Invisible Products Of The Youth Across Delhi Ncr

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

There are a lot of Branded products that can be seen everywhere around us at all time, & is a way of communication for the buyer of the product but is difficult to create brand awareness when the commodity is not visible/hidden. The apparel industry is one business where branding is a common way for companies to differentiate from competition and gain competitive advantage. A branded product may not differ from another when it comes to quality, the brands are different, and this will lead to a perceived diversity between the products. Hidden products (Briefs & Socks) differ from external and visible apparel in general, due to the fact that they are actually hidden underneath other clothes. It can be assumed that branding in the underwear industry or that of other invisible product like socks will differ from branding of other apparel.

The overall understanding of invisible products and brands is that they are bought primarily to fulfill the customer’s need of feeling comfortable and leverage upon people’s desire of well-being. An invisible brand cannot leverage upon its user to the same extent as other products, since it is not shown to the public.

INTRODUCTION

It was history when women mostly wives or mothers used to purchase innerwear for their husband or son. Indian male of this new era are well aware of the prevailing fashion trends in the innerwear market. Men nowadays can be seen on lingerie shops or other various outlets looking for the right style of innerwear for themselves.

Men no longer are carefree for their innerwear’s. With the changing men’s fashion in India the men’s innerwear segment is also affected. What used to be a trivial cloth for centuries, has now come out as a mark of style for most of the Indian males. Nowadays, the Indian man is reportedly showing much interest in the innerwear segment.

The market size of the men’s innerwear industry is over INR 800crore and it is growing at a rate of 40 percent. The reason for the commendable growth of the men’s innerwear industry is an escalating technological development. Nowadays the sophisticated machinery and improved raw materials supply has resulted in a terrific wide range of products ranging from the most conservative to the ones which might be meant for the outrageously adventurous sorts. Innerwear’s nowadays have become something more than that could be worn under clothes. Men’s innerwear are creating a Fashion statement of their own.

Most of the Brands manufacturing the innerwear products put their merchandize under sequence of quality checks that results in a fantastic product that is durable, provides comfort and at the same time it is attractive too. Men’s nowadays wear them in places seashore side and swimming pools.

In 1971, VIP entered the men’s underwear and was a real talk due to its various advertisements. Since then VIP is the leader in men’s and women’s innerwear segment. VIP introduced men’s innerwear somewhere in 2005 called Frenchie X which was introduced to compete with the foreign brands that were in the market. Rupa & Co established in 1985 is another leading brand in this segment of men’s innerwear. It manufactures variety of men’s, women’s and children’s innerwear which makes it India’s biggest innerwear manufacturer and seller. In 90’s Jockey re-entered the Indian Market, Hanes has already set with a very unconventional ad campaign targeted to comfort for the Indian male. Other key players in this segment are Dollar, Amul, Lux Cozi.

Seeing the opportunities in this men’s innerwear market many foreign players are entering this market like Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, FCUK. Brand Marketing India, which launched Calvin Klein Underwear in the country, opened 75 points of sale across 13 cities in the first three years, and is planning to open additional points of sales in new and existing cities. Brand Marketing India is also the exclusive licensee of the French Collection announced the launch of FCUK range of men’s innerwear products.The range started from Rs.199, quality and comfort was given the most preference. The product had bold waistband with the brand name, it was tag less comfort which makes the product distinctive and desirable. Commenting on the launch Mr. Vijay Murjani, CMD, Brand Marketing India said "We are extremely excited to be launching the FCUK men’s underwear line in India. I am confident that the range will continue to reaffirm FCUK as the edgy and attitudinal International premium brand in India, and establish us as the leader in the young urban underwear market, by offering fashion forward products at competitive prices."

The question arises that even if this cloth is worn under outer garments then what is the need of so many variations and designs and such a big range. The answer to the question is very simple, Different styles of underwear provide a liberty to men to choose from amongst various styles for their indoor and outdoor activities.

Latest Trends and Styles

 

At present in India, many companies have mushroomed up, offering different styles and varieties of men’s undergarments at a nominal cost. Some of the basic and unusual styles of underwear’s that are on offer in the Indian markets are as follows :

 

‘Frenchie’ Briefs 

‘Frenchie’ briefs are immensely popular amongst the Indian men nowadays. These are Y- shaped briefs and are very popular as a swimwear, besides everyday wearing. These provide a firm support to the wearer’s genitals and are widely appreciated by male sportsmen and athletes in India.

 

Boxer Briefs 

Boxer brief is a hybrid product providing the benefits of both, boxer shorts and briefs. These are long on the legs like shorts and usually have a tight fitting like briefs. These briefs are designed mainly for everyday wearing. Men can choose from their different styles and designs, like access flap, button front and even a pouch design. These briefs are also a good choice for indoor and outdoor sports activities.

 

Boxer Shorts 

The boxer shorts, as its name suggests are similar to any other shorts. The main difference is that, unlike shorts these are worn below trousers or pants. They also have long legs, upto the thighs and have a loose fitting. These are mainly used for everyday wearing.

Medieval Briefs

These briefs are quite similar to the common men’s brief. The only difference is that, these are slightly round in shape and tailored like the women’s panties. Surprised? Don’t worry your masculinity is not in danger because these are absolutely designed for men. These are aptly provided with angled fly-front, gonads pouch and a hidden pocket between your legs. Available in a variety of fabrics and colors, these are swiftly gaining popularity in the Indian male undergarments market.

Objective(s)

To stdy the consumer behavior towards invisible products such as briefs and socks.

To know the factors affecting while purchasing such invisible products.

To know the advertising strategies for such invisible products.

To know the consumer preference of Brand over Quality.

LITERATURE REVIEW

To understand the consumer behavior we should be able to make out who would be our customer. Identifying our prospective customer is the key factor. Lehman and Winer identified the following roles for marketers to distinguish:

1. Initiator (the one who identifies the need for product).

2. Influencer (the one who has informational or preference input to the decision).

3. Decider (the one who makes the final decision through budget authorization).

4. Purchaser (the one who makes the actual purchase).

5. User (the one who uses the product)

It should also be kept in mind what the customers buy. Understanding this behavior of customers is also very essential so that the product can be customized accordingly. A customer buys either a product or service which includes benefits, brand, features. The problem is though, for the organization to understand what benefits that different segments and customer groups are looking for. Knowing the customer requirements, different attributes and benefits he is looking for would help in brand assessment and brand positioning. Promoting the product in an influential manner would help the consumer to invest in it. The associated benefits and various product attributes would further support the advertisements. The customers’ choice is based upon all the information about the product that is available for the customer such as advertisements, brochures, in-store personnel and the increased usage of internet. The critical factor to target targeting the right set of customers could how to determine why customers prefer a certain product and what influence buyer in the purchase decision. The customer-value of a brand consists of three basic essentials:

1. Importance of the usage situation

2. Effectiveness of the product category in the situation

3. Relative effectiveness of the brand in the situation

"A brand is a name, term, sign o symbol, or design , or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers" – (Keller, 2003, p.3).

After analyzing all the above factors branding the product in the right way is very necessary to reach the target market effectively.

"Branding is to help achieve and maintain a loyal customer base in a cost effective way in order to achieve the highest possible returns on investment" – (Costantino, 1998 p.60).

According to Kotler, Armstrong, Saunders and Wong (2001) the brand can be divided into four different levels.

• Attributes: A watch can be nice looking, have many technological features and be expensive.

• Advantages: An expensive watch may give the owner a certain status, or one with many features may help the owner be on time. One should look upon the advantages with the attributes in mind.

• Values: The buyers of a specific brand will most likely share values with the brand, i.e. the customers of BMW probably value performance, comfort and prestige.

• Personality: One can compare a brand with human attributes, and if the brand was actually a person what type of person would it be?

Aaker, D. (1991). Managing brand equity : Capitalizing on the value of a brand name. The Free Press, New York.

Review

The most important assets of any business are intangible: its company name, brands, symbols, and slogans, and their underlying associations, perceived quality, name awareness, customer base, and proprietary resources such as patents, trademarks, and channel relationships. These assets, which comprise brand equity, are a primary source of competitive advantage and future earnings. Aaker concludes, really understand the concept of brand equity and how it must be implemented. In a fascinating and insightful examination of the phenomenon of brand equity, Aaker provides a clear and well-defined structure of the relationship between a brand and its symbol and slogan, as well as each of the five underlying assets, which will clarify for managers exactly how brand equity does contribute value.

Baskin, M. (2003). Brand new brand thinking : Brought to life by 11 experts who do. London, Great Britain: Kogan Page, Limited.

Review

The way the advertising industry operates has changed vastly in the last 15 years. Innovative and groundbreaking ways of thinking about branding are constantly developing, and due to the sheer volume of material published on the subject, it is almost impossible to keep up with all the latest important ideas available online, in journals, in books and at conferences. Each chapter is written by an outspoken expert with a new perspective on the traditional themes of strategy, research, creativity and collaboration.

Kvale, S. (1996) The social construction of validity. In Interviews. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. A look at validity

Review

Kvale lists The matizing as the first stage. In this stage the validity depends on 'the soundness of the theoretical presuppositions of a study'. The theory must be stable and logical conclusions about the research questions must be made.

The second stage is Designing in which validity is dependant on the 'adequacy of the design'. The particular method used will also affect the degree of validity. Kvale states that in order for a research design to be valid it should involve beneficence.

The third stage is that of Interviewing .In this stage validity is dependant on the Interviewers ability to produce a good interview.

Transcribing is the following stage.

The fifth stage is Analysing .In this stage the validity of the questions in the interview and the interpretation are questioned.

The next stage is Validating. It entails a reflective look on the process questioning the needs of the study.

The final stage is Reporting. This stage questions the validity of the report as an account of the main findings of the study. It also looks at the role of the reader in validating the results.

There are several challenges to validity in qualitative research; these challenges can be overcome by the mentioned steps. The importance of validity cannot be emphasised further, thus it is vital that these steps are taken.

Silverman, G. (2001). The Secrets of word-of-mouth marketing: How to trigger exponential sales through runaway word of mouth – Amacon, New York.

Review

The surprising truth is that word of mouth can be implemented as strategically as any other form of marketing--and at significantly lower cost! the innovative Decision Matrix, which helps readers identify who their potential buyers are and what messages those prospects need to hear from friends, coworkers, and trusted advisors. This matrix is followed by step-by-step guidance on how to construct an integrated "no vested interest" campaign that leverages all channels (including traditional media, the Internet, and PR), penetrates successive tiers of audiences, and builds sales exponentially

Technopak Advisors Pvt. Ltd. Fashion Business: In-Tune with Retail Evolution

Review

India in recent years has been the focal point of continuous growth and development making it one of the fastest growing economies of the world. It is the 4th largest economy in terms of Purchasing Power Parity, after USA, China & Japan, and is rated among the top 10 FDI destinations.

The Indian consumer is evolving and driving retail growth due to increased consumption. Private consumption growth contributes to more than half of the GDP growth and is growing in double digit figures. Several businesses are reacting to this evolution positively, both through pull and push phenomenon.

Following a similar trend, the Indian textile and apparel industry is also experiencing rapid changes and growth. Apparel today has the largest share of the modern organized retail in India i.e. 20% of the current market of Rs. 56,000 crore and this is expected to grow at a constant rate of 20% over the next 4 years.

Mohan and Gupta (2007). Retail Preferences of Consumers

Review

Their study revealed that personalized attention and service is the most important factor for consumers. Specialty, popularity and credibility are next in importance for consumers. Travel and shopping convenience is ranked third in importance and is a reflection on the paucity of time in the lives of consumers. Repeated satisfaction and reward is next and loyalty incentive programs are increasingly being implemented by modern retailers to address this factor. Display is an important factor for a large segment of male consumers, particularly those in the age group of 20-30 years.

icf.edu.in/marketupdate/Indian fashion industry.pdf. India In The Global Fashion Industry

Review

India is a very big exporter of fabrics and accessories. India’s strengths not only depends on its tradition, but also in its raw materials. India provides fabrics to the international fashion houses at competitive prices with shorter lead time and an effective monopoly in design which cover elaborated and embroidery. Indian garments embellishment with bead work in another area which is in demand in international market.

Bergstrom and Skarfstad (2004). Influence On Buying Behavior of Men

Review

The study states that the buying behavior of the young has been influenced to a large extent by the marketing campaigns and the marketing communications used to attract the young consumers companies usually use talent celebrity endorsements like movie actors, models, athletes or famous people. Brands have personalities or images, and consumers seek those brands that match their self-image or the image they would like to project to others. Self concept is important to the young as self-perception motivate behavior, giving control and direction to human performance. The young consumers are not conformist. They do not want to confirm to societal or group norms and are individualistic in their choice, although minor differences can be found in different societies of the world. The young give importance to self-concept and the brand must communicate a sense of well- being and self respect. The youth want the luxury brands that match their lifestyle. They are very conscious of the luxury labels available and they have access to them as the young have higher disposable incomes. What was considered rare and precious has become an object of compulsive buying if it matches the self-image of the young.

Dhruv Grewal, R.Krishnan, Julie Bake, Norm Borin. The Effect of Store Name, Brand Name and Price Discounts on Consumers' Evaluations and Purchase In1tentions

Review

This study makes several important theoretical contributions. First, it has been shown both

Conceptually and empirically that internal reference price is influenced by price discounts, brand’s perceived quality, and brand name. Also, the direct and indirect effects of price discounts, brand name and store name explained 41 % of the variance in purchase intention. Therefore, although these three cues are not the only cues consumers are likely to use in assessing intentions to buy, they are certainly key variables that should be included by retailers when examining the effectiveness of their merchandising strategy. Brand name and price discounts explain 85% of the variation in perceived value. Retailers therefore, must pay particular attention to merchandise selection and price discount strategies as they play an important role in shaping consumer's perceptions of value.

George Baltas, (1997) "Determinants of store brand choice: a behavioral analysis", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 6 Iss: 5, pp.315 – 324

Review

Understanding the store brand buyer is a central issue for strategic brand management because of the increasing market shares of private label products. Offers an analytical framework and introduces a behavioral approach for understanding what makes consumers more responsive to store products. For the first time, uses panel data in a choice model which is shown to explain actual behavior successfully. Identifies many important determinants of store brand proneness and yields clear implications for marketing managers of both national and retailer brands.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

The research design and the methodology is to be followed while conducting a research is the most important phase of the study. A research design as a master plan specifying the methods and procedures for collecting and analyzing the needed information. It is seen that how the research question is going to be answered. The ways and methods that were followed in the research are discussed in this chapter.

Research Methodology

The research methodology that was followed in this study was according to the scientific method of conducting research. A scientific method as the techniques or procedures used to analyze empirical evidence in an attempt to confirm or disapprove prior conceptions. Empirical mean something that is testifiable and verifiable. And in case of this research the empirical evidence was collected with the help of administering questionnaires.

The questionnaire is a technique to collect data. It is used in the Survey method to collect data. The survey method is the most common technique of collecting data. Survey method is defined as a data collecting technique in which information is gathered from a sample of respondents through administering questionnaires. A list of questions that can be open ended or close ended with choices can be given in the questionnaire. In the case of this research, the questionnaire contained close ended questions for the better interpretation of results.

Sample Size

The sample size selected for the present study was 150. Questionnaires were administered among 150 respondents. A sample questionnaire has been presented in the appendix section.

Sample Characteristics

Sampling for the research questionnaires was based on convenience. Actually, the participants were divided into three different categories depending on various characteristics. The division was based on age, gender, and occupation to have a more representative and comprehensive sample. This thing also enhanced the generalization factor of the research which is very important.

Rationale, Nature and Purpose of the Study

Branded products can be seen everywhere around us at all time, & is a way of communication for the buyer of the product but is difficult to create brand awareness when the commodity is not visible/hidden. The apparel industry is one business where branding is a common way for companies to differentiate from competition and gain competitive advantage. A branded product (t-shirt) may not differ from another when it comes to quality, the brands are different, and this will lead to a perceived diversity between the products. Hidden products (Briefs & Socks) differ from external and visible apparel in general, due to the fact that they are actually hidden underneath other clothes. It can be assumed that branding in the underwear industry will differ from branding of other apparel.

The nature of the study is descriptive and explorative. Zikmund (2003) describes the descriptive study as a research designed to describe characteristics of a population or a phenomenon. Exploratory study is defined as the research that is used to clarify and explore the research problem

Instrument & Strategy

The instrument that was selected for the finding of the data was a Questionnaire.Close ended questions were built by utilizing the Likert and rank order scale.

Data Analysis

The data analysis was done to draw out conclusions from the data to present the answer to the statement of the problem. Zikmund 2003 defined descriptive analysis as the transformation of raw data into a form that will make them easy to understand and interpret, and then to draw conclusions out of it. The data analysis in this case was done by first showing and placing the data in the sample frequency distribution of members against the possible responses given in the questions. These responses were also placed in the graphs and charts. Also the hypotheses were proven using the SPSS software by way of calculating the single tailed t-test, cross tabulation and chi square test.

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

Gender * Q1). How often do you shop in an apparel showroom? Crosstabulation

Count

Q1). How often do you shop in an apparel showroom?

Total

Once in Month

Once in Two Months

Special Occasions

When necessary

Gender

Male

50

30

4

66

150

Total

50

30

4

66

150

Age * Q1). How often do you shop in an apparel showroom? Crosstabulation

Count

Q1). How often do you shop in an apparel showroom?

Total

Once in Month

Once in Two Months

Special Occasions

When necessary

Age

16yr-20yr

0

0

0

2

2

21yr-25yr

39

25

3

59

126

26yr-30yr

11

5

1

5

22

Total

50

30

4

66

150

Profession * Q1). How often do you shop in an apparel showroom? Crosstabulation

Count

Q1). How often do you shop in an apparel showroom?

Total

Once in Month

Once in Two Months

Special Occasions

When necessary

Profession

Student

27

13

1

34

75

Working

18

12

2

27

59

Business

5

5

1

5

16

Total

50

30

4

66

150

Profession * Q2). Where do you mostly like to buy your garments from? Crosstabulation

Count

Q2). Where do you mostly like to buy your garments from?

Total

Exclusive Outlets

One Stop Shtores(Malls)

Private Outlets

Profession

Student

31

34

10

75

Working

18

35

6

59

Business

5

11

0

16

Total

54

80

16

150

Age * Q2). Where do you mostly like to buy your garments from? Crosstabulation

Count

Q2). Where do you mostly like to buy your garments from?

Total

Exclusive Outlets

One Stop Shtores(Malls)

Private Outlets

Age

16yr-20yr

1

0

1

2

21yr-25yr

45

68

13

126

26yr-30yr

8

12

2

22

Total

54

80

16

150

Age * Q3). Rate the following two parameters in which they appear important to you? [Product] Crosstabulation

Count

Q3). Rate the following two parameters in which they appear important to you? [Product]

Total

Least Important

Not So Important

Neutral

Important

Very Important

Age

16yr-20yr

0

0

1

1

0

2

21yr-25yr

3

5

14

46

58

126

26yr-30yr

1

1

3

9

8

22

Total

4

6

18

56

66

150

Age * Q3). Rate the following two parameters in which they appear important to you? [Brand] Crosstabulation

Count

Q3). Rate the following two parameters in which they appear important to you? [Brand]

Total

Not So Important

Neutral

Important

Very Important

Age

16yr-20yr

1

0

1

0

2

21yr-25yr

6

26

59

35

126

26yr-30yr

3

4

10

5

22

Total

10

30

70

40

150

Profession * Q3). Rate the following two parameters in which they appear important to you? [Product] Crosstabulation

Count

Q3). Rate the following two parameters in which they appear important to you? [Product]

Total

Least Important

Not So Important

Neutral

Important

Very Important

Profession

Student

1

4

8

29

33

75

Working

2

1

7

23

26

59

Business

1

1

3

4

7

16

Total

4

6

18

56

66

150

Profession * Q3). Rate the following two parameters in which they appear important to you? [Brand] Crosstabulation

Count

Q3). Rate the following two parameters in which they appear important to you? [Brand]

Total

Not So Important

Neutral

Important

Very Important

Profession

Student

5

17

32

21

75

Working

2

12

29

16

59

Business

3

1

9

3

16

Total

10

30

70

40

150

Profession * Q4). Does the opinion differ when it comes to invisible products (Briefs and Socks)? Crosstabulation

Count

Q4). Does the opinion differ when it comes to invisible products (Briefs and Socks)?

Total

Yes

No

Profession

Student

33

42

75

Working

24

35

59

Business

5

11

16

Total

62

88

150

Profession * Q5). You prefer being with one brand or like to change from time to time.? Crosstabulation

Count

Q5). You prefer being with one brand or like to change from time to time.?

Total

One Brand

Change From Time to Time

Profession

Student

29

45

74

Working

22

36

58

Business

7

9

16

Total

58

90

148

Age * Q5). You prefer being with one brand or like to change from time to time.? Crosstabulation

Count

Q5). You prefer being with one brand or like to change from time to time.?

Total

One Brand

Change From Time to Time

Age

16yr-20yr

0

2

2

21yr-25yr

51

73

124

26yr-30yr

7

15

22

Total

58

90

148

Profession * Q6). You prefer expensive brands or comparatively cheaper brands when it comes to invisible products. Crosstabulation

Count

Q6). You prefer expensive brands or comparatively cheaper brands when it comes to invisible products.

Total

Expensive Brands

Comparitively Cheaper Brands

Profession

Student

45

30

75

Working

39

20

59

Business

8

8

16

Total

92

58

150