CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

Brands are like human beings. They are born, fed and nurtured, made strong and responsible so that they can be faithful friends of the people (customers), form mutually beneficial and satisfying relationships with them and become their companions for life. Such brands, make their parents (organization or corporate) proud of them. The best brands are the ones who help in forming and sustaining strong long term parent-brandpeople relationships. These brands form the potential for present growth and future expansion. They help the organizations conquer peaks at the time of booms and stay afloat and swim at times of depression. We come across a number of brands in our daily lives. Our morning starts with using a toothpaste (Colgate, Pepsodent or Close-up), using a bathing soap (Lux, Fairglow or Cinthol) and shampoo (Clinic All Clear or Vatika), wearing clothes ( Allen Solly, Levis or Raymonds), breakfast bread (Britannia or Modern) and butter (Amul) or jam (Kissan), lunch and dinner (Nature Fresh or Pillsbury flour and Safal vegetables), morning and evening tea and coffee (Tetley, Nescafe or Bru), going out in a car (Hyundai Santro, Honda Accord or Mercedes Benz). Talking on the cell phone (Motorola, Nokia, Siemens or Samsung), watching television in the evening (LG, Sony or Philips) or listening to music (Philips or Apple) etc. But how often do we think of what all a company does to put a positive imprint (fight for a shelf space) in the mind of the customer? Today nearly all the companies are focusing more and more on building strong brands. The concept of brand equity and its management has come to the fore like never before. More and more companies are refocusing on select strong brands. This project is thus a timely stuffy of the importance of brands, what it takes to build them, what benefits do they give to different stakeholders (organization, distributors and customers), how can they be leveraged, what is the impact of modern technology on branding, branding on the web, branding in mergers and acquisitions etc. examples have been given and cases discussed at every suitable point to bring out an application oriented understanding of building and managing brands.

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OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY To study the factors which influence the buying pattern. To study the effect of brands on consumer buying behavior in relation to readymade garments. To do a comparative study of the promotion strategies adopted by the companies in the readymade garments.

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Market research is a form of applied sociology that concentrates on understanding the behavior whims and preferences of consumer economy and aims to understand the effects and comparative success of marketing campaigns. In other words market research examines all aspects of a business environment. It asks questions about competitors market structure government regulation. Economic trends technological advances and numerous other factors that make up the business environment. Sometimes the term refers more particularly to the financial analyses of companies industries or sector. N this case financial analysis usually carries out the research and provides the result to investment advisor and potential investors Research methodology Research methodology is used to solve the research related complication that we confront during research period. It provides us a systematic scientific and reasonable way to solve the problems. Research methodology keeps many dimensions according to existing situation The purpose of methodology is to explain their acceptable procedure while we through research work. It includes over all research design, data collection process, sampling process, field survey, analysis, procedure. I selected survey research methodology. It is the best and scientific way to descriptive research & to learn about customer awareness, beliefs, preferences, satisfaction and to measure these magnitudes in the general population. My research is interview based. It is best way to know what the people think and what they want, people can give their ideas in their own words & can express their needs. I contacted people through the personal interview. Interview was based on intercept form. In this interviewer must not require too much time. Intercept form. In this interviewer must not require too much time.

Research instrument

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Questionnaire is most common research instrument in collecting primary data during marketing research. A Questionnaire consists of a set of questions presented to respondents. Because of its flexibility the questionnaire is by far the most common instrument used to collect primary data. Data is generally of two types 1. Primary data 2. Secondary data Primary data are those data specially collected for problem in hand. In this study data are collected from primary sources through personal interview of retailers. These methods of data collection are quite popular. These are the major methods of data collection in the research study. Secondary data are those data, which are collected for some purpose other than helping and solving the problem I hand. Sources of secondary data are: Magazines Company records Company web sites

Data collection method The data is collected for research questionnaires method and through visualization for franchisee analysis. A questionnaire is framed then collected by making it fill by different respondent. Data analysis techniques Analysis of data is done through quantities that are numerical figure. Data analysis instrument Instrument used for data analysis is tabulation of data, bar chart and pie chart. SAMPLING Sampling Technique Used

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In this project the technique of sampling used was Judgment sampling. Judgment Sampling involves the choice of subjects who are most advantageously placed or in the best position to provide the information required. Sample Unit In this project case sample were the people of Navi Mumbai region & the aim was to collect the true information about buying behavior of people. Sample Size: 200

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SCOPE OF THE STUDY The scope of the research is based on the fashion industry and it throws light on the impact of the brand buying behavior. Significance of the study:My research will help the fashion industry to know the current scenario of customers buying decision with respect to brand image of the garment. Significance for the researcher: Wide exposure to the fashion industry. Studying about the impact brand on consumer buying behavior.

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LITERATURE REVIEW Understanding Branding BRAND The word Brand owes its origin to the Norwegian word brand which means to burn. Farmers used to put some identification mark on the body of the livestock to distinguish their possession. Products are what companies make, but customers buy brands. Therefore marketers resorted to branding in order to distinguish their offerings from similar products and services provided by their competitors. Additionally, it carries an inherent assurance to the customers that the quality of a purchase will be similar to earlier purchases of the same brand Brand is, an image that develops into a personality for yourself, your product, your services, and/or your company. It is that one attribute that comes to mind when your clients and audience thinks about you. The key is to determine, create, and then project that personality; that brand. A brand is a name, term, sign, symbol or design or a combination of one seller or a group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competitors.

Brand elements Name: The word or words used to identify the company, product, service, concept Logo: The visual trademark that identifies the brand Tagline or Catchphrase: "The Quicker Picker Upper" is associated with Bounty; "Can you hear me now" is an important part of the Verizon brand. Shapes: The distinctive shape of the Coca-Cola bottle or the Volkswagen Beetle are trademarked elements of those brands. Graphics: The dynamic ribbon is also a trademarked part of Coca-Cola's brand. Color: Owens-Corning is the only brand of fiberglass insulation that can be pink. Sounds: A unique tune or set of notes can "denote" a brand: NBC's chimes are one of the most famous examples. Movement: Lamborghini has trademarked the upward motion of its car doors. Smells: Scents, such as the rose-jasmine-musk of Chanel No. 5 is trademarked. Taste: KFC has trademarked its special recipe of 11 herbs and spices for fried chicken.

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BRANDING Branding is a process, a tool, a strategy and an orientation. Branding is the process by which a marketer tries to build long term relationship with the customers by learning their needs and wants so that the offering (brand) could satisfy their mutual aspirations. Branding can be used as a differentiation strategy when the product cannot be easily distinguished in terms of tangible features (which invariably happens in case of many services, durables etc.) or in products which are perceived as a commodity (e.g. cement, fertilizers, salt, potato chips etc.). Brand building is a conscious customer satisfaction orientation process. The brand owner tries to retain customers to its fold over their competitors by a mix of hardware software because when a customer feels satisfied he / she develop a kind of loyalty for the same.

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Attributes Benefits Values Culture Personality User

A brand will communicate specific attributes, such as prestige A brand strengthens a products attributes by communicating a set of benefits that makes it more attractive A brand represents a companys core values and belief system A brand is representative or target a target audiences socio cultural characteristics A Brand can project behavioral personality patterns of targeted consumers The brand, in some cases, can emulate the end user

Kotler (1999) expands on the concept of identity by stating that a brand is capable of conveying up to six different levels of meaning to a targeted audience. This is known as the Six Dimensions of The Brand Brand awareness Brand awareness refers to customers' ability to recall and recognize the brand under different conditions and link to the brand name, logo, jingles and so on to certain associations in memory. It consists of both brand recognition and brand recall. It helps the customers to understand to which product or service category the particular brand belongs and what products and services are sold under the brand name. It also ensures that customers know which of their needs are satisfied by the brand through its products (Keller). Brand awareness is of critical importance since customers will not consider your brand if they are not aware of it. There are various levels of brand awareness that require different levels and combinations of brand recognition and recall. Top-of-Mind is the goal of most companies. Top-of-Mind Awareness occurs when your brand is what pops into a consumers mind when asked to name brands in a product category. For example, when someone is asked to name a type of facial tissue, the common answer is Kleenex, which is a top-of-mind brand. Aided Awareness occurs when a consumer is shown or read a list of brands, and expresses familiarity with your brand only after they hear or see it as a type of memory aide. Strategic Awareness occurs when your brand is not only top-of-mind to consumers, but also has distinctive qualities that stick out to consumers as making it better than the other brands in your market. The distinctions that set your product apart from the competition is also known as the Unique Selling Point or USP.

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Branding in Todays Markets A central function of branding is the facilitation of the consumer choice process. Due to the complexity of having to select a product amongst thousands of similar offerings, consumers will instinctively attempt to simplify their choice process by selecting brands that have satisfied them in the past. Thus, one can conclude that pleasant past experiences is highly conducive to consumers associating benefits to a brand. One can conclude that a central function of branding is its ability to negate the need for a consumer to seek out information when a need or a want has been recognized, but rather, lead him to a brand that has been satisfying in the past. One must acknowledge however, that frequent purchasing of a brand cannot always be linked to previous experiences, but can alternatively be formed by embedded perceptions. A consumer might strongly favour a brand with no prior purchasing experience. This type of consumer behavior is based on stimulus provided by direct exposure to advertising campaigns, a companys PR efforts or even a high concentration of local distribution in an area that is in close proximity to a consumer. In terms of companies views on branding, it can induce the natural differentiation of their offerings, which ultimately, will produce a state of competitive advantage. Differentiation can only allow for competitive advantage if the cost of differentiating is significantly lower than the revenue earned by the sales. Differential advantage allows companies to showcase their offer in respects to other competitors in the same marketplace. Importance of Branding Principle of branding - A set of related products that are manufactured by a company and are sold as a family of products under the marquee or banner of a brand have a certain recognition and a place of respect within that very market. Branding the product thus, is a means of creation of identification and recognition in the market. It is not just a process of getting a trademark and logo, but it is process of evolving as a well reputed name on the market and field. A very well known brand that has become the identity of the market itself is the office equipment manufacturer 'Xerox'. Though it is a company's name, the act of photocopying is termed as 'Xeroxing'. Importance of Branding in Business From the point of view of a business, the process of branding involves making of a trademark and a good name. A registered trademark and a name ensure individuality and uniqueness of a particular product or family of products. The lawful registration of the trademark means that any competitor cannot copy any of the elements and names of the products. Branding can be done for anything that can be promoted in the consumer's market, may it be a simple label, a family of products or an umbrella brand. People can

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also have a personal brand. The primary advantage of branding is that it is safeguarded from unlawful activities and at the same time, it is also a way of developing a good reputation in the market. Often you might see some new product carry the tag that says 'from the makers of brand', well this is another advantage of branding. When a business who owns an already famous brand wants to launch a new brand in the market, they can use the preearned goodwill and reputation for the new launch. The advantage is that, people are bound to purchase the new products out of curiosity. Importance of Branding in Marketing Marketing primarily involves the study of demand in a market and creating a response in the form of supply. In the field of marketing, the brand name plays an important role as it helps the people to promote the brand name and its merits quite easily. Apart from that, it also becomes possible for the marketing people to generate intelligence information about the brands popularity and also what people exactly want from the brand owning company. As a result of a brand loyal group of consumers, it also becomes easier for marketing department to asses regular and promised demand. Apart from that, schemes such as free gifts and discounts often boost the sales as the brand is an important icon of the market. Importance of Branding in Advertising Advertising is often considered to be a part of marketing however; branding a particular product helps the advertisers to provide catchy logos and advertisements. As a brand name can never be copied, advertisers face lesser heat from unauthenticated advertisements, effectively, their advertisement creation gets protected. Apart from that advertisers can initiate fearless and independent advertising as due to the process of branding, the consumers are already well aware of the product, its identity and nature. In short, the importance of branding can be summed up in simple words 'successful branding is a process that generates revenue that cannot be counted, it creates a reputation that is felt not seen, and it is an asset that one cannot show on a balance sheet. Development of Brand Equity The amount of clout controlled by different brands will vary. Some are deeply embedded in global culture and are thus, highly recognizable, whilst other are virtually unknown to consumers. When attempting to place a value on a brand, one refers to brand equity. Chay (1991) defines brand equity as a set of associations and behaviors on the part of a brands customers, channel members, and Parent Corporation that permits the brand to earn greater volume or greater margins than it could without the brand name and that gives the brand a strong, sustainable, and

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differential advantage over competitors. This explanation creates a clear link between a products values, be it financial or intangible, and a brand name.

Using the financial perspective, one measures brand equity by determining how much more consumers are willing to pay in direct relation to the brand name. This gives marketers essential insight into the financial value of the brand. When viewing brand equity from this perspective, one must naturally consider overhead, such as costs of advertising. Using the consumer-based perspective entails considering how the attitude strength of consumers is directly influenced by the brand name. This perspective operates under the assumption that the consumer has had extensive experience with the product in question. The consideration and development of brand equity is vital as its benefits are wide reaching. One can consider brand equity as an asset, as it can increase cash flow via the widening of a companys market share and the allowance of higher pricing policies. The Competitive Advantage of Brand Loyalty There is a palpable correlation between the efficient branding of a product or service, and the display of brand loyalty in consumer purchasing patterns. In this instance, loyalty is defined as a deeply held commitment to re-buy or re-patronize a preferred product/service consistently in the future, thereby causing repetitive same-brand or same brand-set purchasing, despite situational influences and marketing efforts having the potential to cause switching behavior". Brand loyalty is a direct consequence of the ability to better satisfy the desires of a customer that main competitors do. It now becomes clear that a modern day marketers

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principal objective is to build sustainable forms of loyalty between a company and its consumers, instead of focusing solely on the individual sale of products. Brand Loyalty is the consumer's conscious or unconscious decision, expressed through intention or behavior, to repurchase a brand continually. It occurs because the consumer perceives that the brand offers the right product features, image, or level of quality at the right price. Consumer behavior is habitual because habits are safe and familiar. In order to create brand loyalty, advertisers must break consumer habits, help them acquire new habits, and reinforce those habits by reminding consumers of the value of their purchase and encourage them to continue purchasing those products in the future. The image surrounding a company's brand is the principal source of its competitive advantage and is therefore a valuable strategic asset. Unfortunately, many companies are not adept at disseminating a strong, clear message that not only distinguishes their brand from the competitors', but distinguishes it in a memorable and positive manner. The challenge for all brands is to avoid the pitfalls of portraying a muddled or negative image, and instead, create a broad brand vision or identity that recognizes a brand as something greater than a set of attributes that can be imitated or surpassed. In fact, a company should view its brand to be not just a product or service, but as an overall brand image that defines a companys philosophies. A brand needs more than identity; it needs a personality. Just like a person without attention-grabbing characteristics, a brand with no personality can easily be passed right over. A strong symbol or company logo can also help to generate brand loyalty by making it quickly identifiable.

Understanding Consumer Buying Behavior Definition

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Consumer behavior refers to the mental and emotional process and the observable behavior of consumers during searching, purchasing and post consumption of a product or service Consumer behavior involves study of how people buy, what they buy, when they buy and why they buy. It blends the elements from psychology, sociology, socio psychology, anthropology and economics. It also tries to assess the influence on the consumer from groups such as family, friends, reference groups and society in general. Buyer behavior has two aspects: the final purchase activity visible to any observer and the detailed or short decision process that may involve the interplay of a number of complex variables not visible to anyone.

Factors Affecting Consumer Buying Behavior Consumer buying behavior is influenced by the major three factors: 1. Social Factors 2. Psychological Factors 3. Personal Factors. 1. Social Factors Social factors refer to forces that other people exert and which affect consumers purchase behavior. These social factors can include culture and subculture, roles and family, social class and reference groups. Example: By taking into consideration Reference group, these can influence/ affect the consumer buying behavior. Reference group refers to a group with whom an individual identifies herself/ himself and the extent to which that person assumes many values, attitudes or behavior of group members. Reference groups can be family, school or college, work group, club membership, citizenship etc. Reference groups serve as one of the primary agents of consumer socialization and learning and can be influential enough to induce not only socially acceptable consumer behavior but also socially unacceptable and even personal destructive behavior. For example, if fresher student joins a college / university, he/she will meet different people and form a group, in that group there can be behavior patterns of values, for example style of clothing, handsets which most of group member prefer or even destructive behavior such as excessive consumption of alcohol, use of harmful and addictive drugs etc. So, according to how an individual references him / her to that particular reference group, this will influence and change his/her buying behavior.

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2. Psychological Factors These are internal to an individual and generate forces within that influence her/his purchase behavior. The major forces include motives, perception, learning, attitude and personality. Example: Attitude is an enduring organization of motivational, emotional, perceptual and cognitive processes with respect to some aspect of our environment. Consumers form attitude towards a brand on the basis of their beliefs about the brand. For example, consumers of Sony products might have the belief that the products offered by Sony are durable; this will influence those customers to buy Sony products due to this attitude towards the brand. 3. Personal Factors

These include those aspects that are unique to a person and influence purchase behavior. These factors include demographic factors, lifestyle, and situational factors. Example: Lifestyle is an indicator of how people live and express themselves on the basis of their activities, interests, and opinions. Lifestyle dimension provide a broader view of people about how they spend their time the importance of things in their surroundings and their beliefs on broad issues associated with life and living and themselves. This is influenced by demographic factors and personality.

E.g. - A CEO or Manager is likely to buy more formal clothes, ties and shoes or PDAs and less informal clothes like jeans as compared to a Mechanic or Civil engineer. So according to their lifestyle and profession, the buying behavior of people differs from one another.

Consumer Buying Decision Process Consumer buying decision process is the processes undertaken by consumer in regard to a potential market transaction before, during and after the purchase of a product or service. Consumer decision making process generally involves five stages: A. Problem Recognition

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Purchase decision making process begins when a buyer becomes aware of an unsatisfied need or problem. This is the vital stage in buying decision process, because without recognizing the need or want, an individual would not seek to buy goods or service. There are several situations that can cause problem recognition, these include: Depletion of stock Dissatisfaction with goods in stock Environmental Changes Change in Financial Situation Marketer Initiated Activities Its when a person recognizes that she cannot make a call from her mobile phone thats when she recognizes that her phone has been damaged i.e. the phone has hardware problems and needs to be repaired or buying a new piece. B. Information Search

After the consumer has recognized the need, he / she will try to find the means to solve that need. First he will recall how he used to solve such kind of a problem in the past, this is called nominal decision making. Secondly, a consumer will try to solve the problem by asking a friend or goes to the market to seek advice for which product will best serve his need, this is called limited decision making. Sources of information include: Personal sources Commercial Sources Public sources Personal experience C. Alternatives Evaluation

Consumers evaluates criteria refer to various dimension; features, characteristics and benefits that a consumer desires to solve a certain problem. Product features and its benefit is what influence consumer to prefer that particular product. The consumer will decide which product to buy from a set of alternative products depending on each unique feature that the product offers and the benefit he / she can get out of that feature. D. Purchase Action

This stage involves selection of brand and the retail outlet to purchase such a product.

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Retail outlet image and its location are important. Consumer usually prefers a nearby retail outlet for minor shopping and they can willingly go to a far away store when they purchase items which are of higher values and which involve higher sensitive purchase decision. After selecting where to buy and what to buy, the consumer completes the final step of transaction by either cash or credit.

E.

Post-Purchase Actions

Consumer favorable post-purchase evaluation leads to satisfaction. Satisfaction with the purchase is basically a function of the initial performance level expectation and perceived performance relative to those expectations. Consumer tends to evaluate their wisdom on the purchase of that particular product. This can result to consumer experiencing post purchase dissatisfaction. If the consumers perceived performance level is below expectation and fail to meet satisfaction this will eventually cause dissatisfaction, and so the brand and/ or the outlet will not be considered by the consumer in the future purchases. This might cause the consumer to initiate complaint behavior and spread negative word-of-mouth concerning that particular product.

Brandings Influence on Consumer Purchasing Behavior The preceding section of this literature reviewed has sought to define the term branding and explain its functions and values as an instrumental marketing tool used in attaining differential and competitive advantage. The following section of this literature review will seek to enlighten the impact branding has on the consumer decision-making process. First however, one must gain clear insight into the definition of consumer buying behavior in order to understand the impact branding has on it. In defining consumer buying behavior, one may refer to Assael (1987) who distinguishes four types of consumer buying behaviors. He bases these four consumer types on the varying degrees of involvement and the degree of differentiation amongst the brands in question.

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Consumers who are described as displaying complex buying behavior will expand their beliefs regarding a particular product as a starting point. This stage will eventually lead them to develop positive attitudes regarding the product. These intermediary stages lead them to the final stage of their behavioral pattern, where they consciously make the choice of purchasing the product. Referring to the Assaels model; one will notice this type of consumer engages in highly involved purchasing experiences being fully aware of the range of brands available and their levels of differentiation. Assael (1987) classifies consumer who exhibit Dissonance-reducing behavior as consumer who are highly involved in the purchasing experience, however see few differences between brands. For this reason, the consumer will seek information on the differentiation of the product offerings and will not be particularly price sensitive when seeking functionality. In the event that this consumer finds him or herself in a market that displays low levels of differentiation, the consumer might result to purchasing influenced by convenience. Like consumers who display complex buying behavior, consumers with dissonance-reducing behavior will seek to establish personal beliefs regarding the product. If fostered adequately, these beliefs with eventually transform into attitudes regarding the product offerings. These attitudes, if favourable, will lead to a thoughtful purchase. Assael (1987) considered consumes displaying habitual buying behavior as consumers who did not experience the same sequence as the previous two behavioral types. Instead of basing their decision-making process on seeking product information pertaining to functionality or characteristics, this type of consumer will purchase based on information gathered passively, via the companys promotional efforts, by it through the medium of television, radio or print advertising. This behavioral type, as can be seen on Assaels (1987) model, with low-level involvement products. Differentiating

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this consumer type is the fact that they being the process with beliefs already embedded in their mind, which they have learnt passively, rather than actively. Variety-seekers are the last behavioral type contained in Assaels (1987) model. Their typical buying situation is summarized by low-level involvement in a market that displays high levels of product differentiation. Common to this type of consumer, is brand switching, in order to satisfy their need for diversification. In order to fully ascertain the effects that branding has on the consumer decision making process, the Howard-Sheth Decision-making model by Howard and Sheth (1969) is used that explains not only the process of consumer decision-making during purchasing activities, but one that facilitates the understanding of pre and post purchasing activities as well. Impact on The Consumer Learning Process At its most basic definition, one can define the consumer learning process as being a time period in which a customer is heavily exposed to the branding process of a product or service. The branding process can include any aspect of the promotional strategy, including audio/visual forms of promotion. By learning from this information, whether it is a conscious process or not, the consumer will develop strong feelings towards a brand. For marketers, branding has a vital effect on the learning process, because it is self-growing. Once consumers start to purchase product, others will vicariously learn from them. Vicarious learning is when consumers begin to copy the behavioral patterns of their peers by making changes in their own lives to reflect what they have vicariously learnt. In searching for a more academic view on consumer learning, one can understand the process as modifications to a consumers behavioral patterns that are the direct consequence of either past experiences or information gathered during all aspects of the purchase decision-making process. These modifications are caused by information that has essentially been saved as a set of meaningful associations in the consumers mind. These above-mentioned associations provide the consumer with link to the brand image of offerings in respects to the promotional tools used to further this brand image. These tools include both physical characteristics of the product as well as pricing policies. All the elements that are retained by the consumer stem from what they have been exposed to during their individual learning process. This is ultimately, what will shape their views and attitudes in regards to brands. It has been found that the learning process discussed above acts as a catalyst in creating emotional and evaluating responses. These responses are embedded in the consumers memory span, which will be recalled when faced with a purchase decision-making process. Thus, understanding the learning process is the key to marketers who seek to efficiently use promotional methods to influence consumers, because the imprints they

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create in the mind of consumer will later on be recalled when selecting a product or brand. Impact on Consumers Attitudes Towards Brands An attitude can be considered to be either positive or negative, depending on the outcome of their learning and evaluating process. The evaluation of consumer attitudes towards brands has quickly become a major part in conducting marketing research. The development of positive attitudes towards brands can lead to not only the sustaining of competitive advantage, but in the bettering of the financial health of a company. Branding has been found to be a key in formation of positive attitudes towards products, especially those involving low-levels of consumer involvement. However it has been noted that there are factors that might negate the effects of the formation of positive attitudes. One being that the effects of positive attitudes can dissipate should the consumer not purchase the product within a certain timeframe. Another factor that might negate the effects of positive attitudes might be an overtly high pricing policy, which might have a contrary effect to the consumers positive attitudes towards the brand and result in a non sale. In considering attitudes towards brands, one must ponder whether these attitudes all remain at a conscious level, or whether branding can instigate attitudes at a subconscious level. Sigmund Freuds theory that individuals are rarely aware of how their own psychology shapes their visual behavioral patterns which suggests that at an unconscious level, consumer might have beliefs that shape their attitudes towards products. By acknowledging Freuds theories, one can conclude that branding can be used to target sub-conscious desires that rest at a primal level. Positioning A marketing strategy that aims to make a brand occupy a distinct position, relative to competing brands, in the mind of the customer. Companies apply this strategy either by emphasizing the distinguishing features of their brand (what it is, what it does and how, etc.) or they may try tocreate a suitable image (inexpensive or premium, utilitarian or luxurious, entry-level or high-end, etc.) throughadvertising. Once a brand is positioned, it is very difficult to reposition it without destroying its credibility. Also called product positioning. Various authors have given different definition of Positioning. Some are:Beckman, Kurtz, Boonee Product positioning refers to the consumers perception of a products attribute, use, quality & advantages & disadvantages in relation to competing brands.

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Berkowitz, Kerlin, Rudelius Product positioning refers to the place an offering occupies in the consumers mind on important attributes relative to competitive offerings. Brand Positioning It should be remembered that positioning is more a reflection of a product and that it stifles the rich meaning of the brand without taking into account all its potentialities. Positioning applies to the process of emphasizing the brands distinctive and motivating attributes in the light of competition. It is based on the analysis of response to the following four questions. POSITIONING Why? For whom? When? Whom?

Elements of Positioning Evidence has shown that there are four distinct variables that affect the position of a given product. These are:a) b) c) The product itself, The company behind it, The competition,

1. The Product: - How important the product is or what meaning it has for the consumer & how he relates to it. The fact that a product involves better ingredients or processes is a matter of indifference unless this knowledge offers distinct advantages to the consumer. 2. The Company: - A product comes from a company & every company has its own history. Generally, the stronger the companies profile the better the image of its products. For instance, consumers may perceive a better the image of a product if it comes from a reputed house like Tatas. 3. The Competition: - Product positioning is invariably done in relation to various competitive offerings. In most cases, the consumers have a tendency to judge a product in comparison to the dominant brand, e.g., all photocopiers are compared with Modi Xerox, all PCs with HCL, toothpastes with Colgate & so on. Leading brand enjoys some edge over others. 4. The Consumer: - It should be reiterated that positioning is essentially based on consumer perception rather than factual evaluation. Hence, it becomes necessary to

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examine how the consumer views a product. Here, it becomes necessary to examine how the consumer views a product. Here, the consumers self-perception comes into play along with his cognitive & connotative factors.

TOP BRANDS

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PROVOGUE

The Company was incorporated on November 11, 1997 as Acme Clothing Private Limited. Provogue stands for fashion and not pure apparel; this in itself makes it the leader instantly. Its designs are cutting edge and radical, which epitomizes its mantra Redefining Fashion. The Company launched the fashion brand Provogue in March 1998 and within a short span of seven (7) years; it has established a strong brand identity in the minds of the urban consumer. The Companys philosophy of creating trends in fashion, an aggressive marketing strategy, coupled with high profile promotional events and its distribution strategy of retailing through selective stores and malls has resulted in Provogue being now positioned as a leading fashion brand in India. The Company acquired from Acme Global the entire business of export of textile; textile machinery and textile related chemicals and operates these businesses as its division under the name Acme Global. Louis Philippe

Louis Philippe's range of superbly crafted garments makes an exclusive fashion statement that is accepted as a status symbol, recognized by its distinctive icon 'The Upper Crest'.

Van Heusen

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Van Heusen has redefined corporate attire through continuous product innovation and exclusive collections.

Allen Solly

Allen Solly popularized the Friday dressing concept in India. It has won the IFA Images 2001 'Best Brand Award' in the readymade menswear apparel category.

Peter England

This mid-segment shirt has effectively penetrated the mini metros. It has won several awards, including 'Shirt of the Year 2000' and 'India's most admired menswear brands 2001'.

LEVIS FASHION BRAND

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In the list of top market players in the fashion industry, the most shining name is Levis fashion brand. Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&CO) was named after its founder Levi Strauss in 1853. Since then the journey of its success has been going on. It has cast its spell in more than 110 countries. Levis as leading jeans brand has entered into the international parlance and flooding the market with its designer apparels. Levis products are marketed under various brand names like Levis, Dockers and Levi Strauss Signature. ITCS LIFESTYLE RETAILING

ITCs Lifestyle Retailing Business Division has established a nationwide retailing presence through its Wills Lifestyle chain of exclusive specialty stores. Wills Lifestyle, the fashion destination, offers a tempting choice of Wills Classic work wear, Wills Sport relaxed wear, Wills Clublife evening wear, fashion accessories and Essenza Di Wills an exclusive range of fine fragrances and bath & body care products for men and women. Wills Lifestyle has also introduced Wills Signature designer wear designed by the leading designers of the country.

UNITED COLORS OF BENETTON

The United Colors of Benetton (UCB) is changing hues in India. Flush with plans of capturing 80,000 sq ft of retail space across the country before the year ends, coupled with a stringent fabrication and merchandising exercise, United Colors of Benetton is aiming to shore up volume and value sales, while also presenting a larger-than-life facet of its retail look.

LIMITATION OF RESEARCH

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This research was subjected to following limitation: The survey cannot be termed 100% accurate due to lack of time and time and cost only 200 users had been studied. Thus the scope of study is limited in terms of no. of respondent. The lack of candidness of respondent towards answering the questionnaire in few cases may have reduced the accuracy of survey to some extent. Despite the unbiased opinion and efforts the possibility of technical exceptions cannot be ruled out. The statistical analysis with various automated tools might have computational errors.

CHAPTER II

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DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONS RESEARCH FINDINGS

Which of the following fashion brands are you aware of?

Data Analysis Above data shows that allen solly, color plus, provogue, park avenue, van heusen, peter England, arrow are the brands that are successful in creating awareness among the customer. The awareness level of Dockers, zodiac, Louis philippe, Excalibur is at the moderate level. The brands like parx, blackberrys, proline they need to concentrate on marketing of there brands.

Which of the following brands of Denim are you aware of?

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Data Analysis Above graph shows that the awareness level of Lee, Levis, Pepe Monte Carlo, Lee cooper is higher than Dockers Numero Uno and wrangler

How often do you change your readymade garments?

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Data Analysis The above graph shows that 78% of respondent frequently change their readymade garments and 22% respondent occasionally change their garments. How often do you purchase clothes?

Data Analysis Above graph indicate that normally people purchase clothes monthly or once in 3 months. Factors you consider while purchasing a readymade garments

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Rank Them According Your Priority: Cloth Type Color Brand Fashion/Trend Price Availability 4 3 5 6 2 1

Data Analysis Above graph indicate that fashion/trend, brand cloth type and color these are the major factor which is considered while purchasing clothes.

Listed below are statements about shopping behavior for clothes and clothing fashions. Please check one box for each statement to indicate the extent to which

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you agree or disagree with each statement. Agree Neither agree Nor Disagree Disagree

I buy clothes I like, regardless of current fashion.

20

180

I buy new fashion looks only when they are well accepted.

104

16

84

I am not as concerned about fashion as I am about modest prices and wearability. I prefer to buy well-known designer labels rather than take a chance on something new. I am confident that I have good taste in clothing.

56

24

120

36

16

148

60

36

104

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This graph indicates that people like to buy new fashionable cloths and which are well accepted no one like to buy clothes which are out of fashion. There are very few people who would like to buy clothes of well known designers Who influence you to purchase the brand?

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In which media you have seen the advertisement of these brands?

The above graph shows that TV and magazine are the two main advertising tool which is used by most of the organization because these are the effective way of advertisement. And now a days companies are using social networking site for the online advertisement. Which of the following would affect you choice of readymade garments?

This graph indicate that promotional campaigns and cloth type which affecting the choice of readymade garment

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When you buy a readymade garment during a promotional campaign, will you by the product after the campaign?

Which media do you prefer more for fashion ads (in order of your preference)?

Above graph shows that Tv and Magzine are the two main tool used for advertisement because in TV ads the audio visual effect create good impression on the mind of customer.

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If TV, is it because

If magazine, is it because of

Above graph shows that the organization use magazine ad because it is a good source of latest fashion trends, overall presentation and longevity of message.

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If Newspaper / pamphlets, if it because of

News paper advertisement is inexpensive source of information it cover huge audience and this is available in many language.

If hoardings, if it because of

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CHAPTER III FINDINGS

Branding has been found to be a key in formation of positive attitudes towards products, especially those involving low-levels of consumer involvement. Company should study purchasing power, life styles, buying habits, optimal usage level. The study shows that people only prefer latest trends in cloths. The study shows that most of the companies have not entered in rural market. Knowing the huge size of rural population of India it is natural that the rural market is attractive to marketers. Companies must have to concentrate on the brand equity and brand loyalty. There are some brands whose awareness level is low as compare to others so they need concentrate on the promotion aspect to increase the awareness

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CHAPTER-IV CONCLUSIONS
Conclusions Readymade garment is really becoming big business. The domestic market too presents immense opportunities with consumer spending on the rise and organized retailing growing. But should a garment player go global or sell at home? Some players such as Raymond and Zodiac Clothing have chosen to be aggressive in both markets. Even as they plan to improve their retail presence over the next three years, both are expanding their manufacturing facilities in Bangalore to cater to the expected rise in international demand. Interestingly, major export players such as Ambattur Clothing (Color Plus) and Acme Clothing (Provogue) have, in the past, placed their bet on the domestic market. These companies quickly managed to give bigger players a run for their money. But, as Color Plus discovered, further growth could come only from a wider distribution network, which needs deep pockets. Raymond stepped in and acquired the brand. Operating in the domestic market poses an entirely different set of challenges from that of the export market. It requires more than manufacturing expertise and a heightened fashion-consciousness. Established names, however, do not have it easy either. The entry of international brands such as Tommy Hilfiger into the Indian market is likely to be followed by more players. Competition is likely to hot up and keep domestic players on their toes. The retail landscape is changing, and the traditional distribution strategy of apparel players is in for an overhaul. Figuring out which price point to operate in is yet another challenge for an apparel maker. Challenging, but interesting, times are ahead for the readymade garment industry. Apparel retailers, with little retail expertise, had to build their own network, at considerable expense. The rapid growth in recent years of various retail formats, such as departmental stores and malls, has given a fillip to the industry. A boost to the industry would come from allowing foreign direct investment in retailing, which would increase space considerably and also bring international practices to India. This may also encourage newer entrants, once the distribution costs decline. Private labels tend to do well during recessions. Retailers enjoy better margins on their own labels, and are also able to price them lower.

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Players such as Madura Garments, which have a presence in the segment through Allen Solly, believe that once women try out private labels and get more accustomed to Western wear, they are likely to upgrade to a more expensive brand. But players may still find it tough to cater to this market. They would have to move towards a low-margin, volume-driven business. This would also need a far larger distribution network than what exists today. Few retail formats in India operate on a truly large scale. Giants such as Wal-Mart and Carrefour, which have the ability to drive volumes, are what the industry would need.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Referred:

Kothari C. R. (2005) RESEARCH METHODOLOGY New Age

International Limited, Fifth Edition

Kotler Philip & Keller Kevin. MARKETING MANAGEMENT: Pearson

Prentice Hall, New Delhi, 2006

Parry, Mark E., STRATEGIC MARKETING MANAGEMENT: Means-End

Approach, New Delhi, McGraw-Hill, 2002

Saxena Rajan, MARKETING MANAGEMENT: Tata Mcgraw, New Delhi,

2006 Kotler Philip, KOTLER ON MARKETING: Free Press, New York

Websites:www.koutons.com www.peterengland.com www.scribd.com www.allencooper.net www.johnplayer.com www.cottoncounty.com

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ANNEXURE QUESTIONNAIRE
(Tick whichever applicable) 1. Which of the following fashion brands are you aware of? Levis Plus Parx Provogue philippe Van Heusen Excalibur Arrow Dockers Blackberrys Park Avenue Peter England Others(please specify) Zodiac Louis Color

2. Which of the following brands of Denim are you aware of? Lee Wrangler Black Numero Uno Levis Strauss Pepe Others (please specify)

Monte Carlo Lites Lee Cooper

3. How often do you change your readymade garments? Frequently Never Occasionally

4. How often do you purchase clothes? Once a week Once in 3 months once in a month once in 6 months

5. Factors you consider while purchasing a readymade garments?

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RANK THEM ACCORDING YOUR PRIORITY: Cloth type Fashion/Trend Color Price Brand Availability

6. Listed below are statements about shopping behavior for clothes and clothing fashions. Please check one box for each statement to indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with each statement. Agree Neither Agree Nor Disagree Disagree

I buy clothes I like, regardless of current fashion. I buy new fashion looks only when they are well accepted. I am not as concerned about fashion as I am about modest prices and wearability. I prefer to buy well-known designer labels rather than take a chance on something new. I am confident that I have good taste in clothing.

7. Who influence you to purchase the brand? Family Self Friends Other Advertisement

8. In which media you have seen the advertisement of these brands TV Newspaper Magazine Internet

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 Other

9. Which of the following would affect you choice of readymade garments? No effective at all Cloth Type Price Promotional campaigns Affecting the most

10. When you buy a readymade garment during a promotional campaign, will you by the product after the campaign? Yes Likely Dont Know I will most likely written over to my previous brand I will switch over to previous brand

11. Which media do you prefer more for fashion ads (in order of your preference)? TV Newspaper / pamphlets Any other (specify) Magazines Radio Hoardings / bill boards

12. If TV, is it because It is an audio - visual medium Overall presentation Entertainment value

13. If magazine, is it because of

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 It is a good source of latest trends Longevity of message 14. If Newspaper / pamphlets, if it because of Inexpensive source of Information Available in many languages

Overall presentation Any other (specify)

Mass coverage Any other (specify)

15. If Radio, Is it because Audio medium Medium for travelers and car riders Entertainment value Any other (specify)

16. If Hoardings, is it because It is an attention gaining medium Colorful and attractive Conveys direct message Any other (specify)

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