Purchase Intention of Consumers for Sports Shoe Brands in Indian Context

Baral&Raizada (2020): Purchase intention of consumers in sports Nov 2020 Vol. 23 Issue 17 Purchase Intention of Consumers for Sports Shoe Brands in Indian Context PujasreeBaral1 and Shiny Raizada2* 1 Student, MBA, 2Assistant Professor,Symbiosis School of Sports Sciences, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, Maharashtra, India *Corresponding author: shiny.raizada@ssss.edu.in (Raizada) Abstract Background:The CBBE research applied in the sports brand in Indian consumers have been explored in this research. The dimensions of CBBE brand awareness, brand image, brand identity, perceived quality of the brand attitude formation in consumers has been explored. Methods: The survey on 146 consumers have been conducted in India, to understand the correlation of the dimensions of CBBE in sports brand context.Conclusion:The research results show that brand purchase intention depended on the brand image, brand awareness level that helps to form the brand identity in the consumer perceptual mind. The dynamics of brand equity depend on the consumer’s experiential journey in information search process and discussion about the preferred sports brand in reference groups. The perceived quality is dependent on the sum of direct and indirect impact that helps to form the brand attitude and final stage of purchase intention in Indian consumers in the sports brand sector. Keywords:CBBE, consumer behaviour, purchase intention How to cite this article: Baral P, Raizada S (2020): Purchase intention of consumers for sports shoe brands in Indian context, Ann Trop Med & Public Health; 23(S17): SP231737. DOI: http://doi.org/10.36295/ASRO.2020.231737 1.Introduction: The consumer sportswear has significantly grown due to the globalisation and advertising of the brands in respective countries in local languages. The impact of social media has generated heightened awareness of people, and has helped to redirect their orientation towards the manner in which information is processed. However, it is evident that the entire process of consumer’s exposure to brands, with information search process, specific product related query related to a consumer need, aspects of word of mouth, and final decision-making process is largely influenced by reference groups over social media (1). The popularity of sports event televised across countries has also raised the awareness of the target market group of consumers, with exposure to sports brand online reviews, televised advertisements on live shows. The influx of MNC (multinational companies) sports brands has changed the market dynamics in the host countries, and has intensified the level of local brand competition (2). The consumers trying to identify either the sports celebrity as a fan, or sports club, or sports event tends to form association, as the brand awareness due to the exposure for the sports goods manufacturing firm, impacts consumer attention and choice sets subliminally (3). Currently the Indian sports goods market is valued at USD 3621million in 2018-19, and is slated to grow at 9% CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) till 2023. Some of the premier sports events like IPL (Indian premier league), ISL (Indian super league), ProKabaddi, Premier Badminton League, has expanded the sports viewership market that has rendered expansion by length and breadth. Hence, brand building in the Indian sports market with 1.3billion consumers for a developing economy with middle class showing higher disposable income requires a strategy. Consumers with wide source of information channels, like social media therefore is more knowledgeable that significantly impacts the sports brand building activities in the industry (4). The building of a brand requires to manage, measure brand elements to impact the population interest towards sports (5). The research is unique as it tries to decipher Indian consumers purchase intention based on brand attributes of a sports brand using CBBE model. Research is pertinent as India is witnessing rising sports events, consumer awareness Annals of Tropical Medicine & Public Health http://doi.org/10.36295/ASRO.2020.231737 Baral&Raizada (2020): Purchase intention of consumers in sports Nov 2020 Vol. 23 Issue 17 towards sports brands through direct and indirect, online advertising, higher levels of ecommerce penetration that is impacting the sports shoe brand purchase intentions. The objective of the research is to develop deeper understanding of the available sports brands in Indian market with proper understanding of demographic profile of consumers, sports brand equity phenomenon using customer-based brand equity components that impacts purchase intention of Indian sports products. 1.1 CBBE concept: The brand equity or the acronym CBBE is often used interchangeably, as it is built on definition of brand, which is associated with the dimensions of brand that adds value to the perceptual map of consumer mind. There are core elements like the brand uniqueness related to the product/service, which impacts the rationale of purchase decision and intent of the consumer. It is argued that CBBE delves deeper allowing to explore the deeper connections of the customer response variables, towards a differential facet of brand (5).It is more of a process that helps the marketing organisations to identify how the multi attributed preference of a brand is measured objectively. The consumer level perceived quality (PQ), and the perceived value of cost (PVC), is unique to the brand that decides the impact on the customer. CBBE states that primary associations are the brand beliefs and attitudes developed, that is perceived and stored in memory (6). The global sports events brand equity, found how Chinese shoe brands use WOM (word of mouth) to build brands (7). The destination for sports tourists using CBBE, and diverse congruence effects on sports sponsor brand equity (8) (9). Co-branding is used in sports brands events, to build equity, brand image to develop goodwill (10). The effectiveness of sponsorship in CBBE in action sports event impacts the consumers (11) (12). There is also spectator-based brand equity in professional soccer, while personality factor using CBBE model in professional sports with celebrity endorsement is also found to impact the consumer perception. The sports team brand equity index, using CBBE model in team-based sports has led to identification of one sponsor for one team building a fan loyalty base for both the teams and players with the associated sponsor brand (13). The subsequent research focussed specifically about adolescent sportswear antecedents towards brand loyalty that is based on exposure and familiarity of individuals repeatedly towards brands that compels them to purchase (14). In Indian context the CBBE and its dimensions for sports brand retail store image, a linear programming to determine emergent drivers in sportswear industry using CBBE (15). The spill over effect of branding elements on CBBE. There is dearth of research in measuring CBBE phenomenon in consumer purchase intentions to be explored in commercially available sports shoe brands in Indian context which is a research gap. 1.2. PQ (perceived quality): The primary associations PQ (perceived quality) consists of customer’s evaluation of a brand in terms of esteem, performance excellence, superiority over the other competing brands. This is a relative concept as the consumer engages in attitudinal assessment of brand as it is linked to the brand credibility factor especially performance. Linking the PQ the primary CBBE construct, uses the memory and cognition of customer to associate with generation of intent to pay brand amidst other choices. Research shows that consumers tend to record all brand related advertising communication, suggestions and recommendations in their short-term memory at different levels of decoded cues (16). The elements like country of origin, cross cultural perspective as a factor that impacts the PQ over brand equity, while global brands is perceived higher over local brands. Celebrity brand endorsements impacts higher as the celebrity sports role models positively influence brand popularity even in social media sports pages or celebrity fan pages (17). There is no research that focusses on PQ element in available sports shoe brands in Indian market for Indian consumers which is a research gap. 1.3. PVC (perceived value of cost of brand): PVC or perceived value of cost is important as all consumers post assessment of brand amidst the other competing choices, on the basis of perceived utility value (18). It is a mental evaluation of benefits or features of the product or service (functional), consistent performance and reliability (emotional benefits) related to quality against what the customers pay (money, effort and time) to own it. PVC is linked to a higher-level abstraction in memory, as it adds the expectancy element to the features/benefits of the product. Empirical studies show that PQ is associated with prestige Annals of Tropical Medicine & Public Health http://doi.org/10.36295/ASRO.2020.231737 Baral&Raizada (2020): Purchase intention of consumers in sports Nov 2020 Vol. 23 Issue 17 quotient, while PVC is more related to the functional aspect of the brand (19). The selection process with PVC at centrality of consumer selection, where the research on retailing linking PVC and customer loyalty to store (20). The PVC for sports shoe brands research in not available in Indian market context is a gap. 1.4. Uniqueness: The uniqueness of a brand is defined as the differentiating factor based on features amidst the competitors (21). The brand uniqueness is a primary facet as it is built on the customer’s ability to differentiate particular brand from others, based on features, or exclusivity (21). In most of the brands however, similar features denoting a brand gets cancelled, while it is only those dissimilarities that influence the customer attention. This parameter can be linked with choice set theories, as the customer perception amidst choices, is also affected by the factor of ability to pay and willingness to pay for a brand that has distinguishable value. The customer equates the value as a quality component of the brand and shows intent to pay a higher than normal cost to own it. Therefore, uniqueness factor depends on PQ and PVC each impacting each other as found in fast fashion. The customer perception of brand takes quality and total perceived value into consideration set, which helps the firms to embed in advertising message to position brand for customer acquisition and retention (22). 1.5. Brand: The concept of brand that revolves around the product/service essentially points to the attributes that comes up in the consumer’s mind when the brand is related in a conversation. Brand associations is evident that brand associations help buyers to recall not only the brand, but the key and distinct properties related to the brand characteristics. The brand associations in a competitive market help to distinguish one particular brand amongst many, create value for the organisation as customers associate the brand in their own meaningful way (processing or retrieving information, develop attitude/feelings) (23). It is also the reason for consumers to buy, serves the companies to strategies for creating brand extension, while two or more brands in cobranding impacts consumer perception. Brand awareness is the degree to which a consumer is able to recall of a single brand using ‘top of the mind awareness’ and recall, in any given product. It contains the meaning coded abstractly as per consumers in their mind, as it helps in repeat purchase activity. This is important factor as the first exposure towards the brand using advertising and the subsequent exposures lead to brand familiarity where customer is able to recall, recognise the brand name in multi brand context (23). In the societal context, the reference groups like family, friends, colleagues, through which the brand familiarity spreads. Brand image is the rich and heritage links and associations that consumer uses through association. It is not necessary that all brands can be associated with rich heritage, but relatedness between the set beliefs in consumer mind, to correlate the primary facets (24). The perceived image is also related to the perceived quality factor of the product or service. Brand popularity is useful construct when there are more brands in the same product or service sector is being considered, and the selection is dependent on the scale of consumer brand activities in real life. It is a novel way to segment the most favoured brands in the market that helps to establish the most loyal customers in entire market segment amidst all brands. Using social media, firms are able to increase its frequency of exposure, raise the brand popularity amidst competition (24) . Brand loyalty is the consumer behaviour pattern that evolves towards a brand after first time purchase. It is also referred to the positive association towards a brand, and the act of repeat purchases towards it, defining the trusted relationship. Though brand loyalty and customer loyalty is different as the latter is the purchasing power of consumer while the former concept is how Annals of Tropical Medicine & Public Health http://doi.org/10.36295/ASRO.2020.231737 Baral&Raizada (2020): Purchase intention of consumers in sports Nov 2020 Vol. 23 Issue 17 consumer orient their commitment towards one particular brand that is based on the past experience, reputation, or even promotional activity associations (26). Brand imageconsistency over time, is important in this marketing context, as the dynamism in the market share and the concept of the brand identity with distinct brand values require an engaging strategy. The element consistency speaks about performance of the brand amidst new customer market impacts belief system. The factor of returning customers, who are exposed to the brand communication (advertising) repeatedly at emotional level reassuring the brand values to associate with brand image in perceptual map (27). The above dimensions have a mediating impact on the formation of the brand image and customer’s brand attitude towards a product or a service. It is evident that the consumers’ behavioural intention is dependent on how the brand is perceived, how it performs to maintain brand image consistency during the entire journey of first interaction to the final purchase stage by a customer (28). Therefore, not only the static brand identity or image, but the dynamism of the brand performance amidst the competition and the evolving consumer brand attitude over time which impacts the customer. It is evident brand performance is definitely a consequence of brand attitude formed by consumers and the brand equity (dimensions). 1.6. Customer Response- willingness to pay a price: The competition amongst the brands in a market place is a common phenomenon. The customer is bound to compare the features of similar brands, price points, using brand features. However, the decision-making process considers the value placed by the customer on specific brand, the risks to be evaluated on particular features against the comparable brands expressed in terms of willingness to pay premium (29). Using the cognitive dimensions of the all the advertising information of available brands in the market, the consumer is likely to develop a rationale by drawing associations, based on PQ and/or PVC. The brand popularity to consumer purchase intentions, though the customer willingness to pay higher price for the brand in sports shoe has not been researched in Indian context that makes it a research gap. Figure 1. Conceptual framework The conceptual framework is developed based on the above literature review concepts and the research gaps that has been identified. The IV (independent variables) are CBBE elements and brand associations while DV (dependent variables) are customer response towards sports brand purchase intention. The consumer responses is a response towards the brand marketing efforts by the sports manufacturing firm. The above construct takes into account the CBBE dimensions and how the customer is associating with the sports brand over time as more exposure towards the brand attributes lead to impacting, the purchase intention. Hence, the factors mentioned in the Annals of Tropical Medicine & Public Health http://doi.org/10.36295/ASRO.2020.231737 Baral&Raizada (2020): Purchase intention of consumers in sports Nov 2020 Vol. 23 Issue 17 above conceptual framework especially in the IV has a direct, indirect impact on the DV. The overall brand performance (familiarity, popularity, consistency) is dependent on the value it creates on customer perception, as all consumers typically see the perceived risk, decision making stages. The flow of information about sports brand is consistent with that of expectations in the consumer mind, which defines the brand performance at perceptual level which indirectly influences the formation of attitude toward purchase intention. 2. Material & methods: Selection of Samples The respondents are all Indian nationals, and has managers (12.5%), students (15.0%), administrative staff (13%), business (27%), administration (16%), and manufacturing worker (16.5%). The (n=146) sample has male (68%) and female at (32%). The age group of respondent representation is (19-23) years at (32.1%), young adults at (24-29) years at (20%), matured adults (31-40) years at (28%), and over 41 years at (19.9%). The occupation profile of the respondents show that around 59% possess Bachelors’ degree or is pursuing, while (27%) have graduate degree/masters’ degree. By occupation the respondents have (10%) have a professional degree (architect, lawyer, doctor, chartered accountant, MBA) and (4%) have doctoral degrees. Data collection method: A survey has been used with creation of a structured questionnaire that consisted of elements of sports CBBE. The questionnaire design contained a structured approach with demographics, CBBE elements about Indian population randomly, to understand the user’s perceived brand equity. Variables: The dimensions of sports brand CBBE has perceived sports brand, perceived sports brand value against the cost, sports brand uniqueness, while the customer’s brand association journey has been taken into consideration set (sports brand awareness, sports brand popularity, sports brand familiarity, sports brand image consistency). These being IV (independent variables) impact the customer’s behavioural response (purchase intention and final purchase). StatisticalAnalysis : The methodology applied was to study the relationship in the above sports brand CBBE elements. The effect of sports brand CBBE on the customer’s purchase intention was correlated to reflect on brand purchase intent on the CBBE element as the relationship point. Pearson correlation was used to analysed the data. 3. Results and Discussion: Pearson Correlation was carried to check the relationship between the CBBE variables and purchase intention. Annals of Tropical Medicine & Public Health http://doi.org/10.36295/ASRO.2020.231737 Baral&Raizada (2020): Purchase intention of consumers in sports Nov 2020 Vol. 23 Issue 17 Table 1. Relationship between CBBE variables and purchase intention Correlations Purchase Intention BrandAwareness Brand familiarity Brand Popularity Brand Image Consistency Pearson Correlation .168 Sig. (2-tailed) .043 N 146 Pearson Correlation .174 Sig. (2-tailed) .036 N 146 Pearson Correlation .085 Sig. (2-tailed) .310 N 146 Pearson Correlation .069 Sig. (2-tailed) .407 N 146 From the above table, it can be seen that there is significant relationship between Brand awareness and purchase intention and Brand familiarity and purchase intention as the p<0.05. Whereas, Brand Popularity and Brand image Consistency does not show any significant relationship with the purchase intention. The sports brand consistency and performance have a direct impact on the Indian consumers brand attitude to purchase any sports product. The results show that dimensions of sports CBBE for measuring the sports brand is dependent highly on the impact it has created in new customer creation (29). This study that is a sports product oriented CBBE has been able to show similar results reflected in other industry sectors. The Indian consumer brand attitude formation is dependent on brand awareness (and levels of exposure), the perceived quality of the sports brand (MNC brands rank higher) which confirms brand familiarity. Results show that brand popularity is depended on the level brand has visually appealed to the respondent group. Hence, effects of brand perceived quality is closely related to the overall brand attitude and individual orientation towards sports. These are behavioural intentions which the research referred to as brand image and awareness firstly impacts the consumer, that builds up the brand identity, brand popularity and brand familiaritywhen reference groups is considered that has been studied (30).The dimensions collectively has been influencing sports branding effectiveness (31)and in sports industry context in indiaresearched(32). 4. Conclusion: The theoretical implications of the study is that the customer’s strengthening of perceptions is dependent on the level of sports brand awareness. The activities has impacted the consumer perception such as quality about the sports product, in relation to the sports brand. This feature impacts the preference of consumer to develop over time, as customer tracks the brand performance, creating brand familiarity with everyday external communication within likeminded reference groups. It can be concluded that the strong brand identity and image formation towards one sports brand, amidst the choice of other available brands is an indicator of the development of brand attitude within the customer. Secondly, the positive customer responses show that sports brands in India need to communicate continuously to maintain the engagement factor to boost the brand image and brand identity within the customers. In this study, the familiarity influence of the consumer’s evaluation process amidst the sports brand competition, builds on the brand awareness factor across demographic profiles. Applying CBBE in sports industry show that first exposure and consequent exposures towards the sports brand, help to influence the consumer’s behavioural outcome that appeals to the customer based on design, colour, form and functionality features of a sports product. The Indian consumers are found to be stimulated towards sports brands, as their perception about quality associated with the brand image and communication help a lot. While this Annals of Tropical Medicine & Public Health http://doi.org/10.36295/ASRO.2020.231737 Baral&Raizada (2020): Purchase intention of consumers in sports Nov 2020 Vol. 23 Issue 17 research has research limitations, that of a small sample size, and time constraint which did not allow a longitudinal research, some other sports brand equity models and dimensions could have been captured. This research captures the pre-purchase brand attitude of consumers in Indian context which could been enriched and compared with post-purchase sports brand attitude mapping for future research opportunities. References: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. Younas S. Impact of Social media brand communication on Brand Knowledge: Mediating role of Brand Image & Brand Awareness Application of CBBE model theory of Keller. Journal of Management Info. 2017;4(4):12-8. Zarantonello L, Grappi S, Formisano M, Brakus J. 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