Loyalty status of consumers to cigarettes brands and influencing factors in Bangalore City: A descriptive study

Abstract

Background :- Brand  loyalty  has  been  studied  in  many  industries  and  countless  product  categories.  Despite  the  fact,  very  few  research  here  been  conducted on the tobacco product category in India.  The aim of this study was to determine the loyalty status of consumers to cigarettes brands and factors that influence the loyalty status groups. Design and methods:-  A descriptive study was conducted during the period of March 2017- April 2017 among the smokers visiting VS Dental College & Hospital , Bangalore Karnataka. A total of 340 smokers participated in the study. Data was collected using a self administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics with frequency and percentage was used to describe the data.  Results :- It was  observed that, four main  loyalty  levels  exist  i.e.  hardcore,  softcore,  shifters and switchers and have different demographic characteristics and reasons for their loyalty  status. The  hardcore  loyal  gave  their  main  reasons  as  high  satisfaction derived quickly,  affordable price and  strong  smell. The softcore reasons were;  strength of the kick, similar menthol and same price. Conclusion:- The study concluded that the loyalty status groups of smokers exist i.e. hardcore loyal, softcore loyal, shifters loyal and switchers.  The reason behind the loyalty status groups is due to the nature of cigarettes and unique characteristics among the group of smokers. Keywords:  cigarettes, brand loyalty , brand switching , consumers , loyalty status.