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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas

Declaration

I Harsha Shankar declare that this dissertation is solely done by me and all the sources
have been quoted and acknowledged by means of complete references
...


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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas

Title:
Influence of Branding on customer purchasing decision - Adidas

Dissertation

Abstract

This research is based on Brand Adidas and it have been conducted in order
to find the role of corporate branding in sportswear manufacturing companies
along with the different factors influencing the purchase of sportswear
...
In order
to the factors influencing the consumers purchasing decision a questionnaire
is being used
...
In order for the author to reach
the objectives primary and secondary data sources been used
...
The data collected have been analysed
carefully in order to find the answer of the research
...
The data regarding
Adidas and its activities and the primary data shows that customers do form a
relationship with the brand Adidas
...

I would like to say my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Funsho Obilade,
whose encouragement, supervision and support from the preliminary to the
concluding level enabled me to develop an understanding of the subject
...


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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas

Table of Contents
1
...
1 Introduction

7

1
...
3 Background of the organization

9

1
...
5 Research chapters

11

1
...
7 Research questions

12

1
...
1 Introduction

13

2
...
3 Brand Personality

17

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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
2
...
5 Customer Purchasing Decision

23

Chapter 3 – Methodology

32

3

3
...
2 Philosophy

32

3
...
4 Approaches

33

3
...
5
...
5
...
6 Research Method

35

3
...
1 Primary Data

35

3
...
2 Secondary Data

36

3
...
1 Adidas strategy and analysis

38

4
...
Chapter 1- Introduction

Topic
...
1Introduction

This chapter introduces the topic and the main concepts of this research
...
This is looked at from the view of the brand, Adidas
...
As Brantz (2010) said, the
products and services of a company are portrayed as satisfying and valuable
for the customer through marketing
...
It increases brand value
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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
and affects the customer in a positive way
...
Thus, customers
are given special attention and importance
...
Such matters which are related to the customer are
taken very seriously
...


Since the focal point of this research is branding, this research will focus on it
mainly
...
Moreover, Adidas operates
globally and caters to many customers around the globe
...
This
will help in realizing to which extent customers' have an impact on Adidas and
their branding strategy
...
2 Background of the research

The importance of brand is emphasized by the fact that it is a differentiating
factor in this globalized world
...
It has become a
need for companies to survive in this world of competition and play an
important part in giving the company a competitive advantage (VIP Forum,
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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
2000)
...


The customers are one of the main sources of a competitive world where they
flaunt social status and importance by using branded products and services
...
For
example in China, youngsters like to purchase apparels which are Western
inspired
...
As a result, companies strengthen their brands
in different ways to attract customers
...


Thus, the relationship between branding and its influence on customers is
evident
...


1
...
This was when the
three stripes – Adidas logo came into existence
...
Initially it was a small company that made shoes for
soccer and running
...
They make shoes, clothes and accessories for sports like football,
basketball, running and for training as well
...
In January 2006, Reebok and Adidas –
Solomon AG came together and inJune the name was changed to Adidas AG
...
The Group provides a variety of different products, high quality
products and enjoys a strong hold in this competitive market
...

Especially 1996 was an amazing year for the company as it provided Olympic
athletes with its products and saw victory
...

Currently, its sales are made in almost 200 countries making it rank at second
place around the world
...
Moreover, Adidas has contributed in the success of many
athletes and vice versa (Adidas, 2012)
...
4 Research Purpose

The research involves a successful brand, i
...
Adidas which has had a major
impact in the field of sports
...
This
research will find such evidence through the study of data and reach a
conclusion
...


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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
Also, branding affects customers purchasing decisions due to various
reasons
...
Further, the extent to which the
company’s value their brand and work towards the brand image will also be
discovered
...
It will give a better idea
of the influence of brand on the purchasing decisions of the customer
...
5 Research Chapters

The first chapter introduces the topic and elaborates the important aspects of
the research
...
e
...
The second chapter is the literature review
...
It will help this research to come into shape
...
The fourth chapter is of analysis which will be formed as a result
of the data collected
...
Lastly, the fifth chapter is the
conclusion which sums up the research, makes the purpose evident and an
understanding of the whole research and its findings
...
6 Objectives

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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
The objectives of the research will address the influence of branding on the
process of customer purchase
...
Not only brand, but the perceptions of
customers and how they react to brands is a significant aspect in this
research
...
To address the factors those have an impact on the buying decisions of
customers due to branding
...
To see if there is a link between branding and customers' opinions
about the brand Adidas
...
To identify the extent to which marketing activities in case of brands
affect customers and their decisions related to purchases
...
In order to see the response of customers in case of Adidas and its
strategy
...
7 Research Questions

The research questions will help in looking at the research through a more
objective view
...
How is the process of customer purchasing decisions affected by the
ways companies use marketing?
2
...
What are the important factors that make a difference to customers in
regards to their buying decisions?
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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas

1
...
All data and
work reviewed will be acknowledged properly
...

Moreover, the procedure of primary data collection will be conducted with due
respect to respondents
...
Chapter 2- Literature Review

2
...
This should be
written from a certain perspective in order to accomplish particular aims or
communicate particular views on the nature of the topic and how the
investigation is to be conducted
...


2
...
Products, services, people, organizations, online goods, sports, arts,
views, a particular cause, a location – place, all can have brands
...
As said by Alamgir et al (2010) "…people have used the brand as a
mark of identification
...
"The products and services
may be offered to satisfy the same needs of a customer but they are the
particular characteristics of a brand which makes it different from other
brands
...
A brand exists in the mind of a consumer and can be anything
(Reynolds, 2012)
...
It
is the company’s promise to deliver a specific set of features, benefits,
services and experiences consistently to the buyers
...


Products and services belong to a brand
...
Diagram 3
shows the process in which first is product attributes then branding, then
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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
packaging, labelling and product support services
...
Quality,
features and the design or style of the product are product attributes
...
These also
help in making the product or service different from the products or service of
the competitors
...
The packaging of the product is also set apart from the
competitors so that it can have brand value and it may have its own identity as
it is the package or container of the product
...
It also helps in promoting the
product or service and helps in identification of the product's features
...


Diagram 3 (Kotler et al, 2010)
...
Brand name is
what makes the brand unique
...
If the brand name is easy to identify,
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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
call out and memorise then the brand name is likely to remain in the minds of
the customer
...
For future growth sake, a brand name should be flexible in a
manner that it can be extended or innovated in a way which keeps the original
name
...


For a customer the value of a brand is entirely different from the company's
value of their brand
...
Once a specific brand is chosen, the cost of
research either totally diminishes or is minimized
...
Due to such a
relationship, the risk involved in using a product or service of a new brand
also decreases
...
Also, the customer may choose a brand because of its quality and
what the brand symbolizes
...


A company gives a different type of importance to its brand
...
Brands have the capability
to make companies successful in the long run
...
However, the success of brand also
depends on customers' preferences, how a company makes marketing
strategies and the competition present
...
Along with the
chance of making financial gain, brands also increase the competitiveness in
the market and provide a company with a stronghold in the market
...
New brands with unique characteristics can also make their way into
the market and grab market share
...


2
...
This definition suggests that customers are able to relate
with a brand if it is attached with a particular personality that matches with
humanistic traits
...
And then it may affect the customer's
decision while making a purchase
...
Every brand holds a different
worth for a customer and the success of a brand depends on the extent to
which the customer likes the brand
...


According to Lau et al (2006) brand name, product quality, price, style, store
environment, promotion and service quality were all the things which had an
impact on the loyalty of the consumer towards a brand in their research
...
The image of the brand is synonymous to the
name of the brand
...
According to Yee and Sidek
(2008) behaviour and attitudes of a customer determine brand loyalty
...


The three dimensions that Freling et al (2010) elaborate on are very important
to understand the effect of brand personality on customers
...
If a brand is satisfying the
customer, it is thought of as a positive effect
...
In case of a positive effect or a brand
which satisfies the customer, this satisfaction would bring about more positive
thoughts in the mind of the customer regarding the same brand
...
The product
should be of good quality as it affects the shape and style of the product
...
The price should also be appropriate which
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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
is worth the quality and style which the product offers
...
Brand loyalty is beneficial for the customer and the
company (Yee and Sidek, 2008)
...
The important point in this dimension is that a brand not only needs
to be favourable for a customer
...
This is because
a brand may be favourable but the customer may not necessarily buy it
...
If a brand is original and states a promise which is
different from other brands in the same product or service category then the
customer may choose it and purchase it over other brands
...
An original brand which can
be differentiated from its competitors may also be retained in the minds of the
customers for a longer time and act as a positive aspect when the customer
makes purchase decisions
...

Customers need to be aware of the brand in order to make use of the
originality of a brand and consider it as favourable
...
Companies spend 70% to 90% on advertisements just
to make customers aware of their brand (Yee and Sidek, 2008)
...
The clarity of a brand's characteristics
makes it beneficial for the company and the customer
...
He/she will
know more about the product and services which will help in the evaluation
stage of the customer decision journey mentioned by Eldman (2010)
...
Each of
the three dimensions may vary per customer as perceptions of every
customer are different
...
The benefits that a brand holds with a personality are
that it has a direct impact on customers
...
If the personality of a brand is liked it may
develop into a bond as also visible in diagram 5
...
Most importantly, the personality of a brand has to be
different and so it adds competition into the market of similar products and
services (Freling et al, 2010)
...
In a sports store
like Adidas, the displays, signs, smells, colour theme, sales people and such
things contribute in the impact on the customers
...
If all these things are favourable
the customer will be satisfied and happy to shop in the store
...
The next store the customer may
go to may not have the brand of the company putting effort in attracting
customers
...
4 Adidas

Strength of Adidas is its strong connection with its history which provides the
unique or differentiating factor and its efforts to evolve and come up with new
things
...
e
...
In the quest to do so, Adidas
does not leave any area of sports products without innovation
...
Since technology
keeps advancing, Adidas needs to keep in line with it and provide customers
with the best
...
This will also improve their market standing and help
in the growth of their brand
...
The first benefit which is 'faster' is about
producing such goods which have the most less weight for sports like football
and basketball
...
Second
characteristic is stronger which is about making strong products and products
which promote power and strength
...
miCoach is such a web based facility which
brings professional insight into the lives of sports people
...
This facility improves the
performance of the customer
...
Adidas caters to this as it has experience from its
long history and customers
...


Football is a popular game globally and Adidas being a sports brand focuses
on it
...

In 2010 Adidas gained the most financially with extremely high sales
...
e
...
Social network sights like Facebook
also saw a rapid growth in subscribers
...


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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
In basketball Adidas needs to improve and work hard
...

The basketball consumer of Adidas is targeted in case of products offered by
Adidas which are the most light weight as compared to any other
...

Adidas provides runners with excellent products which then can gain the
runner's trust and are wanted products
...
Also, through Adidas training, the consumers benefit as it guides
them regarding mindset, nutrition, movement and recovery
...
Adidas is not only restricted to known
sports but it also provides climbers, hang gliders, kayakers and other outdoor
sports people with products as well
...
This is why companies are expanding in
different parts of the world like Asia to gain more sales (Yee and Sidek, 2008)
...
It was the first brand to bring its products in such a
category
...
This is why Adidas focuses on teenagers and people in their
early twenties
...
Along with original Adidas is
also present in the sports fashion category with Y-3, Adidas SLVR and Adidas

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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
NEO label
...


2
...
to make customers aware of products and
services, companies make marketing strategies
...
Marketing
segmentation is when companies make categories out of a large population of
different customers
...
For example, Adidas caters to the
segment of those customers who are into sports
...
For example, Adidas
caters to football players, basketball players and runners separately
...
Once
this is done, two other steps are taken to create value for customers
...
Adidas makes the lightest products which
differentiates it from other rivals in the market
...
Positioning is about the
concept of a company's brand in the minds of the customers
...
These are necessary steps for
the purchasing decision of a customer to follow
...


Diagram 2
...
Problem
recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase and post
purchase evaluation
...
This problem or need could be
recognized due to any internal or external reason
...
Second stage is
information search in which the customer performs research through friends
and family, internet, advertisements, window shopping and many more
...
Then comes the
purchase decision which is when a particular brand is chosen and bought
...
If there is a big space between the expectations of the
customer from the product and the performance of the product or service then
the customer is largely dissatisfied
...
The
three are situational, psychological and social influences
...
Psychological influences include
perception, motives, learning, attitudes, personality and self concept and
lifestyle
...
As a
brand is in the mind of the customer, all three categories can influence the
purchase of a brand (Pride, 2008; Kotler et al, 2010)
...
Diagram 3 shows the
stages of awareness regarding a product or service, interest in the product or
service, the evaluation of a product or service, trial of a product or service and
finally the adoption of a product or service, or as a whole the brand
...


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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
Diagram 3
...
First customers used to have many brands in mind, then they
would cut those down to a few, then they would make a choice and buy that
brand
...
This is the
'funnel metaphor' which guided companies to understand the purchase of
customers made known in diagram 4
...
There are two loops which describe the journey of how
a customer makes a decision to choose a brand
...
This then leads to
the enjoyment of the brand and spreading a positive feedback about the
brand
...
He/she enjoys, advocates and then buys the
product or service of the same brand
...
This is the new process
which marketers of a company focus on now, made known in diagram 5
(Edelman, 2010)
...
This awareness could be due to
advertisements,

window

shopping,

word-to-mouth

or

peer

pressure
...
e
...


At

this stage,

the

promotions

and

advertisements of a brand have a huge impact on the customer
...
Factors like price, feel of the product, product or service
packaging or features and customer service contribute in changing the
decision of a customer
...
If the customer is satisfied by
his/her purchase, the relationship would be beneficial for both the customer
and the company
...
In case of
the disappointment of a customer, the bond and loyalty between a customer
and brand may not form
...
It may
also result in a negative word to mouth feedback for other customers of the
brand choosing the same brand (Edelman, 2010)
...

Since, the use of a new product or service which a customer is not familiar
with is obvious to have risks
...
In such a case, the brand may lose out on customers
...
For example,
the advertisement of a particular brand may show highly powerful speakers
but in actual use they may not have high and quality sound
...

Similarly, some brands may be overcharging their products and services and
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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
they may not be satisfying the customers
...
These are some of the factors which negatively affect the
purchasing decision of a customer (Reynolds, 2012)
...
This is why the marketing
team of a company has an important role
...
In this way the evaluation part of the process is
also covered and increases the chances of the brand being chosen
...
This awareness
regarding the purchase journey of a customer can shape a company in many
ways
...
In this
way the whole company can look into important aspects which include the
amount of resources dedicated towards marketing strategies and also the
spending of resources in general
...
For example,
Adidas enjoys 7 million members on facebook
...
This is why
they have 'miCoach'
...
It is also
available to be downloaded in mobiles
...
Companies make a lot of effort so that
people can get to know about their brand
...
According to Yasmeen et al
(2011) the uniqueness of a brand makes it more desirable and better than the
brand of the competitors
...
It is their use privately and
publicly which changes the brand meaning over time
...
They keep interacting with the idea behind the brand and
what it promotes through the media, especially social media
...


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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas

3
...
1 Introduction

Chapter three describes and explains the methodology used for this research
...
Chapter one includes the
introduction and objectives of the research which help in understanding the
approach and methodology of this research
...
The primary data includes questionnaires given to 100
people consisting of thirteen questions
...


3
...
Science is based on
logic and proof
...
Similarly, the data collected for this research
is from real customers and gives a realistic picture of the present scenario in
case of the influence of branding on the purchasing decisions of customers in
the case of Adidas
...
As Adidas is a successful company and the real life
experience of customers is gained through real life responses
...


3
...
Since, brands can
have varying effects on customers; this particular research looks into those
factors which influence a customer in making decisions about purchasing
products from Adidas
...
The
relationship will help in further finding the marketing effects on customer and
how companies like Adidas use it
...


3
...
The collection of data will
make it possible to analyse the data and then reach a conclusion
...
This particular approach helps in going through the important
elements of the topic step by step and reaches an appropriate analysis and
conclusion
...


3
...
Primary data and secondary data will form
the base
...
Examples include the annual reports of
Adidas, articles related to the company and articles related to customers
...
The data will be explored, described and analysed
...


3
...
1 Quantitative data

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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
Quantitative data is the kind of data which can be quantified
...
As per Business Dictionary (2012) quantitative data is,"Data that
can be quantified and verified, and is amenable to statistical manipulation
...
" This data has
been taken from questionnaires as well as other secondary data sources to
analyse data and draw conclusions regarding the brand Adidas and the
response of the customers
...
5
...
According to Business Dictionary (2012) qualitative
data is,"Data that approximates or characterizes but does not measure the
attributes, characteristics, properties, etc
...

Qualitative data describes whereas quantitative data defines
...
Such data is related to Adidas and the
concept of brand and customer purchasing decisions
...


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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
3
...
6
...
The types of
data collection in this method include direct observation, interviews, survey
and questionnaires
...
The
questions in the questionnaire are close ended and open ended, both
...
Moreover, a questionnaire is helpful in research as it takes
less time to collect data
...
It is also one of those methods which minimises the risk of customer
bias
...
e
...


100 people were given questionnaires in which different questions were
asked
...
The age and gender were the opening inquiries of the
questionnaire
...
Suggestions and
comments were also welcome from the customers so that a better
understanding could be gained
...
6
...
This is the type of data
which has been researched and analysed by researchers and academicians
before
...
Articles and reports related to Adidas have been very
useful
...
This method is useful for the literature review and to
understand the major concepts of the research topic
...
Firstly, it gives the opportunity
to get information from those sources which may not be physically present or
obtainable
...
Thirdly, the documents and
data is much easier to get as the advancement of technology has helped this
process through various communication methods (Anwar, 2010)
...
7 Data Analysis
The methods and types of data as elaborated above have facilitated the
process of this research
...

All the data has been presented in proper format so that the data can be
understood without any difficulty
...
Thus,
both facts and figures and secondary data are the integral components of this
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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
research to find about the influence of brand on customers purchasing
decisions in case of Adidas
...
Chapter 4 - Data Analysis

The strategy of Adidas in this chapter makes it easier to understand how a
brand influences the purchasing decision of a customer
...
Their answers will give a realistic idea of how Adidas as a brand
makes a difference, along with the explanation of the operations of Adidas
concerning customers
...
1 Adidas Strategy and analysis

Adidas sports performance based on facilitating athletes; Adidas Original, all
about being original and being proud of it and Adidas sports style, promoting
sportswear as a must for the future with a unique style, are all customer

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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
needs based approaches materialized into products and services (adidas
Group, 2012)
...
This acknowledgement is made because otherwise a
company cannot be successful at such a large scale like Adidas
...
The importance of flexibility and adaption to change reflects
in the high quality products and variation in products according to changing
times (adidas Group, 2012)
...
This results in healthy competition with competitors
and enables the company to make financial gains
...

The goal followed by this strategy is to affect the consumer in a way that
he/she perceives Adidas to be a desirable brand (adidas Group, 2012)
...


According to adidas Group (2012) Adidas also understands that different
customers have different needs as also mentioned in the previous chapter
...
Thisrelationship inspires
the company to grow in this area and create value for their brand
...
For example, they aim to address customers like specific athletes
and all general public as well
...
in this way, all customers are
addressed and reached out to
...
So as the needs of different customers are
identified, development of more products is initiated and this adds to the
competition in the marketplace giving Adidas a better standing
...
it was initiated in 2011
and one of the main objectives of the plan is consumer focus along with
speed and consistency
...
Adidas has a firm belief that customers are important and they are
the ones which lead a company towards growth in the long run
...


As consumers are becoming aware of different brands due to technology,
Adidas realises that it is necessary to cater differently to different segments of
customers
...
Once all these things are identified, it helps Adidas to work
towards these factors and make such products which address all the identified
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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
products and services
...
As a result, the
customer develops a liking for the brand and gets into a relationship with the
brand
...
Adidas makes detailed effort and has made
note of five global trends which it plans to cover by the help of its Route 2015
plan
...
They consider sports as an important part of life
through which they experience friendships, health and fun
...
They are open to the knowledge provided by the brand and not only
what it provides and belongs to
...
Adidas wants to facilitate such customers
through personalisation
...
Adidas wants to be
the brand which is most personally valued by customers by 2015
...
Customers have access to internet and smart phones which keep
them in touch with people, businesses, celebrities and more
...
'Back to basics'
is about how customers prefer simple and uncomplicated lives
...
For the need to
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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
address all the five trends, Global Brands strategy is required to do the
following:


Come up with new products so that the consumer can live with new
and unique experiences
...




Be open to change and adapt according to the changing times
...




Have excellent synchronization as a whole so that all the trends can be
covered
...
not only
for financial gain but because Adidas promises to address the needs of the
customers and establish a genuine relationship with the customer from which
not only the company and brand would benefit but the customer will be
satisfied as well
...


Since marketing is the tool through which a company can reach its target
market, Adidas pays attention to it with different campaigns
...
it has been
estimated to address 370 million people including the new customers by 80%
...
In the current
year, i
...
2012 Adidas plans on continuing this campaign by making use of
sporting events and promoting different products so that maximum number of
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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
customers can be reached and impacted
...
Consumers are making use of in-store personalisation
facilities, mobile applications, websites and social websites
...
It not only informs the customer and promotes the brand but the brand
gets the opportunity to learn from the customers and then innovate in a way
which can be useful for the consumer (adidas Group, 2012)
...


Since Adidas operates globally, it needs to cater to different customers
belonging to separate cultures
...
it also works hard
towards providing excellent customer service
...
In order to reach out to the customer and make
them more aware, Adidas through its integrated distribution roadmap is
planning on marking and being present at places which are big, like New York
City (adidas Group, 2012)
...
As mentioned in
the previous chapter, Yee and Sidek (2008) mention the importance of the
store, sales service, smell, colours and how the brand is displayed which
affects the customer
...
This helps
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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
them in having control
...
This will give them more control and
thus, they will beable to control the influence Adidas can have on the
customers in the store
...


4
...
It is used to get first-hand information
...


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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
55-64
0%

65 or
What range includes your age?
older Younger
35-44
0%

45-54 0%
5%

than 18
5%

25-34
25%

18-24
65%

The first question was about the age of the person
...
The seven
parts were, Younger than 18, 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64 and 65 and
above
...
They were
65%
...

Younger than 18 were 5% and 45-54 were 5% as well
...
This means
that youngsters and adults were the ones who answered the questionnaire
the most
...
35% females answered and 65% males answered the
questionnaire
...


How often do you shop at Adidas ??

None

Once in a
month

4 times a year

Infrequently

The third question was about the number of times the person went to a shop
of Adidas
...
The highest number was infrequently at 46%
...
This means that not many people went to the shop of Adidas
frequently
...
The
17% of customers who do not shop at Adidas can also be seen as new
customers by Adidas
...
They also need to look into the possible factors due to which people
are not visiting Adidas frequently
...


Where do you prefer shopping for your
Sports Brand?
Others
Adidas
Reebok

Puma

Nike

The fourth question was about the preference of the people when buying a
sports brand for themselves
...
The highest number of people chose Adidas so its
percentage is the highest at 35%
...
This means that the
adidas Group is doing the best in the market because Reebok and Adidas are
the most preferred brands
...
Adidas
needs to be aware of its strong competitors so that it can keep leading the
market and do better than its rivals
...


Disagree

Agree

The fifth question was if the products of Adidas are better in providing comfort
as compared to other brands of sports
...

Only 24% disagreed that Adidas does not provide products which are better in
comfort
...
Adidas still
needs to improve because 25% people think that the products of other brands
are more comfortable
...
This is an opportunity for Adidas to improve and
make its brand value stronger
...
the options given were less than 10 minutes,
10 minutes to less than 20 minutes, 20 minutes to less than 30 minutes, 30
minutes or more, next day, more than a day and problem did not get solved
...
Very
near to this response were the percentages of 20% for 10 minutes to less
than 20 minutes and less than 10 minutes
...
For the benefit of Adidas and the customers
both, none of the people chose the choices next day, more than a day or
problem did not get solved
...
Even though the highest
percentage is between 20 minutes and 30 minutes, Adidas should improve in

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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
this area as well
...
Customer service is a very important factor which affects the customer
in buying products
...

Word of mouth is a very affective way by which people find out about brands
...
They were given six
options to choose from and rate the customer service of Adidas
...
The highest
percentage was good at 30% followed closely by average at 25% and very
good at 20%
...
This shows that overall people are satisfied with the
customer service of Adidas
...
Since adidas

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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
focuses on consumers and understanding them in their different strategies
like Route 2015 and want to be the most personalised brand by 2015, they
need to improve more on the customer service to achieve their goal
...
A huge number of the people
said yes which made a percentage of 97%
...
This shows that the brand Adidas is favoured and
preferred by the majority of people
...
A 97% yes also shows
the brand strength of Adidas and how it affects customers to not only like it,
choose it and buy it but recommend it as well
...
The 3% of the people may change their mind with

Page 50

Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
quality improvement, awareness and innovation by Adidas in the years to
come
...
The options given to choose from were
advertising, shop display, word of mouth, family/friends/relatives and any
other
...
This shows that advertising reaches the customer the most
...
Word of mouth as also seen by the results of
the previous question is an important factor in influencing customers to buy
Adidas
...
This also shows that Adidas is
being successful in establishing relationships with customers
...
They can be made more attractive and
appealing so that customers like them and buy the products instantly
...
Thus, there
is always room for improvement and Adidas can revise their marketing
strategies or focus on the present ones with more zeal
...

The choices were of strongly agree, agree, indifferent, disagree and strongly
disagree
...
The highest percentage was of indifferent at 53%
...
They may
like Adidas the brand for its products to choose to buy it
...
11% agreed to the question
...


I have a better experience with online
shopping when compared with traditional
shopping
Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree

Disagree
Agree
Indifferent

The eleventh question was about the experience of people with online
shopping and traditional shopping, their comparison
...
The highest
percentage was 40% with the majority people agreeing that their experience
of online shopping of Adidas was better than traditional shopping
...
20% were indifferent and did not prefer online shopping over
traditional shopping or vice versa
...
This shows that there is a mixture of views but almost an equal
amount of agreement and disagreement in case of online shopping and
traditional shopping of Adidas
...

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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas

Will you like to switch your brand
preference if you get some promotional
scheme with another brand?

No

Yes

The twelfth and last question was if the person filling the questionnaire would
switch to another brand if they got a promotional scheme with some other
brand
...
40%, a lower percentage said that they would not
...
Here the stages of consideration and evaluation are not involved as
mentioned in chapter 2
...
They do not change their minds even if some other
brand comes up with promotional offers
...
With close competitors like Nike and Puma, Adidas
needs to be very careful
...
In this case, the marketing team of Adidas needs to be more
active and follow their objective of 'flexibility and adaptability' even more
ardently
...
A constant research and check on the offers of
competitors like Nike, Puma and others would also benefit to understand the
loss of customer if any occurs
...
The
tradition of coming up with innovate concepts annually practice by Adidas
should be increase in order to come up with new offers and ways to influence
customers so that they do not switch to another brand
...


The data regarding Adidas and its activities and the primary data shows that
customers do form a relationship with the brand Adidas
...
Adidas is a successful sports brand and can
improve further
...
They are
hoping to achieve 90% of the growth that they have planned and estimated
(adidas Group, 2012)
...


Page 55

Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
5
...
The concept of branding and different marketing
techniques helped the most in understanding the data collected and then
analysing it
...


The research involved the use of secondary and primary data which gave this
research substance and findings which are realistic
...
Data availability of
Adidas from other sources is a limitation in this research
...
This is the reason companies make effort to create
relationships with customers as to gain their loyalty
...
These brands make special promises with customers
regarding their product or service which is different from other brands
...
They focus on
Page 56

Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
different aspects like promising products and services which are the fast,
strong, smart, cool and natural
...
Adidas
does not only pay attention to athletes and professionals, but to the general
public and style conscious individuals too
...


This is how Adidas makes effort on its own
...
If customers are not aware of a
brand, they will not choose the brand or purchase it
...
This is why there are different influences
on customers which are created from the efforts of companies to spread
information regarding their brand and promote it
...

These categories consist of influences like family, social class, attitudes,
purchase decision and may more as mentioned in chapter 2
...
This is where the
marketing team plays an important role
...
The efforts they are making are towards making new
products, creation of unique experiences of the customer with Adidas,
enabling the creation of an emotional bond between the brand and the
customers, being flexible and able to adapt to changing times and trends and
working as a united whole with everything going hand in hand
...

The research also resulted in finding that along with pure consumer focus;
Adidas is successful because of its adaptation to technology and attention to
innovation
...
The stages as elaborated in
chapter 2 of the research show that the consideration, evaluation and trial
stages of the processes are affected by these two factors along with other
influences
...
Facebook is a very strong means of
communication and interaction with all over the world and Adidas has seen a
rapid rise in its members on facebook
...
Such a brand positioning then helps in further awareness of the brand
...
The data of the primary research showed that word
of mouth and other people play a significant part in influencing a person to
buy Adidas
...
Customer service is also such a factor
which affects the purchase decision of a customer
...
Adidas has a good

Page 58

Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
rate of customer service as found out from the primary data but there is still
margin of improvement
...
This is worrisome for Adidas but can be
taken as a healthy challenge
...
If this problem is
addressed, Adidas can expect to have better relationships with customers
...
These loyal customers then become
sources of information and promotion to other customer which influence them
to buy Adidas
...
The financial condition of the group also shows increase in
sales by 17% which shows opportunities to grow in the future
...
From the choice of Adidas as compared to
its rivals, to its customer service, the comfort provided by its products as
compared to its rivals, to the likeliness of the brand on part of the customer
and to shopping methods that Adidas offers, all results were positive and in
favour of Adidas
...

Page 59

Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas

The research resulted in giving a fair view of how a brand like Adidas makes
efforts to reach out to its customers in order to be a successful brand
...
From
the specifications of products and services and attributes of the brand to
marketing efforts, all play an important role in creating value of the brand and
for the customer
...
Yet Adidas can do much better and be the best in
providing its customers with the latest and unique sports products and
services than any other brand
...


Page 60

Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas

References:

Adidas (2012) Adidas Group
...
Available from: www
...
com
[Accessed 7 May 2012]
...


Sherrington (2003)Added Value: The Alchemy of Brand-Led Growth, Palgrave
Macmillan, Basingstoke, 21-49
...
[Online]
...
businessdictionary
...


Dr
...
[Online]
...
vutube
...
pk/index
...


MBA lectures (9 March 2011) Primary data collection methods
...
[Online]
...
com/advance-research-methods/1377/primary-data-collectionmethods
...


Adidas

Group

(2012)

Adidas

Group
...


Available

from:

http://www
...
com/en/home/Welcome
...


Alamgir et al (2010) Influence of Brand on Consumer Decision Making
Process – An Empirical Study on Car Buyers, Va Trimitem Atasat,10 (2), 12
...


Pride, W and Ferrell, O (2008) Foundations of Marketing, 3rd Edition, SouthWestern College Pub
...


Aaker, D (1991) Managing Brand Equity, Free Press, New York
...


Kotler P et al (2010) Principles of Marketing, 13th edition, Pearson Education
...


Nigam et al (2011) Impact of Brand Equity on Customer Purchase Decisions:
An Empirical Investigation with Special Reference to Hatchback Car Owners
in Central Haryana, International Journal of Computational Engineering and
Management, 12, 121-128
...


Reynolds, P (2012) Brands and Brand Management Presented at London
School of Commerce, London
...


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Influence of branding on customer purchasing decision –
Adidas
Yee F W and Sidek Y (2008) Influence of Brand Loyalty on Consumer
Sportswear, International Journal of Economics and Management, 2 (2), 221236
...
Which range includes your age?
Younger than 18
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65 or older

2
...
How often do you shop at Adidas?
Once in a month
4 times a year
infrequently
None

4
...
Adidas Products provide better Comfort than other Sports Brands
...
Did you face any problem while shopping in Adidas ? if yes ,How long did it
take for customer support to resolve your problem ?

Less than 10 minutes
10 minutes to less than 20 minutes
20 minutes to less than 30 minutes
30 minutes or more
Next day
More than a day
Problem did not get resolved
Others
7
...
Would you recommend Adidas to your family & friends?

Yes
No

9
...
Influence of Peer group affect you Purchase Decision

Strongly Agree
Agree
Indifferent
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
11
...
Will you like to switch your brand preference if you get some promotional
scheme with another brand?

Yes
No

13

---