Factors Influencing Purchase Decision of Smartphones among Young Indian Consumers

Marketing practitioners agree that understanding the psyche behind how consumers are choosing to use a particular brand is of utmost importance so that they can develop appropriate strategies. India is one of the largest markets for smartphone companies and the competition in this market has become extremely fierce in recent times. Strong brand loyalty provides competitive advantage to companies to successfully participate in the market; and hence it is necessary to understand the factors affecting the purchase intention of smartphones. The study examines the relationship of brand awareness and other important variables on the consumer purchase behaviour specifically in the smartphone brands product category. The study has significant implications for marketing practitioners and can help identify and justify marketing expenditures which affect purchase behaviors of consumers. Purpose: This paper aims to study and examine the relationship of brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality and brand loyalty on the consumer purchase intention of the smartphone brands. Methodology: An experiment-design survey obtained the responses of 200 smartphone users from Mumbai. Data was collected using structured validated questionnaire and then analyzed to test the proposed hypothesis. Findings: The analysis revealed a significant influence between the brand awareness, brand loyalty, brand association, perceived qualityand purchase intention for Smartphones. Managerial Implications: The paper systematically reviews the framework of consumer-basedbrand equity and develops strategic recommendations and practical implications for marketing professionals and brand strategists. Limitations: The study has been conducted with a limited sample size from the Mumbai region. Future scope: This experimental study can be carried out for other product categories and in other geographies, including demographic variables like age or income.