A STUDY ON BRANDING STRATEGIES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON CONSUMER PURCHASE DECISIONS IN THE APPAREL INDUSTRY

This study has examined the influence of branding strategies on consumer purchase decisions in the apparel industry through empirical primary data collected from 165 respondents across urban and semi-urban India. The central finding is clear: branding strategies are powerful and commercially significant determinants of consumer purchase decisions in the apparel industry. Brand image emerged as the most universally acknowledged purchase driver, with 84% of respondents directly attributing their apparel purchase decisions to brand image perceptions. Brand awareness demonstrated a very strong positive correlation with purchase decisions (r = 0.878, p < 0.01), providing the strongest empirical evidence of any single relationship tested. Brand loyalty, measured through consistent preference, advocacy, premium price acceptance, and repeat purchase behavior, is well-established among the majority of the sample. Digital and social media branding has emerged as the dominant force in contemporary apparel brand communication. Social media advertising, influencer marketing, and online customer reviews all recorded exceptional agreement rates, confirming that the migration of brand-consumer interaction from traditional media to digital platforms is both structural and permanent. The income moderation of premium price willingness — confirmed by the chi-square analysis — further highlights that effective brand strategy in the Indian apparel market requires income-segmented communication that delivers aspirational brand value at accessible price points. The findings provide a coherent and empirically validated picture of how branding strategies operate as purchase decision drivers in the Indian apparel market. The practical recommendations are designed to be actionable for brand managers across the apparel industry — from established domestic brands to emerging digital-first companies seeking to build commercially valuable brand equity in one of the world's most dynamic consumer markets.  

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