Purchase of branded commodity food products: empirical evidence from India

The study was conducted with the aim of understanding brand awareness among consumers and analyzing the attitude of consumers towards selected branded commodity food products. An attempt was also made to examine the factors influencing the purchase of selected branded commodity food products.

The products selected for the study were branded rice and branded sugar. A sample of 200 respondents was selected from different localities of a city in India.

Major sources of awareness, for branded rice and branded sugar, are friends/relatives/reference groups, point-of-purchase display, and retailer's recommendations. Respondents perceive free from adulterants, free from insecticides/pesticides/harmful chemicals and social status as the most important parameters of branded rice and branded sugar. The most important factors influencing the purchase of branded rice and branded sugar were found to be flavor, aroma, free from insecticides or pesticides and free from adulterants.

Further studies can be conducted with a larger sample size. Importance of brand equity with respect to commodity products can be analyzed.

Marketers could frame strategies for different market segments based on demographics. Brand awareness needs to be given adequate focus by the marketers.

This paper has made an attempt to study purchase behaviour with respect to commodity products. Not many studies have been undertaken to analyze brand awareness, and consumers' attitudes towards branded commodity food products in developing countries like India.