The Effect of Brand Image on Men’s Purchasing Intention; With Special Reference to Sportswear Products in Sri Lanka.

Abstract

Brand image has become increasingly important for any brand in the present business context. A good brand image not only can create a clear brand differentiation but also can increase loyalty and consumer preference as well. Also the personalities developed by the brands have different gender characteristics which clearly can differentiate the products as feminine and masculine. However the researchers conducted in Sri Lankan context have not yet concentrated on how the men’s purchasing intention creates with regards to different products. Therefore this study focus on the effect of brand image on men’s purchasing intention: with special reference to sportswear products in Sri Lanka. The study was conducted within the Colombo district. A sample of 200 respondents was used and adopted simple random sampling method to select the respondents. A total of 200 questionnaires were distributed and 180 valid questionnaires were collected, the effective rate was 90%. Data was analysed using SPSS, generating frequencies for the demographic information, factor loadings in ascertaining factors necessary to establish a successful brand image, Pearson’s (r) correlations in analysing relationships and finally regression analysis to examine the predictive potential of the independent variables on the dependent variables. Findings revealed that brand image is a key component in influencing customer’s purchasing intention. However from the brand image determinants, the findings disclosed that focusing on the product benefits is the most important element in building a successful brand image. Based on the research findings, recommendations like recruiting people who are highly interpersonal skilled, trained and experienced in brand management, focusing a lot of attention on promoting product benefits, always try to use successful sporty characters as celebrity endorsement to positioned the brand in the customer mind set were made. Finally this study has provided effective conclusion regarding Sri Lankan Men’s Sportswear products market in connection with Brand Image.