhanced deliveries,
competitive pricing and many more. Therefore, customers always want and expect more from
the company. When customisation, product or service prices increases (Aheleroff and et. al.,
2021). It also imposes longer delivery timelines, resulting many consumers may not go for
practising customisation into the business. Furthermore, when business makes differentiated
goods and services for individual customers. The policy of return will not be possible for the
customers. Even, if the organisation does facilitate flexible return policies, it would be at the cost
of the item (Decock and et. al., 2021). This might impact the customers' interaction as well.
Marketing challenge is also a big issue in the customisation process. For mass companies, the