CENTRE FOR MODERN LANGUAGES AND HUMAN SCIENCES
UHL 2332 ACADEMIC REPORT WRITING
SEM I 2011/2012
THE PROPOSAL OF THE RESEARCH:
THE MOST PREFERABLE GOODS AMONG THE STUDENTS.
BRANDED OR NON-BRANDED GOODS?
STUDENT’ NAME /
ID NUMBER
SECTION
LECTURER’ NAME
WONG BON SO
SA 10040
HAZWANI BINTI SIDEK HARON
KA 10031
HAZWANI BINTI OMAR
KA 10059
13
DR. NIK ALOESNITA BIN NIK MOHD ALWI
COMPONENTS
Title
Introduction
Issues and problems identification
Research objectives and research questions
Significance of study
Scope of study
Research methodology
Work schedule
Writing mechanics and clarity
Language
TOTAL
MARKS
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/15
/50
THE MOST PREFERABLE GOODS AMONG THE STUDEDNTS.
THE BRANDED GOODS OR NON-BRANDED GOODS?
Background:
“ Branded goods is the better choices for me”.
“ I will prefer non-branded goods rather than branded goods”.
Branded goods or non-branded goods? Both of the above phrases are some of the feedbacks
from the users of the branded goods and non-branded goods. What about you? Which one do you
choose? Do you know what does it mean by both of these goods? The meanings of the branded
goods are related to its quality, social status, group identity, values, family traditions and national
traditions.
For the quality of the branded goods, it is one of the factors why the users choose the items. It
becomes the most reason of choosing the item because for the users the quality also plays the
important role while they are choosing the items. This statement is strongly proof by (Holt et al.,
2004) who said that the quality is a powerful key selling features among the consumers. Let take
Toyota and Dell as the examples, Toyota claims that “rock solid quality and the edge in hybrid
car” while Dell said that “ leaves competitors in the dust” which means they are give the low
prices and fast in delivery to their customers.
Beside the quality, social status also gives the meaning of the branded goods which means it help
the consumers to differentiate between one product with the other product just like what (Keller,
2003) said that for the firm’s product, brands create the unique characteristics in the eyes “f its
consumers.
Brands also allow the users to build the community among of them according to their choices
brands. The definition given by Muniz and O'Guinn (2001, 412) tell us that brand community as
“a specialized, non-geographically bound community, based on a structured set of social
relations among admirers of a brand.” For example, the U.S brand communities such as Ford
Bronco, Macintosh and Saab, they have shared the awareness, traditions, rituals and a sense of
moral responsibility.
Values also give the meaning of the brands. It explains on how the companies make the
relationship with their consumers and show how they concern about it. For example, Avon is
very cares about the women’s issues and Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade is organized
for its objectives. The other company like McDonald’s also supports the Ronald McDonald
House Charities.
Brands in the context of family traditions give the meaning that the brands itself make a strong
relationship among the family members by collecting and sharing the similar branded product
among of them and this create the beautiful memory among the family members from one
generation to other generation. Nevertheless, some former communist-block countries, such as
Hungary and East Germany, have recently experienced a revival of “old” brands from the 1970s
that provided valuable connections to local history and family traditions (Schweizer, 2006).
For the meaning of the branded goods in context of national traditions, its means that a branded
goods from the other country is being used and become a trends among the users in the other
country. The branded goods become popular among the users in that country. Strength of ethnic
identification has also been shown to affect Hispanic-American's preference for Hispanic
vendors and loyalty to brands that emphasize Hispanic heritage (Donthu & Cherian,
1994).Other researchers (Askegaard et al., 2005; Penaloza, 1994) have noted the challenges of
acculturation that face consumers as they assimilate and integrate their “home” with a new
culture and its products and brands.
Problem statement:
Nowadays, there are a lot of the latest items sold in the market either the branded and nonbranded ones. The users are free to choose the items based on what they want. Some of them like
the branded one but some of them are only choose the similar one although it just the counterfeit.
This situation makes the arguments between the users of the branded and non-branded items.
The users are also included the university students.
There are many factors that influence the user on buying the branded or non-branded item, such
as quality of goods, social status, brand community, values, family traditions and national
traditions. Besides that, the users might get the advantages and disadvantages from buying those
items. For example, some of the users endure to spend their money to buy the branded clothes
even though the prices are too expensive while some of them just prefer to buy the cheap one
either it is branded or non-branded.
Research objectives:
The objectives of this research are…
1. to identify the factors that influence the users choices between branded and non-branded
goods.
2. to determine the advantages and disadvantages toward the users about their choices.
3. to determine the most preferable goods among the students.
Research questions:
1. What are the factors that influence the user choices between branded and non-branded
goods?
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages toward the users about their choices?
3. What are the goods that the students choose the most?
Significance of Study:
The people become more interested in fashionable clothes which some of them follow the
celebrity’s trend. Some of them buy the original one as used by the celebrity and some of them
just buy the counterfeit one. This study is significance to measure the most preferable goods
among the user either branded or non-branded. Besides that, this study let us know about the
factors that influence the user choices and what the effects that might appear in their daily life
from what they have chosen. This study is important to the younger especially among the student
because they are the easiest generation to be influence by the media. The benefit from this study
is to exposed to the students about the effects of the items they buy either it is benefit or not to
them.
Scope of Study:
This study involves the student in University Malaysia Pahang which is about 50 students as the
respondents. The respondents are randomly selected between the ages 18 to 25 years old. They
are includes Malay, Chinese, Indian and other races. We use the questionnaire method to collect
the information about this study. The numbers of questionnaires are about 15 questions and it
will take place from 10 to 17 October this year.
Methodology:
In this study, we use the questionnaire method to gain the data from our respondents. The
questionnaires are about 15 questions will be given to the respondent through the email and
questionnaire paper. The questions in the questionnaires will be asking our respondents about
their gender, ages, races and the questions related to our objectives from this research. The
reasons why we used this method are because it is the easy way for us to get the information that
we want in this research. We will give the questionnaire to our respondents randomly and they
will answer it immediately. After all the questionnaires completely answer, we will collect all the
data according to what we want.
Work schedule:
Our working timeline will be present in Gantt chart below:
Activities
Person
in
Charge
Identifying Wong
Topic of
Wawa
Research
Wani
Preparation Wong
of Research Wawa
Proposal
Wani
Submitting& Wong
Presentation Wawa
of Research Wani
Proposal
Collection Wong
of Data
Wawa
Wani
Data
Wawa
Analysis
Wani
Drafting
Wong
Report
Wani
Consultation Wong
of Report
Wawa
Revising
Wong
Report
Wawa
Wani
Preparation Wong
for Oral
Wawa
Presentation Wani
Submitting Wong
Final Report Wawa
Wani
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
References:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167811608000128#sec3
Askegaard, S., Arnould, E. J., & Kjeldgaard, D. (2005, June). Post-assimilationist ethnic
consumer research: Qualifications and extensions. Journal of Consumer Research,
32, 160−170.
Donthu, N., & Cherian, J. (1994). Impact of strength of ethnic identification on Hispanic
shopping behavior. Journal of Retailing, 70(4), 383−393.
Holt, D. B. (2004). How brands become icons: The principles of cultural branding. Cambridge,
MA: Harvard Business School Press.
Keller, K. L. (2003). Strategic brand management, 2nd edition Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall.
Muniz, A. M., & O'Guinn, T. C. (2001). Brand community. Journal of Consumer Research,
27(March), 412−432.
Penaloza, L. (1994, June). Atravesando fronteras/border crossings: A critical ethnographic
study of consumer acculturation of Mexican immigrants. Journal of Consumer
Research, 21, 32−53.
Schweizer, K. (2006). Old communist brands don't die, they go ‘retro’.: International Herald
Tribune Retrieved on March 10, 2007, from
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/10/26/business/east.php