Research Title
“To investigate the impact of brand image on customer perception: A case study of M&S”.
Introduction
Consumers are the assets of the company, their buying behavior influence the overall profitability of the company (Mendez and et.al, 2015). Quality of produce, price, promotion are main components that influence the buying decision, apart from this feeling about brand significantly influence the purchasing decision of the clients. The main objective of any organization is to influence consumer's perception and their feeling towards the brand and develop a brand image. In the competitive era there are many firms those which are offering same quality products to the consumers, so customers hold a specific image of the brand and then make their choice among range of products offered by different corporation (Ngapo and et.al, 2013).
In the study, the researcher will investigate the impact of brand image on the customer perception. Current research is based on the case study of Marks and Spencer (M&S). It is the leading clothing retailer of Britain, it has more than 798 stores worldwide and engaged in the online selling (Oliver, 2014). M&S has strong penetration in the market and having more than 1.2 million fans on Facebook and 120000 Twitter followers.
Rationale
Research Issue
In the modern globalized era consumers are having variety of choices for the same products and services, so users can easily get influenced towards other brands. Print, television, social media has created a specific image in the mind of customers. If the firm fails to create a brand image then it would not be able to survive in the competitive market for a longer duration. Therefore, it is necessary for the M&S to develop and maintain the brand image. By this way, it will be able to influence the consumer's perception (Rasmussen and et.al, 2016). That would help in attracting mass audience towards the brand and it will enhance profitability of the company.
Why it is an Issue
M&S is working in the retail industry where buying behavior of users can impact the sustainability and profitability of the corporation. Power relies in the hand of customers, brand image develops a trust in the mind of users and they be loyal towards the brand. They think that they will get quality products from the shop. Satisfaction level of consumers can be increased if the company has set its unique reputation in the mind of consumers (Taylor, Bogdan and DeVault, 2015). To make them loyal and attract them towards the firm it is essential that M&S always work on maintaining its brand image, otherwise it would be difficult for the cited firm to survive in the competitive market for longer period. By this way consumers will get attracted towards the entity and they will prefer to buy product and services of particular company.
Research Shed Light on
This study will focus on the conceptual frame work of consumer perception regarding goods and services and factors that influence their decisions (Zhang, van Doorn and Leeflang, 2014). The objective of the research is to understand the impact of brand image on customer's buying behavior. Investigation will provide recommendation to markets so that they can conduct further research in further in this context.
References
Books and References
- Mendez, M. and et.al., 2015. Sales Promotion and Brand Loyalty: Some New Insights.International Journal of Education and Social Science. 2(1). pp.103-117.
- Ngapo, T. M. and et.al., 2013. Marbling and ageing—Part 2. Consumer perception of sensory quality. Food research international. 51(2). pp.985-991.
- Oliver, R. L., 2014. Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the consumer. Routledge.
- Rasmussen, J. and et.al., 2016. Are vegetation indices derived from consumer-grade cameras mounted on UAVs sufficiently reliable for assessing experimental plots?. European Journal of Agronomy. 74. pp.75-92.
- Taylor, S. J., Bogdan, R. and DeVault, M., 2015. Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource. John Wiley & Sons.
- Zhang, S. S., van Doorn, J. and Leeflang, P. S., 2014. Does the importance of value, brand and relationship equity for customer loyalty differ between Eastern and Western cultures?. International Business Review. 23(1). pp.284-292.