IMPACT OF TELEVISION COMMERCIALS UPON THE PURCHASE BEHAVIOR OF URBAN INDIAN CHILDREN

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IMPACT OF TELEVISION COMMERCIALS UPON THE PURCHASE BEHAVIOR OF URBAN INDIAN CHILDREN

Journal Title: International Journal of Marketing and Technology - Year 2012, Vol 2, Issue 4

Abstract

Introduction - The kid market is a burgeoning market worldwide. A similar situation exists in India where the kid market is estimated at Rs.5000 crores/ $110 million. The sheer size of the market reveals how strategically important this market is for the advertisers and the marketers. Having realized the long term implications of addressing this market, the marketers have devised marketing and advertising strategies specifically aimed at this target audience. The kid market in India, more commonly referred to as the “tweenager” (8 to 14 Year olds) possesses enormous purchasing power which could probably be attributed to the increasing discretionary income of households. Children today are assuming the role of decision makers from a relatively young age. Marketers use different media vehicles to communicate with this target audience. A media vehicle which the kid market is very conversant with is television. Television viewing by children has been increasing at an exponential rate over the last few years in India and abroad. Consequently, television commercials appear to have a large impact upon the brand preference and purchase behavior of children. Purpose of Study - This study is aimed at measuring the impact of television commercials on the brand preference and the final purchase decision of the kid market. It also aims to measure the impact of peer group pressure on their purchase behavior. The study also measures to what extent pester power is used by children to coerce parents to meet their demands for preferred brands. Design/Methodology /Approach – The study was conducted in the National Capital Region of Delhi in India consisting of the following regions: Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Ghaziabad. The population in this region is fairly cosmopolitan. Also efforts were made to give fair representation to both genders. Questionnaires were administered to the children following in the “tweenager group”, i.e, between the ages of 8 years and 14 years, both extremes included. The study was undertaken taking few product categories into consideration. These product categories include shoes, health drinks and fast food. These categories were identified as children in that age group demonstrate visible discretionary choice in their purchase behavior for the same. Findings - Advertisements on television have significant impact upon the brand preference of the target audience. This brand preference thereafter positively impacts upon the purchase behavior of children. This has been validated in product categories like health drinks, fast food and sport shoes- categories which the target audience is very familiar with. Peer pressure from reference groups have less significance on the brand preference of children. This implies that reference groups do not significantly influence the brands that children prefer. It is also evident from the results that parental influence is on the lower side. The obvious implication that follows is that parents are unable to significantly influence the brands that children would like to buy. Also, children do not exert sufficiently strong pester power to influence their parents’ minds. Research/Limitations – The study was limited to the Natiaonal Capital Region of Delhi which represents a small percentage of the population of India. For further research, it is recommended that the study covers all the four regions (East, West, North, and South) of India. 1. Students in the age group of 8 – 14 years were only examined. 2. A convenient sampling method was adopted. The region selected for the study is highly advanced in terms of economics and advertisements compared with other Indian cities.

Authors and Affiliations

Sujata Khandai and Bhawna Agrawal

Keywords

EP ID EP19419
DOI -
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