“A STUDY ON THE BRAND IMAGE OF

SAMSUNG MOBILES: A RETAILOR SURVEY AT

THALASSERY”

A PROJECT REPORT

Submitted By

KRISHNA PRAKASH

REG NO . CR16BR0042

Under the supervision of

Ms. AMRUTHA C . M

(Assistant Professor in Commerce)

In partial fulfillment for the award of bachelor degree in

COMMERCE

COLLEGE OF APPLIED SCIENCE PINARAYI

KANNUR UNIVERSITY
 KANNUR UNIVERSITY

MARCH - 2019

BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

Certified that this project “A STUDY ON THE BRAND IMAGE OF

SAMSUNG MOBILES: A RETAILOR SURVEY AT

THALASSERY” is a bonafied work of “KRISHNA PRAKASH, Reg No:
CR16BR0042” who carried out the project work under my guidance.

Mrs. RAJISHA . K Ms. AMRUTHA C. M

(Head of the Department) Supervisor

Dept. of commerce Dept. of commerce

College of Applied Science College of Applied

Science

Pinarayi Pinarayi
 DECLARATION

I, KRISHNA PRAKASH hereby declare that the Project Work Entitled “A

STUDY ON THE BRAND IMAGE OF SAMSUNG MOBILES: A
RETAILOR SURVEY AT THALASSERY” has been prepared by me and
submitted to Kannur University in partial fulfillment of requirements for the award of
Bachelor of Commerce, is a record of original work done by me under the guidance of
MS. AMRUTHA C. M Assistant Professor in Commerce, Collage of Applied
Science Pinarayi.

I also declare that this project work has not been submitted by me fully or partly
for the award of any Degree, Diploma, Title or Recognition before.

Place: Signature of the student

Date: Reg No. CR16BR0042

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am greatly indebted to many people who have extended their kind help and
valuable co-operation directly or indirectly in completing this project work.

I am extremely grateful to the Principal Dr. SANTHOSH BABU.K Sir of

our college for providing the necessary facilities.

I would like to express my sense of gratitude to Ms. AMRUTHA C. M ,

Assistant Professor in Commerce, Mrs. RAJISHA. K, Head of the Department,

College of Applied Science Pinarayi.

I truly admire my parents, friends and all those who have helpful me in
completing this project.

I would like to express my gratitude to God almighty for all the blessings.

KRISHNA PRAKASH
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTERS TITLE PAGE NO.

I INTRODUCTION 1-7

II REVIEW OF LITERATURE 8-9

III THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 10 - 29

IV DATA ANLYSIS AND 30 - 46

INTERPRETATION

V FINDINGS, SUGGESTIONS 47 - 49
AND CONCLUSION

ANNEXURE
 LIST OF TABLES
TABLE TABLE NAME PAGE NO.
NO.

4.1 REASONS FOR PROVIDING SAMSUNG 30

MOBILES

4.2 CUSTOMER RESPONSE TOWARDS 31

SAMSUNG MOBILES

4.3 AGE GROUP OF SAMSUNG USERS 32

4.4 AVAILABILITY OF SAMSUNG MOBILES 33

4.5 PROMOTIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDING BY 34

SAMSUNG

4.6 PRICE OF SAMSUNG MOBILES 35

COMPARED TO OTHER BRANDS

4.7 QUALITY OF SAMSUNG MOBILES 36

COMPARED TO OTHER MOBILES

4.8 DISCOUNTS OFFERED BY SAMSUNG 37

MOBILES

4.9 MOBILE BRANDS HAVING MORE SALES 38

THAN SAMSUNG MOBILES

4.10 UNIQUE FEATURES OF SAMSUNG FROM 39

OTHER BRANDS

4.11 RECALLING OF MOBILES AFFECT 40

SAMSUNG SALES

4.12 DISCOUNT PROVIDED BY RETAILERS 41

ON SAMSUNG MOBILES

4.13 SUBMISSION OF PRODUCT SYSTEM 42

CRASH REPORT

4.14 MARKETING EFFORTS BY SAMSUNG 43

 MOBILES

4.15 CHANGES IN SALES OF SAMSUNG 44

MOBILES FROM LAST YEAR

4.16 AFTER SALES SERVICES PROVIDED BY 45

SAMSUNG MOBILES

4.17 OVERALL OPINION ABOUT SAMSUNG 46

MOBILES
 LIST OF CHARTS
CHART CHART NAME PAGE NO.
NO.

4.1 REASONS FOR PROVIDING SAMSUNG 30

MOBILES

4.2 CUSTOMER RESPONSE TOWARDS 31

SAMSUNG MOBILES

4.3 AGE GROUP OF SAMSUNG USERS 32

4.4 AVAILABILITY OF SAMSUNG MOBILES 33

4.5 PROMOTIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDING 34

BY SAMSUNG

4.6 PRICE OF SAMSUNG MOBILES 35

COMPARED TO OTHER BRANDS

4.7 QUALITY OF SAMSUNG MOBILES 36

COMPARED TO OTHER MOBILES

4.8 DISCOUNTS OFFERED BY SAMSUNG 37

MOBILES

4.9 MOBILE BRANDS HAVING MORE SALES 38

THAN SAMSUNG MOBILES

4.10 UNIQUE FEATURES OF SAMSUNG FROM 39

OTHER BRANDS

4.11 RECALLING OF MOBILES AFFECT 40

SAMSUNG SALES

4.12 DISCOUNT PROVIDED BY RETAILERS 41

ON SAMSUNG MOBILES

4.13 SUBMISSION OF PRODUCT SYSTEM 42

CRASH REPORT

4.14 MARKETING EFFORTS BY SAMSUNG 43

 MOBILES

4.15 CHANGES IN SALES OF SAMSUNG 44

MOBILES FROM LAST YEAR

4.16 AFTER SALES SERVICES PROVIDED BY 45

SAMSUNG MOBILES

4.17 OVERALL OPINION ABOUT SAMSUNG 46

MOBILES
CHAPTER I
 INTRODUCTION
Brand image is the current view of the customers about a brand. It can be
defined as a unique bundle of associations within the minds of target customers. It
signifies what the brand presently stands for. It is a set of beliefs held about a specific
brand. In short, it is nothing but the consumers’ perception about the product. It is the
manner in which a specific brand is positioned in the market. Brand image conveys
emotional value and not just a mental image. Brand image is nothing but an
organization’s character. It is an accumulation of contact and observation by people
external to an organization. It should highlight an organization’s mission and vision to
all. The main elements of positive brand image are- unique logo reflecting
organization’s image, slogan describing organization’s business in brief and brand
identifier supporting the key values.

Brand image has not to be created, but is automatically formed. The brand
image includes products' appeal, ease of use, functionality, fame, and overall value.
Brand image is actually brand content. When the consumers purchase the product,
they are also purchasing it’s image. Brand image is the objective and mental feedback
of the consumers when they purchase a product. Positive brand image is exceeding
the customers’ expectations. Positive brand image enhances the goodwill and brand
value of an organization.

Brand image is the key driver of brand equity, which refers to consumer’s
general perception and feeling about a brand and has an influence on consumer
behaviour. For marketers, whatever their companies’ marketing strategies are, the
main purpose of their marketing activities is to influence consumers’ perception and
attitude toward a brand, establish the brand image in consumers’ mind, and stimulate
consumers’ actual purchasing behaviour of the brand, therefore increasing sales,
maximizing the market share and developing brand equity.

The values which make up a brand exist because they are perceived. They are
also evaluated positively or negatively by customers and potential customers. These
evaluations come together to form the brand's image. The first thing to accept about
image is that it is a perception and need not necessarily be fact. Buyers cannot know
in a factual sense all there is to know about a company. What they do not know they
may assume or expect without any objective evidence; in simple terms they will hold
an opinion. But these perceptions are to the buyer, just as real as those based on
harder evidence and almost certainly will influence the purchasing decision.

The name Samsung is one of the most valuable brands in the world and is stated
in the top 20 best-known brand names. The Korean meaning of Samsung is 'three
stars'. The Samsung Group was founded in 1938 in Korea by Lee Byung- chull. The
company was founded with 30.000 won. In the beginning, Samsung mainly focused
on trade export. Since then Samsung has grown to a worldwide brand, which is sold
in 58 countries and the company has a total of 208.000 employees. Samsung offers
products in the field of telecommunications (mobile phones and IT network), digital
equipment (cameras), digital media (CD-ROMs, DVDs), LCDs and semiconductors,
and is also a large construction company. Samsung Electronics and Samsung Heavy
Industries are the most important parts of Samsung.

'Inspire the World, Create the Future' is Samsung Electronics' vision for the new
decade. This vision shows Samsung's dedication to inspire by focusing on their core
competences: new technology, innovative products and creative solutions. Through
these statements, Samsung wants to give the world a richer experience. Samsung
wants to achieve the top five brands in the world by 2020 and with its vision Samsung
has made a plan to reach $400 billion in revenue. Samsung is positive about the years
to come. In the future they want to explore other markets, including health, medicine
and biotechnology.

For more than 70 years, Samsung has been one of the leading companies when
it comes to innovation. Its products have been a part of the history of digital
revolution. Samsung is guided by a simple philosophy, strong values and high ethical
standards. Samsung is determined to devote their talent and technology to producing
superior products and services for a better global society. A company is its people
according to this company. Samsung searches for talent all over the world and
provides them with the best resources. This is to make sure of the best outcome
possible. Samsung finds i it important to give its people opportunities to help them
grow. Samsung is focused on innovation, because that is its key to success in today's
ever changing global economy. Transparency and integrity are priorities for Samsung.
Its priority is to do everything guided by a moral compass that ensures fairness.
Samsung's main target group are adults age twenty to fifty and especially the working
class. This is because these are the most common people to use technology and they
have the affordability to buy these products. This supports the brand image of
Samsung; helping people to make life easier and build progress together. The
company is looking for ways to improve people's life- and working style with its
products. Its purpose is to produce these products and guarantee high quality. This
because Samsung wants its consumers to trust the brand and become regular clients.
Samsung has the world's largest market share when it comes to mobile phones and
accessories: 29,1%. I think this particular choice of target group is one of Samsung's
strengths. High quality products have higher prices, which people age twenty to fifty
are willing to pay. And because of its quality, Samsung has built a reliable trustworthy
image. This is why adults and especially business people will choose Samsung's
products.

When it comes to the product mix of Samsung, their strongest point is the
product portfolio. Their assortment is very diverse. Its wide product range covers all
the types of consumer electronics and home utilizations. Samsung has built up a
certain trust with its products, as a result of their performances during the past years,
especially when it comes to Samsung smart phones. The disadvantage of their wide
product range is that they have to compete with brands who are specialized in certain
products. For example, Samsung produces camera's, but so does Canon. Canon is
focused on producing camera's and therefor better in their offer than Samsung. When
it comes to price, Samsung uses different pricing strategies because of their various
product range. Skimming pricing is applied to Samsung's smart phones, because this
is Samsung's core competence. Once a model has aged or any competitor has
launched a comparable product, Samsung immediately drops the price. Samsung
works with channel marketing when it comes to place. There are three segments:
Sales and service dealers, Modern Retail and Distributors. The last is the most
outstanding. In several cities, Samsung has just one distributor who takes care of the
rest of the area, When it comes to promotion, Samsung uses several forms. They use
the pull strategy through advertising but they also use strong tactics to push the
product to the customer through sales promotions. Samsung gives many special offers
and discounts to its trade partners to motivate them to sell Samsung instead of other
alternative brands. Besides that, Samsung is known for its good and fast service. This
is very important in today's society and customers really value fast delivery and
service. When you search for Samsung on the internet, you will mainly find articles
about innovation and new improvements made first by Samsung. Samsung has been
making break through inventions, which gives makes them a strong market leader.
Samsung is also very active on social media. There are several twitter accounts, each
for a different country and with a distinction between regular Samsung and Samsung
Mobile. This shows new products, special events, special offers and they give people
advice. Samsung is just as active on Facebook as they are on Twitter. There are also
several Facebook pages, specialized in different products and there is even a separate
Samsung Support page, which you can ask for help at any place and any time.
Furthermore, Samsung is active on Flickr, YouTube, Instagram and Google Plus. Its
website shows us a clear overview of the social media channels. It's not a coincidence
that Samsung is so active on social media, they launched a social media campaign in
2012. Besides focusing on social media, Samsung spends a large budget on
sponsorships. This is a very smart move, because it gives Samsung a lot of positive
publicity. Samsung's website has a nice context, the colour blue really represents
Samsung and gives a pragmatic impression. In combination with the black and white,
it really represents a technological brand. The home page is rather full though with a
lot of moving images, which shows a little messy and makes it a little bit difficult to
navigate. However, it does show the links to all components of their website and the
division is quite logical. There is a special page for support and the current special
offers are displayed very clearly. Samsung's website supports their transparent image
and shows they are up to date. Community is more found at the social media pages of
Samsung. But their website does have a forum, where you can start a discussion with
people from all over the world. This again supports Samsung's transparency.
Customization of the website is possible. You can choose a language of your
preference, login with your account and there even is a My Samsung portal. My
Samsung shows tips and tricks on your products and product reviews. The Samsung
website is very extensive and can be a little confusing, but the home button is always
in the top left corner of your computer so you will never get lost Samsung's success is
also shown in its financial position.

Exploring Samsung mobile phone, is one of the five business units within
Samsung Electronics belonging to the Samsung groups. They produces a full
spectrum of products from mobiles .Samsung mobile has the second position in the
largest mobile manufactures in the world. Samsung provides mobile phones with high
quality and attractive features with affordable prices. Samsung mobiles embodies
style and technology for the young professional. Samsung positioning statement is
that asserts its differentiation from the other mobile phone providers. Samsung tries to
cover the whole mobile and smart phone market and is now one of the leading
company in the world.

1.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The telecom industry is one of the fastest growing industries in India. India has
nearly 200 million telephone lines making it the third largest network in the world
after China and USA. Indian telecom industry has the highest growth rate of 45
percentage in the world and also India’s mobile phone subscriber base is growing at a
rate of 82.2 percentage and there are many mobile brands growing very fast by
making good images among the people with their advanced quality products .So there
is a need for study about the brand image of Samsung mobile handset provided by
Samsung company by giving special concern to the retailers of Samsung mobiles at
Thalassery area. So this project is entitled “TO STUDYTHE BRAND IMAGE OF
SASMSUNG MOBILESBY CONDUCTING A RETAILER SURVEY”.

1.2 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study is confined to the brand image of Samsung by
conducting a retailer survey. It highlights the opinion of retailers about the Samsung
mobiles. Samsung is the company that makes the most popular android smart phones,
and while its been struggling to maintain high profits in the past few months, Since
the study is mainly focused on Samsung’s brand image by checking its quality, price
performance and its position the study would reasonably reflect the current image of
Samsung and it seek answers to the questions like why do the retailers prefer
Samsung brand, and what differentiate Samsung brand from other brands. The study
therefore has made a humble attempt to assess the brand image of Samsung.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
 Study about the brand image of Samsung mobiles among retailers at thalassery
area
To judge the overall performance of the company.
To know the competitive advantage of Samsung.
To check the price, quality and drawbacks of Samsung mobiles with other
brands.
1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
Samsung is famous brand in mobile handset business and they provide wide variety of
products. So this study is mainly aimed at understanding analyzing the brand image
towards Samsung handsets,knowing the current market position of Samsung
mobiles,to provide suggestions in order to bridge the performance gap and make
further improvements in future and this study has extended to the retailers among
Thalassery area.

1.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem.
The researcher intends to adopt descriptive design for the research. Descriptive design
will help to gather detailed and accurate information about the attitude of retailers
towards Samsung brand. This design helps to analysis of the variable in descriptive
manner.

1.5.1 SOURCE OF DATA

Primary data: It is collected from questionnaire in this research.

Secondary data: Website, books

1.5.2 SAMPLE DESIGN

The researcher intends to adopt descriptive design for the research. Descriptive
design helps us to gather detailed and accurate information about the brand image of
Samsung by conducting a retailer survey. This design helps analysis of the variable in
descriptive manner.
1.5.3 SAMPLE TECHINQUE

Convenient sampling method is followed to collect the required data for this study.

The researcher has selected 50 samples from main areas of Kannur district.

1.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

 The study is limited to only the main areas of Kannur.
 The study is limited to only the main areas of Kannur.
 Lack of time to finish the project.
 Sample size is limited to 50.
 Some of the respondent did not respond actively so the personal bias has
occurred.
 Descriptive method was the research design so we had faced all the difficulties
of descriptive method.
CHAPTER II
 REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Brand image is the key driver of brand equity, which refers to consumer’s
general perception and feeling about a brand and has an influence on consumer and
retailer behaviour. For marketers, whatever their companies’ marketing strategies are,
the main purpose of their marketing activities is to influence people’s perception and
attitude toward a brand, establish the brand image in people’ s mind, and stimulate
their’ actual purchasing behaviour of the brand, therefore increasing sales,
maximizing the market share and developing brand equity. Brand image is the focus
of both academics and practitioners; however, there is no paradigm among the brand
image studies by now. Most studies measure brand image from perspective of
consumer or from the company itself, on one hand, some researchers believe that
consumers’ subjective perception (e.g., attitude, assessment, satisfaction, etc.) of the
brand is the key to brand image. Although the consumption decision will be
influenced by brand features and attributes, it is determined by people’s perception
about the brand image in a deeper sense.

(Gardner, 1955)1Brand image is consisted of consumer’s opinion, attitude and

emotion toward a brand, which reflects the cognitive or psychological elements of the
brand.

(Levy, 1978)2 Consumers’ overall impression about a brand or product, which

includes recognition, feeling and attitude towards it.

(Keller, 1993)3 positive brand image could be established by connecting the

unique and strong brand association with consumers’ memories about the brand
through marketing campaigns.

(saxena, 2009)4Brand awareness has to be thought of as a continues range from

an uncertain feeling that a brand is recognized that it is the only one in the product
class.

At the top end of this continuum is the brand that exist uppermost in the customers
mind.
 (Saxena, 2009)5It is difficult to value a brand accurately. A brand’s value is a
function of the customer’s perception, his or her attitude towards it, and the economic
value or price that he or she attaches to the brand. If the customer perceives a higher
value in the brand, then he or she will be willing to pay a premium to buy it.

(V S Ramaswamy, 2009)6A brand is defined as a‘ name ,term, symbol, design

or a combination of them which is intended to identify the goods and services of one
seller and to differentiate them from those of competitors’. Strong brands are major
assets for companies. They are valuable, renewable and lasting assets, capable of
working for their firms for generations. They keep earning. They are also tradable
assets. They can be bought and sold.

(Lassar, 2012)7held the opinion that brand image came from the customers’
confidence in a brand. The greater the confidence they place in the brand, the more
likely they are willing to pay a high price for it. Specifically, this confidence stems
from five important considerations: first, the brand performs its functions as designed;
second, the social image is associated with purchasing or owning the brand; third,
consumers’ recognition and sentimental attachment with brand; fourth, the balance
between the brand’s value and its functionalities; fifth, consumers trust in the brand.

(Ashok Ranchhod, 2012)8The roles and meanings of brands have evolved

substantially over the last 150 years. For a long period, a brand was only a name that
was used by producers, marketers and consumers to identify a specific product and
service. When market competition was generally weak often the product name and
they became synonymous with one another.

(Sonatakki, 2013)9Brand is considered as major intangible asset because all the

physical assets such as plant, equipments, inventory, building ,stocks and bounds can
be duplicated or copied very easily, However, it is almost impossible to duplicate
brand name. It has been proved, as there are many case where the firms have gone to
hell still brand remained high in the sky.

(Cherunilam, 2014)10The image of a company matters while raising finance

,forming joint venture or other alliance, soliciting market intermediaries, entering
purchase or sale contracts, launching new products etc.
CHAPTER III
 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
3.1 BRAND
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or other feature that distinguishes one
seller’s product from those of others. Brands are used in business, and advertising.

A brand is any name, design, style, words or symbols used singularly or in

combination that distinguish one product from another in the eyes of the customer.

Initially live stock branding was adopted to differentiate one person’s cattle
from another's by means of a distinctive symbol burned into the animal’s skin with a
hot branding iron. However, the term has been extended to mean a strategic
personality for a product or company, so that ‘brand’ now suggests the values and
promises that a consumer may perceive and buy into.

Branding is a set of marketing and communication methods that help to

distinguish a company from competitors and create a lasting impression in the minds
of customers. The key components that form a brand's toolbox include a brand’s
identity, brand communication (such as by logos and trademarks), brand awareness,
brand loyalty, and various branding (brand management) strategies. Brand equity is
the measurable totality of a brand's worth and is validated by assessing the
effectiveness of these branding components. In a fleeting market where traditional
linear models of business are being replaced by more radical interconnected models,
brand equity is one marketing technique that remains firmly rooted in prosperity. To
reach such an invaluable brand prestige requires a commitment to a particular way of
doing business. A corporation who exhibits a strong brand culture is dedicated on
producing intangible outputs such as customer satisfaction, reduced price sensitivity
and customer loyalty. A brand is in essence a promise to its customers that they can
expect long-term security, a competitive frame of reference and consistent delivery of
functional as well as emotional benefits. When a customer is familiar with a brand or
favours it incomparably to its competitors, this is when a corporation has reached a
high level of brand equity.

Many companies are beginning to understand that there is often little to differentiate
between products in the 21st century. Branding remains the last bastion for
differentiation. In accounting, a brand defined as an intangible asset is often the most
valuable asset on a corporation’s balance sheet. Brand owners manage their brands
carefully to create shareholder value, and brand valuation is an important management
technique that ascribes a money value to a brand, and allows marketing investment to
be managed (e.g.: prioritized across a portfolio of brands) to maximize shareholder
value. Although only acquired brands appear on a company's balance sheet, the notion
of putting a value on a brand forces marketing leaders to be focused on long term
stewardship of the brand and managing for value. The word ‘brand’ is often used as a
metonym referring to the company that is strongly identified with a brand.

According to Kotler and Amstrong, ‘a brand is a name, term, sign, symbol or

design or a combination of these that identifies the maker or seller of a product, or
services’.

3.2 HISTORY OF BRAND

The word, brand, derives from dutch brand meaning "to burn", recalling the
practice of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) burning their mark (or brand) onto
their products (brand mark) The oldest generic brand, in continuous use in India since
the Vedic period (ca. 1100 B.C.E to 500 B.C.E),is the herbal pastchyawanprash,
consumed for its purported health benefits and attributed to a revered rishi (or seer)
named Chyawan. This product was developed at Dhosi Hill, an extinct volcano in
northern India. Roman glassmakers branded their works, with Ennion being the most
prominent.

The Italians used brands in the form of watermarks on paper in the 13th century
.Blind Stamps, hallmarks, and silver-makers' marks are all types of brand. Although
connected with the history of trademarks and including earlier examples which could
be deemed proto brands (such as the marketing puns of the vesuvinum wine jars
found at Pompei brands in the field of mass-marketing originated in the 19th century
with the advent of packaged goods. Industrialization moved the production of many
household items, such as soap, from local communities to centralized factories. When
shipping their items, the factories would literally brand their logo or insignia on the
barrels used, extending the meaning of brand to that of a trademark.
 Factories established during the Industrial Revolution introduced mass-
produced goods and needed to sell their products to a wider market - to customers
previously familiar only with locally produced goods. It quickly became apparent that
a generic package of soap had difficulty competing with familiar, local products. The
packaged-goods manufacturers needed to convince the market that the public could
place just as much trust in the non-local product. Pears soap, Campbell's soup, soft
drink Coca-Cola, Juicy Fruit chewing gum, Aunt Jemima pancake mix, and Quaker
Oats oatmeal were among the first products to be "branded" in an effort to increase
the consumer's familiarity with their merits. By the 1940s, manufacturers began to
recognize the way in which consumers were developing relationships with their
brands in a social/psychological/anthropological sense. Manufacturers quickly
learned to build their brands' identity and personality such as youthfulness, fun or
luxury. This began the practice we now know as branding today, where the
consumers buy the brand instead of the product. This trend continued to the 1980s,
and is now quantified in concepts such as brand value and brand equity. Naomi Klein
has described this development as "brand equity mania" In 1988, for example, Philip
Morris purchased Kraft for six times what the company was worth on paper; it was
felt that what they really purchased was its brand name. Effective branding can result
in higher sales of not only one product, but of other products associated with that
brand.

Some people distinguish the psychological aspect (brand associations like

thoughts, feelings, perceptions, images, experiences, beliefs, attitudes, and so on that
become linked to the brand) of a brand from the experiential aspect. The experiential
aspect consists of the sum of all points of contact with the brand and is known as the
brand experience. The brand experience is a brand's action perceived by a person. The
psychological aspect, sometimes referred to as the brand image, is a symbolic
construct created within the minds of people, consisting of all the information and
expectations associated with a product, with a service, or with the companies
providing them. People engaged in branding seek to develop or align the expectations
behind the brand experience, creating the impression that a brand associated with a
product or service has certain qualities or characteristics that make it special or
unique. A brand can therefore become one of the most valuable elements in an
advertising theme, as it demonstrates what the brand owner is able to offer in the
marketplace.

A widely known brand is said to have "brand recognition". When brand

recognition builds up to a point where a brand enjoys a critical mass of positive
sentiment in the marketplace, it is said to have achieved brand franchise. Brand
recognition is most successful when people can state a brand without being explicitly
exposed to the company's name, but rather through visual signifiers like logos,
slogans, and colours For example, Disney successfully branded its particular script
font (originally created for Walt Disney's "signature" logo), which it used in the logo
for go.com.

3.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF BRANDING:

Branding provides benefits to buyers and sellers.

3.3.1 TO BUYER:

 A brand helps buyers in identifying the product that they like/dislike.

 It identifies the marketer.
 It helps reduce the time needed for purchase.
 It helps buyers evaluate quality of products, especially if they are unable to
judge a product’s characteristics.
 It helps reduce buyers’ perceived risk of purchase.
 The buyer may derive a psychological reward from owning the brand (e.g.,
Rolex watches or Mercedes).
3.3.2 TO SELLER:

 A brand differentiates product offering from competitors

 It helps segment market by creating tailored images
 It identifies the companies’ products making repeat purchases easier for
customers.
 It reduces price comparisons.
 It helps the firm introduce a new product .
 It promotes easier cooperation with intermediaries with well-known brands
 It facilitates promotional efforts.
 It helps in fostering brand loyalty, thus helping to stabilize market share.
3.4 ESSENTIALS OF GOOD BRANDING
 A good brand should be easy to pronounce.
 It should be easy to remember.
 It should be able to attract attention.
 It should suggest the company or product image.
 It should be easy to recognize.
 The brand identity should be very clear.
 The brand name should be registered.
 A good brand should be easy to translate into all languages in the markets
where the brand will be used.
3.5 BRAND IMAGE
Brand image is the current view of the customers about a brand. It can be
defined as a unique bundle of associations within the minds of target customers. It
signifies what the brand presently stands for. It is a set of beliefs held about a specific
brand. In short, it is nothing but the consumers’ perception about the product. It is the
manner in which a specific brand is positioned in the market. Brand image conveys
emotional value and not just a mental image. Brand image is nothing but an
organization’s character. It is an accumulation of contact and observation by people
external to an organization. It should highlight an organization’s mission and vision to
all. The main elements of positive brand image are- unique logo reflecting
organization’s image, slogan describing organization’s business in brief and brand
identifier supporting the key values.

The idea behind brand image is that the consumer is not purchasing just the
product/service but also the image associated with that product/service. Brand images
should be positive, unique and instant. Brand images can be strengthened using brand
communications like advertising, packaging, word of mouth publicity, other
promotional tools, etc.

Brand image develops and conveys the product’s character in a unique manner
different from its competitor’s image. The brand image consists of various
associations in consumers’ mind - attributes, benefits and attributes. Brand attributes
are the functional and mental connections with the brand that the customers have.
They can be specific or conceptual. Benefits are the rationale for the purchase
decision. There are three types of benefits: Functional benefits - what do you do better
(than others ), emotional benefits - how do you make me feel better (than others), and
rational benefits/support - why do I believe you(more than others). Brand attributes
are consumers overall assessment of a brand. Brand image is the current view of the
customers about a brand. It can be defined as a unique bundle of associations within
the minds of target customers. It signifies what the brand presently stands for. It is a
set of beliefs held about a specific brand. In short, it is nothing but the consumers’
perception about the product. It is the manner in which a specific brand is positioned
in the market. Brand image conveys emotional value and not just a mental image.
Brand image is nothing but an organization’s character. It is an accumulation of
contact and observation by people external to an organization. It should highlight an
organization’s mission and vision to all. The main elements of positive brand image
are- unique logo reflecting organization’s image, slogan describing organization’s
business in brief and brand identifier supporting the key values.

Keller (2003: 66) defines brand image as perceptions about a brand as reflected
by the brand associations held in consumer memory."

Brand image is generally carefully developed by the brand owner through

marketing campaigns or product positioning. The image of a brand may develop
spontaneously through customer responses to a product and it can be seriously
damaged through inappropriate advertising or association with somebody or
something that has fallen from public favour. The brand and image of a business are
vital to its success. Strong brands can generate customer trust, which is particularly
important in e-commerce where there are often concerns over privacy and security. In
truth brand image is every customer/prospect's interaction with the company that
creates an impression. It is the company's character. It's a conglomeration of
interaction and observation by people outside the organization: how the phone is
answered, the quality of customer service, how the trucks look, or even how the web
site looks. It's what makes a particular company unique among the hundreds of
competitors.

The brand image of a company should communicate the difference between

itself and the competition the reason for being, it should reinforce the company's
corporate message so that it helps make the company stand out in a crowd of look-a-
likes. There are three branding image elements like Logo, Slogan and image
identifier. A company has to check whether its logo reflects the company's image and
how good its slogan is and what does it say about their business.

In many business markets the company's reputation has a strong influence on buying
decisions which may differ from the more specific product related influence of the
brand's image. Today everything in the market is branded and consumers prefer the
branded products. They even prefer the daily products like milk and fruits with a
particular brand. Consumers know more about the brands they buy, and see more
aspects of them and the context they operate in. They feel different relationships to
different brands, depending on the type of subjective needs which the brands do or
don't satisfy. Consumers who always purchase the same brand know that they can
acquire the same features, advantages and quality each and every time they purchase.
There was a quotation by Group Chief Executive of United Biscuits like "Buildings
age and become dilapidated. Machines wear out. People die. But what live on are
brands" (Feldwick, 2002: 3). Consumers perceive a brand as taking into account a set
of values which they can specify that they will reject, or tend to reject, it's their point
of view how they accept the brands. Therefore brands are the lasting assets as long as
they are kept in good shape and continue to offer consumers the values they require.
The reason that consumers believe in brand is because, on the whole, they keep their
promises. Most successful brands continually improve or update their products to
remain competitive or to meet changed market requirements.

3.5.1 BENEFITS OF STRONG BRAND IMAGE

 Premium prices can be obtained. A brand with a positive image will

command larger margins and be less susceptible to competitive forces. There
will be less pressure to sell at low prices or offer discounts.

 The product will be demanded. A brand which people think is good will be
asked for specifically. People will search out a brand they really want.

 Competitive brands will be rejected. A strong brand will act as a barrier to

people switching to competitors products. A brand is a defence which is
permanently erected.
  Communications will be more readily accepted. Positive feelings about a
product will result in people being able to accept new claims on its
performance and they will warm them up so that they can be more easily
persuaded to buy more.

 The brand can be built on. A brand which is well known and well regarded
becomes a platform for adding new products as some aspects of the positive
imagery will cross over and help in the launch of new products.

 Customer satisfaction will be improved. A positive image will give

customers enhanced satisfaction when they use the product. They will feel
more confident about buying it

 The product will be pulled through the distribution network. A brand which
people ask for can more easily be sold into wholesalers and distributors who
are extremely responsive to what their customers want. Licensing
opportunities can be opened up.

3.5.2 BENEFITS TO THE CUSTOMER

We should not close this chapter with the impression that the gains from strong
branding are all on the part of the supplier and at the expense of the customer. The
customer too obtains benefits. There are three important reasons why customers
benefit from products and services with strong brands: A strong brand is a summary
of all the values associated with it. Making industrial buying decisions is complicated
by the need to weigh up all the details of a product's performance, its price, the
delivery, the guarantee etc. A brand with a strong image is a synthesis to the buyer of
everything that a supplier stands for and offers. A strong brand makes customers feel
confident in their choice. People shop at Marks & Spencer often without comparing
products from elsewhere because they trust the brand. Strong industrial branding
gives customers the same comforts. A strong brand makes customers feel more
satisfied with their purchase. The quality perceptions translate to a feel good factor'
which makes customers happier than if the product had come from an unknown
supplier.
3.5.3 FACTORS INFLUENCING BRAND IMAGE

One of the fundamental tenets of marketing is that brand images are an

important determinant of buying behaviour (Aaker, 1991; Fischer et al., 2004). The
construct of brand image can be understood as the associations external target groups
have in their minds about brands. These associations can be further divided into those
concerning the functional attributes of a brand and those concerning the symbolic
attributes of a brand .Due to the importance of brand images for the behaviour of
various target groups, considerable attention has been paid to factors that possibly
influence brand images. These influencing factors can be divided into three groups:
(1) determinants that originate directly from the internal brand identity and can thus
be directly influenced by brand management (2) personal / individual determinants,
for example, the motives and experiences of those who perceive the brand, and (3)
external factors, that is determinants that affect the brand image from outside and
which cannot be directly influenced by brand management, for example industry
image.

3.5.4 ADVANTAGES OF BUILDING A STRONG BRAND IMAGE

 The perception of a consumer towards a particular brand is in direct relation to

the image of the brand.
 Having a strong ‘of repeat purchases as well as primary purchases.
 Brand image directly impacts the consumer buying behaviour,, and hence
premium brands as well as top brands have a target of building a strong and
positive image of the brand.
 A positive brand image can make the decision process easier, thereby
promoting a lot A promising brand image conveys the success of the product
and gives results with increased sales and revenues.
 A positive image gives confidence to the customers as they feel that the brand
is sincere and clear in its vision to create the best.
 It is possible to build brand image with strong advertisements because of
which companies are promoting their products through various famous
personalities to enhance their image of brand.


3.5.5 DISADVANTAGE

Let us count on the disadvantages first before getting into what all is good about
brand image

 If an organization is unable to depict a satisfactory brand image, then the

consequences can be felt quickly. The brand might fail in the short term itself
if the brand image created is negative.
 The product is principally dependent on its brand image and unfavourable or
negative image results in the disgrace of the company, and later on bringing
the same brand becomes difficult.
 The main disadvantage of a brand image is that the brand and its products will
always be identified with the image until further changes in the brand image
are impelled.
 If in any circumstances the image is compromised, then sales and revenues
will also be hampered and therefore it is necessary to gather a right team that
will create and regularly maintain the brand image of a product.
3.5.6 COMPONENTS OF BRAND IMAGE

There are three components to a brand image : attributes, consequences and

brand personality. It is perhaps more inclusive to think of a brands image as
encompassing all the associates that a consumer has for that brand : all the thoughts,
feelings and imagery-even colours, sounds and smells that are mentally liked to that
brand in the consumers memory.First comes the attributes, attributes means qualities
or functions or advantages of a particular brand. A brand is known by its attributes i.e.
the qualities it offers. Attributes effect the brand image i.e. a product or brand with lot
of advantages in comparison to its nearest substitute is considered more suitable. Thus
it enhances the brand image. Then come the consequences,consequences means the
effect of the product. The product or brand which gives ultimate good result is
considered good brand. Thus, consequences also effect brand image. Last component
of brand image is brand personality. Brand personality includes associations with
particular characters, symbols, endorsers, life styles and types of users. It gives the
brand a sense of human, it makes you feel a brand as a person. Thus it characterized it
as adventurous, head strong, undependable, excitable etc. Brand personalities also
annunciate feelings with brand. Brand personality also creates an anociation of that
brand with certain important life values, such as exciting life, the search for self
respect, the need to be intellectual, the desire for self-expression etc. Finally what
often matters more than the specific personality attributed to brand is the question of
whether a brand has any clear personality at all. Thus, it could be said that the brand
personality of a "brand as a person", is used by various advertising agencies and
marketing client companies.

3.6 BRAND COMMUNICATION

Although brand identity is regarded as the most fundamental asset to a brand's equity,
the worth of a brand's identity would become obsolete without ongoing brand
communication. Integrated marketing communications (IMC) relates to how a brand
transmits a clear consistent message to its stakeholders .Five key components
comprise IMC.

 Advertising
 Sales promotions
 Direct marketing
 Personal selling
 Public relations
The effectiveness of a brand's communication is determined by how accurately the
customer perceives the brand's intended message through its IMC. Although IMC is a
broad strategic concept, the most crucial brand communication elements are pinpointed to
how the brand sends a message and what touch points the brand uses to connect with its
customers. One can analyse the traditional communication model into several
consecutive steps

 Firstly, a source/sender wishes to convey a message to a receiver. This source

must encode the intended message in a way that the receiver will potentially
understand.

 After the encoding stage, the forming of the message is complete and is

portrayed through a selected channel. In IMC, channels may include media

elements such as advertising, public relations, sales promotions, etc.
  It is at this point where the message can often deter from its original purpose

as the message must go through the process of being decoded, which can often
lead to unintended misinterpretation.

 Finally, the receiver retrieves the message and attempts to understand what the

sender was aiming to render. Often, a message may be incorrectly received

due to noise in the market, which is caused by "unplanned static or distortion
during the communication process".

 The final stage of this process is when the receiver responds to the message,

which is received by the original sender as feedback.

 When a brand communicates a brand identity to a receiver, it runs the risk of

the receiver incorrectly interpreting the message. Therefore, a brand should

use appropriate communication channels to positively affect how the
psychological and physical aspects of a brand are perceived"

It is important that if a company wishes to develop a global market, the company

name will also need to be suitable in different cultures and not cause offense or be
misunderstood. It has also been found that when communicating a brand a company
needs to be aware that they must not just visually communicate their brand message
and should take advantage of portraying their message through multi-sensory
information. One article suggests that other senses, apart from vision, need to be
target targeted when trying to communicate a brand with consumers. For example, a
jingle or background music can have a positive effect on brand recognition,
purchasing behaviour and brand recall.

Therefore, when looking to communicate a brand with chosen consumers, companies

should investigate a channel of communication which is most suitable for their short-
term and long-term aims and should choose a method of communication which is
most likely to be adhered to by their chosen consumers. The match-up between the
product, the consumer lifestyle, and the endorser is important for effectiveness of
brand communication.
3.7 BRAND LINE
A brand line allows the introduction of various subtypes of a product under a
common, ideally already established, brand name. Examples would be the individual
Kinder Chocolatesby Ferrero SA, the subtypes of Coca-Cola, or special editions of
popular brands. See also brand extension.

3.8 BRAND TRUST

Brand trust is the intrinsic 'believability' that any entity evokes. In the commercial
world, the intangible aspect of brand trust impacts the behavior and performance of its
business stakeholders in many intriguing ways. It creates the foundation of a strong
brand connect with all stakeholders, converting simple awareness to strong
commitment. This, in turn, metamorphoses normal people who have an indirect or
direct stake in the organization into devoted ambassadors, leading to concomitant
advantages like easier acceptability of brand extensions, perception of premium, and
acceptance of temporary quality deficiencies.

3.9 EXPANDING THE ROLE OF BRAND

Branding was meant to make identifying and differentiating a product easier, while
also providing the benefit of letting the name sell a second rate product. Over time,
brands came to embrace a performance or benefit promise, for the product, certainly,
but eventually also for the company behind the brand. Today, brand plays a much
bigger role. Brands have been co-opted as powerful symbols in larger debates about
economics, social issues, and politics. The power of brands to communicate a
complex message quickly and with emotional impact and the ability of brands to
attract media attention, make them ideal tools in the hands of activists. Cultural
conflict over a brand's meaning have also been shown to influence the diffusion of an
innovation.

3.10 BRANDING STRATERGIES

3.10.1 COMPANY NAME

Often, especially in the industrial sector, it is just the company's name which is
promoted (leading to one of the most powerful statements of branding: saying just
before the company's downgrading. This approach has not worked as well for General
Motors, which recently overhauled how its corporate brand relates to the product
brands. Exactly how the company name relates to product and services names is
known as brand architecture. Decisions about company names and product names and
their relationship depends on more than a dozen strategic considerations.In this case, a
strong brand name (or company name) is made the vehicle for a range of products (for
example, Mercedes-Benz or Black & Decker) or a range of subsidiary brands (such as
Cadbury Dairy Milk, Cadbury Flake, or Cadbury Fingers in the UK).

3.10.2 INDIVIDUAL BRANDING

Each brand has a separate name (such as Seven-Up, Kool-Aid, or Nivea Sun
(Beiersdorf), which may compete against other brands from the same company (for
example, Persil, Omo, Surf, and Lynx are all owned by Unilever).

3.10.3 CHALLENGER BRANDS

A challenger brand is a brand in an industry where it is neither the market leader or a

niche brand. Challenger brands are categorised by a mindset which sees them have
business ambitions beyond conventional resources and an intent to bring change to an
industry

3.10.4 MULTIPRODUCT BRANDING STRATEGY

Multiproduct branding strategy is when a company uses one name across all their
products in a product class. When the company's trade name is used, multiproduct
branding is also known as corporate branding, family branding or umbrella branding.
Examples of companies that use corporate branding are Microsoft, Samsung, Apple,
and Sony as the company's brand name is identical to their trade name. Other
examples of multiproduct branding strategy include Virgin and Church &Dwight.

3.10.5 SUB BRANDING

Sub branding is used by certain multiproduct branding companies. Sub branding

merges a corporate, family or umbrella brand with the introduction of a new brand in
order to differentiate part of a product line from others in the whole brand system. Sub
branding assists to articulate and construct offerings. It can alter a brand's identity as
sub branding can modify associations of the parent brand. Examples of successful sub
branding can be seen through Gatorade and Porsche. Gatorade, a manufacturer of
sport-themed food and beverages effectively introduced Gatorade G2, a low-calorie
line of Gatorade drinks. Likewise, Porsche, a specialized automobile manufacturer
successfully market its lower-end line, Porsche Boxster and higher end- line, Porsche
Carrera

3.11 SAMSUNG
Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate headquartered in
Samsung Town, Seoul It comprises numerous affiliated businesses,[most of them
united under the Samsung brand, and is the largest South Korean chaebol(business
conglomerate).

Samsung was founded by Lee Byung- chul in 1938 as a trading company. Over the
next three decades, the group diversified into areas including food processing,
textiles, insurance, securities and retail. Samsung entered the electronics industry in
the late 1960s and the construction and shipbuilding industries in the mid-1970s;
these areas would drive its subsequent growth. Following Lee's death in 1987,
Samsung was separated into four business groups –Samsung Group, Shinsegae
Group, CJ Group and Hansol Group. Since 1990, Samsung has increasingly
globalized its activities and electronics; in particular, its mobile phones and
semiconductors have become its most important source of income.

Notable Samsung industrial affiliates include Samsung Electronics the world's largest
information technology company measured by 2012 revenues, and 4th in market
value),Samsung Heavy Industries (the world's 2nd-largest shipbuilder measured by
2010 revenues) and Samsung Engineering and Samsung C&T (respectively the
world's 13th and 36th-largest construction companies).

Samsung has a powerful influence on South Korea's economic development, politics,

media and culture and has been a major driving force behind the "Miracle on the Han
River Its affiliate companies produce around a fifth of South Korea's total exports.
Samsung’s revenue was equal to 17% of South Korea's $1,082 billion GDP.

On 17 February 2017, Samsung Group chief Lee Jae-yong was arrested for bribery,
embezzlement, hiding assets overseas and perjury.
According to Samsung's founder, the meaning of the Korean hanja word Samsungis
"tri-star" or "three stars". The word "three" represents something "big, numerous and
powerful.”

Samsung became the world's largest producer of memory chips in 1992 and is the
world's second-largest chipmaker after Intel (see Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor
Market Share Ranking Year by Year).In 1995, it created its first liquid-crystal display
screen. Ten years later, Samsung grew to be the world's largest manufacturer of liquid-
crystal display panels. Sony, which had not invested in large-size TFT-LCDs,
contacted Samsung to cooperate, and, in 2006, S-LCD was established as a joint
venture between Samsung and Sony in order to provide a stable supply of LCD panels
for both manufacturers. S-LCD was owned by Samsung (50% plus one share) and
Sony (50% minus one share) and operates its factories and facilities in Tangjung,
South Korea. As of 26 December 2011, it was announced that Samsung had acquired
the stake of Sony in this joint venture.

3.12 SAMSUNG MOBILES

Formerly called :Telecommunications limited

Type: Business unit

Industry :Telecommunication

Founded :1977seoul,south korea

Key people :Choi Gee sung,D J koh

Headquarter :Suwon,South korea

Products :Mobilephones,smart phones,telecommunication systems MP3

players laptop computers

Revenue:$40 billion

Profit: $20 billion

Owner:samsung
Samsung Mobile Phones is one of five business units within Samsung Electronics,
belonging to the Samsung Group, and consists of the Mobile Communications
Division, Telecommunication Systems Division, Computer Division, MP3 Business
Team, Mobile Solution Centre and Telecommunication R&D Centre.
Telecommunication Business produces a full spectrum of products from mobiles and
other mobile devices such as MP3 players and laptop computers to
telecommunication network infrastructure. Headquarters is located in Suwon, South
Korea.

In 2007 Samsung Telecommunication Business reported over 40% growth and

became the second largest mobile device manufacturer in the world.Its market share
was 14% in Q4 2007, growing up from 11.3% in Q4 2006. At the end of November
2011, Samsung sold more than 300 million mobile devices which was a close second
after Nokia with 300.6 million mobile devices sold in the first three quarter of 2011.
As of Q3 2012, Samsung is the largest manufacturer of devices running Google
Android with a 46% market share. On 19 August 2016, Samsung officially released
its Samsung Galaxy Note 7. On 10 October 2016, in response to the new incidents,
Samsung announced that it would once again suspend sales of the Galaxy Note 7 and
recall all devices worldwide. The next day, Samsung also announced that it would
permanently discontinue the Galaxy Note 7 and cease its production. As of October 7,
comments have emerged from former CSPC experts following its launch of the
investigation into the above incident. The lawsuit, filed in the US district court in
California, suggests that the tech malfunctions extend beyond the Galaxy Note 7 and
that Samsung “chose to conceal the problem from the public despite knowing the
foreseeable and predictable risk that the phone may overheat, flame and destruct from
the inside presenting a risk of serious harm or injury”.

The recall had a major impact on Samsung's business in the third quarter of 2016,
with the company projecting that its operating profits would be down by 33% in
comparison to the previous quarter. Credit Suisse analysts estimated that Samsung
would lose at least US$17 billion in revenue from the production and recall of the
Galaxy Note 7.
3.13 RETAILER
By definition, a retailer, or merchant, is an entity that sells goods or commodities
directly to consumers, through various distribution channels with the goal of earning a
profit. That was a very "clinical" definition of a retailer. So think of it this way, a
retailer is a store that provides you with goods or services you need. This store can be
a physical building or online.. In general, retailers don't manufacture the goods they
sell. There are some exceptions to that rule, of course, but usually the retailer is just
the final link in a supply chain that gets a product to a customer. The difference
between retailers and wholesalers is that while retailers sell directly to consumers,
wholesalers sell their goods to other businesses.

There are four main categories of products sold by retailers. These include food, hard
or durable goods (those products that are used over time, such as furniture or cars),
soft goods, like clothing or footwear (which have shorter-term use and life spans) and
arts, such as books, musical instruments or gifts. Stores with brick-and-mortar
locations aren't the only kinds of retailers. One of the largest retailers in the world is
Amazon, which sells its goods entirely online. With any online purchases, it's good to
be careful about how and where you provide information such as credit card numbers
or addresses. Legitimate online retailers should use secure socket layer (SSL)
encryption to protect customers' data. But the term "retailer" can be applied to less-

traditional kinds of businesses, too. For example, an artisan who sells homemade
jewelry at an art festival could also be considered a retailer, if she's selling her
goods to consumers in order to earn a profit.

Retailers can also be service providers. For example, Best Buy sells consumer
electronics. But their Geek Squad department in the middle of the store sells repair
services for those products. Today, a retailer needs to be omni channel. Which means
that they must sell in more than one format or "channel" to be successful. For
example, even Amazon.com has now added physical stores. Today's customer likes to
have multiple options to purchase from their favourite bond.
3.14 MOBILE RETAILING
Modern Marketer’s fascination with mobile is not new – the power of this channel
has been measured, analyzed and talked about for quite some time now, and the
focus is certainly not going away. The value of this channel as a business tool is
undeniable. According to Gartner, by year-end 2016, more than $2 billion in online
shopping will come from mobile digital assistants.

The next frontier for success in this arena is learning how to better personalize the
mobile experience. I expect that in the coming months and years we’ll see businesses
put an increased focus on making mobile personal. To achieve this, marketers must
focus on delivering the “three C’s” of mobile success: Convenience, Customization,
and Commerce. In a nutshell, they need to make it easy, make it personal, and make
buying simple.Analytics plays an important role for marketers as they work to achieve
this goal. Mobile devices have a prominent place in the expanding ecosystem, and
businesses should be leveraging analytics to collect the rich data they provide. Once
consumers have agreed to “opt in,” retailers can learn quite a bit from how they use
their devices to interact with a brand. For example, what products are they most
interested in browsing and buying? How often are purchases made and are there
developing patterns? If a shopper is buying the same box of baby diapers once every
two weeks, for example, they might appreciate a reminder to buy, notifications of
sales or an automated purchase renewal option. Analytics give retailers the power to
identify these patterns and adjust their offerings to better cater to users, in turn
enhancing the convenience, customization and commerce of mobile shopping.

Retailers also track in-store journey of the consumers using mobile apps. Hillshire
brands uses I Beacons to track shoppers’ journey through the aisles of a grocery store
and sends customized discount coupons or ads for their craft sausages when the
shopper approaches that section of the store.

Beyond customized offerings, retailers armed with data science tools can achieve
other business benefits such as leaner operations and better control over enterprise-
wide assets by taking advantage of predictive analytics capabilities to determine
inventory, assortment and pricing models. Walmart is one such retailer which has
updated its mobile app with search my store feature. The application allows in-store
shoppers to search using keywords and product names, to find the real-time inventory,
pricing and the accurate in-store location. This gives the shoppers a digitally enhanced
experience. Consumers also tend to use their phones to tap into and contribute to
social channels, another gold mine of consumer data. Social channels are a great
source for consumer information because, generally speaking, users are there to
interact with their friends and are more likely to share true opinions, experiences and
feedback about products or brands. With the aid of advanced social analytics tools,
retailers can tap into these networks to gauge feedback and sentiment to improve
shopping experiences, on mobile devices and otherwise. The mobile commerce
journey is changing. People are managing an increasing percentage of their lives on
mobile devices, and mobile commerce is getting a growing share of the ecommerce
pie. Mobile certainly presents challenges for retailers delivering a superior experience
while dealing with a small user interface, short consumer attention span and myriad
other hurdles is no easy feat. But, with the power of social and digital analytics at
their side, the growth of this channel also presents opportunities. Retailers who win
the mobile game going forward will be those that tap powerful analytic tools to truly
achieve the critical “three C’s” of mobile retail’s success.
CHAPTER IV
 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

Table 4.1

Reasons for providing Samsung mobiles

Reasons Respondents Percentage

Brand image 24 48

Availability 15 30

Price 11 22

Total 50 100

Chart 4.1

Reasons for providing Samsung mobiles

50
45
40
35
30
25 Percentage
20
15
10
5
0
Brand image Availability Price

INTERPRETATION

Chart 4.1 shows that most of the respondent says that brand image is the main reason
why retailers provide Samsung. 30% people says that availability is one of the reason
and rest of them says price is the reason.
 Table 4.2
Customer response towards Samsung mobiles

Experience Respondents Percentage

Excellent 16 32

Good 20 40

Average 12 24

Below average 2 4

Total 50 100

Chart 4.2

Customer response towards Samsung mobiles

40

35

30

25

20 Percentage
15

10

0
Excellent Good Average Below
average

INTERPRETATION

From the chart 4.2 it is understood that customer response towards Samsung is good.
40% respondent states that customer response towards Samsung is good, 24%
respondent says that customers have an average opinion about Samsung and 4% have
the below average opinion.
 Table 4.3

Age group of Samsung users

Age group Respondents Percentage

Less than 20 7 14

20-30 19 38

30-40 11 22

Above 40 13 26

Total 50 100

Chart 4.3

Age group of Samsung users

40

35

30

25

20
Percentage
15

10

0
Less than 20 20-30 30-40 Above 40

INTERPRETATION

Chart 4.3 shows that 38% of respondent says that people in the age group of 20-30 are
the main people purchases Samsung mobile most, 26% of respondent says that people
in the age group of 40 above are the main users of Samsung, 22% of people says that
people in the age group of 30-40 are the users of Samsung, rest of them says people in
the age group of below 20 are using the Samsung most.
 Table 4.4

Availability of Samsung mobiles

Experience Respondents Percentage

Excellent 15 30

Good 18 36

Average 10 20

Below average 7 14

Total 50 100

Chart 4.4

Availability of Samsung mobiles

40

35

30
25

20 Percentage
15
10
5

0
Excellent Good Average Below
average

INTERPRETATION

Chart 4.4 shows that 36% of respondent says that the availability of Samsung is good,
30% says that the availability of Samsung is excellent, 20% people responds it as
average and 14% of people says that availability of Samsung is below average
 Table 4.5

Promotional support providing by Samsung

Experience Respondents Percentage

Excellent 14 28

Good 18 36

Average 10 20

Below average 8 16

Total 50 100

Chart 4.5

Promotional support providing by Samsung

Excellent
Good
Average
Below average

INTERPRETATION

Chart 4.5 shows that 36% of people says that promotional support that has been
provided by Samsung is good, 28% responds that promotional support is excellent,
20% of people says that promotional support is average and 16% says that
promotional support is below average.
 Table 4.6

Price of Samsung mobiles compared to other brands

Experience Respondents Percentage

Very high 10 20

High 15 30

Reasonable 20 40

Low 5 10

Total 50 100

Chart 4.6

Price of Samsung mobiles compared to other brands

Very high
High
Reasonable
Low

INTERPRETATION

From the chart 4.6 we can interpret that 40% of respondent says that price of Samsung is
reasonable, 30% of people says that price of Samsung is high, 20% of respondent says
that price is very high and rest of them says price is low.
 Table 4.7

Quality of Samsung mobiles compared to other mobiles

Experience Respondents Percentage

Very high 12 24

High 19 38

Normal 15 30

Low 4 8

Total 50 100

Chart 4.7

Quality of Samsung mobiles compared to other mobiles

40

35

30

25

20
Percentage
15

10

0
Very high High Normal Low

INTERPRETATION

Chart 4.7 shows that 38% of respondent says that quality of Samsung is high,24% of
people says that quality of Samsung is very high,30% of people have a normal opinion
and 8% have a low opinion about quality of Samsung.
 Table 4.8

Discounts offered by Samsung Mobiles

Experience Respondents Percentage

Very attractive 13 26

Attractive 17 34

No attractive 12 24

No offer 8 16

Total 50 100

Chart 4.8

Discounts offered by Samsung Mobiles

Very attractive
Attractive
No attractive
No offer

INTERPRETATION

From the chart 4.8 we understood that34 %of respondent says that discount offers given
by Samsung is attractive,26% of people have find it very attractive,24% of people doesn’t
find it attractive and rest of them says there is no offer.
 Table 4.9

Mobile brands having more sales than Samsung mobiles

Brand Respondents Percentage

Apple 21 42

HTC 18 36

Lenovo 8 16

LG 3 6

Total 50 100

Chart 4.9

Mobile brands having more sales than Samsung mobiles

LG

Lenovo

Percentage
HTC

Apple

0 10 20 30 40 50

INTERPRETATION

From the chart 4.9 we can interpret that 21% of the respondents says that Apple having
more sales than Samsung, 36% of employees says that HTC is having more sales and
16% responds that Lenovo is having more sales than Samsung.
 Table 4.10

Unique feature of Samsung from other brands

Features Respondents Percentage

Battery 13 26

RAM 12 24

Display 15 30

Camera 10 20

Total 50 100

Chart 4.10

Unique feature of Samsung from other brands

30

25

20

15 Percentage

10

0
Battery RAM Display Camera

INTERPRETATION

Chart 4.10 shows that 30% of people says that unique feature of Samsung from other
brand is its display, 26% responds that battery power, 24% says Ram is the best feature of
Samsung and rest of the 20% says that camera is the unique feature of Samsung.
 Table 4.11

Recalling of mobiles affects Samsung’s sales

Recalling of Samsung Respondents Percentage

mobiles affects sales

Yes 35 70

No 15 30

Total 50 100

Chart 4.11

Recalling of mobiles affects Samsung’s sales

70

60

50

40
Percentage
30

20

10

0
Yes No

INTERPRETATION

From the chart 4.11 we can interpret that most of the people says that recalling of
Samsung mobiles affected their sales and 30% of respondent says that recalling of
Samsung product doesn’t affect their sales
 Table 4.12

Discount provided by retailers on Samsung mobiles

Discount offers (in %) Respondents Percentage

5-10 24 48

10-20 15 30

20-25 7 14

Above 25 3 6

Total 50 100

Chart 4.12

Discount provided by retailers on Samsung mobiles

5 to 10
10 to 20
20 to 25
Above 25

INTERPRETATION

Chart 4.12 shows that 48% of retailers are providing 5-10% of discounts to consumers,
30% of people says that it is up to 10-20% ,16% of them responds that discount is 20-
25% and 6% of people says that discount provided by retailers are above 25%.
 Table 4.13

Submission of product system crash report

Submission of product Respondents Percentage

system crash report

Yes 28 56

No 22 44

Total 50 100

Chart 4.13

Submission of product system crash report

60

50

40

30 Percentage

20

10

0
Yes No

INTERPRETATION
From the chart 4.13 we can interpret that 56% of retailers are submitting product system crash
report and 44% of retailers are not submitting the report.
 Table 4.14

Marketing efforts by Samsung mobiles

Marketing efforts Respondents Percentage

Excellent 12 24

Good 21 42

Average 13 26

Below average 4 8

Total 50 100

Chart 4.14

Marketing efforts by Samsung mobiles

45
40
35
30
25
20 Percentage

15
10
5
0
Excellent Good Average Below
average

INTERPRETATION

Chart 4.14 shows that 42% of people says that marketing efforts by Samsung is good,
24% of them have an excellent opinion, 26% of respondents says that it is average, and
rest of the 8 per cent gives a below average opinion about the marketing efforts.
 Table 4.15

Changes in sales of Samsung mobiles from last year

Experience Respondents Percentage

Increase 6 12

Decrease 29 58

No changes 15 30

Total 50 100

Chart 4.15

Changes in sales of Samsung mobiles from last year

70

60

50

40

Percentage
30

20

10

0
Increase Decrease No changes

INTERPRETATION
Chart 4.15 shows that 58% of people says that there is a decrease in the sales of Samsung
compared to last year, 30% of people says that no change has happened in the sales and
12% of people says that there is an increase in sales of Samsung.
 Table 4.16

After sales service provided by Samsung mobiles

Experience Respondents Percentage

Excellent 24 48

Good 11 22

Average 9 18

Below average 6 12

Total 50 100

Chart 4.16
After sales service provided by Samsung mobiles

Below average

Average

Percentage
Good

Excellent

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

INTERPRETATION
From the chart 4.16 we can interpret that 48% of people says that after sales service of
Samsung is excellent, 22% of people says that after sales service provided by Samsung is
good, 18% of them responds that after sales service of Samsung is average and rest of the
12% says that it is below average.
 Table 4.17

Overall opinion about Samsung mobiles

Opinion Respondents Percentage

Excellent 15 30

Good 25 50

Average 9 18

Below average 1 2

Total 50 100

Chart 4.17
Overall opinion about Samsung mobiles

Excellent
Good
Average
Below average

INTERPRETATION
The chart 4.17 shows that 50% of people have a good opinion about Samsung, 30% of
people are having excellent opinion and 18% of people says Samsung have an average
opinion and rest of the 2% of respondent have an below average opinion.
CHAPTER V
 FINDINGS, SUGGESTIONS AND CONCLUSION

5.1 FINDINGS

 From this study it is found that the retailers are providing Samsung mobiles to
their customers mainly because of the brand image that has been earned by
Samsung from many years, availability is also one of the reasons why retailers
choose Samsung, also products with reasonable price is being another reason for
providing Samsung.
 The study reveals that customer response towards Samsung is excellent according
to 32% of retailers, and also 40% of retailers have said about the customer
response as good, 24% of retailers have an average opinion and 4% have got a
below average opinion.
 From the study it is understood that the people in the age group of 20-30 are the
main users of Samsung mobiles, the people in the age group of 30-40 having the
second place in buying Samsung products.
 Comparing to other company the quality of Samsung products are high according
to 38% of people, at the same time 30% of people are saying that Samsung has a
normal quality compared to other mobile brands.
 Discount offers that have been providing by Samsung is attractive for 34% of
retailers in the Thalassery area.
 The study reveals that the battery explosion problem has badly affected the brand
image of Samsung.
 Recalling of few models of Samsung mobiles in the recent time has affected the
sales of retailers negatively.
 Retailers having a good opinion about Samsung..
 This study shows that durability is the main element that is missing in the
Samsung mobiles.
 The study reveals that the sale of Samsung products has decreased compared to
last year.
5.2 SUGGESTIONS

 Samsung has to increase its product longevity.

 Samsung has to increase their advertisements.
 Samsung has to improve their marketing strategies in order to compete with other
brands.
 Samsung has to improve their reputation which has lost recently due to battery
explosion problem.
 It has to increase their product warranty.
 Samsung has to improve their relationship with retailers.
 Samsung has to provide more discount offers.
 Samsung has to focus their sales on every age groups instead of focusing on a
particular group of people.
 Samsung must use quality materials while their production process.
 Finally Samsung has to enhance the production of attractive and innovative
products.
5.3 COCLUSION

The study concludes that the retailers have a good opinion about Samsung mobiles
compared to other brands available. The quality of Samsung products are high according
to the opinion of retailers in the Thalassery area. It is observed that the retailers are
choosing Samsung products mainly because of its brand image and quality.

The study has conducted among the 50 mobile retailers in the Thalassery area and
it has found that Samsung is mainly focused on youth, so if they need to survive in the
market in future too Samsung has to formulate strategic plans which include all the age
groups since there are high competition in the market.

Even if the Samsung has a good image there are some factors which pull customers
not to buy Samsung and that includes its quite cheap build quality, slow software ,faults
in the accessories, less durability and these advantages have big impact in the people .

This study concludes that recently happened battery explosion has largely affected
the brand image of Samsung many people have stopped using Samsung and recalling of
such mobile phones from the market affected the sales of retailers very badly.

The information for the study have collected mainly from questionnaires, internet
and it has found that though there are many good customers who uses only Samsung
even if there are many drawbacks.

Through this study we can conclude that the brand image of Samsung has declined
from the last years since there is a decrease in the sales of Samsung has found among the
50 retailers of Thalassery area.
ANNEXURE
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS

 Gardner, B. a. (1955). The Product and the Brand. .

 Levy, S. (1978). Marketplace Behavior—Its Meaning for Management. Newyork.
 Keller, K. (1993). Conceptualizing, Measuring, and Managing Customer-Based
Brand Equity. Journal of Marketing, , 57, 1-22.
 Saxena, R. (2009). Marketing management. Delhi: Tata McGraw hill
education privite limited.
 Saxena, R. (2009). Marketing Mnagement. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill
Education private limited.
 V S Ramaswamy, S. N. (2009). Marketing Managemnet-Global perspective
indian context. New Delhi: Rajiv Beri for Macmilloan pu blishers India Ltd
 Lassar, W. M. (2012). Measuring Customer-Based Brand Equity. Journal of
Consumer Marketing , 11-19.
 Ashok Ranchhod, C. G. (2012). Marketing Strategies a contemporary Approach.
Noida: Dorling Kindersley(india)Pvt.ltd
 Sonatakki, C. N. (2013). Marketing management on the indian background. New
Delhi: Ajit Printers
 Cherunilam, F. (2014). Business Environment. Mumbai: Himalaya publishing
house
 JagdeepKapoor - Brand mantras
 Dana N,ColetaLascu,Kenneth E DoW -Essentials of marketing -
WEBSITES

 https://provalisresearch.com/uploads/WP_Brand_Image_85X11.pdf
 https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/39327/Sulkunen_Solja.pdf
 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042816300696
 http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/brand-image.html
 http://www.slideshare.net/ranadipparui/study-of-consumer-retailer-perception-
towards-samsung-androidmoblie
QUESTIONNAIRE
Brand Image of Samsung Mobiles :A Retailer survey at Kannur district.

Name of the retailer: ................................................................................................

Name of the retail outlet :.........................................................................................

Phone/Mob No :........................................................................................................

1. Products offered by you

☐ Nokia ☐ Sony ☐ HTC ☐ LG ☐Asus ☐ Samsung

2. No of handsets sold by you in one month an average

☐ 1-10 ☐ 11-20 ☐ 21-30 ☐ 31 and above

3. Customer response towards Samsung mobiles

☐ Excellent ☐ Good ☐Average ☐ Below average

4. Product availability of Samsung in this territory

☐ Excellent ☐ Good ☐Average ☐ Below average

5. What ages of people do you think purchase Samsung mobile most

☐ Less than 20 ☐ 20-30 ☐ 30-40 ☐ 40 and above

6. Your opinion about delivery of products as per your order by Samsung distributor

☐ Excellent ☐ Good ☐Average ☐ Below average

7. Marketing efforts of Samsung mobiles compared to its competitors

☐ Excellent ☐ Good ☐Average ☐ Below average

8. Promotional support that have been provided by company

☐ Excellent ☐ Good ☐Average ☐ Below average

9. Your overall opinion about Samsung mobiles with regard to their relationship
with you

☐ Excellent ☐ Good ☐Average ☐ Below average

10. Comparing to other company the price of Samsung mobiles are

☐Very high ☐ High ☐ Reasonable ☐ Low

11. Comparing to other products the quality of Samsung mobiles are

☐Very high ☐ High ☐ Normal ☐ Low

12. Your opinion about the discount offers that is offered by Samsung

☐Very attractive ☐Attractive ☐ Not attractive ☐ No offer

13. After sales service that have been provided by the company is

☐ Excellent ☐ Good ☐Average ☐ Below average

14. Do you think does the price of Samsung mobiles affects your customer choice of
products

☐Yes ☐ No

15. Which is the mobile brand do you think having more sales than Samsung

☐Apple ☐ HTC ☐ Lenovo ☐ LG

16. Do you think the battery explosion has effected Samsung’s brand image

☐Yes ☐ No

17. Did the recalling of Samsung mobiles affect your sales

☐Yes ☐ No

18. Do you submit the product system crash report

☐Yes ☐ No
19. What percentage of discount do you provide on Samsung mobiles

☐ 5-10 ☐ 10-20 ☐ 20-25 ☐Above 25

20. What are the elements that you miss in Samsung mobiles

☐ Durability ☐ Features ☐Availability

THANKYOU