Research Project on Brand Awareness and its Impact: Marks & Spencer

This research project delves into the critical topic of brand awareness within Marks & Spencer, exploring its impact on sales, profitability, and customer loyalty. The study begins with an introduction to brand awareness, defining its significance and outlining the research objectives. It then provides a comprehensive literature review, examining key concepts and relevant research. The methodology section details the research approach, including data collection methods such as questionnaires and analysis of consumer behavior. The findings are presented through data interpretation and analysis, offering insights into customer perceptions of the brand, product preferences, and purchase decision-making processes. The report concludes with recommendations for Marks & Spencer to enhance brand awareness, improve customer engagement, and boost sales, along with a justification for further consideration. The report also includes references to academic sources and an appendix with the research questionnaire.

RESEARCH PROJECT ON BRAND
AWARENESS IN MARKS & SPENCER

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1....................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Aim and Objectives..........................................................................................................1
1.2 Factors that contribute to the progress of research project...............................................2
1.4 Research project specifications........................................................................................2
1.5 Providing an appropriate and effective approach applied for gaining proper solution....3
CHAPTER 2....................................................................................................................................5
1.3 Undertaken the critical review of key references based on the Literature Review..........5
CHAPTER 3....................................................................................................................................6
2.1 Research evaluation methods and techniques..................................................................6
2.2 Undertaken the preposes research....................................................................................7
CHAPTER 4....................................................................................................................................8
2.3 Record and collate relevant data where appropriate.........................................................8
3.1 use appropriate research evaluation techniques.............................................................11
3.2. Interpretation and analyses............................................................................................11
CHAPTER 5..................................................................................................................................12
3.3 Recommendation and Justification for the further consideration...................................12
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................13
APPENDIX ...................................................................................................................................14

CHAPTER 1
1.1 Aim and Objectives
Introduction
Brand awareness is the profitability that clients are well-known about the existence and
availability of the products. It is the level to which customers precisely associated with brand
with a particular product. It is measured as the ratio of niche market that has former knowledge
of brand. Brand recognition and brand recall are included in the brand recognition. The
customers of Marks and Spencer is aware of its brand. The research project is based on brand
awareness. The research project will make understand the aims and objectives of company. We
are conducting research on brand awareness of Marks and Spencer. Primary and secondary
research; both are conducted in this research project. Literature review is also done in this
research.
Background of the study
The most important assert of the business is Brand. It refers to name, logo or symbol
which is used to identity a product as well as differentiate it from competitors. In order to win
competition in a business, company requires to have brand equity. The purpose of this study is to
analyse the relationship in between the brand awareness and brand loyalty. The effect of brand
awareness is very essential to brand loyalty. In order to judge the brand loyalty, it is very
important to mention the magnitude of brand awareness.
Rational of study
The main reason for conducting this research is to identify the brand awareness of Marks
and Spencer. Problems arise when there is brand awareness in the customers but still they are
loyal towards the brand of company. It is very important or mention the dimensions of brand
awareness. Marks and Spencer is facing the problems of rebranding. The customers are unaware
of the brand of company; the management of company is interested in enhancing the awareness
among the target customers. Company is also facing the issues of unfavourable awareness among
customers.
Aim:
To analyse the effectiveness of brand awareness in raising sales and profitability of
company: A study on Mark & Spencer
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Objectives:
 To understand the concept of brand awareness
 To determine the relationship between brand awareness and company’s sales and
profitability
 To evaluate the effectiveness of brand awareness in raising sales and profitability of
Mark & Spencer
 To recommend ways to raise sales and profitability through brand awareness at Mark &
Spencer
1.2 Factors that contribute to the progress of research project
There are several elements which are contributed in the selection of research project. The
elements are described as below-
Knowledge and experience of research- By conducting this research, I will able to
develop and improve my understanding towards different kinds of troubles and problems which
company is facing in building and maintaining the brand awareness (Pegoraro, Scott and Burch,
2017).
Area of interest- In this topic of research, I have high level of interest. Marks and
Spencer is a well-known retail sector in the world. This research project would able me to
determine the several sets of schemes and plans which organization is formulating to attain the
brand awareness among its customers.
Future scope- This research report will create and enhance my knowledge which will be
fruitful for my future job performance (Novansa and Ali, 2017).
1.4 Research project specifications
Role played by research study is very essential for the life of humans as well as for
company as because it helps in making solutions especially when it comes to brand awareness. In
this study of research, the research workers will make use of optimistic research philosophy
which help in obtaining the targeted goals and objectives. The information is collected from both
the sources i.e. primary and secondary. There is no hypothesis present in this current research
report. The entire research is based on facts and reality (Lambert-Pandraud and et.al, 2017). The
main aim of conducting this research is to solve the issues coming in the organization in brand
awareness. Moreover, the manager of the organization is providing amended information related
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to this research study. Each and every data collected are taken as it is, there are no changes or
alteration marked. In collecting the information, there are skilled and full knowledge researchers
as they know how to classify the report as per its liableness. Questioner is also filled by
customers to identify their views regarding the products and service of Marks and Spencer.
1.5 Providing an appropriate and effective approach applied for gaining proper solution
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CHAPTER 2
1.3 Undertaken the critical review of key references based on the Literature Review.
Brand is a significant assert of the business. Generally, it refers to as the mane, logo, or
symbol which is used to denote a good as well as differentiate the goods from others. Brand
equity of the company leads organization to win the competition of business. Advertisement and
promotion is the most common way to build brand awareness among the audience. The ability
of clients to recognize and recall the brand is known as brand awareness. In the case of Marks
and Spencer, the customers are familiar with the products and services of company. In order to
build the brand equity, awareness of brand plays a vital role. Buyers are more concern about the
quality of products, they did not only consider the image which is prevailing in the community.
For maintaining the awareness of brand among the audience, it is very important for company to
have strong felling of brand. Wang, Ghalih and Porter, (2017) - stated that, optimistic behaviour
of clients would affect behaviour of consumers. Social work in the welfare of society also aids in
building the brand equity.
As per the Molinillo and et.al, (2017)- There is a direct relationship in between the brand
awareness and profit and sales of company. The brand awareness among the customers directly
increases in the profit and sales of organization. By making awareness in the brand among the
audience it will maintain a healthy and happy relationship among the employees. Brand
awareness reduces the switching cost which helps in increasing the profit of company. Building
brand is one-time process but maintaining its name and value in the market is never ending task.
Company has to work in the areas of innovation and creations which assist in raising the profit of
the organization. The relationship with customers is only be maintaining and uprising the quality
of products. Marks and Spencer is contributing large amount of fund in building the brand equity
in the market which can only be achieved by building brand awareness. Social media is the best
way to increase the awareness of brand among the audience.
Romaniuk, Wight and Faulkner, (2017)- stated that- Companies makes emotional relationship
between clients and particular products by creating branding. The thought or plan behind
branding is to make sure about sales and success for that goods by making easily be known to
audience. In order to understand the effectiveness of brand there are some ways which helps in
identifying the effectiveness of brand. Initially company has to differentiate the products itself
form competitors. In order to make bring effectiveness in the brand, organization has to develop
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some strategies that sets the goods at top position. Secondly, company has to measure the
visibility if its brand. Random survey should be organized by company to identify the silence of
their brand. If people easily identified the products form its logo or symbol them, it seems to be
effective brand. For example, Nike, Polo is the effective branding companies.
According to the Lee, O’Cass and Sok, (2017)- It is very important for company to calculate the
success of campaigns of advertisement. The advertisement and promotional cost should not be
exceeding by the sales of company. Internal and external surveys is also very important to
identify the effectiveness of brand. The management of company can make questioner and ask
question about the brand positioning. By doing this, company can know how deeply customers
are connected emotionally with the product. The effectiveness’s of brand can be only be
identified by customers’ views and profit and sales of company.
CHAPTER 3
Research Methodology
2.1 Research evaluation methods and techniques.
There are numerous methods and techniques which is used in the evaluation of research
that assist in developing the work as well as increase the awareness of brands among the
audience. This is used under research methodology and develop the current market network.
 Research philosophy- Research philosophy is the belief of researcher that helps him in
analysing and interpretation of the collected data. It is the most important part of RM
which includes wide areas. It is concerned with knowledge of development and
resources. In order to define the research philosophies research onion is the best way. As
per the present research study, investigator is exploiting the interpretive philosophies to
sort out the troubles and issues in research study. (Litosseliti, 2017).
 Research design- Research design is the general guidelines which assist the researcher to
answer the research questions. The research design refers to the different types of
methods or techniques which is used to help the work in up-gradation and makes the
work in systematic way. The data collected in this present report is reliable, it does not go
to any changes and alteration. In this present research study researcher has used deductive
research design that help researcher to achieve the aims and objectives of the research
study.
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 Research Approach- Research approach is the manner of testing the assumptions and
obtaining the credibility of hypothesis. In this present research project, the researcher has
used deductive research approach. By using deductive approach of research, researcher
will be able to achieve the goals and objectives of research.
 Collection of data- This is the most important process of research project. All the data
are collected and gather to execute the research project. Moreover, there are two methods
that can be used for collection of data such as primary and secondary. Primary sources
include the survey, interview, questioner, observation and case studies whereas secondary
sources include books and journals (McConville, 2017). Primary sources are much more
reliable than secondary sources. Primary research is quite time consuming as because it is
collected by researcher himself but secondary research is less time consuming. In this
research, researcher will use both primary and secondary research to collect the data and
make the research project successful.
 Analysis of the data- It is the most critical part in research methodology. Data which are
collected by the researcher are analysed to make sure that they are realisable and true.
There are two type of techniques for analysing data which are quantitative and
qualitative. As per this research study, investigator is using quantitative and qualitative
both (Husted, Henriques and Crane, 2018).
 Sampling- Sampling is one of the most crucial procedure of the study of research. It is
not possible to collect the data from large population. Thus, researcher will select a small
sample to analyse the data. In this present research, researcher will collect data from 20
customers of company. Simple random sampling methods is used by the researcher.
 Ethical Consideration- Ethical consideration is very important while carrying out the
research study. These are the guidelines which must be followed by the researcher in
order to increase the effectiveness of research project. In this research study, researcher
has obeyed all the laws and standard that are set for researching of data.
2.2 Undertaken the preposes research.
In this research study, researcher is going to make effective enquiry over the entire
research. Researcher is using inductive enquiry program of approach. For selecting this approach
there is a reason behind it which includes no hypothesis is used in this report. In order to
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maintain the reliableness and validity, investigator is making use of processes and specification.
To reach the stage of conclusion, it is very essential that investigator analysis the collected data.
The data collected is from authentic sources which bring reliableness and vitality in the
information. The recommendation given in this research project is appropriate and systematic.
CHAPTER 4
2.3 Record and collate relevant data where appropriate.
Theme 1: Buy only branded products
Do you buy only branded products? Frequency
 Yes always 5
 Never 6
 Only when quality is importantly 4
 Rarely 5
Theme 2: loyal customer for the product
Are you a loyal customer for the product you
buy?
Frequency
 Yes always 3
 Never 7
 Only for quality products 10
8
Never Only when quality is importantly Rarely
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
5

Theme 3: price sensitive
Are you price sensitive? Frequency
 Yes 9
 No 8
 Not sure 3
Theme 4: Like the product of Marks and Spencer
. Do you like the product of Marks and
Spencer?
Frequency
 Yes 12
 No 6
 Not sure 2
9
No Not sure
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
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Theme 5: Think brand affects the purchase decision making
Do you think brand affects the purchase
decision making?
Frequency
 Yes always 13
 No 5
 Not sure 2
10
No Not sure
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
12
No Not sure
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
13