CONSUMER PREFERENCE

TOWARDS BRANDED
SPORTS SHOES

Prepared by :
ABHISHEK MAHETA [13M01]
Director,G.H.P.I.B.M.

Submitted to :
Dr. R.P.Patel

1) Introduction
The three major global players i.e. Reebok, Nike, and Adidas dominate the
sports shoes industry in India. India is one of few battlegrounds in the
world where there is neck-to-neck competition between the three. The
companies claim to be in number one sport coating the data produced by
two different marketing research companies. In the 1980s, Adidas
sneakers became popular amongst teenagers and young men. The Adidas
sneaker was popularized by the Run DMC song "My Adidas" and became a
hugefashion trend. The Tapie affair the history of the company as
presented by its official website is incomplete, perhaps because it is
indirectly linked to financial scandals. After a period of serious trouble.The
death of Adolf Dassler's son Horst Dassler in 1987, thecompany was

bought in 1990 by Bernard Tapie, for 1.6 billion French francs

($320million), which Tapie borrowed. Tapie was at the time a famous
specialist of rescuing bankrupt companies, a business on which he built
his fortune. Nike is the world's #1 manufacturer and marketer of athletic
footwear and apparel.Almost out of the blue, the company established
itself as one of the world's most familiar brands during the 1980s and
1990s.As familiar as a Coke bottle or Big Mac, the Nike "swoosh" logo
came to symbolize not just sports culture, but street culture, as the appeal
of the star players who endorsed the brand was carried onto city streets.
The approach of the new century set Nike new problems.Trainers went
(briefly) out of fashion, economic slowdown and labor problems hit
Asian performance. But the group has bounced back, retaining its iron grip
on the sportingapparel sector and still undisputed leader in sportsoriented street wear.Reebok is the world's third-largest maker of sneakers,
athletic shoes and sports apparel.Goods are sold under the brands
Reebok, Rockport and Greg Norman Collection. Reebok is also the official
outfitter of the NFL and has an exclusive deal to supply NBA
jerseys beginning this season.

2) Rationale Behind The Study

The study helped us to analyse the knowledge of shoe brands for
consumers in Vallabhvidyanagar and the different perceptions that
consumers have on the branded shoes and find out the reasons behind
such a perception. We will also be finding out which shoe brands, the
consumers are aware of and how do they streamline their decision to buy
a particular brand by considering factors like price, quality, reliability,
availability, design innovation and comfort. It also helped us to analyse
the buying behaviour of the customers and check whether brand
perception has any impact on the buying behaviour of the customers
while choosing their branded shoes.

3) Review of Literature
1. How Brand Personality affects Products with different
Involvement Levels?
Author: Plavini Punyatoya from IIM,Indore
Abstract
Brand personality is seen as the set of human characteristics
associated with a brand. It carries the symbolic meaning of the brand.

Whether it is a low or high involvement product, brand personality will

definitely improve the consumer brand preference and purchase
intention. This article presents a brief literature review of the concept
of brand personality and its relationship to consumer brand preference
and purchase intention. The study also emphasised effect of brand
personality on high and low involvement products preference and
purchase. The paper also talks about how famous endorsers and strong
brand argument can improve brand personality of low and high
involvement products respectively.
2. Assessing Youths Buying Behaviour towards Sports Shoes
Author:
Srungaram
Narsimha
Vamshi
Krishna (Halmstad University, School of Business
and Engineering (SET))
Abstract
The paper focuses on attitudes and behavior on the concept of the
youths buying behavior towards branded sports shoes, different
consumers have got different decision making process. The buyers
ultimate goal is to buy the product of qualitative, quantitative with
low/best affordable price. In order to identify different kinds of
consumers behavior towards buying of different branded shoes and
Nike sports shoe. I have carried out buying behavior of youth and
different kind of consumer behavior models, literature and theory of
consumer behavior; finally, I analyzed and concluded with research
based on questionnaire of Nike shoes and case studies of Nike sports
shoes at Halmstad University.
3. Evaluating Youths Buying Behavior regarding Sport Shoes
Author: Hamed Derakhshide,MA student
Management at Unversity of Ishafan,Iran

of

Business

Mohammad Kazem Emadzadeh,Asst. Professor of Law Dept. At

University of Ishafan,Iran
Abstract
The aim of this paper is evaluating attitudes and behavior of the
youth's buying behavior towards branded sports shoes. The buyer's
ultimate goal is to buy the product of qualitative, quantitative with
low/best affordable price. In order to identify different kinds of
consumer's behavior towards buying of different branded shoes and
Adidas sports shoes. We have carried out buying behavior of youth
and different kind of consumer behavior models, literature and

theory of consumer behavior. At the end, we concluded with

research based on questionnaire of Adidas shoes and case studies of
Nike sports shoes at University of Isfahan.

4) Research Methodology
The questionnaires are short and accurate and the respondents
would have related knowledge to modify the questionnaires. As this is an
descriptive research, a total sample size of 150 sports shoes user will be
surveyed in Vallabhvidyanagar. It will involve identifying and questioning
people on the basis of various factors and the data obtained will be
analysed.

5) Research Objectives
The objectives of this particular study are :

To compare various branded sports shoes.

To study which branded sport shoes is mostly preferred by
people as per their choices.
To find out factor influencing the people at the time of
purchasing sport shoes on the basis of colour, appearance,
quality, variety, price, use in sports or any other purpose.

6) Research Design
Target Population : College going students
Research Design : Descriptive research

7 ) Sampling Method
We will be using convenience sampling method as the population of
Vallabhvidyanagar is constituted by youngsters and they are available at a
convenience.

8) Sampling Size

A total sample size of 150 sports goods customers will be surveyed in

Vallbhvidyanagar. These mainly constitute youngsters, selected as per
convenience.

9) Data Collection Tools

METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION
Actually data is of two kinds which are followinga) Primary Data: Primary data are those, which are collected afresh
and for the first time and this happen to be original in character.
b) Secondary Data: Secondary data are those data which have already
been collected by someone else and which have already been used
as per required. There are
basically two sources to collect secondary data)Internally: Provided
by the company/organization) Externally: Various publication of
central, state and local Government.

Books, magazines, newspapers

Internet

Questionnaire

After only keeping in mind one can think about what type of data has to
be collected during research as our research is concerned I have to
gather primary data for Customer preference.

10) Data Anlaysis Tools & Techniques