BRAND PERSONALITY OF DIFFERENT SHOE

BRANDS AMONG FITNESS ENTHUSIASTS AND NON-

FITNESS ENTHUSIASTS
Project Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

OF

BANGALORE SOUTH UNIVERSITY

By

NIKHIL PARASHARAM KADOLKAR

Reg. no: 184BCMD030

Under the guidance of

Dr. GNANA PRAKASH
Designation: Asst.Professor

NATIONAL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Bangalore University
 1. INTRODUCTION

Footwear industries have existed from a very long time as far as we can remember.
Throughout the history of mankind there have been many companies which have
manufactured different variety of footwear for the people, due to the increase in
competition and lack of differentiation some of the companies ceased to exist. As a
solution to overcome the conditions of counterfeiting and similar products, the companies
started differentiating themselves by creating brands.

Earlier the companies were just known as a place of work and faceless institutions that
were all similar to one another. But as a result of branding the companies started
differentiating themselves and were recognized as separate entity. These brands
represented the company with a name, image and value.

“Brand can be defined as a unique sign, design, symbol, name or a combination of all
these which create an image that identify the product and differentiate it from its
competitors. Over the time this brand becomes associated with a level of credibility,
quality and satisfaction in consumer’s mind.

On the other hand - Brand Image and Brand Personality are two most important elements
of the Brand.

Brand Image –The general impression of a brand in a consumers mind.

Brand Personality – Assigning human characteristics to a brand.

The concept of personality is well established in the psychology literature. People are
often described by adjectives which denote characteristic ways in which humans respond
to their environment. Research in psychology has identified five dimensions or factors
which can be used to describe human beings. It has been found that people can differ
significantly on their scores on each of these five dimensions. The concept of brand
personality has been used by marketing practitioners and academics. Advertising
practitioners have applied the concept of brand personality in their quest for improving
the impact and effectiveness of brand related communication. Brand personality denotes
the character of the brand and the way the brand would speak of the product or service if
it were a person.

Academic research in brand personality has gained momentum after Aaker’s (1997)
article in which she presented a scientifically developed scale for measuring brand
personality. Jeniffer Aaker first developed a scale consisting of 42 items which loaded on
to five dimensions-Sincerity, Excitement, Competence, Sophistication and Ruggedness.
Aaker’s (1997) brand personality scale has been used either on its own or in conjunction
with other scale items for research on brand personality.

Human beings are constantly making assumptions about brands. We’re answering our
own questions as to whether a brand is suitable for us, by attributing specific
characteristics to it, and figuring out how we reflect the traits of particular companies.

Brand personality is significant for both consumers and marketers .From marketer’s
considerations, brand personality is the components of brand image and brand loyalty
which relate the brand value in the consumer’s mind. When brand personality is
distinctive, desirable and constant, brand personality can build the bonding with the
consumers. To consumers, brand personality conveys self-expressive or symbolic
meaning for consumers. Brand meets consumers need and form connections between
brand image and self-concept of consumers . Such connection is essential for maintaining
long-term relationship with consumer’s. Therefore, it is stated that strong brand
personality created higher emotional ties with brands, increased preference and patronage
which ultimately increased loyalty.
 2. INDUSTRY PROFILE

Footwear industry is growing at a steady pace since the past few years, which includes
various types of footwear like athletic and non-athletic shoes used by individuals of all age
groups and gender. The rising demand for fancy, trendy yet comfortable footwear among all
age groups is a key factor driving the global footwear industry. The global footwear market
is segmented by type of footwear, end users of footwear, various platforms for sale of
footwear, material used, and their sales across various geographies. Asian countries, such as
China and India are major exporters of leather footwear across developed countries (UK and
US).

Leather footwear are premium products occupying a significant market share in the global
market for footwear. Additionally, rising health concerns are influencing individuals to
perform indoor and outdoor physical activities. This trend has generated a high demand for
athletic shoes, in turn increasing the demand for footwear. Over the past decade, the global
market for footwear has witnessed a steady growth and is anticipated to continue at the same
pace in the years to come. The estimation of global market is based on revenue generated by
the sale of footwear across different geographic regions. The athletic footwear industry is
segmented by product type into running shoes, aerobic/gym wear shoes, sports shoes,
trekking/hiking shoes and other product type. By distribution channel the market is
fragmented into shoe stores, sports and athletic goods stores, supermarket/hypermarket, e-
commerce and other distribution channels, which include warehouse clubs, flagship
Stores. By end user the marker is fragmented into men, women and children.

Market players are also focusing on expanding their sales channels through different web
portals across various regions. Online platforms for purchase of footwear are gaining steady
popularity among teenagers and youths, thereby occupying a significant share among all
distribution channels.  Presently, manufacturers are focusing on developing and innovating
new products, to maintain their market positions.
According to a recent Indian footwear industry report, footwear production is over 22 billion
pairs annually, accounting for approximately 9.6% of the total global footwear output per
year. Due to the fact that India is also the world’s third-largest footwear consumer after
China and the USA, about 90% of the footwear made in India is consumed by the domestic
market and the rest is exported. The footwear market in India is now dominated by men’s
footwear which contributes close to 58% of the total Indian footwear retail market and is
expected grow at a CAGR of 10% by 2020. The women’s footwear segment, however, is
projected to grow at a much faster CAGR of 20%. In term of product type, casual footwear
is the largest product segment in India’s footwear market that contributes approximately
67% of the total footwear retail market.

Moreover, Non-leather footwear accounts for 56% of the overall footwear market in India.
While the industry is currently dominated by the unorganized domestic SME footwear
manufacturers, but with changing consumer behavior and modern lifestyle, the footwear
products made by those medium and large brands are likely to witness a bigger sales in the
near future. Currently, some of the largest footwear manufacturers in India include Bata,
Liberty, Paragon, Relaxo, Adidas, Puma, Skechers, Nike, and Under Armour.
 3. COMPANY PROFILE

As the study is based on the whole athletic shoe industry which consists of many major
brands it is difficult to introduce every brand available in the market, so only a few top
brands according to this study are being introduced who everyone is familiar with they
are 1.) NIKE 2.) PUMA 3.) ADIDAS.

1.) NIKE:
Incorporated on September 8, 1969, this American multinational corporation has
long been dominating the athletic footwear market. It’s also one of the best sports
shoes brands in the world. The sportswear giant with its “Just Do It” slogan has
captured a huge share of the US market and is a leading footwear brand around the
world for products that include athletic apparel, footwear, equipment, and
accessories. Lately, Nike has been struggling to gain a strong footing on its home
turf, where shoppers are flooded with options from rivals Under Armour and Adidas.
However, the company has seen much success overseas in countries like China,
which continues to boost its business. Although Adidas is in a neck-and-neck race
with Nike in the US and everywhere else, the latter is still leading the global market
and is holding onto its number one spot strongly.
 4. NEED OF STUDY

This survey will help us understand the consumers perception towards certain brand of
athletic shoes that they use. It will help us know if the brand personality of shoe brands
affect the consumer buying decision and also help us differentiate the brands depending
upon the brand personality.
 5. LITERATURE REVIEW

Brand personality:
 As per (Fournier, 1998) Consumers agree to the marketing methods to humanize
brands. One such explanation for this is found in the theories of animism, which tells
us that “there exists need by people to anthropomorphize objects in order to facilitate
interactions with the nonmaterial world”.
 (Blackston, 1993; Fournier, 1998; Aaker, 1997) All the mentioned researchers stated
that “anthropomorphization occurs when human qualities are attributed to nonhuman
objects, e.g. brands. Consumers easily assign personality qualities to inanimate
objects like brands in thinking about brands as if they are human characters”. In a
direct way, personality traits are associated with a brand by the people associated to
that brand.
 (Aaker, 1997). Also said that “One direct way to form and influence brand
personality is user imagery”.
 (Avis & Aitken, 2014). The purpose of this paper is an examination of the role of
brand personification in the development of the concepts of brand personality and
brand relationships
 (J.L. Ridgway, 2011).The theories of anthropomorphism and associative learning
theory are used to explain how consumers relate to brand, perceive brand personality,
and form associations. Participants were recruited for the study through the technique
of snowball sampling via Facebook. The survey was distributed over the course of
 two weeks and 184 usable responses were collected. Results indicate that all
hypotheses are supported.
 (A.Ahmad & K.S.Thyagaraj, 2015). Companies have recognized the relevance of
brand personality in shaping consumer behavior and thus necessarily incorporate it in
their brand management strategies. Previous research has suggested that brand
personality increases consumer preference and usage. Given the potential utility of
brand personality for marketers, this paper reviews and analyses the relevant research
and thereby identifies three modes of action of brand personality on consumer
behavior: (i) Brand personality as a vehicle to express functional benefits of a brand
(ii) Brand personality as a reflective symbol of the self of the consumer, and (iii)
Brand Personality as a medium to establish consumer-brand relationship. The results
of the reviewed research indicate that consumer behavior is a function of brand-
consumer personality congruence and consumers can also use brands to extend their
own personality.
 (Fournier, 1998). States that 12 relationships are “purposive, involving at their core
the provision of meaning to the persons who engage them”. Three important sources
of meaning are identified that explain the significance of the relationship for the
person involved; the functional meanings, the psychological/emotional, and the socio-
cultural meanings.
 6. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The main objectives of this study is:

a) To measure the brand personality of different brand of shoes.
b) Whether there is a difference in the brand personality of shoe brands among fitness
enthusiasts and non-fitness enthusiasts.

With this objectives we will come to know why a consumer prefers a specific brand over its
competitors and how are they able to connect with such brands. Also we will be able to find
out how the brand personality of different footwear brands have an effect on the consumer
buying behavior of footwear’s.
 7. RESARCH HYPOTHESIS

The objectives of this study can be fulfilled by the following set of hypothesis:
a) Null Hypothesis (Ho) – There is no significance in the brand personality of athletic shoes
among fitness enthusiasts and non-fitness enthusiasts.

b) Alternate Hypothesis (HA) – There is significance in the brand personality of athletic

shoes among fitness enthusiasts and non-fitness enthusiasts.
 8. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

a) RESEARCH DESIGN:
This study “Brand personality of different shoe brands among fitness enthusiasts and
normal people” is a Descriptive research.

b) SAMPLING TECHNIQUE:
The sampling technique used in this study is: Non-probability sampling: - The sampling
technique in which population is not defined.

The sampling technique relevant for this study is Non-probability sampling. The method
used is Purposive sampling.

c) TYPES OF DATA:
The present study comprises of primary data.

d) AREA OF STUDY:
In this research, the influence of brand personality on consumers specific choice of
footwear’s aged between 18-40 years in Bangalore.

e) SAMPLE SIZE:
 Sample size: - In this study, sample size of respondents selected by convenience
sampling will be 50 respondents.

f) RESEARCH INSTRUMENT:
Questionnaire

g) TOOL USED:
Jennifer Aaker’s 5 dimensions of brand personality.

h) STATISTICAL TOOL:
t-test, at 5% significance

9. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

a) This study is only concerned with two set of people, who exercise on a daily basis in the
gym and who do not exercise in the gym at all.

b) It does not cover all the age groups and types of shoes. It is based only on athletic shoes.

c) Geographic factors may affect the buying behavior of people, this study is limited to
residents of Bangalore.
 10.DATA INTERPRETATION

GRAPH 10.1

Total
Female Male (blank)

22%

78%
The above graph depicts the respondents on the gender basis , in which 11 respondents are
female which accounts to 22% of the total respondents and 39 male respondents which accounts
to the majority of 78% of the graph.

GRAPH 10.2

Total
12

10

Total
6

0
18 19 20 21 22 22.96 23 24 25 30 31 32 40
As many of the fitness enthusiasts are young the average age of all the respondents is 22 years.
Among sample size we can find that that the people aged between 20-25 years have the
responded more.

GRAPH 10.3

Q1.) Do you regularly workout in the gym?

Total

No
Yes
46%
(blank)

54%
The graphical representation of the responses given by the respondents when they were asked if
they regularly worked out in the gym? As shown in the above figure 27 people responded with
their answer being a “yes” and rest 23 people have responded with a “no” dividing the chart into
two parts of 54% being fitness enthusiasts and 46% being non-fitness enthusiasts.

GRAPH 10.4

Q2.) Do you use athletic shoes?

 Total

30%

No
Yes
(blank)

70%

Among the total respondents, 70% which is the majority of the graph (35 respondents) have
agreed to be using athletic shoes. The rest of the respondents 30% say that they do not use
athletic shoes.

GRAPH 10.5

Q3.) Do you prefer a certain brand of shoes?

 Total

16%

No
Yes
(blank)

84%

42 people say that they have prefer a certain brand of shoes which has major part of the graph
accounting to 84% , whereas the remaining 8 people say that they are flexible about the their
shoe brand.

GRAPH 10.6

Q4.) What brand of shoes do you use?

 20
Total
18

16

14

12

10

8
Axis Title

0
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a
as

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jei

ok

d
r

x
r

r
uft
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we
pu

ou
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ar

an
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lan
id

ln

Ni

eb
Pu

Sp
M
oo
m

rm
Po

dl
Ad

Ka

ec
Re

(b
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Sk

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Un
This graph shows us the range of shoe brands which the respondents are using. As we can see
many of the people prefer very well known brands. According to the graph, Nike is used by the
majority of the respondents followed by Puma and Adidas.

GRAPH 10.7

Q6.) What made you choose that brand?

 25 Total

20

15

Axis Title

10

0
Comfort Durability Price Style (blank)

The reason of the respondents to choose the brand of shoes they are using can be explained it
through the chart. 22 people say that they have bought the shoes for it’s comfort, another 20
people say that they bought the shoes because of it’s style, while 6 people associated their reason
to buy the shoes was price and only 2 people out of the total respondents said durability was the
reason to buy the shoes.

GRAPH 10.8

Q7.) How did the shoes perform as per your expectations?

 Total
30

25

20

Axis Title 15

10

0
3 4 5 (blank)

When asked for the shoes performance as per their expectations majority of the respondents said
that they were either satisfied or strongly satisfied with the shoes they use.

GRAPH 10.9

Q8.) Would you refer the same brand of shoes you use, to others?
 Total

2%

No
Yes
(blank)

98%

Out of the total 50 respondents 49 have said that they would refer the same brand they use to
other people.

GRAPH 10.10

Q9.) Would you choose the same brand of shoes in the future?
 Total

12%

No
Yes
(blank)

88%

44 respondents which takes up the major part of the graph 88%, say that they will still choose the
same brand of shoes in the future and the remaining 12% of the respondents did not agree to the
same.

GRAPH 10.11
Q10.) Rate the brand of shoes you use according to the factors?

SINCERITY

Total
9

5 Total

0
12 13 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 30

In the above given table the 6 factors like down to earth, family oriented, cheerful, sentimental,
friendly and daring are summed up into a single dimension “sincerity”.

As we can clearly see from the table majority of the respondents total lies in the range 24-30, 8
of the respondents sum was 24, while 7 respondents got 25 as their sum and another 8
respondent’s sum was 30 which tells us that many of the respondents think that the shoe brand
they use is very sincere towards them.
GRAPH 10.12

EXCITEMENT

Total
12

10

Total
6

0
13 14 16 17 18 19 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

The second dimension of the brand personality “excitement” which also has 6 factors like trendy,
cool, imaginative, unique, up to date, independent can be figured out from the above table.

As we can see the respondents have scored their brand as exciting by 11 people with their total as
30, while 9 people having a total of 24 and 7 people having 28 as their final total. The majority
of respondents have got a total above 23 which says that the respondents think that their brand of
shoes is exciting.
GRAPH 10.13

COMPETENCE

Total
12

10

Total
6

0
14 15 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

The third dimension of brand personality is “competence” which unlike the earlier two
dimensions has a total of 35 rather than 30 because of the 7 factors like reliable, hard working,
intelligence, technical, corporate, successful and confident residing under it.
GRAPH 10.14

SOPHISTICATION

Total
14

12

10

8 Total

0
10 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

The fourth dimension of brand personality is “sophistication” which talks about 5 factors like
upper-class, glamorous, feminine, smooth and masculine taking the total up to 25.

Out of all the respondents 12 have scored their brand the highest possible (25) which is the
highest response for any other total, while 7 of the respondents have scored their brand with a
total of (20) it is the second highest in response, these two take up to the majority of the
respondents so we can say that majority of the respondents have a total score ranging from 20-25
GRAPH 10.15

RUGGEDNESS

Total
16

14

12

10
Total
8

0
4 6 7 8 9 10

INTERPRETATION:

The fifth and last dimension of brand personality is “ruggedness” which is divided into only 2
factors tough and outdoorsy which only brings their total to (10).

We can see from the above graph that 15 people have scored their brand of shoes to a total of 8
which is the highest for a single total, while 13 people have given a perfect 10 to their shoe
brand. Which clearly indicates that majority of the people think that their brand of shoes is
rugged. ss
TABLE 10.1

t – TEST table.

Difference between Fitness enthusiasts and Non-Fitness Enthusiasts on the dimensions of Brand
Personality of Branded Shoes

Type N Mean Std. Mean t-test Sig

Deviatio Difference
n
Sincerity Non- 22 21.818 4.92454 -2.11039 -1.619 .112
Gym 2
Gym 28 23.928 4.28545
6
Excitement Non- 22 23.818 4.81700 -2.32468 -1.853 .070
Gym 2
Gym 28 26.142 4.05256
9
Competence Non- 22 26.772 5.38898 -2.76299 -1.914 .062
Gym 7
Gym 28 29.535 4.80341
7
Sophistication Non- 22 19.318 3.70825 -1.14610 -.945 .349
Gym 2
Gym 28 20.464 4.63866
3
Ruggedness Non- 22 7.7273 1.66710 -.55844 -1.250 .217
Gym
Gym 28 8.2857 1.48716
Source:- SPSS output

This is the table for the t-test where we can find if there is any significance between brand
personality of different shoe brands among fitness enthusiasts and non-fitness enthusiasts.

As we can clearly see from the table there are 5 dimensions of brand personality. For each
dimension there are 28 respondents who are fitness enthusiasts and the remaining 22 respondents
are non-fitness enthusiasts.

As the significance level is 0.05 we can see that all the values among the 5 dimensions is well
above. So there is no significance between the brand personality of shoes among fitness
enthusiasts and non-fitness enthusiasts. So the Ho is accepted.
 FINDINGS

 From the analysis we could find out there are almost equal numbers of fitness enthusiasts
and non-fitness enthusiasts as our respondents.
 Among the total respondents 70% of them use athletic shoes while the other 30% said
they do not use athletic shoes.
 84% of the people have said that they are loyal to certain brands and only prefer them,
whereas 16% keep changing their brand.
 Among the different shoe brands Nike was the favorite as the first choice among
respondents followed by Puma and Adidas.
 Price of branded shoes does not matter to most of the people as they seek factors like
comfort and style the most.
 Many of the respondents are happy with their choice of shoes and say they have
performed extremely well.
 Certain shoe brands have a very good brand image as the respondents said they would
suggest others to use the same brand of shoes they do.
 The loyalty of consumers towards branded shoes is very high as 88% of the respondents
said that they would choose the same brand of shoes in the future also.