Promos, offers, celebrities influence Indians to buy

A majority of Indians buy things not because of need for and appeal of particular products, but because buying offered them a chance to win great gifts or a date with their favourite celebrity, according to a survey.

Around 87% of Indians participated in some form of promotion, out of which 53% won prizes, while around 40% even changed their buying behaviour in accordance with the celebrity endorsement, Promo Survey 2006 conducted by Brand Equity, has revealed.

About 45% of people were found to have taken part in promotions that were carried out in malls, multiplexes, out of which a majority had participated in promotions of mobile phones, it said.

The survey - covering over 2,100 consumers and over 800 retailers in 10 cities across India - sought to find out the reason for the demand of particular brands, analysing buying behaviour, reasons that drive brand loyalty, preferences for promotion tools, participation mode and prizes.

The survey pointed out that about 57% of Indians were "loyal" to some brand and most of them gave priority to the price or budget before trying a brand.

With the increasing number of brands in the market, companies are fast realising the importance of creating brand awareness for their success. In an effort to reach their target audience, companies often conduct several campaigns across different product categories, which become an integral part of the company's marketing plan.