Branding versus Brand Equity

Branding is technically defined as a way to be able to provide the clients a perfect impression about a certain product to make them finally decide to purchase it (Business.. n. p. ). On the other hand, brand equity is technically defined as a way to calculate the value of the brand (Wikipedia n. p. ). This paper entitled, â€Å"Branding versus Brand Equity† aims to look into the differences between two technical terms known as â€Å"branding† and â€Å"brand equity†.There are several differences between â€Å"branding† and â€Å"brand equity† and some of these are the following: First of all, branding carries the goal of a certain business or product wanting it to be the client’s first choice (Business.. n. p. ). Brand equity’s goal, on the other hand, is to find out â€Å"the value built up in a brand† (Wikipedia.. n. p. ). Second, to achieve the goal of branding as previously mentioned, what it takes for that to occur entails â€Å"building and managing a brand† (Business..n. p. ).Meanwhile, in brand equity, the goal of branding may be reached by â€Å"calculating then drawing a comparison between the expected future profits from the branded manufactured goods with the anticipated potential or upcoming revenue from an equivalent non-branded item† (Wikipedia n. p. ). Third, branding can provide the prospective clients an unyielding idea of what they are about to purchase, making it easier for them to decide to make a purchase (Business.. n. p. ).On the other hand, brand equity, makes it a little excruciating for a client to buy a certain product simply because brand equity may either be positive or negative (Wikipedia n. p. ). Positive here means that it may provide prospective clients an unbending thought with regards to the product or negative, which means, it may give forthcoming clients to see a product not worthy of attention and money (Wikipedia n. p. ). Fourth, since branding is foun ded on the goal which is to become the best alternative for prospective client, then it is most likely to result in a positive outcome (Business..n. p. ).On the other hand, since brand equity is founded on a neutral goal, then it is most likely to result in a bad management, and eventually, a bad product as well (Wikipedia n. p. ). Fifth, branding may be utilized by all types of companies, big and small alike (Business.. n. p. ). Brand equity, however, cannot cover all types, it is limited to large companies since it entails calculations and comparison of branded and non-branded products (Wikipedia.. n. p. ).Last but not least, branding seeks to build a flourishing brand by: 1) paying attention to the wants and needs of the clients; 2) staying honest and believing in your own brand; 3) keeping the simplicity of the brand; 4) being extensive; 5) making sure of the employees’ involvement and their believe and support on the brand itself; 6) proper articulation of the brand thro ugh print & television advertisements, leaflets, written communications etc so that the same slogan and idea is reinforced; 7) utilization of the same logo everywhere; 8) meeting the promises kept related to the â€Å"brand promises† and even exceeding if circumstances allow; and last but not least 9) looking for opportunities to improve the brand and continuously seeking for room for growth (Business.. n. p. ). Simply put, it focuses on what should be aware on, the quality, how much a client is aware of such, as the trend goes for brand equity (Wikipedia n. p. ). Conclusion Branding and brand equity are different in terms of goal, technique of reaching for that goal, in terms of appeal to clients, in terms of the size of the companies that it may serve, as well as, the focus (whether quality or quantity).

Consumer Buying Behaviour on Soft Drinks Essay

What influences consumers to purchase products or services? The consumer buying process is a complex matter as many internal and external factors have an impact on the buying decisions of the consumer. When purchasing a product there several processes, which consumers go through. These will be discussed below. 1. Problem/Need Recognition How do you decide you want to buy a particular product or service? It could be that your DVD player stops working and you now have to look for a new one, all those DVD films you purchased you can no longer play! So you have a problem or a new need. For high value items like a DVD player or a car or other low frequency purchased products this is the process we would take. However, for impulse low frequency purchases e. g. confectionery the process is different. 2. Information search So we have a problem, our DVD player no longer works and we need to buy a new one. What’s the solution? Yes go out and purchase a new one, but which brand? Shall we buy the same brand as the one that blew up? Or stay clear of that? Consumer often go on some form of information search to help them through their purchase decision. Sources of information could be family, friends, neighbours who may have the product you have in mind, alternatively you may ask the sales people, or dealers, or read specialist magazines like What DVD? to help with their purchase decision. You may even actually examine the product before you decide to purchase it. 3. Evaluation of different purchase options So what DVD player do we purchase? Shall it be Sony, Toshiba or Bush? Consumers allocate attribute factors to certain products, almost like a point scoring system which they work out in their mind over which brand to purchase. This means that consumers know what features from the rivals will benefit them and they attach different degrees of importance to each attribute. For example sound maybe better on the Sony product and picture on the Toshiba , but picture clarity is more important to you then sound. Consumers usually have some sort of brand preference with companies as they may have had a good history with a particular brand or their friends may have had a reliable history with one, but if the decision falls between the Sony DVD or Toshiba then which one shall it be? It could be that the a review the consumer reads on the particular Toshiba product may have tipped the balance and that they will purchase that brand. 4. Purchase decision Through the evaluation process discussed above consumers will reach their final purchase decision and they reach the final process of going through the purchase action e. g. The process of going to the shop to buy the product, which for some consumers can be as just as rewarding as actually purchasing the product. Purchase of the product can either be through the store, the web, or over the phone. 5. Post Purchase Behaviour. Ever have doubts about the product after you purchased it? This simply is post purchase behaviour and research shows that it is a common trait amongst purchasers of products. Manufacturers of products clearly want recent consumers to feel proud of their purchase, it is therefore just as important for manufacturers to advertise for the sake of their recent purchaser so consumers feel comfortable that they own a product from a strong and reputable organisation. This limits post purchase behaviour. i. e. You feel reassured that you own the latest advertised product. OBJECTIVES. * To understand the major factors influencing consumer buying behavior. * To know and recognize the types of buying decision behavior. * To understand the stages In the buying decision process. NEED OF THE STUDY * To understand why consumer make the purchases that they make SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS Scope of the study The scope of the study is to get the first hand knowledge about the buying behavior of consumers towards different brands of Soft drinks in VVISM students. The scope is restricted to study the factors affecting the preference of consumers while choosing a soft drink in VVISM college students. This is done to avoid perceptual bias and for providing objectivity to the study. Limitations of the study Sincere efforts have been made to collect authentic and reliable information from respondents, however the report is subject to following limitations: * Some respondents were reluctant to give the information, so their responses may be biased. * Time could be a major limitation as it may have affected the inferences drawn in the study. Only 20 respondents have been contacted due to time constraint. * Sample may not be the true representative of the universe. * Study was conducted in VVISM, Hyderabad only. So the results of the study may not be applicable in other areas. CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE REVIEW OF LITERATURE SUMMARY OF 10 ARTICLES 1. Consumer buying behavior and market segmentation(By Rabbitat) According to the marketing guru Phillip Kotler, a human need is defined as a state of felt deprivation. A human want on the other hand is a need shaped by the individuals culture and society. Understanding what consumers need and how these needs can be made into wants is what effective marketing is all about! For instance a customer need may be thirst, and any drink such as a bottle of water could satisfy this need. However at the point of purchase effective marketing determines what the customer will want to purchase in order to quench their thirst. For example a good advertisement for coke could steer the customer away from the bottled water section and towards the fizzy drinks. On the other hand an effective ad for ice lollies, an indirect competitor, could steer the consumer away from the fizzy drinks. Therefore the more effective the marketing, the easier it will be to get the cash out of the customers hand! It is then obvious that Marketing is all about understanding consumer needs and steering the customer toward Your product by creating certain wants in the minds of the customer. To do this marketers should be aware of the consumer buying behavior process: Buyer recognition: the consumer has to realize there is a problem or need that needs to be fulfilled. The effective marketer will identify there is a difference between the actual state of the consumer and the desired state, and try to fulfill this state of deprivation. Information search: in this stage the buyer considers all the alternatives present. For instance, according to the example above, the customer would look at all thirst quenchers such as fizzy drinks, bottled water, juices and ice lollies. The most information a customer gains about alternatives is through commercial sources, such as advertisements and campaigns. However information about intangible products in the service industry would mostly come from personal experience or experience from others. Evaluation of alternatives: this is where all the information is gathered and evaluated to help make the purchasing decision. These three stages are important, for marketers to understand consumer behavior and what influences purchasing of a certain product category and brand. Purchase decision: this is the stage where purchasing of the most preferred alternative takes place. However the product category, brand, reseller, timing and quantity all play a role in the purchase decision. Post purchase decision: good marketers maintain a good relationship with the customer even after the purchase has been made. This is to reduce any chance of cognitive dissonance that the customer may experience with the product. To reduce the negative effects of customer cognitive dissonance, good after sales services could be provided along with effective advertising. This will attract more customers via word of mouth and generate repeat purchases. 2. Break the Resistance of Consumer Buying Behavior(By Darrell Zahorsky) Buyers today are a fickle group. Who’s to blame them? Bombarded with an endless selection of products and services, making a good purchase decision isn’t easy. What can your small business do when your potential buyers won’t buy? 5 Stages of Consumer Buying Behavior 1. Need Awareness: The beginning point of most purchasing is your potential buyer recognition of a need in their life. This need can be established by encountering a problem or prompted by a company’s marketing. 2. Information Search: With the rise of the Internet, it has never been easier for buyers to research their purchase. Make sure your small business is in the game by providing educational material on your website. 3. Check Options: After an information search, the customer will evaluate all the available options. Options include wanted features, pricing, and company credibility. 4. Purchase Decision: This is the moment when the customer wants to buy. Deals are easily lost when you keep selling to the customer. There’s an old adage in sales, when the customer says, â€Å"I’ll take it,† keep your mouth closed, and close the deal. 5. Post Buying Behavior: An overlooked piece of consumer buying behavior is what occurs after the purchase. The buyer will look for reinforcement from media, friends, and other sources confirming they made the right decision. Cognitive dissonance or â€Å"buyer’s remorse† happens when the buyer begins to feel the purchase wasn’t right for them. 3. Simple Purchases Aren’t Always so Simple(By S.L. O Brien) Purchasing decisions include many factors that most consumers are not even aware of. Five steps are involved in nearly every purchase made: need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase Decision and finally post purchase behavior. even the simpler purchases can include any or all of these steps. Purchases are further influenced by such things as personal psychological and social issues. A good market researcher will study the thought process undergone by consumer, compare it with their demographic data and use the resulting information to market their products. Simple purchases aren’t always so simple 4. Nowhere to hide: buyer behavior in a connected world(By Paul Gibler) Window shopping isn’t dead, it has simply moved into a different dimension. This is a dimension where your business has â€Å"nowhere to hide† or can be â€Å"completely hidden† given the power of the Internet. Your business, be it a manufacturer, supplier or retailer needs to understand the changing nature of buyer behavior facilitated by the Internet. Whether buying through a virtual, real or multi-channel storefront, the options consumers use to learn about products, compare products, or shop prices have multiplied exponentially. The greater transparency created by these tools has made it critical that you understand and incorporate them into your business and marketing plans. Before the days of the Internet, buyer behavior often focused on word of mouth recommendations and feedback; in-store questioning; listening to, watching or reviewing ads; or reading print reviews in vertical publications or from multi-line authorities like Consumer’s Report. Today, the options for information search and product comparisons have multiplied beyond consumer’s processing ability. While this creates an opportunity for high service marketers with high touch products it has also generated the need to understand how consumers are behaving in their product purchasing activities. Consumers are continuing to look for ways to stretch their dollar while getting the best quality product that satisfies their needs. This has led them into â€Å"brick and mortar† stores like Costco, Wal-Mart, Aldi and Trader Joes to buy their food and staples; but it has also led them online for more complex purchases. 5. Consumer Buying Behavior and Manipulation(By Lance Winslow). We all know there are ways that that businesses use to manipulate our buying behavior to get us to buy more. We know there are many techniques and other stimuli, which affect us and we know that they are often employed in businesses. Generally we accept this even we actually stop to think about it. We probably determine that it is inappropriate and somewhat unfair. Yet we all participate in the impulse shopping and it seems to make us feel good to buy things,as a reward for our labours,with the money we have made. Certain music in stores will assist in helping retailers sell more. Certain room temperature at retailers,book stores,cofeeshops will increase impulse buying,which are generally amongst the highest priced items and definitely the highest profit items. 6. The Importance of Changing Customer Buying Behavior(By Stephen Diorio) The broad-scale adoption of new technologies has empowered consumers in previously unimagined ways. As a result, customer buying behavior is adapting to these new technological advances so rapidly that marketers sometimes cannot keep pace. Web sales are growing faster than catalog and store sales. Most direct marketers are now at least experimenting with online transactions. In the last year, for example, Lands’ End experienced 300 percent growth in e-sales while paper catalog sales growth slowed to 10 percent and margins shrank. 7. Types of Buying Decision Behavior(By Raja Vikram) Buying decision differs from person to person. Depending upon the need of the person,the decision gets changed. Various types of buying behavior are : Complex buying behaviour : This situation involves the high level of involvement from consumers and the same with the difference among brands. Dissonance reducing behavior : This involves high involvement of the buyer but a less significance difference among the brands. Habitual buying behavior : Here,there will not be any kind from the customer. Here the purchase happens depending upon the brand familiarity. Variety seeking buying behavior : Here the customer involvement is low but there will be significant difference among brands. 8. Characteristic Affecting Consumer Purchase Behavior(By Dhanan Sarwo utomo) People buy different products from different brand to satisfy their need. Consumer purchases are influenced strongly by cultural, social, personal and psychological characteristic . although marketers cannot control such factors , they must give attention to them. Marketers are always trying to spot cultural shifts in order to discover new product that might be wanted. For example the shift toward informality has resulted more demand for casual clothing and simpler fashionable products. 9. Consumer shopping behavior:How much do consumer save? (By Rachel Griffith) This paper documents the potential and actual savings that consumers realize from four particular types of purchasing behavior: purchasing on sale; buying in bulk (at a lower per unit price); buying generic brands; and choosing outlets. How much can and do households save through each of these behaviors? How do these patterns vary with consumer demographics? We use data collected by a marketing firm on all food purchases brought into the home for a large, nationally representative sample of U. K. households in 2006. We are interested in how consumer choice affects the measurement of price changes. In particular, a standard price index based on a fixed basket of goods will overstate the rise in the true cost of living because it does not properly consider sales and bulk purchasing. According to our measures, the extent of this bias might be of the same or even greater magnitude than the better-known substitution and outlet biases. 10. Indian consumer will seek value(By Arvind Singhal) Some of the trends listed below may look contradictory but then, at this time, the Indian consumer, especially the urban, middle income, and relatively young segment (and this classification will probably cover about 200 million individuals) is showing some seemingly contradictory buying behaviour. * Consumers will move beyond basic needs to discretionary spending. * They will seek value in products that serve basic needs such as food and grocery. * The definition of value will be different for different products. For instance, they will seek the lowest price for products that serve basic needs, whereas in others the determinants will range from aspiration to convenience to brand name. * There will be more visible consumption for products having bling value and consumers will continue to pay a premium for them. * We will see rise in indulgence with more desire for enjoyment and experience. * Consumers will seek more instant gratification. * We will also see the culture of throughout-the-year consumption rather than festival- or occasion-led spendings in the past. * We will see increasing fear of being ordinary. Consumers would want to be extraordinary though still within current social norms. * Consumers will get more conscious about their health and well being. * They will begin getting concerned with the surrounding environment—including nature, society, politics and public policy CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY RESEARCH METHODOLOGY SOURCE AND TYPE OF DATA COLLECTION 1 Primary Data Primary data is that data which is collected for the first time. It is original in nature in the shape of raw material. For the purpose of collection of primary data, a well structured questionnaire was framed which was filled by the respondents. The questionnaire comprises of close ended as well as open ended questions. In close ended questions dichotomous, ranking, checklist questions and multiple choice questions are used. 2 Secondary Data Secondary data is the data which is already collected by someone. They are secondary in nature and are in shape of finished product. Secondary data was collected so as to have accurate results. Required data was collected from various books, magazines, journals and internet. SAMPLING DESIGN Sampling refers to selecting some of the elements in a population by which one can draw conclusions about the entire population. 1 Universe Universe is the infinite number of elements which the researcher is targeting in his study. Since the study is restricted to VVISM students only the universe for the study consists of all the soft drink consumers in VVISM . 2 Population Population is finite number of elements which the researcher is going to target in particular area. All the soft drink consumer students in VVISM college form the population for the study. 3 Sampling Unit Sampling Unit is the single unit of the population. A single individual who consume soft drink form the sampling unit of the study. 4 Extent Extent refers to the geographical area where there is a scope of population. The extent of the study is VVISM,Hyderabad. 5 Sampling Technique The selection of the respondents was done on the basis of convenience technique based on the non probability method of sampling. 6 Sample size Sample size is the size of sample drawn from the population which is the true representative of the research. The number of respondents included in the study was 50 for convenience in evaluating and analyzing the data and because of time constraint. RESEARCH INSTRUMENT Questionnaire This instrument is more popular. The questionnaire is sent to the person concerned to answer the questions formatted and return the same soon. A questionnaire consist of a number of questions printed and typed in definite order on a form or set of forms. The questionnaire is sent to the respondents. In order to achieve the research objectives it is necessary to collect accurate and relevant data,secondary data are already published data collected for purposed other than specific research needs at hand. Primary data that are collected specifically for the research situation at hand,were collected by surveys using respondents surveys is one of the ways of collecting primary data namely observations,experiments and surveys. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS DETAILS QUESTIONNAIRE Q 1. Do you like to have soft drinks? a. Yes b. No Yes| No| 42| 8| Q 2. Do you think that soft drinks that are available in the market are harmful for your health ? a. Yes b. No Yes| No| 29| 21| Q 3. Do you think that soft drinks are good for refreshment? a. Yes b. No Yes| No| 37| 13| Q 4. Which is your favourite flavour? a. Cola b. Orange c. Mango d. Lemon e. Others Cola| Orange| Mango| Lemon| Others| 26| 10| 10| 4| 0| Q 5. Are you satisfied with the price of your favourite soft drink? a. Satisfied b. Highly Satisfied c. Dissatisfied d. Highly dissatisfied Satisfied| Highly satisfied| Dissatisfied| Highly dissatisfied| 21| 29| 0| 0| Q 6. Are you influnenced by the advertisement given by your favourite soft drink company? a. Yes b. No c. May be Yes| No| May be| 24| 19| 7| Q 7. Do you think that endorsement by the celebrities can increase the sell of the soft drinks? a. Yes b. No c. May be Yes| No| May be| 28| 7| 15| Q 8. Is your favourite soft drink available in all/most of the retail store in your city? a. Yes b. No Yes| No| 39| 11| Q 9. Do you feel that soft drinks should contain less calories so that those can be taken by the diabatese patients also? a. Yes b. No Yes| No| 32| 18| Q 10. How many times in a week you go for soft drinks? a. 0-3 times b. 4-6 times c. 7-10 times d. More than 10 times 0-3 times| 4-6 times| 7-10 times| More than 10 times| 20| 22| 5| 3| Q 11. If you are an alcohol consumer,then at the time of consuming alcohol do you consume soft drinks also for making the taste of alcohol better? a. Yes b. No c. Sometimes Yes| No| Sometimes| 8| 5| 6| Q 12. Do you store soft drink at the refrigerator of your home? a. Yes b. No Yes| No| 33| 17| Q 13. According to you what is the main USP of the soft drinks available in the market? a. Less costly than other drinks b. Taste c. Availability d. More refreshing Less costly than other drinks| Taste| Availability| More refreshing than other drinks| 4| 39| 0| 7| Q 14. Do you feel that inspite of using artificial flavours soft drink companies should go for natural flavours? a. Yes b. No c. May be Yes| No| May be| 21| 18| 11| Q 15. How do you rate the promotional strategies used by the soft drink companies? 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9| 10| | | | | | 2| 12| 15| 19| 2| CHAPTER 4 DATA ANALYSIS DATA ANALYSIS CROSS TABULATION,GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION AND INFERENCE QUESTIONNAIRE Q 1. Do you like to have soft drinks? a. Yes b. No Yes| No| 42| 8| Interpretation Since the survey is done among the youth,from the statistics we can say that consumption of soft drink is very popular among youth. Q 2. Do you think that soft drinks that are available in the market are harmful for your health ? a. Yes b. No Yes| No| 29| 21|. Interpretation Out of 50 people 21 people think that having soft drinks is harmful for their health. Inspite of that most of them consume soft drinks. Q 3. Do you think that soft drinks are good for refreshment? a. Yes b. No Yes| No| 37| 13| Interpretation Most number of people feel that soft drinks are good for refreshment. Q 4. Which is your favourite flavour? a. Cola b. Orange c. Mango d. Lemon e. Others Cola| Orange| Mango| Lemon| Others| 26| 10| 10| 4| 0| Interpretation Majority of the people prefer to have cola. Q 5. Are you satisfied with the price of your favourite soft drink? a. Satisfied b. Highly Satisfied c. Dissatisfied d. Highly dissatisfied Satisfied| Highly satisfied| Dissatisfied| Highly dissatisfied| 21| 29| 0| 0| Interpretation There is no dissatisfaction among the consumer regarding the price of the soft drinks. Q 6. Are you influnenced by the advertisement given by your favourite soft drink company? a. Yes b. No c. May be Yes| No| May be| 24| 19| 7| Interpretation Most of the people are influenced by the advertisement given by the companies. So we can say that advertisement plays a major role in influencing soft drinks consumer. Q 7. Do you think that endorsement by the celebrities can increase the sell of the soft drinks? a. Yes b. No c. May be Yes| No| May be| 28| 7| 15| Interpretation Majority of the people are influenced by the celebrity endorsement Q 8. Is your favourite soft drink available in all/most of the retail store in your city? a. Yes b. No Yes| No| 39| 11| Interpretation Since most of the people’s favourite soft drinks are available throughout their city,we can assume that distribution system of those companies are quite good. Though in some cases better distribution is required. Q 9. Do you feel that soft drinks should contain less calories so that those can be taken by the diabatese patients also? a. Yes b. No Yes| No| 32| 18| Interpretation Most of the people are satisfied with the calory level in the soft drinks. Though some people want less calories. Q 10. How many times in a week you go for soft drinks? a. 0-3 times b. 4-6 times c. 7-10 times d. More than 10 times 0-3 times| 4-6 times| 7-10 times| More than 10 times| 20| 22| 5| 3| Interpretation Majority of the people consume at least 4-6 times in a week. So we can assume that high demand for soft drink is there. Q 11. If you are an alcohol consumer,then at the time of consuming alcohol do you consume soft drinks also for making the taste of alcohol better? a. Yes b. No c. Sometimes Yes| No| Sometimes| 8| 5| 6| Interpretation There exists a derived consumption of soft drinks. Q 12. Do you store soft drink at the refrigerator of your home? a. Yes b. No Yes| No| 33| 17| Interpretation Now a days most of the people store soft drinks in their home. So we can assume that the popularity of consuming soft drinks is increasing day by day. Q 13. According to you what is the main USP of the soft drinks available in the market? a. Less costly than other drinks b. Taste c. Availability d. More refreshing Less costly than other drinks| Taste| Availability| More refreshing than other drinks| 4| 39| 0| 7| Interpretation Majority of the people consume soft drinks because of it’s taste. Price doesn’t matter that much to them. Q 14. Do you feel that inspite of using artificial flavours soft drink companies should go for natural flavours? a. Yes b. No c. May be Yes| No| May be| 21| 18| 11| Interpretation Most of the people feels that natural flavours would be better than the artificial/synthetic flavours. Q 15. How do you rate the promotional strategies used by the soft drink companies? 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7| 8| 9| 10| | | | | | 2| 12| 15| 19| 2| Interpretation Majority of the consumer are very much satisfied by the promotions being done by the companies. CHAPTER 5 FINDINGS RECOMMENDATIONS CONCLUSION FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FINDINGS * Most of the consumers are influenced by those brands which represents their characteristics. In this case we have found that cola drinks are preffered by most of the boys,since those drinks are stronger than other drinks and most of the girls preffer to have orange and mango flavoured drinks as those are mild in taste compare to the cola drinks. * Most of the consumers are influenced by those brands which are being endorsed by the celebrities. * Promotion plays a very important role in case of increasing the sell,penetrate the market and holding the current market share. RECOMMENDATIONS * Now a days consumers are becoming health conscious. So keeping that in mind,companies should think about using natural flavours in spite of those synthetic ones. * To increase the market share companies should think about the people like diabatese patients also as they cannot consume high calories. Though some companies are manufacturing diet soft drinks but they are very few in numbers. CONCLUSION * From the survey it can be conclude that majority of the consumer like to purchase cola , flavor. * Consumers like to purchase soft drinks because of refreshments * In this scenario consumer buying behaviour is changed, because they are more health conscious . REFERENCES * http://www. helium. com/items/656129-consumer-buying-behavior-and-market-segmen tation * http://sbinformation. about. com/od/advertisingpr/a/behavior. htm * http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/19593/marketing_factors_consumer_buying_behavior. html? cat=35 * † http://www. WorldThinkTank. net/wttbbs/†. * http://ideas. repec.org/a/aea/jecper/v23y2009i2p99-120. html * http://www. livemint. com/2008/12/24222258/Buying-behaviour-Indian-consu. html * www. google. co. in * www. yahoo. co. in ANNEXURE QUESTIONNAIRE Q 1. Do you like to have soft drinks? a. Yes b. No Q 2. Do you think that soft drinks that are available in the market are harmful for your health ? a. Yes b. No Q 3. Do you think that soft drinks are good for refreshment? a. Yes b. No Q 4. Which is your favourite flavour? a. Cola b. Orange c. Mango d. Lemon e. Others Q 5. Are you satisfied with the price of your favourite soft drink? a. Satisfied b. Highly Satisfied c. Dissatisfied d. Highly dissatisfied Q 6. Are you influnenced by the advertisement given by your favourite soft drink company? a. Yes b. No c. May be Q 7. Do you think that endorsement by the celebrities can increase the sell of the soft drinks? a. Yes b. No c. May be Q 8. Is your favourite soft drink available in all/most of the retail store in your city? a. Yes b. No Q 9. Do you feel that soft drinks should contain less calories so that those can be taken by the diabatese patients also? a. Yes b. No Q 10. How many times in a week you go for soft drinks? a. 0-3 times b. 4-6 times c. 7-10 times d. More than 10 times Q 11. If you are an alcohol consumer,then at the time of consuming alcohol do you consume soft drinks also for making the taste of alcohol better? a. Yes b. No c. Sometimes Q 12. Do you store soft drink at the refrigerator of your home? a. Yes b. No Q 13. According to you what is the main USP of the soft drinks available in the market? a. Less costly than other drinks b. Taste c. Availability d. More refreshing Q 14. Do you feel that inspite of using artificial flavours soft drink companies should go for natural flavours? a. Yes b. No c. May be Q 15. How do you rate the promotional strategies used by the soft drink companies?

Barrows and Pickell model of problem solving Essay

INTRODUCTION This is a case study concerning a patient presenting with low abdominal pain, frequent micturation and dysuria. I will discuss the consultation and show how I used the problem solving consultation style detailed by Alison Crumbie. This involves listening to the patients’ initial complaint and developing hypothetical diagnosis. Focused questioning and clinical examination and investigations will then be used to eliminate some of the initial hypotheses. The patients’ perspective of their problem will be addressed and the synthesis of gathered information will enable the practitioner to arrive at a differential diagnosis and to agree on a treatment plan with the patient so that they can manage their problem. I currently work as a Nurse Practitioner in General Practice in East London. I provide first contact appointments for patients registered with the practice each morning on a walk-in basis. I am a non medical prescriber and generate prescriptions for patients. I work autonomously within my agreed scope of practice and am supported by the structure of a small organisation of professional clinical and administrative staff. The patient , whom I will call Sue, presented in the walk-in Surgery and told me she had had three days of stinging pain on passing urine, increased frequency of passing water and intermittent low abdominal discomfort. She also said that she had a water infection three months previously and that she thought that she now had the same problem. She had tried over the counter (OTC) medications and had increased the amount of fluids she drank with little effect. She said that her abdominal pain reduced after taking paracetamol but reoccurred after a few hours. She requested a prescription of the same antibiotics she had last time she had this problem. Forming the initial conceptMy first impression of Sue was that she was smartly dressed, of normal weight, looked physically well and did not appear to be distressed. She attended alone and I could see from her patient record that she was 25 years old. After introducing myself I asked her two opening questions – ‘how can I help you’ and ‘what brings you here today’. I find by combining open and closed questions in this manner it helps the patient be more focused on their presenting compliant than by using either of these  opening questions alone. I try not to interrupt the patient as they respond and so give them the opportunity to relate what they think the problem is and what it is they think I can do to help them manage this problem. Sue told me that she got a burning pain on passing urine and thought that she had cystitis. She told me that last time she had a similar problem she was given antibiotics tablets. Sue told me that she had tried to self manage with OTC medications for pain relief and for cystitis for the past 2 days but had had no lasting relief from symptoms. She said that a few hours after taking paracetamol her pain returned. My initial concept was of an articulate, well dressed woman, who had decided that she was experiencing a urinary tract infection (UTI), who had tried unsuccessfully to manage her symptoms her self and was now requesting assistance from a health care professional. She appeared systemically well to me but possibly had cystitis. Generating multiple hypothesesA provisional explanation for the patients’ problems could now be attempted. It is important to think as widely as possible about potential causes to generate broad hypotheses which can then be narrowed down with focused enquiry and investigations (Crumbie et all) The quality of hypotheses is dependent on the practitioners experience in eliciting information from the patient and in translating this information into a number of potential scenarios. It is important that the information offered by the patient is understood correctly and not translated badly by the practitioner. For example a patient may say they felt sick and the practitioner understands this as feeling nauseated whilst the patient meant they felt generally unwell. I hypothesised that Sue could be suffering from Cystitis (uncomplicated UTI) , pylonephritis (ascending UTI), eptopic pregnancy, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) or constipation. On later reflection I realized I could have though about interstitial cystitis, appendicitis and renal calculi. My multiple hypotheses for this patient are presented in Table 1. Formulating an Inquiry StrategySue had told me that she had pain on passing urine and as I focused my questioning she told me her urine appeared darker in colour than normal and smelled different than usual. She described the pain as stinging and said that it was provoked by micturating and relieved a minute or so after she stopped urinating. I asked her to point to where the pain was in her abdomen and she indicated the suprapubic region. She gauged the pain to be level 6 on a pain scale of 0-10 without analgesia but did say it was relieved by analgesia and resolved to a feeling of pressure rather than pain at that time. Back/loin pain, nausea, vomiting, fever and frank haematuria are all more common with pylonephritis. Sue denied any of these symptoms which made it less likely as a diagnosis ultimately. .On enquiry Sue told me that she used Depo- Provera injections for contraception and dysmenorrhoea and consequently did not menstruate. She also denied any spotting of blood. Her last injection was given in practice 40 days previously and by reviewing her notes I could see her history showed timely attendance for these injections. Although I knew that both dysuria and suprapubic pain can be experience in both normal early pregnancy and in eptopic pregnancy, and that cystitis is more common in pregnant women, I felt I could now discount pregnancy as a cause of her symptoms due to her contraceptive history. I then asked her about her sexual history. Sue told me that she was currently celibate and had not had a sexual relationship for one year. I She told me she had never experienced genital herpes so I felt able to discount STI at this stage. I enquired about her bowel habits and Sue told me that she had passed a soft stool that morning as was her normal routine and that there had been no recent change to bowel actions. This made a diagnosis of constipation less  likely. Whilst enquiring about her symptoms I used Mortens PQRST structured clinical questioning mnemonic. This enabled me to focus my questions and to analyse symptoms and Sues responses. It is especially useful when assessing symptoms of pain and enabled me to detail a focused history of her complaint. I have used this technique extensively since commencing Nurse Practitioner training and have found it easy to remember and that it adds a structure to my questioning that was previously lacking. Incorporating the patients perspectiveFollowing the above questioning, I went on to discuss with Sue her own concept and concerns regarding her presenting complaint. I asked Sue what she thought was causing her problem, what she thought was required to rectify the problems and what could help prevent reoccurrence. She told me that she was sure that she had another episode of cystitis and that she needed antibiotics. Applying appropriate clinical skillsI began with a general inspection of Sue’s external appearance ,her tone of voice and articulation. I recorded her vital signs. She was apyrexial @ 35.6 Celsius and normatensive @ 120/70. Respiratory rate was 12/min and pulse rate 80 bpm. These results are within normal limits for a person of her age. I performed near patient testing in the surgery with urine dip stick testing. This showed a positive response to nitrates and leukocytes. I did not have facilities for near patient pregnancy testing, and on reflection would not have performed one at this time in this case due to her contraceptive history. I chose not to send a test off to the laboratory for pregnancy testing for the same rational. Sue declined an internal exam at this time. I noted from records that Sue had not had a smear test so I offered to do this at this time. After explanation Sue agreed to this. I asked Sue to undress from the waist down and to lie on the examination coach. I ensured that she was comfortable screened and relaxed before commencing the exam. I examined her abdomen using the process taught in Nurse Practitioner  training and described by ( Bickly 2005). I noted her abdomen was of normal appearance with what appeared to be an appendicectomy scar. Sue confirmed that she had had her appendix removed as a child. I auscilated for bowel sounds in the four quadrants and as these were heard and of normal tone I was able to rule out an acute abdominal problem. I then percussed her abdomen and found no change to expected tympani. This helped confirm the patient’s opinion that she was not constipated and after palpation of a soft abdomen I was able to discount this hypothesis at this stage. When I palpated her suprapubic region Sue complained of discomfort, this tenderness is indicative of bladder inflammation. Palpation of the costovertebral angles induced no pain response from Sue and as I recalled her vital signs and presenting history I felt able to exclude pylonephritis also. I then began an exam of Sue’s external genitalia looking for swelling, ulcer, lacerations or discharge. Inflammation and discharge are common with Candida and other vaginal infections. Genital herpes causes ulcerated areas and scratching can cause minor skin lacerations. This external exam was normal. I continued with the vaginal examination. Using a bimanual technique I first felt for Sue’s cervix and palpated it from side to side looking for a positive chandelier sign. If there is infection in the uterus this test can elicit pain. Sue did not have any pain on testing. I then inserted the speculum and examined the vaginal walls for signs of injury or discharge. This was also normal, inspection of the cervix and of the os showed no discharge and this combined with a negative chandelier sign now made the diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease less likely. I performed a smear test and took samples for HVS and Chlamydia testing. My initial hypotheses of cystitis now seemed most likely as the cause of symptoms. During this examination sequence I was reminded to consider appendicitis as a hypothesis in the future with this set of presenting symptoms. Developing the problem synthesisWhen I considered the presenting problem, my history and examination findings, and compared them with my original hypotheses I found that I was able to eliminate some at this stage. As Sue had no fever, nausea, haematuria or costovertebral pain I discounted pylonephritis. Bowel history and examinations were normal so constipation was also discounted. As Sue had a record of in date contraceptive cover with an injectable contraceptive and denied sexual intercourse I discounted pregnancy. Although I was aware that Pelvic inflammatory disease could account for her symptoms, examination findings had not supported these hypotheses and were all negative at this stage. When I reviewed the consultation at this stage, recalling the positive urine dip test, the suprapubic tenderness and the patient’s history I was able to be confident that to proceed with the differential diagnosis of cystitis was most appropriate. Diagnostic decision makingMy differential diagnosis was cystitis .I made a differential diagnosis of cystitis for the following reasons:Previous episodeDysuria – pain on micturation and frequencyLow abdominal pain – provoked by palpation of suprapubic areaNo systemic signs/ vital signs normalNo red flags – haematuria, pregnancy, recent change of sexual partnerPositive urine test for nitrates and leukocytesTherapeutic decision makingSue had come to surgery with the idea the she required antibiotics to treat her self diagnosed cystitis. She wanted her health care provider to facilitate this request. She had tried self management and used OTC preparations before presenting in surgery. This showed me that she was motivated in trying to achieve resolution of her problem. As these measures had not been successful in this instance we could agree a short course of oral antibiotics would be an appropriate treatment plan. As I had access to Sues health record I could see that she had been prescribed trimethoprin previously. Sue confirmed that she had no side effects from this medication and that she was willing to take it. As there were no contraindications for  prescribing trimethoprin for this patient I issued her with a prescription for 1 x 200mg tablet, twice a day for three days. This is in line with prodigy guidance and local prescribing policy. As this was the treatment plan Sue had originally requested I was confident of concordance. I discussed with Sue some steps she could take to try and prevent reoccurrence of infection. These includes toilet hygiene (front to back wiping), post-coital micturation, regular voiding and reiterated early symptom self help measures with increased fluid intake and OTC cystitis remedies. I also provided Sue with a printed Patient Information Leaflet about self help measure for women with cystitis. I advised Sue that she should find her symptoms improving within the next 24 hours and asked to return to either the practice or the NHS Walk in Centre (depending on hours of opening) if she had no improvement in 48 hours or if her symptoms changed and she became feverish or pain increased. I explained that these could be signs that the infection was moving up towards her kidneys and that this would require urgent review. I explained that I had given her an antibiotic which would work for the majority of infections but that on some occasions is not effective and a different antibiotic is necessary. I provided her with this information so that she could make sense of any change in symptoms and would be more likely to present earlier for a consultation with a health care professional if there was treatment failure. Reflection in and on practiceI felt that this was a satisfactory consultation for both the patient and me. It began with the patient stating that she thought she knew what was wrong with her and what action needed to be taken to resolve the problem. By listening to the patient’s story I was able to make an analysis of her responses and to think of a number of multiple hypotheses. Proceeding with focused inquiry and utilizing clinical examination skills enabled me to discount some of these hypotheses, and by using structure, reminded me of hypotheses I had originally forgotten to include. I was able to facilitate an unexpected health intervention when the patient and carry out  opportunistic smear testing. Following on from this I was able to reach a diagnostic decision and make therapeutic interventions. Throughout I was communicating with the patient, offering education and involving her in her care which should translate to better concordance with treatment plans and improved patient satisfaction with the consultation. This consultation took me 18 minutes to conclude and although I feel that I covered a wide range of potential hypotheses concerning the initial complaint and responded effectively to the patients concerns, I did feel time pressured. On reflection I need to be able to balance the quality of the consultation with the quantity of patients requiring attention during a session. I could have asked Sue to book another appointment for a smear test which would have enabled me to manage my time better but at the expense of patient distress and an incomplete patient episode. It has been my experience to be critisised by my medical colleuges about the time taken for consultations and they are in fact able to move patients through the surgery quicker than I can. Although this is a recurrent problem I believe that the most prevalent reason for this is that in using this model of consultation the practitioner addresses a wider range of potential hypotheses and that these can lead on to other health issues which then need addressing as demonstrated above. When I discussed this with my GP mentor he said that he would have probably tested her urine first and as it was positive for infection, prescribe an antibiotic after enquiring about her risk of pregnancy and not have addressed any other history at that stage. If he had wanted further testing, he would have asked her to make a nurse appointment. It would be interesting to see which approach is preferred by the patient and most satisfactory for the clinician. ConclusionThis case study looked at a consultation where a patient presented with possible cystitis and requested antibiotics. After following a structured consultation and diagnostic style I was able to reach agreement with the patient and to provide a prescription for antibiotics. This was a satisfactory conclusion for both the patient and me. I was also able to  address a secondary health enquiry and opportunistically provide a smear test which was of additional benefit for the patient and the practice, as auditing will show this patient to now have had a smear test which has positive financial implications for the practice.

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