Influence of social medias on brand choice

Influence of Social Medias on Brand Choice
2
INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIAS
ON
BRAND CHOICE
Prepared for:
Imrana Yasmin
Associate Professor
Prepared By:
Shampa Jahan
Roll: 156
Sec: ‘B’
Batch: 16th
DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING
FACULTY OF BUSINESS STUDIES
UNIVERSITY OF DHAKA
Date of Submission: April 24, 2014

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Letter of Transmittal
April 24, 2014
Imrana Yasmin
Associate Professor
Department of Marketing
Faculty of Business Studies
University of Dhaka
Subject: submission of the thesis paper on ‘Influence of Social Medias on Brand
Choice’.
Dear Madam,
With due respect, I would like to inform you that here is my BBA project paper based on
topic selected by you on ‘Influence of Social Medias on Brand Choice’. Social medias
now have great impact in our decision process and brand choice. This thesis paper is
bases on the influence of famous social medias on our brand choice. Our academic course
like marketing research, product and brand management, e-commerce was helpful for this
research. And I am grateful to you for your kind cooperation and expert opinion.
I have tried my level best to make this thesis paper and will be pleased to deliver you
further information regarding this thesis paper. I hope you will consider all unexpected
mistakes and limitation of this paper in a kind and forgivable manner.
Sincerely Yours,
……………………..
Shampa Jahan
Roll: 156 Sec: B
Batch: 16th
University of Dhaka

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Authorization Letter
This is to certify that Shampa Jahan is a student of BBA, ID: 156, Batch: 16th
, Section:
B, Department of Marketing has successfully completed her project paper entitled
“Influence of Social Medias on Brand Choice” under my supervision as the partial
fulfillment for the award of BBA degree.
She has done her project paper according to my supervision and active guidance. She has
tried her best to do this successfully. I wish her success and prosperity.
………………………
Imrana Yasmin
Associate Professor
University of Dhaka

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Acknowledgement
At first, I would like to express my gratitude to Allah for enabling me
successfully complete this thesis paper in due time.
Then I would like to thank our supervisor Imrana Yasmin. This is my first thesis
paper and so I lack practical experience. It was a challenging job for me. My supervisor
Imrana Yasmin, Associate Professor of Department of Marketing, University of Dhaka
helped me a lot with her experienced advice and instructions. Without her supervision,
cooperation, and instructions my thesis paper would not come into light.
I would also like to thank our friend Sazzad Hossain, Department of Accounting
and Information System, University of Dhaka who helped me to learn SPSS software.
And finally I would like to thank my family and friends who helped me and
inspired me a lot to complete the thesis.

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Table of Contents
Particulars Page No.
Letter of Transmittal 3
Authorization Letter 4
Acknowledgement 5
Abstract 7
Introduction 8
Literature Review 11
Objectives 14
Impacts Of Social Sites 14
Some Benefits of Using Social Medias for Brand Choice 18
Methodology 19
Findings 21
Recommendations 55
Limitations 56
Conclusion 56
References 58

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Impacts of Social Medias
On
Brand Choice
Abstract:
Social Medias are becoming more popular day by day. Use of social sites for
various purposes is increasing. It is the interaction among people in which they create,
share or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks. These
social Medias or sites like face book, twitter, Google plus, LinkedIn can be used as a
source of information and to share information. We know that social media depend on
mobile and web-based technologies and create highly interactive platforms through
which individuals and communities can share, co-create, discuss, and modify user-
generated content. These social sites can be used as a source of brand information.
People can use these sites to compare different brands and products they buy. Even they
can compare price and quality over B2C and C2C e-commerce sites. So the contribution
of these social sites is increasing. This paper aims to investigate consumers’ attitude
towards using these social sites as a medium of brand choice and for getting brand
information. For finding out the impact of social sites on brand choice I have conducted
a survey on 50 respondents in Dhaka city, more specifically in Dhaka University through
a structured questionnaire. This study intends to explore the factors about consumers’
perception about social sites and using social sites as a source of information about
brand information and using this information for brand choice. I hope this survey will
help to determine the perceived benefits, risks, and consumers’’ willingness to use social
sites as a source of brand choice. This paper also attempts to detect how consumers
evaluate the concept of using social sites for purposes like shopping. And finally we
evaluate the implications of these findings and suggest actions to related parties.
Keywords: social sites, social medias, brand, brand choice, consumers

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Introduction:
Now a day’s social media has become a part of our day to day life. The number of
user of social medias like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ is increasing day by
day. On a daily basis in present-day, 100,000 tweets are sent, 684,478 pieces of content
are shared on Facebook, 2 million search queries are made on Google, 48 hours of video
are uploaded to YouTube, 3,600 photos are shared on Instagram, and 571 websites are
created (James, 2012). Think about a few years ago, when word of mouth could not travel
very far, we had to rely on our near friends and peer groups for information about
products and services. Advertising and sales promotions had a significant impact on the
consumer decision making process. Sure, running from store to store or shop to shop was
a regular duty to find out the right product and service or brand. But now, social media
gives word of mouth wings. The impact of social media on awareness, brand attitudes,
and social norms is so strong we often refer to viral marketing or buzz marketing to
reflect tactics designed to stimulate positive word of mouth. Now we can get expert
information from our friends, peer groups through social medias. Often most people use
information on social media as the guideline for their future purchase or planning their
future trip. Moreover, marketers use these social media as a medium of advertising. They
have marketing strategy to gain more customers through these social sites. It is easy to
gain customers attention using social sites, because people often tend to believe in what
their friends or peers recommend. Facebook, Twitter, or Linked in, Google plus are some
of the most popular social media sites that people use to share their lifestyle, stories,
where they went for vacation and even what they are doing or going to do. They post
information which could lead their friends to do the same thing or their friends can use
their information to make their own decisions. So the brand choice of one friend can be
influenced by another friend through social sites.
In today’s technology driven world, social networking sites have become an
avenue where retailers and even customers themselves can extend their marketing
campaigns to a wider range of consumers. Social media marketing can be defined as a
“connection between brands and consumers, while offering a personal channel and

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currency for user centered networking and social interaction” (Chi, 2011). The tools and
approaches for communicating with customers have changed greatly with the emergence
of social media. Now the consumers can learn about any product or service form their
friends in social sites. The easy interactions among the users of social media allow the
users to share their feeling about a brand and/ or service. And these sharing and
communications help the users to choose their desired brand from a wide range of brand
or products.
Online sales are increasing, cost of customer acquisition is decreasing, and new
ways of customer retention are being developed through using social sites. Consumers
connect, rate, discuss, and consume product information and reviews like never before.
They can get instant recommendations of their friends about a product or service. They
make survey before they purchase a product. They learn about different brand and get
required information from their friends in social sites. They can compare brands over
social sites. When savvy consumers are in the market for something like a new pair of
shoes, a DSLR camera, cosmetic products, a fridge or a cell phone they turn to the web,
knowing there's a wealth of knowledge and information to be had. They can get all
information they need from social sites. They can get expert opinion from a friend who
has experience. For luxury products they can get the appreciation and choice of other.
Consumers are much more likely to discover about new products and brands in social
medias. They now refer to social media before making purchase decisions. People use
social medias for various purposes. Some of these are to-
· Discover new brands or products through social media,
· Learn about unfamiliar brands or products ,
· Make purchase decisions by taking opinions in social media,
· Refer to social media before making purchase decisions,
· Find coupons or other discounts for local businesses,
· Compare or check prices social medias,
· Refer to reviews for brands/places/services,

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So it is clear that the importance of social medias for choosing the most feasible
product or service is huge and the importance is increasing at a great pace. Consumers are
now integrating social media usage with their mobile phone activity. Teenagers and
adults who have ever used social media are now accessing it through their mobile device.
As a result, social media is now a 'wherever I am' option, integrated into the mobile-plus
social media users' shopping experience and habits; these medias like face book, Google
plus, twitter, LinkedIn are Tying consumer interactions back to brands and purchase
decisions. The Faces of Social Media gives brands the ability to not only understand, but
also act on that influence. This move to mobility combined with the increasing influence
of social media during the purchase process has great implications for both marketers and
consumers.
There are various statistics that account for social media usage and effectiveness
for individuals worldwide. Some of the most recent statistics are as follows:
· Consumers continue to spend more time on social networks than on any other
category of sites—roughly 20 percent of their total time online via personal
computer (PC), and 30 percent of total time online via mobile.
· Total time spent on social media in the U.S. across PCs and mobile devices
increased 37 percent to 121 billion minutes in July 2012, compared to 88 billion
in July 2011.
· Facebook remains the most-visited social network in the U.S. via PC (152.2
million visitors), mobile apps (78.4 million users) and mobile web (74.3 million
visitors), and is multiple times the size of the next largest social site across each
platform.
· 51% of people aged 25–34 used social networking in the office, more than any
other age group. (Nielsen, 2012)
So the use of social sites has a huge impact in consumers brand decision. And so the
importance of social medias is increasing day by day.

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Literature Review:
The influence of social sites on buyer’s brand choice behavior can be in any
services or products. Quality, service, advertising or price could affect consumer brand
choice. Brand experience and brand service can be the base of brand loyalty. In 2003,
Western Kentucky University used a sample of 249 consumers' purchases to analyze the
type of product purchased, and the cost of item. The results of this research present that
consumers are buying either inexpensive or expensive items, and are doing so based on
recommendations from social media by their contacts or friends on social media (Forbes
& Vespoli, 2013). We can consider the effect and can say that social media does
influence buying behavior and their brand choice. According to the recommendations on
purchases, 59% of all respondents were using Facebook as their social media tool when
they received a product recommendation. 37% of all users were using Twitter. From
these results, social media has influenced their buying behavior.
Consumers and businesses around the globe have been more connected than ever
before with the presence of Internet. An average Internet user has 669 social ties
(Hampton et al. 2011). Facebook has more than 757 million daily active users on average
in December 2013(Facebook Newsroom, 2014) with over 1.5 million business pages
(Facebook 2013), and 30 billion pieces of content shared on a monthly basis (McKinsey,
2011). Approximately there are 645,750,000 active registered Twitter users, 58 million
Tweets are sent per day, at about 9,100 Tweets happen per second (Tweeter, 2014). And
LinkedIn connects the world's professionals to make them more productive and
successful. With more than 277 million members worldwide, including executives from
every Fortune 500 company, LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network on the
Internet (LinkedIn, 2013). The global average time spent per person on social networking
sites is 6.9 hours per month (Delaney and Salminen, 2012). Changes in consumer
behavior due to social media are one of the most intriguing aspects in the contemporary
marketing.

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There is relationship between social sites and consumer brand choice. Using
social sites affects brand attitudes, and purchasing intentions of consumer. It will not
necessarily affect consumer’s decision-making, but might possess a mediating effect
(Taining, 2012). Social media can build brand attitudes that affect buying behavior. It can
help to build a good image of a brand or product and can lead the consumer to make
decision on their purchases. When consumer’s friend on social media shares or
recommends services or products on their social media or praise a branded product it
influences the decision-making process and the brand attitude of the buyer. Advertising
on social media, which is provided by commercial sources affect both consumer brand
attitudes and purchasing intention (Yang, 2012). Many marketers use social media for
their marketing campaigns because it is easy to communicate with consumers through
social sites and it is inexpensive to advertise brands or services. On pages for brands and
products, however, some companies have reported CTR as high as 6.49% for Wall posts.
According to Curran et al. (2011), social media sites such as Facebook are better than
other advertising avenues because it stores information on all its users thus ensuring
marketing reaches a retailer’s specific target market. Social media sites are a great stage
for retailers to create an experience and retailers can use information stored on social
media sites to improve user experience with their brand. A study found that, for video
advertisements on Facebook, over 40% of users who viewed the videos viewed the entire
video, while the industry average was 25% for in-banner video ads. As Curran et al.
(2011) points out, almost 1 in every 13 person in the world is an active Facebook user,
which points to the potential of finding a ready market for any product or service.
Now if we talk about brand we can say Brand is essentially the sum of all
experiences related to the product, service, and companies that make and deliver the
product. A brand is more than a product, because it can have dimensions that differentiate
it in some way from other products designed to satisfy the same needs (Keller, 2009, p-
27). Brand perceptions are shaped by functional experiences as well as emotional
experiences the customer associates with the product and company. Brand experiences
and perceptions are developed over time through a variety of sources, including:

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· Previous experience with the brand
· Interactions with sales, customer service, and other employees
· Recommendations from friends and colleagues
· Reviews by reputable sources
· Advertising
So recommendations from friends and colleagues can act as a source of brand
choice information. Social sites can allow a prospective consumer to communicate with
friends and colleagues about a product or brand. Study shows that social media allows
consumers and prospective consumers to communicate directly to a brand representative.
So it can be said that consumers are using the social sites as tool to search and purchase
items, brands or services. The online consumer is a booming market worldwide; however
it is giving a globalized level of segmentation cross-culturally (Vinerean, Cetina &
Tichindelean, 2013). If they have some problems on products or services, consumers
could reach the company via social media, which is an easy way to connect and contact
with them. Some of the dissatisfied customers will share their feelings and experience in
social sites. So users of social sites can get that information about brand and they can also
get information about good brands. The reactions and responses can build strong brand
images and get more consumers to purchase products or services. When a consumer
wants to make decision on product, every single detail could be an influence to their
decision-making and brand choice.
Consumer motives for engaging in social media provide insights into consumers’
activities. Consumers have three main gratifications or motives for using the Internet as a
medium, namely, information, entertainment, and social aspects (Heinonen, 2011). The
motivation is in two main groups:
· Rational motives, such as knowledge-sharing and advocacy, and
· Emotional motives, such as social connection and self-expression (Krishnamurthy
& Dou, 2008).
Consumers’ activities in social media have been found based on consumers' conduct
online. Nowadays consumers are using Internet as their tools to achieve their motivations.

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Their motivation could be connected to their old friends, business, or reviews to support
their decision-making. Reviews on social media become second-hand resources to
support consumer’s decision-making because they want value from their money. Reviews
on social sites not only affect expensive items, but also inexpensive items as well. People
can see the reviews on cosmetics, books, cars, hotels, or even nail polishes. Those
reviews can motivate purchases or support consumer’s decision-making by making it
more reasonable to spend the money on it.
Objectives:
The objectives of the study are to
1. Identify and understand how people use social sites to make decisions about brand
choice.
2. Define the benefits and limitations of these sites.
3. Make the use of these sites more acceptable and fruitful.
Impacts of social sites:
The phrase social sites and social media can be used interchangeably .Kaplan and
Haenlein (2010,p- 61) define social media as “a group of Internet based applications that
build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and allow the creation
and exchange of user generated content.” Sinclaire and Vogus (2011, p-294) cite
O’Reilly’s (2005) definition: “social media is a broad term that describes software tools
that create user generated content that can be shared.” However, there are some basic
features necessary for a website to meet the requirements as a social network website: the
site must contain user profiles, content, and a method that permits users to connect with

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each other and post comments on each other’s pages, and join virtual groups based on
common interests such as fashion or politics. (Gross & Acquisti, 2005; Ellison, Steinfield
& Lampe, 2007; Lenhart & Madden, 2007; Winder, 2007; Boyd & Ellison, 2007 as cited
in Cox 2010). We will consider some of the famous social sites such as Facebook,
Twitter, Google plus, and LinkedIn. “As more shoppers are using social media (e.g.,
Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn) and rely on them for marketing shopping
decisions, promotion through these media has become important” (Shankar et al. 2011,
32).
Brand awareness refers to customers' ability to recall and recognize the brand
under different conditions and link to the brand name, logo, and jingles and so on to
certain associations in memory. It consists of both brand recognition and brand recall. It
helps the customers to understand to which product or service category the particular
brand belongs and what products and services are sold under the brand name. It also
ensures that customers know which of their needs are satisfied by the brand through its
products (Keller, 2009). Brand awareness is of critical importance since customers will
not consider your brand if they are not aware of it.
According to a study by the digital marketing agency ODM Group, 74% of
consumers rely on social networks to guide purchase decisions. Social media platforms
like Facebook and Twitter have allowed brands to effectively market to a wider audience.
For consumers, these platforms allow easy access to brands, but also help to guide
product decisions and purchases. On Twitter, 53% of consumers recommend companies
or products in their tweets. Of those, 48% follow through with the intent to buy that
product or service (Jennifer Beese, 2011).
The most effective platforms in terms of mobilizing consumers to talk about
products are Facebook with 86%, followed by Twitter at 65%, blogs and reviews are tied
at 55%, and videos come in last with 50%. Not only should you have a social presence on
these platforms, but you should make sure to monitor closely for mentions of your brand
or products (Jennifer Beese, 2011). Social media always influences our purchasing
decisions. Here are some statistics that prove that social media influences our choice.

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1. Consumers are 71% more likely to make a purchase based on social media referrals
(Hubspot, 2012)
2. Social networks influence nearly 50% of all IT decision makers (LinkedIn - learn more
at TechConnect '12)
3. Out of 53% of consumers who said they use Twitter to recommend companies or
products in their Tweets, 48% bought that product or service (SproutSocial, 2011)
4. Twitter is the #1 online channel for influencing purchasing decisions surrounding
electronics (Mashable, 2011)
5. 15,100,000 consumers go to social media channels before making purchase decisions
(Knowledge Networks, 2011)
6. 49% of consumers use Facebook to search for restaurants (Mashable, 2011)
7. 74% of consumers rely on social networks to guide purchase decisions (SproutSocial,
2011)
8. 58% of Facebook users expect offers, events or promotions when they become fans
(Hubspot, 2012)
9. Facebook is the most effective platform to get consumers talking about products
(SproutSocial, 2011)
10. Facebook is the #1 online channel for influencing the purchase of baby products
(Mashable, 2011)
11. 79% of consumers like a Facebook company page because it offers discounts and
incentives (Forbes, 2012)
12. 44% of automotive consumers conduct research on forums (Mashable, 2011)

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13. 38,000,000 13 to 80 year olds in the U.S. said their purchasing decisions were
influenced by social media (Knowledge Networks, 2011)
14. 81% of US respondents indicated that friends' social media posts directly influenced
their purchase decision (Forbes, 2012)
15. As of June 2011, there were 213,000,000 fans of Facebook Pages (Mashable, 2011)
16. 32.5% of women say they're influenced by special offers on Facebook vs. 29% on
Twitter (Business2Community)
17. 78% of respondents said that companies' social media posts impact their purchases
(Forbes, 2012)
18. Moms are 45% more likely than other women to say they made a purchase from a
recommendation on social (MarketingProfs, 2012)
19. 70% of active online adult social networkers shop online, 12% more likely than the
average adult internet user (Nielsen, 2011)
20. 44% of social media savvy women said their trusted/favorite blogger influences their
purchasing decision (Business2Community)
If we talk about Facebook then we have to admit that it has affected the social life
and activity of people in various ways. With its availability on many mobile devices,
Facebook allows users to continuously stay in touch with friends, relatives and other
acquaintances wherever they are in the world, as long as there is access to the Internet. It
can also unite people with common interests and/or beliefs through groups and other
pages, and has been known to reunite lost family members and friends because of the
widespread reach of its network.
Some argue that Facebook is beneficial to one's social life because they can
continuously stay in contact with their friends and relatives, while others say that it can
cause increased antisocial tendencies because people are not directly communicating with

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each other. Some studies have named Facebook as a source of problems in relationships.
Several news stories have suggested that using Facebook can lead to higher instances of
divorce and infidelity, but the claims have been questioned by other commentators.
Some Benefits of Using Social Medias for Brand Choice:
A user of social media or site can get several benefits while using social medias
for choosing brands. Some of the benefits are given below-
· They can attain information very quickly through social media networks whereas
in mass media the situation is quite different in that you have to rely on for
instance magazines or TVs and that takes really time
· They can gather information about customer experiences, word of mouth, going
behind the marketing and advertising mumbo-jumbos/polished slogans
· When using social media, one can actually search for the aspects that interest
them.
· One can filter the information from hundreds of users' opinion and comments
before making the decision of purchasing a brand.
· In social media one can argue with friends about future purchase, shortcomings
and their previous experience with the same products or brands.
· They are able to make a comment and discuss about brands with others.
For these benefits the use of social media for brand choice is increasing. More and more
people are using these medias for deciding their brand or are at least checking the brand
preview of friends.

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Methodology:
There are two distinct research methods – quantitative and qualitative, in
collecting data for the purpose of obtaining information from them, to solve or answer a
particular research problem or question (Ghauri & Gronhaug 2005, p- 109). But taking
the sample size into consideration, it has been decided not to conduct any in-depth
interviews with the targeted respondents.
Qualitative research is an unstructured, exploratory research methodology based
on small samples that provides insights and understanding of the problem setting. And
quantitative research is a research methodology that seeks to quantify the data and
typically applies some form of statistical analysis. (Malhotra & Dash, 2012). For the
purpose of this research, quantitative data was gathered and utilized. With the strategy of
survey, it allows the collection of a large amount of data from a sizeable population in a
highly economical way (Saunders et al. 2009); it is also a logical and critical approach
which allows the researcher to control measurement and outcome. Here the research
focuses on a geographical area; the research reach individuals whose age range from 15
to 35 years. As more responses will result higher credibility of the findings I tried to
gather enough response.
Although it is usually better to link quantitative data with other methods (such as
in-depth interviews) in order to complement the findings of a research (Saunders et al.
2009), this research is to identify the importance of social medias in the consumer
decision making process and brand choice, and for that we have to identify the
relationship between overwhelming information on social media and its impact on
consumers’ brand choice.
The survey was carried out in the form of questionnaire. Since there was only one
chance to collect the data, the researcher had to identify precisely of what data is needed,
and to design the questionnaire in order to meet the research objectives (Saunders et al.
2009). In order to ensure respondent decodes the questions in the way the researcher

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intended, the clarity of the questionnaire structure was a dominant factor. Moreover the
appropriate length and logical order of the questions in the questionnaire is also
important. to examine the relationship between social media and consumer behavior
many questions are designed to reflect individuals’ beliefs and attitudes, considerations,
their knowledge and appreciation. Questions are expressed in the form of scale questions.
Data for the study were collected through using 5-point likert scale. Here strongly agree=
5, agree=4, neutral=3, disagree= 2 and strongly disagree=1. Before sending the
questionnaire to the targeted respondents, I have consulted with supervisor and the
questionnaire was approved by the thesis supervisor. Analyses and conclusions of the
research are made upon actual numerical facts of the collected data, in order to obtain
verified and applicable data.
The survey was sent out to approximately 80 individuals, and the number of
participants was 50, therefore the total percentage of responses was 62.5%. the total the
questionnaire contains 24 questions. Moreover the questionnaire included 4 questions
regarding demographic variables. Respondents were taken who use internet for various
purpose or at least has internet access. and the sample drawn for this research was
balanced by age, gender, educational factors.
To analyze the collected survey data, SPSS software has been used. And to
prepare the graph and bar commercial spreadsheet package MS Excel was used.
Questions were divided into 8 tables. They are- Sample Profile, Consumers Awareness of
Social Sites and Brand , Consumer’s Idea about Using Social Medias for Brand Choice ,
Considered Factors While Using Social Sites to Know About Brand, Perceived Benefits,
Perceived Risks , Consumers Willingness to Purchase Branded Goods Based on
Information Gathered from Social Sites , and Consumer’s Deal Evaluation .

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Findings:
The first table contains the demographic variables. It shows that all the
respondents fall into the age group of 15 to 35 years and all the respondents are educated.
It also shows that forty percent of the respondents are male and sixty percent is female.
Table 1: Sample Profile
Consumer’s Demographic Variable % of respondent
Name
Age 15 to 35 years 100%
Education All are educated 100%
Gender Male : 40%
Female 60%
Table 2: Consumers Awareness of Social Sites and Brand
Factors Influence Consumer to Use Social Sites for Brand
Choice
%of responses
Yes No
1 I know about social sites and Brand 94% 6%
2 I use social sites 98% 2%
3 I purchase branded products 96% 4%
4 I am aware that social sites can be used as a source of brand
information
92% 8%
Table 2 shows consumer awareness of social sites and brands. Both brand and
social medias are familiar term to most of the respondents. 98% of the respondent said
they use social medias and 96% purchase branded products. And 92% of the respondents
are aware that social sites can be used as a source of brand information.

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Table 3: Consumer’s Idea about Using Social Medias for Brand Choice
Factors Influence Consumer
to Use Social Sites for Brand
Choice
% of Responses in 5Point Likert Scale Mean
Value
Strongly
Agree
(SA)
5
Agree
(A)
4
Neutral
(N)
3
Disagree
(D)
2
Strongly
Disagree
(SD)
1
(SA*5+A
*4+N*3+
D*2+SD*
1)/100
5 I agree social sites are
successful in linking
people and organizations
34% 50% 14% 2% 0% 4.16
6 Social sites help us to share
our thoughts about
different brands and
services.
28% 54% 10% 8% 0% 4.02
7 Branded products and
services assure good
quality and services.
30% 44% 22% 2% 2% 3.98
8 Use of social sites can
bring change in our brand
choice.
8% 56% 22% 14% 0% 3.58
The third table contains questions that are related with consumers’ idea about
using social media as a source of information.34% strongly agree that it can link people
and organization, 50% agree with the statement, 14% remain neutral and 2%
disagree.28% strongly agree that social sites help them to share their thoughts, 54% agree
with it, 10% of them remain neutral about the statement and 8% disagree.
30% strongly agree that branded products and services assure good quality and
services, 44% agree, 22% of the respondents are neutral, 2% disagree and 2% strongly
disagree with this statement. 8% strongly agree that using social sites can somehow bring

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change in our brand choice, 56% agree with this statement, 22% remain neutral and 14%
disagree with this statement.
Table 4: Considered Factors While Using Social Sites to Know About Brand
Factor Influence Consumer
to Use Social Sites for Brand
Choice
Value
Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree Strongl
y
Disagre
e
(SA*5+A
*4+N*3+
D*2+SD*
1)/100
9 I consider the shared
sites, liked pages, chat
and tweet about products
to gain information about
brands.
20% 50% 18% 10% 2% 3.76
10 I consider the safety and
mental satisfaction of
buying branded products.
32% 48% 20% 0% 0% 4.12
11 I consider the WOM and
buzz marketing factors
that I get from my used
social sites
12% 52% 32% 4% 0% 3.72
12 I consider the time,
money and energy that
can be saved by using
social sites to choose
brands.
10% 50% 30% 10% 0% 3.60
13 I consider brand variety
and friend’s preferences
while choosing brand.
22% 62% 10% 6% 0% 4.00

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People consider various factors while use social sites or buy branded products.
These factors are important. Table 4 shows these factors that are considered.20% strongly
agree that they consider shared and liked pages, tweets of friends to gain information
about brands. 50% agree with the statement 18% remained neutral 10% disagree and 2%
strongly disagree with the statement. 32% said that they consider the safety and mental
satisfaction of buying branded products, 48% agree with them and 20%was neutral.12%
strongly agree that they consider the buzz marketing and WOM factors that they gather
from the social sites, 52% agree, 32% are neutral and 4% does not consider these.10%
strongly agree that they consider the time, money and energy that can be saved, 50%
agree ,30% remain neutral and 10% does not consider these factor.22% said that they
consider brand variety and friends preferences for choosing brand, 62% agree, 10%
remain neutral and 6% disagree.
Table 5: Perceived Benefits
Factors Influence Consumer
to Use Social Sites for
Brand Choice
Value
Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly
Disagree
(SA*5+A
*4+N*3+
D*2+SD*
1)/100
14 Easy to compare Brands 22% 54% 12% 12% 0% 3.86
15 Energy, time ,and money
saving
12% 68% 14% 6% 0% 3.86
16 Expert opinion about
brands
16% 48% 30% 4% 2% 3.72
17 Price considerations and
comparing prices
20% 52% 18% 10% 0% 3.82
Table 5 includes the perceived benefits of using the social medias for choosing
preferable brand. 22% strongly agree and 54% agree that it is easy to compare brand over

25
the social sites, 12% remain neutral and 12% disagree. 12% strongly agree and 685 agree
that it saves time, energy and money, 14% remain neutral and 6% disagree. 16% strongly
agree, 48% agree that social media help to get expert opinion about brands, while 30% is
neutral, 4% disagree and 2% strongly disagree. 20% strongly agree and 52 % agree that it
is easy to compare price and 18% remain neutral while 10% disagree.
Table 6: Perceived Risks
Factors Influence
Consumer to Use Social
Sites for Brand Choice
Value
Strongly
Agree
Disagree
(SA*5+A
*4+N*3+
D*2+SD*
1)/100
18 Sometimes the process
can be complicated
34% 56% 8% 2% 0% 4.22
19 Missing the fun of
shopping by visiting
several stores and
markets
44% 36% 14% 6% 0% 4.18
20 Information gained from
social sited are not
always trusted
50% 38% 10% 2% 0% 4.36
Table 6 includes the perceived risks, the risks that can result while using social
media for choosing brand. 34% strongly agree, 56% agree that the process is
complicated, while 8% remain neutral and 2% disagree. 44% strongly agree and 36%
agree that they miss the fun of visiting while shopping, 14% remain neutral and 6%
disagree. 50% strongly agree, 38% agree that the information gained is not always
trustable, 10% remain neutral, and 2% disagree with this statement.

26
Table 7: Consumers Willingness to Purchase Branded Goods Based on Information
Gathered from Social Sites
Factors Influence
Value
Strongly
Agree
Agree Neutral Disagre
e
Strongly
Disagree
(SA*5+A
*4+N*3+
D*2+SD*
1)/100
21 I often visit online stores
and stores referred in
social sites
18% 52% 14% 10% 6% 3.66
22 I purchase brand that are
praised in social sites
12% 38% 20% 26% 4% 3.28
Table 7 considers consumers’ willingness to purchase branded goods based on
information gathered from social sites. 18% strongly agree, 52% agree that they visit
online stores and stores reffered in the social medias they use. 14% remain neutral 10%
disagree and 6 % strongly disagree with this starement.12% strongly agree and 38%
agree that they purchase brands that are praised in social sites they use. 20% were neutral,
26% disagree and 4% strongly disagree with this statement.

27
Table 8: Consumer’s Deal Evaluation
Factors Influence
Value
Strongly
Agree
Disagree
(SA*5+A
*4+N*3+
D*2+SD
*1)/100
23 I think social sites will
be more preferable for
comparing and choosing
brand
18% 38% 36% 4% 4% 3.62
24 I think using social sites
is helpful for brand
choice
14% 52% 28% 6% 0% 3.74
This table evaluates the deal of consumers’. 18% strongly agree and38% agree
that social sites will be more preferable for comparing and choosing brands in future.
36% remain neutral, $% disagree and 4% strongly disagree with the statement. 14%
strongly agree and 52% agree that social sites are helpful for brand choice while 28% are
neutral and 6% disagree.
These findings were taken from SPSS software and the frequencies , percent,
valid percent, cumulative percent, mean median, mode, standard deviation, related bar
graphs with each questions is given below.

28
Frequencies
Notes
Output Created 06-Apr-2014 22:53:07
Comments
Input Active Dataset DataSet1
Filter <none>
Weight <none>
Split File <none>
N of Rows in Working
Data File
50
Missing Value
Handling
Definition of Missing User-defined missing values are
treated as missing.
Cases Used Statistics are based on all cases
with valid data.
Syntax FREQUENCIES
VARIABLES=Question_1
Question_2 Question_3
Question_4
/STATISTICS=MEAN
MEDIAN MODE SUM
/ORDER=ANALYSIS.
Resources Processor Time 00:00:00.000
Elapsed Time 00:00:00.000

29
Statistics
Question_1 Question_2 Question_3 Question_4
N Valid 50 50 50 50
Missing 0 0 0 0
Frequency Table
Question_1
Frequency Percent Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Valid No 3 6.0 6.0 6.0
Yes 47 94.0 94.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0
Graph: Question 1

30
Question_2
Cumulative
Percent
Valid No 1 2.0 2.0 2.0
Yes 49 98.0 98.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0
Graph: Question 2
Question_3
Cumulative
Percent
Valid No 2 4.0 4.0 4.0
Yes 48 96.0 96.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0

31
Graph: Question 3
Question_4
Cumulative
Percent
Valid No 4 8.0 8.0 8.0
Yes 46 92.0 92.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0
Graph: Question 4

32
Frequencies
Notes
Comments
Input Data C:UsersuserDocumentsques
4-8.sav
Active Dataset DataSet1
Filter <none>
Weight <none>
Split File <none>
Data File
50
Missing Value
Handling
Definition of Missing User-defined missing values are
treated as missing.
Cases Used Statistics are based on all cases
with valid data.
Syntax FREQUENCIES
Question_8
/STATISTICS=STDDEV
MEAN MEDIAN MODE
/ORDER=ANALYSIS.

33
Statistics
N Valid 50 50 50 50
Missing 0 0 0 0
Mean 4.1600 4.0200 3.9800 3.5800
Median 4.0000 4.0000 4.0000 4.0000
Mode 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00
Std. Deviation .73845 .84491 .89191 .83520
Frequency Table
Question_5
Cumulative
Percent
Valid D 1 2.0 2.0 2.0
N 7 14.0 14.0 16.0
A 25 50.0 50.0 66.0
SA 17 34.0 34.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0

34
Graph: Question 5
Question_6
Cumulative
Percent
Valid D 4 8.0 8.0 8.0
N 5 10.0 10.0 18.0
A 27 54.0 54.0 72.0
SA 14 28.0 28.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0

35
Graph: Question 6
Question_7
Cumulative
Percent
Valid SD 1 2.0 2.0 2.0
D 1 2.0 2.0 4.0
N 11 22.0 22.0 26.0
A 22 44.0 44.0 70.0
SA 15 30.0 30.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0

36
Graph: Question 7
Question_8
Cumulative
Percent
Valid D 7 14.0 14.0 14.0
N 11 22.0 22.0 36.0
A 28 56.0 56.0 92.0
SA 4 8.0 8.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0
Graph: Question 8

37
Descriptive Statistics
N Minimum Maximum Mean
Std.
Deviation
Question_5 50 2.00 5.00 4.1600 .73845
Question_6 50 2.00 5.00 4.0200 .84491
Question_7 50 1.00 5.00 3.9800 .89191
Question_8 50 2.00 5.00 3.5800 .83520
Valid N (list
wise)
50
Frequencies
Notes
Comments
Input Data C:UsersuserDocumentsQUES9=24
.sav
Active Dataset DataSet1
Filter <none>
Weight <none>
Split File <none>
Data File
50
Missing Value Handling Definition of Missing User-defined missing values are
treated as missing.
Cases Used Statistics are based on all cases with
valid data.

38
Syntax FREQUENCIES
Question_24
/STATISTICS=MEAN MEDIAN
MODE SUM
/ORDER=ANALYSIS.
Statistics
Question_9 Question_10 Question_11 Question_12 Question_13
N Valid 50 50 50 50 50
Missin
g
0 0 0 0 0
Mean 3.7600 4.1200 3.7200 3.6000 4.0000
Median 4.0000 4.0000 4.0000 4.0000 4.0000
Mode 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00
Sum 188.00 206.00 186.00 180.00 200.00

39
Frequency Table
Question_9
Cumulative
Percent
Valid SD 1 2.0 2.0 2.0
D 5 10.0 10.0 12.0
N 9 18.0 18.0 30.0
A 25 50.0 50.0 80.0
SA 10 20.0 20.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0
Graph: Question 9

40
Question_10
Cumulative
Percent
Valid N 10 20.0 20.0 20.0
A 24 48.0 48.0 68.0
SA 16 32.0 32.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0
Graph: Question 10
Question_11
Cumulative
Percent
Valid D 2 4.0 4.0 4.0
N 16 32.0 32.0 36.0
A 26 52.0 52.0 88.0
SA 6 12.0 12.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0

41
Graph: Question 11
Question_12
Cumulative
Percent
Valid D 5 10.0 10.0 10.0
N 15 30.0 30.0 40.0
A 25 50.0 50.0 90.0
SA 5 10.0 10.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0

42
Graph: Question 12
Question_13
Cumulative
Percent
Valid D 3 6.0 6.0 6.0
N 5 10.0 10.0 16.0
A 31 62.0 62.0 78.0
SA 11 22.0 22.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0
Graph: Question 13

43
Statistics
N Valid 50 50 50 50
Missing 0 0 0 0
Mean 3.8600 3.8600 3.7200 3.8200
Median 4.0000 4.0000 4.0000 4.0000
Mode 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.00
Sum 193.00 193.00 186.00 191.00
Question_14
Cumulative
Percent
Valid D 6 12.0 12.0 12.0
N 6 12.0 12.0 24.0
A 27 54.0 54.0 78.0
SA 11 22.0 22.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0
Graph: Question 14

44
Question_15
Cumulative
Percent
Valid D 3 6.0 6.0 6.0
N 7 14.0 14.0 20.0
A 34 68.0 68.0 88.0
SA 6 12.0 12.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0
Graph: Question15

45
Question_16
Cumulative
Percent
Valid SD 1 2.0 2.0 2.0
D 2 4.0 4.0 6.0
N 15 30.0 30.0 36.0
A 24 48.0 48.0 84.0
SA 8 16.0 16.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0
Graph: Question16

46
Question_17
Cumulative
Percent
Valid D 5 10.0 10.0 10.0
N 9 18.0 18.0 28.0
A 26 52.0 52.0 80.0
SA 10 20.0 20.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0
Graph: Question17

47
Statistics
Question_18 Question_19 Question_20
N Valid 50 50 50
Missing 0 0 0
Mean 4.2200 4.1800 4.3600
Median 4.0000 4.0000 4.5000
Mode 4.00 5.00 5.00
Sum 211.00 209.00 218.00
Question_18
Cumulative
Percent
Valid D 1 2.0 2.0 2.0
N 4 8.0 8.0 10.0
A 28 56.0 56.0 66.0
SA 17 34.0 34.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0
Graph: Question18

48
Question_19
Cumulative
Percent
Valid D 3 6.0 6.0 6.0
N 7 14.0 14.0 20.0
A 18 36.0 36.0 56.0
SA 22 44.0 44.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0
Graph: Question19

49
Question_20
Cumulative
Percent
Valid D 1 2.0 2.0 2.0
N 5 10.0 10.0 12.0
A 19 38.0 38.0 50.0
SA 25 50.0 50.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0
Graph: Question20
Statistics
N Valid 50 50
Missing 0 0
Mean 3.6600 3.2800
Median 4.0000 3.5000
Mode 4.00 4.00
Sum 183.00 164.00

50
Question_21
Cumulative
Percent
Valid SD 3 6.0 6.0 6.0
D 5 10.0 10.0 16.0
N 7 14.0 14.0 30.0
A 26 52.0 52.0 82.0
SA 9 18.0 18.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0
Graph: Question21

51
Question_22
Cumulative
Percent
Valid SD 2 4.0 4.0 4.0
D 13 26.0 26.0 30.0
N 10 20.0 20.0 50.0
A 19 38.0 38.0 88.0
SA 6 12.0 12.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0
Graph: Question22

52
Statistics
N Valid 50 50
Missing 0 0
Mean 3.6200 3.7400
Median 4.0000 4.0000
Mode 4.00 4.00
Sum 181.00 187.00
Question_23
Cumulative
Percent
Valid SD 2 4.0 4.0 4.0
D 2 4.0 4.0 8.0
N 18 36.0 36.0 44.0
A 19 38.0 38.0 82.0
SA 9 18.0 18.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0

53
Graph: Question23
Question_24
Cumulative
Percent
Valid D 3 6.0 6.0 6.0
N 14 28.0 28.0 34.0
A 26 52.0 52.0 86.0
SA 7 14.0 14.0 100.0
Total 50 100.0 100.0

54
Graph: Question24

55
Recommendations:
Because social media provides a new stage for brand marketing and consumers
are actively contributing to the communication by marketing brands, businesses have
become creative when trying to gain control of their marketing (Chi, 2011). So the
customers who use social sites to decide must be conscious. Analyzing the survey result
we can see that people are now using social medias for various purposes and they
consider it as a source of information for brand choice. Most of the respondent considers
various advantages that can be gained by using social medias for choosing brands and
they think that social media can be used for choosing brand. Most of respondent even
believe that social medias will become reliable source for brand information in future.
But all information in social medias is not always trustable so while making decision the
consumers should follow some rules.
· Information gathered from social medias must be verified.
· Before choosing brand all information about brand must be gathered.
· Information shared by trustable persons should be considered.
· Compare price, quality of recommended brands.
· Trust recommendation of expert persons.
· Visit the shared or liked pages but compare the brands before purchase.
· Always remain aware about the privacy of personal information.
While purchasing online or deciding the brand based of information shared in social sites
consumers’ must remember these facts.

56
Limitations:
Here the theories were approved by findings from survey and the research is able
to provide a certain degree of new insights in relating to the current situation but yet some
limitations may still exist.
· The above findings cannot represent all individuals who use social medias as a
whole,
· The decision making process involves psychological factors which may result in
different behavioral actions.
· The research result may lack objectivity.
Conclusion:
Social media has advanced from simply providing a platform for individuals to
stay in touch with their family and friends. Now it is a place where consumers can learn
more about their favorite companies and the products they sell. Marketers and retailers
are utilizing these sites as another way to reach consumers and provide a new way to
shop. “Technology related developments such as the rise of powerful search engines,
advanced mobile devices and interfaces, peer-to-peer communication vehicles, and online
social networks have extended marketers’ ability to reach shoppers through new touch
points” (Shankar et al. 2011, p-30). Not only marketers the consumers are also
benefitting. They can now gather information sitting in home; they can even shop in
home. People can consider different brand aspects and can use them to build their own
brand choice. This is the most obvious impact on consumer buying decisions from social
media. Folks ask friends for recommendation on social networks or consult social
networks such as Yelp for evaluations before buying a product. Friends offer unsolicited
recommendation either directly, through their endorsement of the brand, or indirectly, by
showing images of them with the brand or checking in at the location using apps like

57
Foursquare. Even social media has a big impact on evaluations — the weighing of
alternatives. Sometimes social networks impact evaluations by encouraging more
emotional and less cognitive factors in the process.
Social media impacts consumers decisions regarding brands because friends can
help you find the brand you decided to buy, talk you out of it if they don’t agree, maybe
even help find a way to pay for the item. Social media helps to overcome obstacles in the
way of buyers who have decided on a purchase. But social media can sometimes create
problems. It has a big impact on cognitive dissonance. Let’s say you just bought a new
car and a friend posts about a different new car they just bought and how wonderful it is.
Or, you just spent some money on a new dress and now your friends are talking about
taking a ski trip next weekend, but you don’t have the money. These can result in
Cognitive dissonance.
So, social media has a great impact in our choice. As it can influence our decision
making and brand choice we should be more conscious while using social media for
brand choice. More and more people now use social medias and the use is increasing so
the importance is also increasing. Social medias have become a part of our daily life and
the day when these social media will strictly decide the brand choice of user is not far.

58
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