CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND
OF THE STUDY
The
topic of this research work is “The consumer’s perception of branding and
packaging on sales of cosmetics products”.
The
American marketing association defines a brand as a name, term, design, symbol
or any feature that identifies one seller’s goods or services as distinct from
those of other sellers. The legal term for brand is trademark. A brand may
identify one item a family of items or all items of that seller. According to
Oswald (2002), it used for the firm as a whole, the preferred term is trade
name.
A
brand can take many forms including a name, sign, symbol, colour, combination
or slogan. The word branding began simply as a way to tell one person’s cattle
from another by means of hot iron stamp. The word brand has continued to evolve
to encompass identify its affects the personality of a product, company or
service.
A
concept brand is a brand that is associated with an abstract concept like
breast cancer awareness or environmentalism, rather than a specific product,
service or business. A commodity brand is a associated with commonly golf milk,
is an example of a commodity brand in the automatic industry, brand were
originally called morgues and morgues are still often used as a synonym for
brand in reference to motor vehicles (Leech, 2005). The word brand is sometimes
used as a metonym, referring to a company that is strongly identified with a
brand. Packaging is the science, art, technology of enclosing or protecting of
products for distribution, storage, sales and use. Packaging also refers to the
process of design, evaluation and production of packages. Packaging can be
described as a coordinated system of preparing goods for transport,
warehousing, logistics, sale and end-use. Packaging also refers to the process
of design, evaluation and production of packages. Packaging can be described as
a coordinated system of preparing goods for transport, warehousing, logistics,
sales and end-use.
Higgins
(2003), pointed that packaging contains, protects, preserves, in forms and
sells. In many countries it is fully integrated into government, business,
institutional, industrial and personal use. Packager labeling (en-GB) or
labeling (en-US) is any written electronic or graphic communications but
associated label.
The
researcher decided to use Onitsha main market cosmetic trades as his case study
for this work. He will attempt to find out how the consumers perception of
branding and packaging affects the sale of their cosmetic products.
Recommendations
will be made to the manufacturers and marketers of such cosmetic products as to
the models of improvement.
1.2
STATEMENT
OF PROBLEM
These
will reveal the problem of this study.
1. A
great lacuna between the sales of some cosmetic product and those of others.
2. Inventory
problem.
3. Steady
decline in sales generally.
4. Step
decrease in project.
5. Trades
switch to other product lines.
6. Non-availability
of many cosmetic products.
1.3
OBJECTIVES
OF THE STUDY
This
research work has the following objectives.
1. The
bringing of the sales gap for many cosmetic products.
2. To
reduce the stock piling of inventory of the products.
3. To
halt the decline in sales generally.
4. To
reverse the in profits.
5. To
retain many cosmetics readers in the product line.
6. To
make for availability of many cosmetic products.
1.4
SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
This
work is important because;
1. It
will make for the solution of the packaging and branding problems of several
cosmetic firms.
2. It
will synthesize a connection with respect to the Onitsha main market cosmetic’s
traders.
1.5
RESEARCH
QUESTION
The
prominent questions of this work are hereby a big sales gap between many
cosmetics;
1. Why
is there a big sales gap between cosmetic products?
2. How
can the stop chipping cosmetics inventories be reduced?
3. In
what ways can the general decline in cosmetic product sales be halted?
4. Why
is there a decrease in the prices of cosmetic traders?
5. How
can many cosmetics traders be retained in cosmetic product lines?
6. What
are the major obstacles to the availability of many cosmetic products?
1.6
HYPOTHESIS
The
Null hypothesis (Ho) for the study states that: branding and packaging have no
effect on the sales of cosmetic products in Anambra State.
The
Alternative hypothesis (Hi) states: branding and packaging have a significant
effect on the sales of cosmetic product in Anambra State.
1.7
SCOPE
OF THE STUDY
The
scope of this study is limited to the branding and packaging of others forms of
products for instance, those of industrial were not discussed.
Due
to the lumping together of branding and packaging, certain detailed issues
concerning the two concepts, such as brand equity were only given seat
attention.
1.8
DEFINITION
OF TERMS
The definitions
of these terms were found to be appropriate.
1.
Product
mix:
This is a set of all product and items that a particular seller offers for sale
to buyers.
2.
Product
line: This is a group of product within a product mix
that are closely related within because they functions in a similar manner or
are sold to the same customer groups or are marketers through the same types of
outlets or full within given ranges.
3.
Products
items: This is a distinct unit with a product line that is
distinguishable by size, price, appearance or some characteristics.
4.
Planning:
Arrangement for something outlines drawing or considered in audience it is a
conscious effort to map out strategies on how to produce and market the product.
5.
Development:
Development or being developed as regard causing to grow larger, taller or more
mature.
6.
Cosmetic:
Preparation, substance (especially one that adds colour) designed to make the
skin or hairs beautiful.
7.
New:
Some things that is coming out that have not been touch or see before.