Introduction

Companies spend huge amounts of money on advertising. This expenditure is done with the hope that it will result in increased sales. Companies hesitate to cut their advertising budget due to fear of reduced top-line growth. They want the maximum bang out of every penny spent. The options to reach out to buyers in today’s times are varied. Companies are using various media such as social media, TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, brochures, leaflets, hoardings, posters, shopkeepers, dealers, company salesperson demo and others to reach customers. The media preferences of buyers are different in urban and rural India. Companies need to understand this while deciding on the choice of media to be used in urban and rural parts.

This research work is an attempt to understand the importance of media in the decision making of a customer in buying a particular product. It also focuses on finding out relationship between usage of different advertising media and buying decisions in urban and rural areas of India. The respondents from Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata represented urban areas, while respondents from Lucknow, Patiala, Kochi, Hubli and Yatamal represented rural areas. Brand recall and brand awareness may be able to make a difference in customer buying decisions and thereby directly influence brand reputation. Brand awareness and brand recall along with media may be able to create an impact on customer decision making for purchase of a product. Getting deeper insights into this aspect can help companies create a good image of the brands and create sustainable revenue streams in a highly competitive market.

By recalling a brand, the customers remind themselves about the positive as well as negative aspects of product(s) or service(s). It is necessary for companies to create a positive image of their brand so as to appeal to customers looking to buy their product(s) or avail their service(s). Brand recall also reflects in terms of brand loyalty of the customer. Brand unrecalled is perilous for any company; hence, it is necessary for companies to take care of their branding in order to make their business robust.

Concept and Definition

Brand

As stated by Brian Lischer, ‘A brand is the way a product, company, or individual is perceived by those who experience it. Much more than just a name or a logo, a brand is the recognizable feeling these assets evoke’. It is an important part of business strategy as it is one of the measures of ROI of the business. A stronger brand indicates more customer acquisition. Brands are among a company’s most important and valuable assets. As stated, brand is one of the strongest things which—along with consistency in the case of product(s) or service(s)—build trust in the mind of customers, which in turn leads to brand promise.

Branding

Branding is the process which creates positive impacts as well as shapes the end user’s mind about the product(s) or service(s) of the company. It may be called a part of marketing, which includes the company’s mission statement, logo and theme, among others.

As defined by Dandu (2015), ‘Branding is the perpetual process of identifying, creating, and managing the cumulative assets and actions that shape the perception of a brand in stakeholders’ minds’. Effective branding helps to change the mind of the customer or the view of the customer about product(s) or service(s) offered by the company. The future of the business is mainly dependent on branding, as it gives leverage to the company in the competitive environment.

Branding acts as a referral for acquiring new customers. It is one of the effective ways of advertising a business.

Brand Awareness

Brand awareness is the degree to which a customer can relate a brand with a specific product. It may be knowns familiarity of the customer with the product through its brand. It comprises both brand recognition and brand recall. Brand awareness is an important part of brand equity. Brand awareness is possible through various means such as word-of-mouth publicity, advertisement, social media such as blogs, events and so on. It is of two types: aided awareness and top-of-mind awareness. In the former, with the help of a product or the category of the product, customers are able to identify the brand from a list presented. In the latter, with the mention of a product or the category of the product, customers immediately recall the brand. Thus, brand awareness is an important way for a company to acquaint and familiarise customers with their brand and to recognise that particular brand. Actually, brand awareness distinguishes a specific brand from other brands in the same product category.

Brand Recall

Brand recall is the ability of a customer to name the brand. It may be referred to as how much impression the brand is able to make on the customer’s mind. The brand name which comes into mind of the customer with respect to any product(s) or service(s) distinguishes the brand from others in the same league and enhances the chances of evaluation of particular product(s) or service(s) at the time of purchase. Brand recall is also of two types: unaided brand recall and aided brand recall. In the first case, the customer is able to remember the brand without any hint or clue. In the latter case, a hint or clue is required by the customer to recognise a particular brand.

Media and Customer Buying Decision

Nowadays, the media plays an important role in brand awareness or brand recall, which may impact customers’ buying decisions. Social media platforms are buzz words for any type of branding. More than 40% of social media users use social media platforms to search for new brands or products, which creates a huge opportunity for the companies for creating awareness about their brand and keep their brand promise (Global Web Index). Media, especially social media, can help to build awareness about brands as it is a common platform for many users where a brand can be viewed by many customers. On social media platforms, not only a company’s brand is viewed but purchasers’ reviews are also seen by potential buyers before they purchase product(s) or service(s) of any brand. Research studies have pointed out that many individuals trust the information and reviews presented on social media for their purchase. Based on a report by Deloitte, the impact of social media should not be neglected. A customer who is under the influence of social media is likely to spend four times more on the next purchase.

Marketing Strategy

In the current market situation, there are numerous ways for companies to reach the customers. In such cases, limiting to the standard, tried and tested methods is not enough to make a widespread impact on the buying behaviour of customers. A marketing strategy helps create a set of parameters for every specific product, and then on the basis of that target audience, the company’s approach to promoting every brand is accurately planned.

The process starts with market research for the brand, determining the category of customers in need of the product and then positioning the brand to cater to those intricate needs. To be in line with the dynamic market environment, where digital media is at par or in the case of some products surpasses the physical market, companies invariably must keep an eye on key performance indicators for the brand, across various marketing channels, to keep abreast with the competition.

Literature Review

A recent study was conducted on how social media impacts purchase decisions due to the role played by the brand image (Wulandari, 2023). In today’s modern age of digital technology revolution, social media is steadily altering consumer expectations and behaviour and suggests that if that brands work on creating strong and creative social media content, it can lead to improved brand image and have an impact on purchasing decisions. Companies could potentially enhance its brand awareness and brand image by expanding its use of social media.

An essay published in 2015 on the ‘Association Between Brand Recall and Consumer Purchase Intention’ tried to find out the connection between brand recall and consumer purchase intention.

It also highlighted that a strong and reliable brand image strengthens the brand, which is useful in a competitive business environment and brand awareness is an important means for this. The research indicated that primarily brand recall affects the customers’ buying decision process. The customers’ purchase decisions also affect other factors, –including advertising, brand loyalty and brand recognition of the product.

Fatmah Assagaf (n.d.), in the article ‘The Effect of Advertising on Consumer Decision Making Through Brand Awareness’, studied the impact of advertising on various means of transport. The study was aimed at finding out how advertising affects brand awareness and consequently customer decision making. The outcome of the research pointed out that advertising had a significant effect on brand awareness and customer decision individually, but a weak relation was observed between customer decision making through brand awareness by advertising the brand (Assagaf, 2023).

‘The Influence of Advertising Media on Brand Awareness’ by Domazet (2018) pointed that television is a robust impact creator for brand awareness followed by the Internet and billboards. Media platforms such as radio and newspaper are able to create a very minor impact. In all, 690 responses were collected from Serbia. The authors stated that the media is a suitable medium for brand awareness if a company is targeting specific customers (Domazet, 2018).

Saydam (2015) emphasised the importance of brand awareness, brand loyalty, brand image and consumer in their research work, ‘An Analysis Study of Improving Brand Awareness and Its Impact on Consume Behavior Via Media in North Cyprus (A Case Study of Fast-food Restaurants)’. The study discovered that brand awareness is positively affected by both types of media: the older ones like newspaper or radio and the newer ones like social media. It was also observed that the customers rated lower for brand equity in the case of brand loyalty as compared to other listed parameters (Saydam, 2015).

In continuation of the above, Ardiansyah (2019) studied ‘The Effect of Brand Awareness, Brand Image, and Media Communication on Purchase Decision in the Context of Urban Area Restaurant’. It was a case study of the Gubuk Makan Mang Engking Restaurant, situated in an urban area (Jakarta, Indonesia). The objective of this descriptive research was to know how customer purchase decisions get affected by brand awareness, brand image and communication via media. In all, 100 respondents were part of this study. The outcome of the study pointed out that the customers’ buying decision is impacted by communication via media and brand image, while brand awareness does not have any impact on brand image (Ardiansyah, 2019).

Febriyantoro (2020) focused on one of the social media platforms, namely YouTube, for ‘Exploring YouTube Marketing Communication: Brand Awareness, Brand Image and Purchase Intention in the Millennial Generation’, as social media platforms have become an inevitable marketing source in the current business scenario. The said research was aimed at knowing the use of YouTube ads for building awareness and image of the brand and its impact on customers’ buying intention. The structural equation modelling technique was used to test the hypotheses. The data was collected from 101 respondents aged between 18 and 35 years. The outcome of the research study noted that entertainment, customisation, information and irritation are a part of YouTube advertisement, which plays an important role in enhancing brand image and brand awareness. This may be further helpful in shaping the purchase intention of the customers. The research concluded that the purchase intention of the customers does not get affected by brand image and brand awareness (Febriyantoro, 2020).

‘The Impact of Brand Awareness on the Consumers’ Purchase Intention’ was studied by Zarlish and Hussain (2017). This secondary data-based study reviewed the effect of brand awareness and brand equity on customers’ purchasing intentions. In order to reach a larger customer base, the need of prompting and advertising the brand is highlighted. The researchers stated that it will help raise awareness about the brand and in turn will help to retain the customers (Shahid & Hussain, 2017).

Trivedi (2013) carried out research on ‘Would Brand Recall Impact the Customer Buying Behaviour of Mobiles’. The objective of the study was to understand the efficacy and responses of consumers towards the advertisements in TV by major mobile phone companies. The advertisement strategies, growth pattern and market share of major mobile companies was also studied by the author. The 150 participants responded to a questionnaire based on variables such as effective impact, perceived informative value, interest value and comprehensibility, memorability and believability. The researcher found that TV commercials are creating a noteworthy impression on customers’ buying behaviour. The study suggested that business houses must be cautious while trying to build a brand image as brand recall via TV advertisements create a high impact on the purchasing behaviour of the customers (Trivedi, 2013).

Thus, literature review highlighted varied views about media and its effect on buying or purchasing decisions of customers. This research work is an attempt to get a clear-cut idea about the influence of media on customers’ buying decisions and establishing a relationship between brand recall and brand awareness.

Research Design

This exploratory research used primary data for the study. In all, 270 responses were collected from urban areas (120) and rural areas (150). The urban area respondents were from Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata. The rural area representation included respondents from Lucknow, Patiala, Kochi, Hubli and Yawatmal. The study is based on brand awareness and brand recall about paint and waterproofing brands. The impact of media is also studied for the identified brands of both paint and waterproofing solutions. The brand selected in the paint category for their various products was Asian Paints Smart Care. In the case of the waterproofing solution, Dr. Fixit was selected. Both these brands are popular in the product category; hence, the researchers decided to realise the branding equation for the same.

Problem Statement

It is critical for any company wanting to survive and thrive in a highly competitive world to know the right medium to communicate with its potential and existing customers. The medium of communication plays a very important role in helping the brand to establish itself in the minds of the customers. The marketing strategy of any company highly depends on market research, to understand market dynamics, consumer expectations and perceptions of the brands.

Objectives

1.     To appreciate the use of various media in brand awareness and brand recall

2.     To know which medium of communication is effective in urban and rural areas

3.     To understand how brand awareness and brand recall are associated with each other

4.     To comprehend the impact media on the customer buying decision

Hypotheses

H₁: There is an association between brand awareness and brand recall.

H₂: Media creates an impact on customers’ buying decisions.

Research Methodology

Data collection was done through two sources: primary data collection through the means of questionnaire, interviews and collection through local sources, among others and secondary data collection through books, magazines and papers, among others.

All the interviews in rural areas were done face-to-face, with a questionnaire designed beforehand, whereas the interviews in urban areas were published on the Snap Surveys web server. Interviewers were provided with the advertisement brand cards of all the well-known brands in paints and waterproofing solutions.

The cities were selected at two levels, Tier 1 and Tier 2, covering entire India, and data were analysed at the state level and zone level. All the interviews were done in regional languages by the interviewer, with data collection being managed at the zonal level. The statistical tool used to evaluate the data was Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The association was checked by using correlation analysis and regression analysis.

Sampling Techniques and Sample Size

There are two major types of sampling techniques: probability sampling and non-probability sampling. In this research, as part of the probability sampling technique, convenience sampling was used. The reason for choosing this technique is that every individual uses FMCG products and knows their impacts on the buying behaviour, so it is easy to find out the results on behalf of the available population sample. The sample size of the research was 270 respondents, which includes 120 respondents from urban areas and 150 respondents from rural areas.

Research Instrument

The questions and brand card of the selected brand were provided for understanding brand awareness and knowing brand recall. The list of products was shown to the participants for checking brand recall. Then, pictures of brand, that is, brand cards, were shown for testing the brand awareness. The respondents were asked to tick the sources of brand awareness. A ranking for the brand was also given by the respondents based on the choices provided in the questionnaire.

Data Analysis

Before starting the actual analysis of data, we took a few steps to check the quality of data, as that would be pivotal in determining the accuracy of our results:

Reliability: When starting the research, based on data collection split between both physical and digital mediums, it was important to check the reliability of data more keenly in the case of the digital medium to isolate the outliers and modulate the set before actual analysis.

Validity: For physical interviews, in addition to the answers received from customers, we also did some extra dummy interviews of the shop owners in the area to test the validity of responses received.

The reason for choosing both descriptive and inferential statistics was to gauge facts based on the actual selected population. And then after verifying the validity of the data, we considered that as an ideal sample to make predictions about larger populations.

The collected data was segregated for Tier 1 and Tier 2 respondents. A separate analysis was done for Tier 1 and Tier 2. Variables were assigned for suitability of data analysis by using SPSS. The data analysis was carried out in two steps.

1.     a. Descriptive statistics, where mainly the mean value and standard deviation values were checked for further processing of data.

        b. Analysis was done based on the chart.

2.     Analysis for hypotheses testing was done through t-test, correlation analysis and regression analysis.

 

Table 1. Descriptive Statistics.

 

Part 1

Descriptive Statistics

Table 1 shows minimum and maximum values, mean and standard deviation for the variables. The variable names are given on the basis of brands and tiers. The variable TT1 shows the total number of responses considered either for brand awareness or for brand recall with respect to the tier.

The minimum, maximum and standard deviation show the dispersion of the data. The mean value varies as per variables expressed in terms of brand and tier. The minimum value for customers’ buying intention for Tier 1 cities is 9 and the maximum value is 50. In the case of Tier 2 cities, the minimum and maximum values are 14 and 59, respectively, and mean values are 24 for Tier 1 and 30 for Tier 2.

Analysis Based on Chart

1. Opinion about using Asian Paint:

Figure 1 shows that 60% of Tier 1 respondents and 56% of Tier 2 respondents opined that Asian Paints is the only brand they would consider. 18% and 34% respondents, respectively, from Tier 1 and Tier 2 quoted that they would consider Asian Paints as one of the two or three brands in the pain category. As per 13% respondents from Tier 1 and 20% respondents from Tier 2, the Asian Paint brand is considered as one of several brands. The Asian Paint brand might be selected by 8% Tier 1 respondents and 10% Tier 2 respondents. Thus, it may be stated that more than 50% of the respondents from both Tier 1 and Tier 2 consider Asian Paints as the only brand in the paint segment.

2. Opinion about using Dr. Fixit

As shown in Figure 2, in the case of Dr. Fixit as a waterproofing solution, it is the only brand used by 42% of Tier 1 respondents and 49% of Tier 2 respondents. Dr. Fixit as one of the two or three brands would be considered by 20% respondents from Tier 1 and 33% respondents from Tier 2. Dr. Fixit as a waterproofing solution was selected as one of the several brands by 18% respondents from Tier 1 and 20% respondents from Tier 2. It may be stated in the case of Dr. Fixit that comparatively the awareness of this brand is less than the respondents expected because this is the only brand considered by them as a waterproofing solution.

 

Figure 1. Use of Brand—Asian Paints (Values are in %).

 

Figure 2. Use of Brand—Dr. Fixit (Values are in %).

 

Figure 3. Sources of Awareness (Values are in %)

 

3. Sources of awareness

Figure 3 points out that the main source of awareness in the case of respondents from Tier 1 is advertisement on websites, and social media was voted by 52% of the respondents. In the case of respondents from Tier 2 cities, the main source of awareness about the brand is advertisement on TV, as voted by 40% of respondents.

Part 2: Hypotheses Testing

H₁: There is an association between brand awareness and brand recall.

The hypothesis is tested based on the responses received from selected Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities separately.

To determine if any relationship exists between the selected variables, the best approach is to use correlation analysis. Furthermore, using the ANOVA test, we were successful in calculating the magnitude of the relationship between variables of different groups.

For Tier 1 cities, the output of correlation is shown in Table 2.

The regression analysis for the association is presented in Table 3.

Considering the regression analysis, following equation can be written on the basis of responses received form Tier 1 selected cities as follows:

Brand awareness = −8.246 + 0.358 × brand recall

For Tier 2 cities, the correlation is presented in Table 4.

The regression analysis based on the responses from Tier 2 cities is shown in Table 5.

Considering the regression analysis, following equation can be written on the basis of responses received form Tier 2 selected cities as follows:

 

Table 2. Correlation Analysis—Brand Recall and Brand Awareness—Tier 1 Cities.

Note: *Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

 

Table 3. Regression Analysis—Brand Recall and Brand Awareness—Tier 1 Cities.

Note: ^aDependent variable: BARW_TT1.

 

Table 4. Correlation Analysis—Brand Recall and Brand Awareness—Tier 2 Cities.

Note: **Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

 

Table 5. Regression Analysis—Brand Recall and Brand Awareness—Tier 2 Cities.

Note: ^aDependent variable: BARW_TT2.

 

 

Brand awareness = −22.774 + 0.452 × Brand Recall

The analysis in the case of Tier 1 cities showed that the Pearson correlation between brand recall and brand awareness is significant at the 0.05 level, while the same correlation is significant at the 0.01 level in the case of Tier 2 cities. It indicates that there is an association between brand awareness and brand recall in the case of both the brands, that is, Asian Paints and Dr. Fixit, considered together.

H₂: Media creates an impact on customers’ buying decisions.

To understand if the impact of media is statistically significant or not for the decision making by customers, we carried out the t-test, with the help of the SPSS tool. The output is presented in Table 6.

Table 6 clearly indicates that both types of customers, that is, from Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities, may be using various medias for getting information about a brand, but they do not make decision on that basis. The independency of media and customers’ buying intention may be notified by p values > .05.

The paired sample statistics also highlighted the same (Table 7).

As the p value 1.000 > .05, the hypothesis is rejected. It points out that media is not able to create the expected impact on customers’ buying decisions.

Conclusion

It can be stated from the analysis that there is a positive association between brand recall and brand awareness. In the current study, it was understood that only the brand name led to less awareness of the brand, whereas aided awareness (brand name and the image of the actual product available in the market) was found to have a significant relationship with brand recall in the case of both brands (Asian Paints and Dr. Fixit) based on the responses received from selected Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities.

The study was aimed at finding out the impact of media on customers’ buying decisions. It was observed that in the case of Tier 1 cities, website, social media and so on are major means for the companies to reach the customers, while in the case of Tier 2 cities, mainly advertisement on TV is found to be the source to reach the customers. But in both types of customers, that is, urban and rural, the media is not the only influential parameter for buying products. It was noted from consumers’ views that historical usage experiences and expert views of building contractors or craftsmen help identify and finalise the exact product to buy for usage.

A recent study (Wulandari, 2023) led to outcomes similar to those of our research, suggesting that branding does have statistically significant positive influence on purchase decisions; however, social media alone does not have statistical significance on purchase decisions.

 

Table 6. Independent Sample Test,

 

Table 7. Paired Samples Test.

 

Recommendations

The results of the study clearly indicate that, nowadays, irrespective of the area (urban or rural), customers are well informed about various products or services of various brands. Hence, customers’ buying decision is easily not changes due to advertisement in various media. They may be watching it, but they take a call on the basis of their immediate needs, experiences of relatives and friends and reviews by other customers posted on various social media platforms. This situation needs to be taken into account by business houses. The media needs to be chosen wisely to reach the expected audience based on various factors such as geographic location, education status, financial status and requirement of the type of product(s) or service(s). Huge spending on advertising may not always be useful in order to increase the sales. It is necessary that your product(s) or service(s) must appeal to the customer, for future buying. Innovative ways of brand recall may be helpful in creating brand awareness for its long-lasting impact. It may be suggested that the uniqueness in advertising with the provision of effective advertising through media may be able to attract customers for making decision about their purchase.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

ORCID iD

Rupesh Siyodia  https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5452-371X