Dissertation Case study of Levis U.K. Essay - 275 Words

Dissertation Case study of Levis U.K. (Essay Sample) Content: An analysis of the impact of branding on the purchase decision of customers - a case study of Levis U.KStudents nameCourse code+nameProfessors nameUniversity nameCity, StateDate of submissionAbstractThe purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of branding on the purchase decision of customers - a case study of Levis U.K. Levis U.K was selected for this analysis because if its declining brand name in the U.K market hence the need to establish possible causes of slipping brand and propose ways of improving its brand in the market. The study reviewed existing literature on research variables mainly branding and branding strategies, consumer purchase decision in fashion industry. This provided adequate secondary information that was used to complement the primary research. This is descriptive research and will gather qualitative and quantitative data from primary and secondary sources. The research targeted a total of 100 respondents comprising 20 marketing employe es of Levis and 80 customers from U.K selected using probability sampling to offer relevant information on branding and consumer behaviour of Levis consumers.The findings of this study has shown that Levis is employing a number of branding strategies to positively influence buying behavior of its customers towards company brands. This practice is followed across the garment and fashion industry and it can be correctly concluded that Levis is following industry best practices in regard to branding. The study recommends that branding managers should target social aspects of consumers because it was found to have significant influence on the purchase of fashion products tan personal and psychological factors. In order to reclaim its brand in the market, the focus by brand management should be consumer focused brand management to deliver brand image to both consumers and the retailers.Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u  HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935915"
Introduction  PAGEREF _Toc413935915 \h
4 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935916"
The Study Rationale  PAGEREF _Toc413935916 \h
5 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935917"
The Aims and Objectives of the Study  PAGEREF _Toc413935917 \h
5 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935918"
Research Questions  PAGEREF _Toc413935918 \h
6 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935919"
2.0 Literature Review  PAGEREF _Toc413935919 \h
6 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935920"
2.1 Branding Concepts and Theories  PAGEREF _Toc413935920 \h
6 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935921"
Branding Strategies  PAGEREF _Toc413935921 \h
7 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935922"
2.2 Consumer Buying Behavior  PAGEREF _Toc413935922 \h
8 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935923"
Consumer buying decision process  PAGEREF _Toc413935923 \h
10 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935924"
2.3 Effects of branding on consumer Behavior  PAGEREF _Toc413935924 \h
11 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935925"
Conceptual Framework  PAGEREF _Toc413935925 \h
12 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935926"
3.0 Methodology  PAGE REF _Toc413935926 \h
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Research design  PAGEREF _Toc413935927 \h
13 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935928"
Population and Sampling  PAGEREF _Toc413935928 \h
13 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935929"
Data collection tools and method  PAGEREF _Toc413935929 \h
13 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935930"
Data analysis and reporting  PAGEREF _Toc413935930 \h
14 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935931"
Ethical considerations  PAGEREF _Toc413935931 \h
14 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935932"
Chapter four: Results  PAGEREF _Toc413935932 \h
14 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935933"
4.1 Introduction  PAGEREF _Toc413935933 \h
14 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935934"
4.2 Profiles of respondents  PAGEREF _Toc413935934 \h
15 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935935"
4.3 Research objective 1  PAGEREF _Toc413935935 \h
18 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935936"
4.4 Objective 2  PAGEREF _Toc413935936 \h
22 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935937"
4.5 Objective 3  PAGEREF _Toc413935937 \h
 25 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935938"
Chapter Five: Analysis and Discussion  PAGEREF _Toc413935938 \h
28 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935939"
5.1 Introduction  PAGEREF _Toc413935939 \h
28 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935940"
5.2 Objective one: Branding strategies  PAGEREF _Toc413935940 \h
28 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935941"
5.3 Objective two: Consumer buying behavior  PAGEREF _Toc413935941 \h
29 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935942"
5.4 Objective three: Impact of branding strategies on consumer purchase decision  PAGEREF _Toc413935942 \h
30 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935943"
Chapter Six: Conclusions and recommendation  PAGEREF _Toc413935943 \h
31 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935944"
6.1 Introduction  PAGEREF _Toc413935944 \h
31 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935945"
6.2 Conclusion  PAGEREF _Toc413935945 \h
31 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935946"
6.3 Recommendations  PAGEREF _Toc413935946 \h
32 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935947"
6.4 Study limitations and evaluation  PAGEREF _Toc 413935947 \h
33 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc413935948"
Reference Lists  PAGEREF _Toc413935948 \h
351.0 IntroductionA brand is a name, symbol of logo playing a role in the mind of consumers and competes for space in the mind of customers. Once a brand is established in the mind of customers, it becomes indelible and hence a customer identifies themselves with a given brand. Just like human beings, brands are born, nurtured to make them faithful, trusted and satisfying to customers. Strong brands help the organizations to stay afloat during recessions and conquer during economic booms. Branding is a marketing strategy used frequently by marketers to build sound relationship with consumers. This entails learning the needs and interest of customers to offer brands that satisfy mutual aspirations. This is because of the complexity of customers to select product offerings from thousands in the market. Consumers then use their instincts to simplify purchase process and select brands the y have pleasant experiences with in the past. Generally consumers develop strong feelings towards the brand when they are exposed to branding process and are eventually influenced to purchase the brands. Many of the world successful companies have been increasingly using the concept of branding as a strategy to attain differentiation and competitive advantage. With heightened competition in fashion industry and garment industry, companies such as Lewis have resorted to branding to remain competitive in the market. Levis is U.K based companies founded in 1875 best known for its Levis jeans. Initially the company sold jeans to miners because they were made from canvas and tent fabric materials which were very popular during the Gold rush of California. Later in 1980, Levis diversified into a range of garments into suits. The success of Levis is attributable to bright ideas, innovation, enthusiasm and excitement. The challenges are many in fashion industry and the brand of Levis slipp ed significantly in 1990s hence the need for effective management of brand to maintain success in the market. There are also a number of research studies that have been previously conducted on the topic of branding. The research studies have however failed to illustrate how branding affects the consumer purchasing decisions. This implies that there is literature gap on the role that branding plays on the on the purchasing decisions of consumers. This makes it necessary for this research study to provide an analysis of the impact of branding on purchasing decisions of customers in clothing and textile industry. The Study RationaleWhat is the research issue?The research issue relates to increasing importance of branding and the changing consumer purchase behavior in fashion industry. The consumer purchase decision can be influenced by effective branding strategies. The main study rationale is to provide relevant information that can enable organizations to improve brand management and positively influence consumer purchase decisions towards company brands. Why is it an issue?This is an issue due to lack of appropriate branding by Levis to influence the consumer purchase decision like most fashion industries. It is important for any organizations Why is it an issue now?The increasing competition in fashion industry and ever changing tastes and preferences of fashion consumers require have impacts on purchase behaviours of consumers. To successfully overcome consumer challenges and win consumers, appropriate branding strategies can be effective marketing tool. What will the research shed light on?This research is intended to inform management and marketers of Levis on the most appropriate branding strategies for improving consumer purchase decisions and generate higher sales for the company. It will also assist them understand key factors influencing the purchase decision of consumers in fashion market.The Aims and Objectives of the StudyUnderstanding the impact o f branding to consumer buying behavior is fundamental to the ed branding and its influence on purchase decision of consumers. The research study has developed three main objectives that can help the researchers to come up with reliable findings. They include:To identify current branding strategies/types used by Levis U.K to woo customers into buying company productsTo determine factors that influence the buying behavior of consumers in fashion industryTo assess the effects of branding on consumer buying behavior in relation to Levis products To recommend suitable ways to enhance branding strategy in Levis, UKResearch QuestionsThe following are the research questions that have been developed for the study What are the current branding strategie...

How hormonal birth control pills contribute to ovarian cancer - 1100 Words

How hormonal birth control pills contribute to ovarian cancer (Research Paper Sample) Content: Name of StudentCourse nameName of ProfessorDateHow hormonal birth control pills contribute to ovarian cancerIntroduction:A positive relationship exists between the use of hormonal birth control pills and the development of cancer in women. Earlier research showed an increased risk of ovarian cancer with the use of hormonal birth control pills. However, more research disputes the initial finding concerning the role of hormonal contraceptive pills in ovarian cancer. Proponents of the former view argue that sequential oral contraceptives raise ovarian cancer risk. This is caused by a triggered early menstrual cycle due to higher levels of estrogen than progesterone. The proponents of the latest findings have developed several hypotheses. They posit that hormonal contraceptive pills decrease the number of ovulations in a womanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s lifetime, thus decreasing the risk for ovarian cancer. In addition, combined hormonal oral contraceptive pills reduce the exposure of e ndometrial cells to unopposed estrogen, during the 7 of the 28 days in which they are not taken, reducing the ovarian cancer risks. Further, use of hormonal birth control pills prevents the development of functional ovarian cysts, which may later develop into ovarian cancer cysts. Hormonal birth control pills prevent ovulation in women with irregular periods, reducing their risk of getting ovarian cancer. Contrary to the previously known hypothesis that hormonal birth control pills increase the risk for ovarian cancer, current research shows that hormonal birth control pills decrease the risk of cancer.Increased cancer risk with hormonal birth control pillsSequential Oral contraceptives have been found to raise the chances of ovarian cancer risk (Henderson, Ronald and Malcolm 633). This is caused by a triggered early menstrual cycle due to higher levels of estrogen than progesterone. With the knowledge that cancer cells develop through uncontrolled cell division, Henderson, Ronald a nd Malcolm argue that the hormones lead to an increased risk of ovarian cancer due to "the ability of the hormones to stimulate cell division in specific target cells" (633, Para 1). The authors further argue that: "the repeated cell division lead to "accumulation of random genetic errors that ultimately produce the neoplastic phenotype" (633, para 1). Additionally, the fact that ovarian cancer is an age related cancer in women serves to reinforce the finding that hormonal changes play a major role in its development. In line with these, pre-menopausal events caused by the use of pills lead to the development of these cancers after menopause. For example, in obese, premenopausal women, anovulatory cycles lead to continuous production of estrogen, accompanied by low levels of progesterone, predisposing the woman to endometrial cancer. Similarly, sequential oral contraceptives caused an increased risk of ovarian cancer by inducing menstruation by the 14th-16th day proliferation phase (Henderson, Ronald and Malcolm 634). However, it was later discovered that administration of an estrogen-progesterone combination reduced the risk.Decreased cancer risk with hormonal birth control pillsHormonal contraceptive pills decrease the number of ovulations in a womanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s lifetime, thus decreasing the risk for ovarian cancer. Glazer (654) asserts that: "women who take pills are less likely to develop ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer than women who don't". The pills lead to a decrease in the number of ovulations in menopausal women, and are very beneficial to women who experience irregular menses (Asia News Monitor 1). Considering the unopposed estrogen hypothesis supported by Henderson, Ronald and Malcolm (633) as increasing the risk of ovarian cancer; research has proved otherwise. The use of combined oral contraceptives reduces the risk of the development of ovarian cancer due to the opposing effects of the two hormones, estrogen and progesterone. The more pro gesterone suppresses the effect of estrogen, reducing the growth of uncontrolled cells.Hormonal oral contraceptives have an extra benefit by prolonging the period of protection from ovarian cancer after cessation of their use. The use of combined oral contraceptives reduces the risk of ovarian cancer up to 15 years after stopping their use (Henderson, Ronald and Malcolm 635). The combined oral contraceptives suppress ovulation, reducing the risk of ovarian cancer. Schaffer (3) observes that a continuous 15-year use of hormonal oral contraceptive pills reduces a woman's chances of getting ovarian cancer by half. The reduction, according to Schaffer, is brought about by the ability of the hormones to suppress the release of the egg in the ovary. By the year 2008, Schaffer (3) connotes that hormonal birth control pills had already been used to prevent 200,000 cases and 100,000 deaths from ovarian cancer. This is a positive indication of the role of hormonal birth control pills in ovar ian cancer development.Use of hormonal birth control pills prevents the development of functional ovarian cysts, which may later develop into ovarian cancer cysts. Women using hormonal contraceptive pills do not develop functional cysts (Ovarian Cysts 3). Since cancer may commence development from an ovarian cyst, it may be suppressed by preventing the development of functional ovarian cysts. Research shows that hormonal oral contraceptive pills suppress endometrial cysts that may grow into cancer cells. Through such a mechanism, the hormonal birth control pills contribute to ovarian cancer by preventing its progression.Summary of the Asian News Monitor Article:Women experiencing irregular menses can also benefit from hormonal birth control pills, in relation to ovarian cancer control. According to Asia News Monitor (2), hormonal birth control pills prevent ovulation in women with irregular periods, reducing their risk of getting ovarian cancer. Sinc...