Influence of Social Media on Brand Consciousness

Before introducing brand consciousness its need to explain what a brand is.A brand is name, phrase, logo design, symbol or combination of these uses to identify and differentiate your product from others(Kotleretal;2005).

SM platform known to be one of the most powerful and fast way of brand building, today social media have exponential power.It is great time for all kind of business to adopt social media and take it seriously (Neti, S. 2011).Brandconsciousness’srefertothedegreeto whichpeoplegoforbrandnametomakepurchase decisions. (Ralph p.57). Brandconsciousnessreferstothecustomers’ orientation towards the purchase of expensive and well-knownbrands.Brand consciousisnotjustamatterofknowledgeor awarenessaboutbrandornottoselectabrandover another. It is a matter that a brand has distinct image, quality, attributes as far as their name and functions are concerned.

Consumers of new generation are takingbrandsasanessentialfactorinpurchasingdecisions andtheyarerunningbehindatagorsomerenowned name.Brands are trying to get the attention of customers and setting a new dimension for marketers. Brands are giving customers with tremendous quality, perceived utility and desirability.Brandsaretakingas self-representationbycustomers;theythinkaselected brandthattheyareusingisrepresentingtheir personality and a sense of satisfaction (SprolesandKendell1986). Socialnetworkisthemarketleaderamong other the social media types because people rely more onsocialnetworksuchasfacebook.

Social media activities actually affecting the purchase decision.The finding of this research shedding light on the advertising ofbrandsthroughsocialnetworksareconsideredby customerduringtheirdecisionofbrandselection.The promotion campaign affecting positively the customer’s perceptions of brands.In comparison with males, females shop more, and they search for more information when they make purchase decisions (Punj & Staelin, 1983; Cobb & Hoyer, 1985). It is assumed that females will pay more attention to brands and place more value on brand names.It is hypothesised that 16-17yearoldswillbemorebrandconsciousthan11-12yearoldsor20-22yearolds.

The selection of brands becomes embedded in an individual consumer’s life story.Consumers innately decode consumption cues (i.e.Brands)in forming impressions of others as well as encode their own consumption selections to express themselves (Russel W. Belk, Bahn, & Mayer, 1982). Hence, self-brand connection is dependent on the entire constellation of brand associations, evolves through life stories, and can capture an important part of consumers’ construction of self (Escalas & Bettman, 2003). It indicates that consumers attempt to form congruency between brand associations and self-images (Chaplin & John, 2005; Muniz & O'Guinn, 2001).

Schary's(1972)conceptualviewsfollowclosely that of the economists and, not surprisingly, he views time asascarceresource,andlimitedandthushepositsthat consumers will make their choices of goods and time such thattheygethighestpossiblesatisfaction.Kotler & Armstrong (1999). Found that there are social, cultural, personal, and psychological factors that influence consumer decision-making (p.131).Z.Ghazali(2011)investigatesthesocialization agents’effectonbrandconsciousness.Herstudy concludedthatpeersemergedasthemostimportant agents of consumer socialization and a primary source forinfluencingdecision.The students are influence by peer because they want to be socially accepted among them.