The main purpose of conducting this research is to understand and gain insight into the various motivating factors that determine consumer buying behavior and preferences. The FMCG product chosen for the research is Dove shampoo, which is one of the most commonly used hair products in the international market. The following report studies the various reasons why consumers choose Dove other shampoo brands.
The instrument of survey chosen for this research is a questionnaire. A questionnaire has been prepared keeping in mind a few factors like customer perception, attitudes, culture, family, lifestyle, individual and group preferences and motivating factors. The questionnaire is as follows:
15 consumers of Dove were selected for the survey. The data obtained from their questionnaires would be evaluated to understand the customer buying behavior or decision making process.
Question 1
|
SURVEY CHOICES |
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS |
% OF RESPONDENTS |
|
Based on price |
8 |
53.33% |
|
Based on quality |
4 |
26.67% |
|
Based on advertisements |
2 |
13.33% |
|
Based on recommendations |
1 |
6.67% |
(Table 1: Customer decision making process)
Question 2
|
SURVEY CHOICES |
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS |
% OF RESPONDENTS |
|
Very satisfied |
9 |
60% |
|
Satisfied |
3 |
20% |
|
Neutral |
1 |
6.67% |
|
Dissatisfied |
1 |
6.67% |
|
Very dissatisfied |
1 |
6.67% |
(Table 2: Satisfaction level of Dove users)
Question 3
|
SURVEY CHOICES |
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS |
% OF RESPONDENTS |
|
Daily |
2 |
13.33% |
|
Once a week |
2 |
13.33% |
|
Twice a week |
9 |
60% |
|
Thrice a week |
2 |
13.33% |
(Table 3: Frequency of Dove usage)
Question 4
|
SURVEY CHOICES |
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS |
% OF RESPONDENTS |
|
Strongly agree |
8 |
53.33% |
|
Agree |
5 |
33.33% |
|
Neutral |
1 |
6.67% |
|
Disagree |
1 |
6.67% |
|
Strongly disagree |
0 |
0 |
(Table 4: Customer perception about Dove’s market position)
Question 5
|
SURVEY CHOICES |
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS |
% OF RESPONDENTS |
|
Yes |
13 |
86.67% |
|
No |
2 |
13.33% |
(Table 5: Dove’s brand loyalty)
Question 6
|
SURVEY CHOICES |
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS |
% OF RESPONDENTS |
|
Price |
7 |
46.67% |
|
Quantity |
2 |
13.33% |
|
Packaging |
3 |
20% |
|
Promised results |
3 |
20% |
(Table 6: Motivating factors for Dove consumers)
Question 7
|
SURVEY CHOICES |
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS |
% OF RESPONDENTS |
|
Yes |
12 |
80% |
|
No |
3 |
20% |
(Table 7: Brand positioning of Dove)
Question 8
|
SURVEY CHOICES |
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS |
% OF RESPONDENTS |
|
Strongly agree |
1 |
6.67% |
|
Agree |
10 |
66.67% |
|
Neutral |
2 |
13.33% |
|
Disagree |
1 |
6.67% |
|
Strongly disagree |
1 |
6.67% |
(Table: Dove’s individual and group preferences)
Question 9
|
SURVEY CHOICES |
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS |
% OF RESPONDENTS |
|
Strongly agree |
8 |
53.33% |
|
Agree |
5 |
33.33% |
|
Neutral |
0 |
0 |
|
Disagree |
1 |
6.67% |
|
Strongly disagree |
1 |
6.67% |
(Table: Effectiveness of Dove’s marketing strategy)
Question 10
|
SURVEY CHOICES |
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS |
% OF RESPONDENTS |
|
Strongly agree |
1 |
6.67% |
|
Agree |
4 |
26.67% |
|
Neutral |
8 |
53.33% |
|
Disagree |
1 |
6.67% |
|
Strongly disagree |
1 |
6.67% |
(Table: Dove’s compatibility with culture and lifestyle)
On evaluation of the data obtained, it can successfully be asserted that Dove is indeed one of the most popular hair products in the market and that customers are more inclined towards this product than others. In the first question, an attempt has been made to study the customer buying decision process in case of hair products. 53.33 % customers answered that they chose their products based on price. As a matter of fact, pricing strategy is one of the most important factors affecting customer decisions (Nagle and Muller 2017). For instance, customers with higher income levels would prefer products with high pricing strategies while low income consumers would try to purchase medium quality products within a fixed budget. On the other hand, 26.67 % customers stated that they would choose hair products based on quality. Of course, the quality of the product would determine the customer’s buying preferences. To sum up, it can be said that a majority of customers choose products based on price.
The second question shows that a majority of customers using Dove are satisfied with the quality of product and service offered to them. 60 % customers voted that they were extremely satisfied with the product offered by Dove. This is largely because Dove follows a strictly regulated manufacturing process with regular quality checks to assure the customers of top quality products. 20 % customers seemed more or less satisfied with the product. Only about 6.67 % of the customers seemed either neutral to the factor or were dissatisfied with the product. It must be remembered that customer satisfaction rates are subjective and prone to the user’s personal choices and preferences. The third question established the frequency at which users of Dove used the hair product. 60 % customers stated that they used the product twice weekly, which is the average rate for shampoo users. 2 customers or 13.33 % of the respondents responded that they used the product on a daily basis. Suffice to say, Dove has a high sales rate in the market amidst the FMCG products because of the frequency at which the need for the product arises.
In the fourth question, the researched attempted to get the customers’ perceptions about the market position of Dove. As it was seen, 53.33 % customers strongly agreed with the fact that Dove is one of the best hair products in the market whereas 33.33 % customers merely agreed with the same. Only 6.67 % customers seemed to disagree with the statement. Once again it must be asserted that the market position of a company, from a customer’s point of view, would be subject to personal opinions and preferences (Yi and Gong 2013). On the whole, it can be admitted that Dove certainly has a favorable position in the market. Most customers consider the brand to be a strong forerunner in the field of shampoo and hair products. As such, it can be affirmed that Dove has successfully established itself as a name to be reckoned with in the market. This favorable position of Dove in the market is probably one of the main reasons for its high sales rates.
In the fifth question, the researcher asked the survey participants if they would recommend the brand to their friends and acquaintances. 86.67 % customers answered in the affirmative while the remaining 13.33 % seemed to hesitate. The customers who would not recommend Dove to others could have a negative impression of the company based on some personal poor experiences. However, a majority of the customers would recommend the brand, thus showing its high customer retention rates. Dove is intent on not only luring in more customers but also establishing strong and long lasting relationships with its existing customers. This paves the way for customer retention and brand loyalty. Since more and more customers are willing to recommend the brand to their known ones, it also facilitates word of mouth advertising which would reflect positively on the revenue outcome of the company (Blazevic et al. 213).
In the sixth question, the researcher wanted to find out what attribute of Dove mostly attracted customers. 46.67 % customers opined that it was the brand’s pricing strategy that attracted the most number of customers. Dove follows a medium pricing strategy that allows both medium and high income categories of the target market to choose the product. It has a range of shampoos, all of which have a similar pricing strategy. 20 % of the customers stated that Dove’s packaging has a favorable impact on their buying decision. Dove, with its pristine white packaging on most shampoos and other products, has created a favorable image in the market. It has a unique packaging which distinguishes the brand from the other companies. 20 % of the customers stated that it was the promised results by the brand that motivated them to try it. Dove, in its extravagant advertisements, claims to fix all hair problems for both men and women and also promises to provide long, silky and lustrous hair with regular use. Promise of such results tends to create a long lasting positive impression on customers.
In the seventh question, the researcher wanted to gain insight into the brand positioning for Dove. 80 % customers stated that the brand name of Dove was a major motivating factor for them, while 20 % claimed that they were willing to try on other brands as well. Accordingly, it can be affirmed that most customers tend to have brand preferences while purchasing any goods (Rani 2014). It has been found that brand image and advertising plays a crucial role in customer buying behavior (Malik 2013). This could be based on past experiences, recommendations or simply brand loyalty. For some customers, companies which have established themselves as competent in the industry would be the first choice as compared to a company which has poor brand positioning (Solomon et al. 2014). As such, the survey shows that Dove certainly has a high brand positioning (Hjort et al. 2013). At least 80 % customers believe that the name is enough to trigger a buying decision. In the eighth question, the customer wanted to test the individual and group preferences of Dove. Most customers tend to have individual and group preferences for products (Tingchi Liu et al. 2013). 66.67 % customers agreed that Dove could be used as a standard hair product for the whole family. This affirms the assumption that Dove is a family product, which is compatible with most consumers and their tastes and therefore can be purchased as staple hair products for the whole family. 6.67 % customers disagreed however and stated that individual members within a family have individual preferences and might use different products.
In the ninth question, the customers were asked if they believed Dove had a strong marketing strategy. The results shown above affirm the hypothesis that Dove does indeed have a very strong and well developed marketing and advertising strategy. 53.33 % and 33.33 % customers agreed that the marketing strategy of Dove was effective and influential as far as customer behavior was concerned. Only 6.67 %customers disagreed and did not believe that the marketing strategy of Dove was impressive enough. However, a majority of customers disagree and assert that Dove has robust advertising campaigns and marketing campaigns which reflect favorably on the company. As one of the leading healthcare and hygiene products, Dove ensures that a positive image is created in the market. This is because promotional and advertising campaigns play a key role in customer buying behavior (Chakraborty et al. 2013) The marketing strategies are directed at the target audience, which usually comprises of men and women between the ages of 20 to 45. In the final question, the researcher wanted to study the impact of Dove products on the lifestyle of customers. This question showed 53.33 % customers were neutral to this factor and did not believe Dove had any impact or relation with their lifestyles.
In conclusion, it can be said that Dove is indeed one of the top hair care products in the market. It is one of the leading brands in the personal hygiene and shampoo industry and its effective marketing strategies and advertising campaigns are responsible for that. It can also be said that pricing strategies and quality are the top motivating factors for consumers using Dove. Moreover, these consumers of Dove are loyal to the brand and are likely to recommend the brand or indulge in word of mouth advertising which would work in favor of Dove.
References:
Blazevic, V., Hammedi, W., Garnefeld, I., Rust, R.T., Keiningham, T., Andreassen, T.W., Donthu, N. and Carl, W., 2013. Beyond traditional word-of-mouth: an expanded model of customer-driven influence. Journal of Service Management, 24(3), pp.294-313.
Chakrabortty, R.K., Hossain, M.M., Farhad, M., Azad, H. and Islam, M.J., 2013. Analysing the effects of sales promotion and advertising on consumer’s purchase behaviour. World, 3(4).
Hjort, K., Lantz, B., Ericsson, D. and Gattorna, J., 2013. Customer segmentation based on buying and returning behaviour. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 43(10), pp.852-865.
Malik, M.E., Ghafoor, M.M., Iqbal, H.K., Ali, Q., Hunbal, H., Noman, M. and Ahmad, B., 2013. Impact of brand image and advertisement on consumer buying behavior. World Applied Sciences Journal, 23(1), pp.117-122.
Nagle, T.T. and Müller, G., 2017. The strategy and tactics of pricing: A guide to growing more profitably. Routledge.
Rani, P., 2014. Factors influencing consumer behaviour. International journal of current research and academic review, 2(9), pp.52-61.
Solomon, M.R., Dahl, D.W., White, K., Zaichkowsky, J.L. and Polegato, R., 2014. Consumer behavior: Buying, having, and being (Vol. 10). London: Pearson.
Tingchi Liu, M., Brock, J.L., Cheng Shi, G., Chu, R. and Tseng, T.H., 2013. Perceived benefits, perceived risk, and trust: Influences on consumers’ group buying behaviour. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 25(2), pp.225-248.
Yi, Y. and Gong, T., 2013. Customer value co-creation behavior: Scale development and validation. Journal of Business Research, 66(9), pp.1279-1284
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