Qualitative Marketing Research

Individual Assignment

Exploring consumer perception and factors that make up for the

brand choice towards domestic and international tablet brands

Submitted To
Saripalli bhavani Shankar
For the partial fulfillment of the course

Submitted by
Barleen Kaur
2013PGP093

Contents
ABSTRACT...............................................................................................................................2
ANALYSIS OF THE GIVEN SITUATION..............................................................................2
PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS.................................................................................................3
METHODOLOGY AND ANALYSIS.......................................................................................3
THEORIES TO GUIDE THE ANALYSIS................................................................................5
EXPECTATION FROM THE STUDY......................................................................................6
RECOMMENDATIONS............................................................................................................7
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................7

Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of the assignment is to examine the consumer perception and factors
that make up for the brand choice towards domestic and international brands.
Design/methodology/approach: In-depth interviews, Focus group discussions, shopping
trips are the three methods of inquiry in this research.
Research expectations: Mangers shall be cognizant of the consumer relationship with the
brand and thus shall be mindful of the strategies in future.

Analysis of the given situation

As per the given article there is a mix trend observed in the tablet consumer markets, low cost
tablets from the domestic manufacturers had been able to take up a considerable share but
lately the international manufacturers have also come up with their own version of low cost
tablets. In such a scenario consumers are turning towards the low cost tablets from
international makers. Also the low cost domestic manufacturers are resorting to other
channels for selling their products.
On researching the news lines, it was found that America is facing near saturation with
respect to tablet computer markets and the sales have started to decline, however this was not
an expected trend. Industry data of sales of tablets reveals a different story. Most of the sales
of the low cost tablets are not recorded thus a comparison with the low cost
international brands in the given condition shall not be fair. In the light of the given
situation there is an interesting aspect to research with respect to perception about domestic
and international brands. And what are the factors that influence the consumer decision.
Tablets in India are used as a substitute for computers especially among the lower income
group families was also observed in the news scripts.
In 2007 BCG conducted an extensive research in 2007 in China in order to understand that
what will be the long term market dynamics in China with respect to brands. Influenced by
the patriotism what are the factors that make up for the brand choice. Some results that were
obtained suggested that Chinese have a complex brand choice criterion. Ultimately it is the
rationalisation that influences the decision making. It also suggested that how differences are
brought due to demographics, category type and loyalty drivers. Another literature review
(Maria Merino, ITAM Mexico, Silvia Gonzalez, ITESM Mexico, 2010) also tries to find out
which loyalty drivers are influenced by global and local brands in order to understand the
consumer purchase behaviour.
As far as international brands are concerned, previous research have concluded that perceived
brand global ness is normally associated to brand quality and prestige (Steenkamp et al,
2005), higher esteem (Johansson and Ronkainen, 2005), having the ability of enhancing the
consumers self-image as being cosmopolitan, sophisticated and modern (Friedman, 1990,
Thompson and Tambyah, 1999). However all these researches are specific to generic product
categories. No specific research is done with respect to mobile phones and tablets market
specially in the Indian sphere. All these research are very much in demand and can be proved
from the fact that top notch consulting organisations like McKinsey and BCG have taken a
foot forward to conduct such a research, so as to guide the marketing efforts
By means of this assignment I would wish to conduct a research on
RQ1 : What are the consumer perception about domestic tablet brand and international tablet
brand
RQ 2: What are the factors that complicate brand choice in India for the tablet products

Profile of participants
Because few studies guide the consumer perception about domestic and international tablets
in India, a qualitative research oriented approach shall be suitable to solve the research
problem. To recruit the participants a snowball sampling technique can be used to recruit
the participants for FGD and interviews. For shop-along convenience technique will be best
suited. Among other factors such as social class, age and sexuality can also help provide
insights about the research. Therefore the informant pool can be restricted to men and women
of the age 20-40(major decision makers of purchase of tablets), who are avid purchaser of
technology products and decent knowledge about tablet computers. Another set of
participants can be of the same age group and different social class, but their knowledge
about tablets may not be given much of participants.
As three methods are being used the ranking of the criterion also form the basis summarized
in the table below. Using the constant comparison method (Glaser and Strauss, 1967), the
respondents shall be selected in such a way that there is maximum contrast between the
two. This would provide a richness of data and also the perspectives difference shall
provide rich insights. Furthermore, this technique shall ensure the contrasting perspectives
would provoke disconfirmation of theories and researches done earlier wherever possible.
Profile of the
participants
Decreasing order of
preference for the
Choice

In-Depth interview

Focus Groups

Shop-alongs

Knowledge about the

tablets
Personal
characteristics
Location

Personal
Characteristics
Location

Location
Personal
Characteristics

Knowledge about the

topic

Methodology and Analysis

That effort shall be supplemented by in-depth qualitative research consisting of focus groups,
home visits, and shop-along.
Approach in-depth interviews
As the research suggests situations like these in which the factors are being determined that
influence the product choice, a consumer shall be struck in the social construct and the
answers shall be painted in the same picture. So it is necessary to a have an informal
discussion where the interview is semi structured and the person being interviewed doesnt
know about what is he being interviewed. It is revealed through literature review that there is
a world of chameleon brands. Even the local brand seems to be international and vice a
versa is also true. So trying to find out are the consumers clear about the brand they own, is
it national or international. There arent any formal definitions in the research literature about
global/international brands, but as per the studies it is found the market reach of the product
that are perceived as the same brands worldwide by consumers (Johansson and
Ronkainen,2005). As for practitioners, the AC Nielsen 2001 study of global brands they gave
the definition to be global if it is present in the four major regions of the world, with at
least 5 per cent of sales coming from outside the home regions and total revenue to be at
least 1billion $.
So, it would be recommended that fixed number of participants not to be accounted, rather
the interview shall be carried till no new constructs accounting for brand preference
shall be emerging. The subjects research participants shall be asked to compare groups of
three pictures of mobile tablets and say why two were similar and in which way they differ

from the third. Subsequently, the respondent shall be asked which of the two groups of
mobile phones tablets shall be preferred and the reason for this choice. Kellys (1955)
personal construct theory and the use of laddering technique shall prove to be resourceful for
ascertaining the emotional reasons for preference of one brand over the other, and getting
past the more obvious cognitive ones (Neimeyer et al., 2001). By asking the respondent to
say which two mobile tablets and their brands were similar and which he or she preferred,
valuable insight could be found about the values of the respondent and how these were
reflected by the brand in the research. Some of the supportive questions that shall be helpful
during the picture comparison are as listed below:Q1. What similarity or difference you find between the images?
Q2. What other products of the same brand have you owned before? Or currently owning?
What was your experience with those gadgets?
Q3. Do you think its an international brand/domestic brand? What made you come to such
conclusion? You prefer to carry an international brand or Indian brand? What is the reson?
Does being seen with international brand carry any meaning in your life style? what could
that be, can you elaborate?
Q4. Why Dont use WHY in questioning do you think its an international/domestic brand?
Q5. How you did first came to know about the product / brand?
Q6. When you went to shop were you certain about the product choice? If not what / who
influenced your decision?
These questions can be laddered down to know the real answer from the respondent.
Approach during the focus group discussion: A similar approach is intended for the focus
group discussion but laddering shall not be done. In addition, ?? Picture shall be shown and
the participants shall be asked to make a comparison. At the end of the FGD the participants
shall be given a sheet with 8 tablet devices and their brands (4 domestic and 4 global(as per
the Nielsen definition)) and the participants shall be asked to rate those brands. This shall
help us to logically quantify our results. There will be two researchers in the focus group
discussion in order to ensure internal validity of the data of research.
During the shop-along the focus shall be to observe the actions of the participants. How the
stimuli is making an impact on the participant. Videography of the same can be made and
later the transcript can be studied to compare the results of the two No by shooting the
consumers shopping behaviour you will completely influence it, instead joining him for
the trip and finding out the reasons for the choices he made what he / she was thinking
when making that choice can be asked later.. Shop along may become necessary to
administer as the views of the shopper shall be administered without the purchase intent
being clearly depicted. At the point of sale, actions speak louder than wordsand the
discrepancy between preferences and purchases adds yet another level of complexity to the
attitudes toward brands.
This information thus obtained shall be collected and the interviews are recorded and
transcribed. The transcripts are prepared, coded, labelled and analyzed using the
method of constant comparison to find common patterns. The codes evolved inductively
as one transcript was compared to the next. The codes shall be re-evaluated and refined as the
cross analysis progresses. Rather than concerning the relevant ideas and themes to descriptive
level. Effort shall be made to extend them to a very abstract preference criteria (for instance
dealing with the image of the brand).

Also the ranking derived at the end of the focus group discussion can be used to judge
the coherence between the say and working of the participants. Frequency count of the
constructs can also be done to ascertain the significance and the impact of the constructs to
the respondents. As per a study by Fransella and Bannister,1987, the number of times a
construct is mentioned it depicts the relevance of the construct to the individual.

Theories to guide the analysis

As me being a novice in the research, so I may not be able to classify several constructs and
may fix into one framework only that is the 4-A framework of (accessibility, adaptability,
affordability, awareness). However the research by several entities has defined several
constructs that have been identified when analysing the global v/s domestic debate on all
sort of categories. Few of them are as listed below:Keller, 2003, Brand Dynamics from Millward Brown stated gives the major drivers of
purchase as follow in domestic V/s international context.
Affinity. Composed of both rational and emotional attributes, this is a key indicator of a
positive relationship (e.g., better product performance, higher opinion, greater appeal).
Difference. People see the brand as different from others.
Challenge. People see the brand as a leader in the category, setting the trends.
Fame. The brand is salient and growing in popularity, or already popular, within the category.
Price. The brand has a better price than others.
Another research done by BCG in context of China, while analysing the consumer behaviour
of Chinese population, whether it is directed by patriotism or liking towards the international
brands. The BCG consultants came up with the following framework expressing their
content. It is a simple structure based on specific additions and deletions the influencing
constructs can be understood.

Another study by Julie Schoenfelder and Phil Harris,2004 the following transcript was
designed. Please see the bullet points are just examples. The author had tried to compare the
various relations and tried to build the theory of corporate brands.

Based on the response and the date obtained the three theories can be tested and the necessary
additions or deletions can be made from the same.
This part of the analysis shall be sufficient to give answer to question on determining the
factors determining the brand choice.
To the first research question in order to understand the perception of the consumers towards
the domestic and international brand there are not many frameworks available earlier. By the
keywords-in-context/construct count a better picture can be realized about the same.

Once you put all this literature from the papers, you are also supposed to finally say that you
are going to use some of these constructs for your research and how they will fit, which ones
you would like to drop for better understanding. Just by placing them here you are making
the reader to connect the dots..

Expectation from the study

The study, which we describe in this report, shall help the brand managers to understand how
consumers are likely to think about a companys brands and those of its competitors. Armed
with these insights, marketers shall be able to tighten their brand affiliations with targeted
segments of consumers. Understanding the focus areas, the specific benefits that the
companies need to concentrate in order to market their brands, is it functional, technical or
emotional.
Among the other expectations from the study I would like to know what accounts for the
difference between alleged preferences and buying behaviour? Do skilled product- and branddevelopment, distribution, and point-of-sale strategies override the biases among the
famously experimental consumers of India. Such factors can be points of leverage for
marketers in redirecting consumers predisposition to purchase either a foreign or a local
brand.
In case the study needs to be scaled to know a brand specific behaviour then the following
questions shall be answered by the analysis.

Would the brands benefit from a chameleon strategy? How can the marketers position their
brand with respect to the competitors?
If a brand is perceived as local, how can consistency be ensured with their global positioning?
Are their any specific benefits of positioning the product as local brand or a marketing
resources?
Does the product as per the consumer perception meet their needs
Do consumers who consider us a local brand expect different things from our productssuch
as lower prices or particular flavors? Do we understand how to meet their needs?

Recommendations
In respect of the drafts designed above the recommendations to the marketeersmarketers and
other stakeholders related shall be as follows:Design of the point of sale artefacts as per the consumer perception
Consumers have a very complex pattern of making decision and choices, Brands and their
identity play an important role in guiding their decision. Marketers must understand the
components of the attitude and also their relation to the behavioural intentions.
Antecedents of attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control shall be exerted
based on the results derived. Good

References
[1] Maria Merino, ITAM Mexico, Silvia Gonzalez, ITESM Mexico(2010), Perception of
global brands in Latin America
[2] Foreign or local brands in China?, Boston Consulting Group
[3] Kelly, G.A. (1955), The Psychology of Personal Constructs, Norton, New York, NY.
[4] Fransella, F. and Bannister, D. (1987), A Manual for Repertory Grid Technique, Academic
Press, London.
[5] Neimeyer, R.A., Anderson, A. and Stockton, L. (2001), Snakes versus ladders: a
validation of laddering technique as a measure of hierarchical structure, Journal of
Constructivist Psychology, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 85-105.