Investigating The Role of Tangible Attributes of Smartphones in Developing Brand Association Among University Students - Emerging Trends in an Emerging Economy

Abstract

Grounded in utilitarian value theory (Chitturi et al., 2007) and symbolic consumption theory (Belk, 1988), this study examines how functional and aesthetic attributes of smartphones shape brand associations, moderated by user image congruence. This study used a cross-sectional research design to find the causal effect and relationship among variables at a specific point in time. The sample for the study is selected based on psychographics segmentation and through stratified random sampling. A structured, closed-ended questionnaire was used to collect the data from respondents. The collected data were then analysed and interpreted through descriptive statistics by using the SPSS software package. Regression and correlation analyses were applied to check the causal effect and strength of the relationship among variables. The findings of the study reveal that product design attributes, like functional and aesthetic attributes, have a significant impact on constructing brand associations among smartphone users. Findings also highlight that user image congruence helps in flourishing brand association among users. User Image Congruence as an important part of the product also helps in building up the product design’s attributes-brand association relationship. This study is limited to two key attributes of a product design, and its scope can be expanded by enriching the model with other attributes, like symbolic attributes of product design, and/or by adding non-product-related attributes. Similarly, this study investigated the conceptual model by using only one technological product, i.e., a smartphone, and the scope of the study can be extended to other technological products that people use daily and that can act as a possible contributor to developing brand association.

JEL Codes Classification: M31, D12, L63, O33

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