Research Journal of Commerce & Behavioural Science - RJCBS

and self-concepts, particularly in case of Indian Woman,
influencing the purchase of branded apparels. Around 100
females of 25-35 years were interviewed and further study
was done on the basis of these five factors which influence
brand equity.
Brand loyalty
Brand loyalty has always been a key concern for the
marketers. It provides a dramatic insulation against the
competition and provides an opportunity to command the
premium. Brand loyalty is one of the core components of
brand equity and also positively and directly affected brand
equity (Atilgan et al., 2005). Under the influence of brand
loyalty, consumers continue to buy the brand, regardless of
the superior features, prices and convenience owned by its
competitors (Aaker, 1991). Brand loyalty leads to repeat
purchase, brand recommendation, word of mouth and
customer satisfaction. In case of apparels, it was found that
almost 80% female consumers of lucknow are loyal to retail
outlets rather than being loyal to a particular brand specially
in case of Indian casual wear. The factors which influence
the customer loyalty are accessibility, current fashion trends,
quality of dress material, aesthetics of the apparel available
at specific outlet.
Brand awareness
It refers to the ability of a potential consumer to recall and
recognize the brand, linking the brand with its
corresponding product class (Aaker, 1991). Brand
awareness includes brand recognition and recall i.e., the
ability to confirm prior exposure and remember the brand.
This sort of awareness is essential for a brand to be able to
take part in the decision process. It is very important for a
marketer to create brand awareness so that a consumer
knows and makes it one of the purchasing choice.
It has been noted that brands with higher level of awareness
would be more likely to be purchased (Yasin et al., 2007)
and consumers tend to buy a recognizable brand rather than
an unfamiliar one (Hoyer, 1990; Macdonaldand Sharp,
2000). As mentioned by Keller (1998), brand awareness can
be enhanced through repeat exposure to the brand. The topof-the-mind
awareness indicates the relative superiority a
brand enjoys over others and develops a stronger positioning
in the mind. During the research it was also found that
female consumers at Lucknow prefers to purchase the
apparel brands which are known to them as it easily access
the association of the brand with attributes and benefits. It
also generates familiarity in the mind of consumers in
apparel purchase and supports during the decision making
process. According the female consumers at lucknow , they
consider brand awareness as a very important factor in
purchasing of Indian casual apparel .
Brand Association
Brand association is defined as the specific linkage between
the memory and the brand (Aaker, 1991). Keller (1998) and
Yasin et al. (2007) further note that equity of a brand is
largely supported by consumers’ associations towards the
brand, which contribute to a specific brand image. A brand
may have connected associations of feelings , characters,
symbols, lifestyle users etc. and can influence recall of
information and is especially important during decision
making. Keller (1993, 1998) further divides brand
associations into three categories, namely attributes, benefits
and attitudes. As in case of luckow consumers mentioned
above that the females purchasing Indian casual apparel
brands are not much loyal to branded clothes but shows
brand loyalty towards retail outlets, brand association
provides bases to them to purchase the branded clothes and
even make them brand loyal. According to consumers at
lucknow, the apparel brands are preferred due to its
association with the endorser or the local culture. The brand
association triggers to the customers to recall the past
experiences, and its unique sets of associations to
differentiate one brand from another.
Perceived Quality
Perceived quality can be defined as the customer's
perception of the overall quality or superiority of a product
or service with respect to its intended purpose, relative to
alternatives (Aaker 1991). According to various research
work conducted in past , it is know that a brand name
enhances the perceived quality of a product. Perceived
quality of a product gives a powerful reason to the customer
to consider and buy a specific brand. Only brands that are
perceived to be of a good quality are considered for a
purchase decision and rest are all eliminated. it also allows
the brand to acquire a position and differentiate and gives
branded products an option for charging premium. In case of
females purchasing apparel in lucknow feels that the
branded apparel are considered to be of high quality only
where the customer involvement is low. The branded
apparels are considered to be of good quality but this is not
the only reason to end up purchasing the branded apparels.
Taking the quality considerations in a brand, the gap
between the actual and perceived quality and its pricing
plays a big role in apparel purchase.
Self-Concepts
According to Pervin and John (2001), selfconcept is often
viewed as a component of personality. A number of
researchers have suggested that there is a positive
association between self-concept and brand image (Levy,
1959; Sirgy 1982; Sirgy and Su, 2000; Sirgy, Grewal and
Mangleburg, 2000; Johar and Sirgy, 1991). Self-concept is
hypothesised to consist of four components, actual selfconcept,
ideal self-concept, social self-concept and ideal
social self-concept (Schiffman et al., 2001). To understand
consumer’s self-perception, self-concept and self-image has
a greater importance for marketers to be familiar with their
consumption behavior and the reason is mostly when
consumer’s take any buying decision when they are
influenced by their self-image. People purchase products to
help them show a certain image of themselves to other
people. Individuals use fashion related products to reflect
their self-image and fashion related clothes to reflect their
self-concept. It is seen that in apparel purchase self-concept
plays the most important role during the decision making.
www.theinternationaljournal.org > RJCBS: Volume: 01, Number: 08, June-2012 Page 44