IMPACT OF BRANDING ON IMPULSIVE BUYING

STUDENT – ADITYA SEN

GUIDE - PROF. SWARAJ KUMAR NANDAN

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 Submitted by:

Name of the Candidate: Aditya Sen

Registration Number: A01-1112-1081-19

Room Number: 06

Roll Number: 0063

Supervised by:

Professor Swaraj Kumar Nandan

Assistant Professor

Department of Commerce (Management)

St. Xavier’s College, (Autonomous) Kolkata

APRIL, 2022

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

A project of this magnitude depends on contributions from a wide range of people for its success.
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the many people who have contributed a
great deal of their time and expertise to the development of this project.

Firstly, I am thankful to my institution (St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata) for providing me with the
dire and rare opportunity to undertake this responsibility of doing such project. I am thankful to
Rev. Dr. Dominic Savio S.J., Principal and Rev. Joseph Kulandai S.J., Vice Principal of my
college. I am also thankful to Dr. Amitava Roy, Dean of Commerce (Morning).

Secondly, I express my sincere thanks to my project guide, Prof. Swaraj Kumar Nandan,
Assistant Professor, Department of Commerce (Management), for getting me started and for
guiding me through the project. Needless to say, without his knowledge, guidance and
experience, this project would not have gone so far. He has been a source of constant inspiration,
stimulating me to learn and pick up minute of the topics, making my learning process a worthy
experience. He has given a sense of completeness to this project and ensures its full proof by
completely monitoring my work.

Finally, I am also very thankful to my friends and family whose constant support and guidance
helped me in completing the project in its time limit. It was a very good learning experience and
would benefit me in the future.

Above all, I want to thank God for giving me confidence and patience to successfully complete
the project.

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STUDENT DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the Project Work with the title IMPACT OF BRANDING ON
IMPULSIVE BUYING submitted by me for the partial fulfilment of the degree of B.Com.
(Honours) at St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata is my original work and has not been
submitted earlier to any other Institution for the fulfilment of the requirement for any course of
study.

I also declare that no chapter of this manuscript in whole or in part has been incorporated in this
report from any earlier work done by others or by me. However, extracts of any literature which
has been used for this report has been duly acknowledged providing details of such literature in
the references.

Signature:

Name: Aditya Sen

Address: 1 Lansdowne Terrace, Kolkata -700026

Place: Kolkata

Date: 04/04/2022

Room Number: 06

Roll Number: 63

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 St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous)
Department of Commerce (Morning)

PROJECT COMPLETION AND PLAGIARISM VERIFICATION CERTIFICATE

Student Name: …………………ADITYA SEN……………..............

Room No.: …………6 ……………. Roll No.: ……………………63………………

Title of the dissertation:

“Impact of Branding on Impulsive Buying ”

...................................................................................................................................................

The above dissertation was scanned using iThenticate for similarity detection

and the similarity index is as follows:

Similarity Index:……0%…………

The dissertation may be considered for submission.

Name of the Supervisor: …………………………………

Signature: …………………………………………………

Date: …………………….

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER TITLE PAGE NO.

Chapter 1
1.1 Introduction 9
1.2 Background 9

Chapter 2
2.1 Conceptual Framework 11
2.2 Literature Review 12-14
2.3 Research Gap 15
2.4 Rationale 15
2.5 Objectives 16
2.6 Limitations 16
2.7 Methodology 17

Chapter 3
3.1 Primary Data Analysis 19-28
3.2 Research Findings 29

Chapter 4
4.1 Conclusion 31
4.2 Recommendations 31

Chapter 5 References 33-34

Chapter 6 Annexure 36-39

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TABLE OF CHARTS

FIGURE TITLE PAGE NO.

1 Age 19
2 Gender 20
3 Would you describe yourself as an impulsive buyer? 20
4 Does the image of a brand influence your decision to buy 21
a product?
5 Are you familiar with various branding techniques used 22
by marketers?
6 How often do you find yourself buying unplanned 22
products?
7 How big an influence does the brand of a product have on 23
the above?
8 Which of the following factors would you consider most 24
before purchasing a product?
9 How often would you buy a product from another brand 24
if the product of a particular brand is unavailable?
10 You are more likely to impulsively buy a product from a 25
brand you know/trust.
11 You would be willing to pay more for a product because 26
of its brand.
12 How likely are you to impulsively buy a product whose 26
brand you are unfamiliar to?
13 Branding has an impact on impulsive buying. 27
14 Marketers can take advantage of impulsive buying 28
behaviour if they use appropriate branding techniques.

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CHAPTER 1

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INTRODUCTION

Branding is a strategy used to create a positive image of a company’s services and products in
the minds of customers by using elements like design, logo, etc. It is usually done through
advertising with a consistent theme. Effective branding can help a company differentiate itself
from its competitors and build a loyal base of customers.

An impulsive purchase is an unplanned decision made by a consumer to buy a product or a

service. A person who makes such purchases is called an impulse buyer. Impulse buying is
mostly found in food products, clothing and accessories. For example, the can of soda you put in
the cart after spotting it on the shelf in the billing queue, is an impulse buy.

BACKGROUND

Companies use various branding techniques to create a positive brand image and build customer
loyalty. More and more companies are making an effort to build their brand with every passing
day as competition grows to try and distinguish themselves from competitors. Brand image and
brand loyalty play a significant role in the minds of customers, so companies must try everything
in their power to improve their brand. On the other hand, consumers must be aware of the
various branding techniques used by marketers so that they can make the right choices for
themselves based on the knowledge they have. In today’s market, the role and importance of
branding cannot be understated by businesses or customers.

Almost everyone makes unplanned purchases in their day-to-day lives. The frequency and nature
of the same varies from person to person based on a plethora of factors. Impulsive buying
decisions are very common and play a major role in consumer purchases and also the success of
a business. Marketers recognise this and try various things to induce unplanned purchases from
customers, branding being one of them. Thus, impulsive buying is important not only to
customers but also marketers as they can take advantage of it.

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CHAPTER 2

10
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Branding has become increasingly important in today’s market. Marketers are aware of this and
are trying various things to improve their brand image to differentiate themselves from their
competitors.

Impulse buying is a very common thing among consumers and in this study, it is being examined
if and how significant a role branding plays in impulse buys made by consumers in their day-to-
day lives. The awareness of people as far as branding techniques are concerned is also being
determined.

In terms of the research's basic plan, primary data will be used to collect relevant data on the
subject, with analysis to follow later in the report. A variety of responses from people with a
millennial bias are taken into account to assess the impact of branding on impulse buying. In data
collection and analysis, charts were used to better reflect the information and expertise accessed
during the study.

Finally, personal insights gleaned from undertaking this entire research project have been
documented, along with proper reasoning and description. A few suggestions have also been
provided that were thought to be relevant in this study's case in order to provide a more balanced
view to the reader and share my thoughts on the concerns and facts presented in the analysis.

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LITERATURE REVIEW

1. Sumidha E. (August, 2019)

This study shows the buying decision of people, how they are drawn to branded products and
also shows factors which help in attracting customers. The research tells us factors which have a
significant influence on customer purchases. Finding out these factors can be very helpful as this
information can help businesses improve their customer relations and revenue.

2. P.Kannan (June, 2019)

The study examines the various factors influencing the consumers on impulsive buying, their
attitudes and the perceptions. This study focuses on the various cognitive functions that are
surrounding the rationality of the consumers in buying the product thereby reducing the
inducement to opt for impulsive buying. The process of impulsive buying plays a major role in
the retail market sector. The study assumes importance with the view that, identifying the factors
and the perceptions of the consumers towards the impulsive buying will help to inform the
segmented retail market about the nuances of the impulsive buying as well as protect the
consumers from the deception of the producers as well as the marketers.

3. Sritama Mitra (2010)

The study shows the impact of brand on consumer behaviour as expressed by the inhabitants
belonging to Kolkata. It assesses said impact based on a number of factors such as geographical
location, income, marketing techniques, etc. This helps in determining the importance of
branding and the role played by it.

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4. Esmaeili Malihe (May, 2011)

The research tells us about the effect of brand attitude on consumer purchase behaviour. Based
on the proposition that attitude has three components, cognitive, affective and intention the study
measures affective and cognitive components to compare the effects of each on consumer
purchase behaviour. These revelations can be very useful to businesses if they use it to their
advantage.

5. Rohit Deepa (2019)

The study investigates the variables affecting attitude towards Cause-brand Association and to
develop a broad model to with respect to the influence of the antecedents of Cause-brand
association on consumer responses. It also analyses the impact of an attitude towards Cause-
brand association on purchase intentions and behaviour intentions.

6. Preyal Desai (2017)

This research tells us about factors which have an influence on impulsive buying. Various factors
of external, consumer-related and situational nature have been considered for the study. The
relative importance of these aforementioned factors has also been revealed. This information can
help businesses take advantage of impulse purchases to satisfy customers and increase revenue.

7. Jane Leighton & Geoff Bird (2012)

This article tells us about the effect of a reduction in branding on the buyers. It takes various
features like packaging, information, similarity, etc. into consideration. It is evident from the
study that less branding has an adverse effect on sales and customer satisfaction. Hence, this
study reinforces the important role that is played by branding.

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8. Pashmeen Kaur Anand (November, 2016)

This research examines various factors related to branding and the influence had by them on
decisions made by consumers. It reveals how important a role is played by these factors and
various patterns with regard to decisions made by people. This information can help businesses
gain more knowledge about their customers and make plans accordingly.

9. Chetana Upadhyay (2021)

The research identifies different internal and external factors and its role which stimulates
consumer’s mind and injects the urge for impulse buying in the modern retail outlets. On one
side marketers are looking towards resolution for reduced turnover, customers on the other side
also expecting for stability in their purchasing pattern in context with their financial affordability.
This study has examined the internal factors like Impulse buying tendency, mood, hedonic
feelings and External Factors like store related factors; product, price and promotion related
factors are taken in to consideration. This research has emerged model with the help of Structural
Equation Modelling concept that assists in better decoding regarding essential aspects that
contribute for today’s impulse consumption pattern.

10. John Joshy (July, 2017)

This research tells us about various patterns and decisions made by people in a retail store. It also
reveals factors responsible for the same. It also tried to judge the mindset of a shopper while
making impulse purchases. These revelations can help a store improve revenue and also gain an
advantage on their competitors.

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RESEARCH GAP

The above literature does not go into detail as to how marketers can take advantage of various
branding techniques to increase sales.

They fail to elaborately explain the role played by impulse buying in the day-to-day lives of
consumers.

The direct relationship between branding and impulsive buying has not been explained in a clear
manner.

Some of the literature is from a few years back and hence certain changes may not have been
taken into account.

RATIONALE

Marketers are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of branding and how it can help
them increase impulsive buying and hence sales and profit. They are coming up with various
techniques to promote their brand and induce consumers to make unplanned buying decisions.
This study aims to find out how often buyers make impulsive purchases, how much importance
they give to the brand of a product or a service, how aware they are of the various branding
techniques used by marketers to increase sales and how big a role branding plays in the
unplanned buying decisions of consumers.

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OBJECTIVES

The primary objective of the dissertation is:

1. To find out the role played by branding on impulsive buying decisions.

The secondary objectives of the dissertation are:

1. To analyse impulsive buying patterns of consumers.

2. To understand the impact of branding on consumer buying decisions.

3. To determine how important brands are to people and how much they value the same.

4. To find out how aware people are as far as branding strategies are concerned.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

• The sample size is limited, with the majority of the participants being students. Any
future study should include a broader sample of prospective users from various age
groups. A bigger sample size would also provide additional statistical power when
analysing the data.

• All the components of the study were measured using a single questionnaire. Hence,
there is a chance that measurement technique bias exists. To solve this, further studies
need to be carried out utilising alternative research approaches.

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 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Source of Data: Primary data has been used to analyse the impact of branding on impulsive
buying decisions made by buyers.

Data Collection: Primary data was collected by creating a questionnaire using Google forms
which was circulated among family, friends and acquaintances.

Time Period: This survey was conducted over a period of 2 weeks in February, 2022.

Sample Size and Target Respondents: The data has been provided by 107 people, all of them
being residents of India.

Type of Questions: All the questions in the survey (except name) are MCQs.

Sampling Method: The sampling method used for this study is convenient sampling method.

Instruments used include Google forms, Microsoft spreadsheets and Google docs which were
used for data collection and analysis.

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CHAPTER 3

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DATA ANALYSIS

1)

FIG. 1

Interpretation: The majority of the respondents were between 18-25 years of age. There
were quite a few respondents belonging to the 26-40 and over 40 categories but very few
respondents were less than 18 years of age.

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2)

FIG. 2

Interpretation: The majority of the people who took part in the survey were males.

3)

FIG. 3

Interpretation: The majority of the respondents described themselves as impulsive buyers. A

considerable number felt that they were not impulsive buyers and the ‘not sure’ option was
chosen by the least number of people.

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4)

FIG. 4

Interpretation: An overwhelming majority of the people said that their buying decision was
influenced by the brand of a product (or service). The importance of branding is quite evident
from this. Furthermore, the ‘maybe’ option was chosen by more respondents than the number of
people who said that branding did not influence their buying decision.

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5)

FIG. 5

Interpretation: Most people said that they were familiar with the branding techniques used by
marketers. More respondents said that they were aware of a few branding techniques than the
number of people who chose the ‘yes’ option while very few people chose the ‘no’ option
indicating that they were unfamiliar with branding techniques.

6)

FIG.6

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Interpretation: Most people said that they bought unplanned products quite often. Quite a few
people said that they did not often make unplanned purchases while some said that they made
unplanned purchases very often. A very small number of respondents claimed to never make
unplanned purchases.

7)

FIG. 7

Interpretation: The majority of the respondents said that brand played a fairly big part in their
unplanned purchases. Some said that it did not play a big part while a few people said that
branding had a huge influence on them in this regard.

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8)

FIG .8

Interpretation: Almost half the respondents said that brand trustworthiness was the factor most
considered by them before making a purchase. Out of the remaining people, more said that they
considered efficiency to be the most important factor in this regard.

9)

FIG. 9

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Interpretation: The majority said that they would sometimes buy an alternate product from
another brand while quite a few people said that they would not often do it. This reinforces the
impact of a brand on the decisions made by customers.

10)

FIG. 10

Interpretation: An overwhelming majority of people agreed that they were more likely to
impulsively buy a product from a brand they knew/trusted while quite a few people strongly
agreed with the aforementioned statement.

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11)

FIG. 11

Interpretation: Most people said that they would be willing to pay more for a product because
of its brand while quite a few people said they may be willing to do the same. A few people said
that they would not be willing to pay more based on product brand.

12)

FIG. 12

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Interpretation: Almost all the respondents said they were not likely to impulsively buy a
product whose brand they were unfamiliar with. Most of the people said they were unlikely to do
the same while many others said that they were very unlikely to do the same.

13)

FIG. 13

Interpretation: An overwhelming majority of respondents said that they agreed that branding
has an impact on impulse buying. A few people strongly agreed with the statement while a few
others decided to stay neutral.

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14)

FIG. 14

Interpretation: Almost everyone said that they felt marketers can take advantage of impulsive
buying behaviour if they use appropriate branding techniques. Most of the respondents agreed
with the statement while quite a few people strongly agreed with it.

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RESEARCH FINDINGS

There has been extensive use of primary data in the collection as well as analysis of data relevant
to the topic at hand. The research findings from the data are discussed as below –

• Importance of Branding: It is evident from the survey that people tend to place a lot of
importance on the brand of products and services. It is important for marketers that they
recognise this and take appropriate steps in this regard.

• Role of Impulsive Buying: The survey shows us that impulsive buying plays a big role
in people’s day-to-day purchasing activities and life as a whole. Marketers can help their
own cause if they are able to figure out patterns and factors related to this and make plans
accordingly.

• Relationship between branding and impulsive buying: The study shows that there is
indeed a relationship between branding and impulsive buying. Marketers can take
advantage of impulse buying if they use proper branding strategies.

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CHAPTER 4

30
CONCLUSION

• People make a lot of unplanned purchases in their day to day lives.

• Branding has a huge influence on consumer decision making process.

• The study finds that unplanned purchases are usually products (or services) of brands that the
consumer is aware of or familiar with. In other words, branding has a big impact on impulsive
buying.

• Marketers can take advantage of impulsive buying behaviour of consumers if they use proper
branding techniques.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Marketers should try to learn about impulsive buying patterns of consumers and use this
knowledge to make plans which will help them increase sales.

• Marketers should realise the importance of branding and use proper branding techniques to
build image, secure customer loyalty and help them differentiate themselves from their
competitors.

• Consumers must make themselves aware of the various branding techniques used by marketers
so that they are not duped.

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CHAPTER 5

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REFERENCES

1. Influence Of Brand Name On Customer Buying Decision Towards An Emerging Mobile

Phone Market- Sumidha E. (August, 2019).

Retrieved 31 March 2022, from http://hdl.handle.net/10603/251954

2. Consumer behaviour towards impulse buying of Salem district- P.Kannan (June, 2019).

Retrieved 31 March 2022, from http://hdl.handle.net/10603/334928

3. Impact of brand on consumer behaviour a study on Kolkata city- Sritama Mitra (2010).

Retrieved 31 March 2022, from http://hdl.handle.net/10603/176764

4. A study of the impact of brand attitude on consumer purchase behaviour a comparison study
between India and Iran for soft drink market- Esmaeili Malihe (May, 2011).

Retrieved 31 March 2022, from http://hdl.handle.net/10603/97039

5. Assessing the Impact of Cause Related Associations of Brands on Consumers Attitudes and
Purchase Decision- Rohit Deepa (2019).

Retrieved 31 March 2022, from http://hdl.handle.net/10603/283132

6. A study on consumers’ impulse buying behaviour in organized retail stores with reference to
Gujarat state- Preyal Desai (2017). Retrieved 31 March, 2022, from
http://hdl.handle.net/10603/176163

33
7. The Impact of Reduced Branding on Consumer Choice- Jane Leighton and Geoff Bird (2012)

Retrieved 31 March 2022, from https://www.bartleby.com/essay/The-Impact-of-Reduced-

Branding-on-Consumer-P3VVPJN4C8B6S

8. A Study of Consumer Buying Behaviour On Cosmetic Products Towards Brand Identity and
Brand Image- Pashmeen Kaur Anand (November, 2016).

Retrieved 31 March 2022, from http://hdl.handle.net/10603/134452

9. A study on factors affecting impulse buying behaviour of retail consumers in selected cities of
Gujarat- Chetana Upadhyay (2021).

Retrieved 31 March 2022, from http://hdl.handle.net/10603/342699

10. A Study on Impulse Buying Behaviour in Organized Retail Formats of Kerala- John Joshy
(July, 2017).

Retrieved 31 March 2022, from http://hdl.handle.net/10603/229686

11. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/definition/impulsive-buying

12.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291171098_Impact_of_Branding_on_Impulse_Buying
_Behavior_Evidence_from_FMCG'S_sector_Pakistan

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CHAPTER 6

35
ANNEXURE

QUESTIONNAIRE

*required

1) Name *

____________________________________

2) Age *

o Below 18
o 18-25
o 26-40
o Over 40

3) Gender *

o Male
o Female
o Prefer not to say

4) Would you describe yourself as an impulsive buyer? *

o Yes
o No
o Not sure

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5) Does the image of a brand influence your decision to buy a product? *

o Yes
o No
o Maybe

6) Are you familiar with various branding techniques used by marketers? *

o Yes
o No
o A few of them

7) How often do you find yourself buying unplanned products? *

o Very often
o Quite often
o Not often
o Never

8) How big an influence does the brand of a product have on the above? *

o Huge
o Fairly Big
o Not Big
o Zero

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9) Which of the following factors would you consider most before purchasing a product? *

o Familiarity
o Efficiency
o Brand Trustworthiness

10) How often would you buy a product from another brand if the product of a particular brand is
unavailable? *

o Always
o Quite often
o Sometimes
o Not often
o Never

11) You are more likely to impulsively buy a product from a brand you know/trust. *

o Strongly agree
o Agree
o Neutral
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree

12) You would be willing to pay more for a product because of its brand. *

o Yes
o No
o Maybe

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13) How likely are you to impulsively buy a product whose brand you are unfamiliar to? *

o Very likely
o Likely
o Unlikely
o Very unlikely

14) Branding has an impact on impulsive buying. *

o Strongly agree
o Agree
o Neutral
o Disagree
o Strongly disagree

15) Marketers can take advantage of impulsive buying behaviour if they use appropriate
branding techniques. *

o Strongly agree
o Agree
o Neutral
o Disagree
o Strongly Disagree

39