THE EFFECTS OF BRAND PERCEPTION ON CONSUMERS PURCHASING BEHAVIOUR (CASE: UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC) (MANAGEMENT PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)
ABSTRACT
The topic of this study was chosen bearing in mind the effect of brand perception on consumers’ purchasing behaviour. It is imperative to know that product quality and product attribute affects consumer perception.
Consumer’s perception forms an integral part of consumers’ buying behaviour and it determines the survival or failure of goods and services. However, the study aims to examine brand perception and the effect on consumers’ purchasing be-haviour and highlight the satisfaction that consumer derives from product brand-ing.
Data was collected mainly through the use of questionnaires. The hypotheses were tested using chi-square test and data was analysed using simple percentage method.
It was found that consumer’s perception of a product is related to the advertise-ment and that price largely influences the consumer’s attitude and behaviour in respect to the purchase of a product.
Finally, recommendations were also made that advertising messages should be designed in such a way that it should be unambiguous and clearly understood by the consumers and it should be void of offensive language.
INTRODUCTION
1.1Â Â Â Â Â Background of the study
Understanding the meaning of perception is imperative to every marketer today as customer’s decision to purchase a product will be greatly influenced by how he/she perceives the product quality. Product perception are not only affected by it quality but also by the attributes the producer is able to invest to the product through advertising and packaging of the product. (Batler, 1979, 52).
However, consumer buying behaviour and the diverse nature of marketing situa-tions pose a great challenge to the success of business organization. Therefore, in the wake of these challenges, business organization should be able to design its product as to stimulate positive perception by the consumer.
Many a times, consumer products or services are found to be competiting against each other in the market place; this normally leads to problem of choice for the consumers, who has to choose out of available alternative product. (Adetayo, 2008, 135).
However, the consumer decision will then be base on what the brand stands for. The question arises from what factor(s) influence(s) the consumer to choose a particular brand of product as at that time. Thus, there is need to study consumer brand perception on the sales of goods and services and the effect of brand per-ception on consumer’s purchasing behaviour. (Kolawole, 2003, 5-7).This is be-cause many companies have failed either because of their inadequate research on the impact of consumer’s brand perception or because of their nonchalant attitude towards how consumer perceive their products.
