CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR & NEUROMARKETING

RESEARCH TITLE

“A STUDY ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR FOR THE WOODLAND”

By:

Ravi Prasad

Sachin

Tanushree Baghel

In Guidance Of:-

Mr. M. Annaji Sarma

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would like to express our gratitude to all those who gave us the possibility to complete this research
report. We want to thank National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bhopal for giving us permission to
commence this research proposal in the first instance, to do the necessary research work and to use
departmental data and resources.

We are deeply indebted to our Professor and Course Coordinator Mr. M. Annaji Sarma from the NIFT,
Hyderabad whose help, stimulating suggestions and encouragement helped us in all the time of research.

My class mates from the Department of Fashion management studies and college mates from various other
departments of National Institute of Fashion technology, Bhopal who supported us in our research work. We
want to thank them for all their help, support, interest and valuable hints.
CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the Project Work titled “A Study On Customers Attitude Towards Online Shopping” is a
bona-fide work carried out by Ravi Prasad, Sachin, Tanushree Baghel, students of MFM- 2nd program 2018-
2020 batch of the National Institute of Fashion Technology,Bhopal under my guidance and direction.

Signature of Guide: Mr. M. Annaji Sarma

DECLARATION

We hereby declare that the research project work entitled – “A Study On Customers Attitude Towards Online
Shopping”. Submitted to National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bhopal is a record of an original work done
by Ravi Prasad, Sachin, Tanushree Baghel under the guidance of Mr. M. Annaji Sarma – Professor, National
Institute of Fashion Technology, Hyderabad and this project is submitted in the partial fulfillment of the
requirements of end term jury. The results embodied in this research report have not been reported to any
other University or Institute for the award of any degree or diploma.
CONTENTS

S.No Topic

1 Abstract

2 Introduction

3 Literature Review

4 Research Methodology

5 Data Analysis& Interpretation

6 Conclusion

7 Suggestion

8 References
ABSTRACT

Woodland is one of the well known fashion brand in India. The purpose of this research is to explore
the critical dimensions of consumer behavior towards Woodland as a brand & what is customers’
attention, devotion and loyalty for the brand. Ultimately, the goal is to analyze the consumer
behavior towards Woodland and how they perceive Woodland as a brand.

By using descriptive approach, this study plans on analyzing the different factors of consumer
behavior and different reasons behind it and what Woodland can do to change its brand image in
order to increase its potential customers and increase its sales. With this in mind, the study intends
to validate the relevancy & growth opportunities in consumer behavior field for Woodland.

Through our research we come to know that the Woodland enjoys a good brand image in minds of
its customers as well as potential customers because of its quality products & consumers’
perception. However this image is limited to its footwear category and most of the customers prefer
for footwear only. So woodland can work on its brand image building for the clothing & accessories
department also.

Different important levels of analysis cement our study which includes consumer expectations,
actions & perception towards the Woodland as a brand and its products.

Keywords: Woodland, woodland consumers’ behavior, woodland consumers’ attitude, woodland brand
image, woodland’s image in India, woodland consumers’ beliefs, woodland brand perceptions
1.INTRODUCTION

Objective of the study:

To study the consumer behavior towards the Woodland brand

Scope of the study:

This team paper is made on the basis of what people think about “Woodland”. For this we conducted a
comprehensive survey on Woodland consumers and those people who know about Woodland. It means
more focused on the consumers beliefs, perception, lifestyle and what thoughts consumers have about
Woodland as a fashion & lifestyle brand.

Methodology of the study:

We have used both primary and secondary data to conduct the study. The sources are:

 Primary sources:

Primary sources are the individuals, who somehow are aware about Woodland brand. We have used
convenient sampling to collect the information. We have used a structured questionnaire to collect data from
the respondents and the sample size was 50. Statistical techniques were used to analyze the collected data
and this data was presented in the graphical form.

 Secondary sources:

Secondary information was collected from the books and the web site of Woodland Shoes. We have collected
much of the information through the internet and those are mentioned in the reference page.

Limitations of the study:

Some of the limitations encountered while making this report are as follows:

This study is limited due to

 Lack of resources
 Limited time
 A small sample size of 50 only .
Literature Review

Arafat Rauf and Ashique Mahmud (2011) have found about what people think about “Woodland Shoes”.
They conducted a comprehensive survey on Woodland Shoe consumers and those people who know about
Woodland Shoes and focused on the consumers beliefs, perception, lifestyle and what thoughts consumers
have about Woodland Shoes. The outcome of the study revealed that the inspiration behind Woodlands
success is undoubtedly the outdoor adventure. Woodland shoes are costly but compared with other brand
shoemaking company, their price are within the range. Also Woodland shoe can bring a verity of product.
That means they can increase their product line.

Woodland neglect as social practice by Norman Dandy (2016) This paper seeks to challenge this analytic
perspective by considering ‘under-management’ through the theoretical lens of social practice theory.
Drawing on extensive qualitative data from the UK, it describes a deep-rooted practice of woodland
neglect that is apparent in the ways land-managers understand woodlands, interact mentally and physically
with them, and in the technology associated with them. The emergence of the UK’s wood fuel sector is used
as an opportunity to consider management change from the perspective of practice. The paper finishes by
considering the implications of a practice of woodland neglect for theory and forest policy, noting the
importance of social and technical innovation for practice change.

Performing the Green Market—Creating Space: Emergence of the Green Consumer in the Russian Woodlands
by Jarmo Kortelainen (2009) The paper explores green markets as relational effects. The aim is to show that
the green markets of the forest industry did not develop and expand through green consumption behaviour
but were performed by a hybrid set of actors including environmental nongovernmental organisations,
publishing companies, certification agencies, market researchers, and critical citizens. The spatiality of
greening is expressed by showing how spatial relations, territorial spaces, and spatial differences were
created and utilised within the process. Empirically, the focus is on the Russian forest sector. By analysing
two examples, a conflict over old-growth forests, and a forest certification process, the study indicates how
spatial reorientation and the westward export of the forest industry have resulted in greening timber
markets in various parts of the Russian forest peripheries.
About Woodland:

Woodlands parent company, Aero Group, has been a well known name in the outdoor shoe industry since
the early 50s.The Flagship Company which began its operations in 1960‟s and now has an asset base of over
US$100 Million. Woodland was started in Quebec, Canada for making winter boots. It quickly gained
popularity due to its unwavering commitment to quickly and the introduction of the latest designs. Today,
Aero Group is a highly integrated firm with its own leather tanning units and production facilities in India, Sri
Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Macau and Canada.

In 1992, Aero Group launched Woodland and it immediately caught the attention of outdoor enthusiasts. It
brought with it, an innovative collection designed to provide rock climbers, backpackers, hikers and outdoor
lovers with the perfect tools to meet nature’s challenges. Soon enough the Woodland tree logo become
synonymous with adventure, And as the calendar turned towards the new millennium, Woodland kept
expanding its line of outdoor shoes, performance apparels, and equipment to cater to the needs of those
always reaching for the horizon.

Woodland also entered India in 1992. Woodland was one of the brands that were launched in India from the
vast portfolio of Aero Group. Woodland created a new category of specialized “Outdoor adventure sports‟
shoes. Their product positioning was different and were known as a rugged, outdoor leather shoe brand, the
kind usually preferred by adventurists. They gradually developed a product line especially for India.
Woodland always has been an outdoor brand and very much in tune with nature. Whatever Woodland do, it
will never be against the environment but rather in consonance with it. It’s this connect that has been the
soul of the brand. Woodland not only builds this association through their promotions, but also through their
processes and practices. Woodland plans to leverage this association more strongly to further strengthen the
brand by changing over its entire range of shoes and apparel to quality eco‐friendly products, made with
materials and chemicals that don’t harm the nature; by making the manufacturing process less harmful to the
environment; and by communicating and promoting the brand on the same lines. The intent is to make
eco‐friendliness its brand recall.

As they say, “Touch the earth. Breathe the wind. Taste the water. Feel the richness of the forest, the
emptiness of the desert, the might of the rivers and the majesty of the mountains. As you look around and
marvel at the vastness of it all, ask yourself, “Where am I”? And the answer hits you right there and then,
“Home”. That’s when you know you are one of the few through whose very veins the spirit of adventure. A
sprit that is willing to stretch the levels of human endurance, a spirit that desires to reach the furthest
frontiers, a sprit that craves to venture into the unknown”. It is the spirit of adventure that defines
Woodland. Ever since the beginning Woodland has successfully brought together the power of the human
will and the rewards of discovery.

Company mission:

Our definition of quality demands that any footwear and garment we make should be long lasting and strong.
It should be as light as possible, supple, feel dry and comfortable against the skin, and be easy to care for. It
should be versatile and should perfectly fit an active man, women or kid. Environmental harm from
manufacturing or growing practices or from dyes and finishes should be minimal. We go to great lengths to
design products that embody these qualities.
Product of Woodland:

Men

 Footwear
 Apparels
 Accessories

Women

 Footwear
 Apparels
 Accessories
ANALYSIS OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR:

In this section, an overall view of the target market based on demographic, psychographic and socio
economic factors will be discussed. From this discussion it would be easy to find the sum of all target
customers age, sex and the income. The discussion in this section has been made, based on the result of the
survey that we have conducted among sample size of fifty. As we have some limitations, we did most of our
survey among our friends, relatives and students of NIFT ,Bhopal.

Demographic factors:

Demography is the study of the human population in term of size, density, location, age, gender, race,
occupation and other statistics. The demographic environment is of major interest to marketers because it
would involve people and people who make the market.

From the survey, we found the results of demographic factors which are discussed below:

Gender:

From the survey result we found that among all the respondents 61.5% are female and 38.5% are male.

According to our finding it is clear that the majority of respondents are female and hence the survey will
suggest findings more according to female customers of Woodland rather than male customers.
Age:

We have surveyed among people of different age group. Among the respondents, it is clear that 22-31 age
group people are the majority in numbers followed by 16-21. So the findings of the survey will be based on
young customers/potential customers of Woodland.

Strategy:

As they position their brand as an outdoor adventure brand, it would be obvious to focus mostly on the
below 30 age people.

This group of people are usually student, graduate, young employee, or newly married couple, couple with
no children. So the company can give colorful advertisement, celebrity endorsement, idle advice, use opinion
leader or everything this group found interesting.

As this group is of youthful people and Woodland are for adventure loving people, so it’s a fantastic
combination. They should carefully blend all their marketing activities to catch that opportunity, such as
campaigning for rock climbers, backpackers, hikers, trail runners, outdoor lovers or sports events.

Education:

According to our survey result mostly respondents are post graduates.

From the column chart, we can see that 59.6% people are post graduate followed by 34.6% graduates. So we
can say that mostly respondents are well educated.
Strategy:
1. As most of the customers are educated “Woodland” can position their brand more logically. Educated
people are more rational and logical. So they can emphasize more on quality, longevity or simply what it
exactly has rather than statement like extra tough shoe or advertisement like an elephant passing over a
woodland shoe. They need to put that much of value in their shoe that would be most preferable criteria for
choosing shoe among educated people. For simplicity it should be rational and logical.
2. Woodland can take part in events like educational fair, campus program, campus recruitment etc. type of
events. Educated people usually do business or job, or going for them so woodland can take part such seminar
or meeting. It will create concern about woodland followed by increase sales.

Occupation:
Among our surveyed people, the larger portion of the sample size was student. It can be clearly seen from
the column chart that 61.5% respondents are students

Strategy:
1. As most of our respondents are students and as they are educated and young age, Woodland need
to bring their product closer to the student and their strategy should be same.

Awareness About the brand

Among all the respondents, 98.1% people are aware about the Woodland as a brand which represents
that almost everyone is aware of the brand and Woodland has created a good awareness among people
through its marketing strategies.
Source of Knowledge/Awareness
Most of the respondents know the brand because of their vast retail outlets chain across the country.
Woodland has its retail stores in almost every city whether it is a Tier 1, 2 or 3 city. So we can say that it’s
Woodland’s retail stores model that made it a household name in India.

Social Factor:
Social factor denotes the social status of the target market by considering social class and other factors.

Social class:
Income is highly influential in determining social class. To identify the respondent’s social class we asked
them about their disposable income on themselves to find their actual position in society. The survey
represents that most of the participants are in the income range of up to 20,000.

From our survey we found that mostly respondents are students & have disposable income of up to
INR20,000

Strategy:

1. The product price should be more affordable or the product line should have more variety of product
ranging from affordable to costly.
2. Have to focus more on middle class and upper middle class people in countries of Asia as they prefer
branded products or want to buy branded products to maintain the social status.

Other Factors:

People who tried Woodland Shoes:

According to our survey 84% respondents have tried Woodland products. As a well known or recognized
brand, the result is quite natural.

Types of Products people like to shop from Woodland:

Based on our survey we found that most of the people prefer woodland brand for footwear.

Strategy:

1. Although Woodland is famous for its shoes, but it needs to focus on its other product categories of clothing
& accessories to gain more customers and to improve is brand image.
Most Influencing Factor:

From our survey we found that most of our participants are influenced by product quality and brand image at
the time of purchase from Woodland. It shows the image of trusted brand of Woodland among its customers.

The column chart shows that 64% of our participants are influenced by product quality & 52% are influenced
by the brand image to purchase shoe product.

Strategy:

1. Exposure strategy can be followed. For example, they can give billboard advertisement for long period of
time. It will create more attention to the individuals towards other Woodland products like clothing &
accessories.

2. As people are mostly influenced by quality product & brand image. Woodland can follow the same strategy
for the clothing and accessories, and if they properly do this their sales will increase.

Satisfaction level of consumers

78% of respondents are satisfied with the Woodland brand as a whole as well as 71.4% of the respondents
choose for recommending the brand to their friends and relatives. So we can say that Woodland’s customers
are very much satisfied with the Woodland which is a good indicator for Woodland’s brand image &
consumers’ behavior towards it.
Brand Image

Through this survey we can see that Woodland has successfully built its brand image as Toughness which
depict its product quality. We suggest that Woodland can run other promotional strategies to rebuild its
image in order to focus on its clothing & accessories category.
Recommendation and Conclusion:

Based on our analysis here are some recommendations for Woodland brand:

The inspiration behind Woodlands success is undoubtedly the outdoor adventure and its footwear category.
After all, the adventure is always looking for new ways to push the limits and to discover something new.

Woodland has also been discovering new technologies and new innovation to bring customers only the
highest quality. And this quality demands that each and every product should be perfect for outdoor
exploring without compromising on comfort, style and versatility.

Advertisement: Although Woodland uniquely advertise and position their brand among the people based on
its product quality & brand image, they should give more advertisements of their clothing & accessory
products through different communication channels. Continuous advertisement will help them to grab more
attention of their potential customers and to increase sales.

Distribution: Woodland shoes are available everywhere in our country through its retail outlets. There are
other world-famous brands also like Adidas, Nike, Red Tape, Red Chief, Hush Puppies operating in our
country or has available in multi-brand outlets. Woodland can also tie up with multi-brand outlets in order to
increase its reach and sales.

Should be affordable: Woodland’s products are costly as compared to the other brands with their prices
within the lower range. So to get more sales or grab more market share, they should charge reasonably.

Increase in product line: Woodland can bring a verity of product. That means they can increase their product
line. Woodland can shift their focus to the clothing & accessories along with the shoes.

At the end, we can say that, if Woodland can create its brand image for all the products as it is for their shoes
category, people will assume it to be comparable with other leading brands like Adidas & Nike etc. They can
also become the market leader by creating the same brand image as “Quality Product & Recognized Brand”
for all the product categories same as of its footwear category.
Reference:

https://www.woodlandworldwide.com/wnew/faces/fe/jsps/blog.jsp

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodland

https://search.proquest.com/openview/d5e1475412aafe5798ceebf6eeb96021

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261517708001994

Suggestions by the Respondents