An Empirical Study on Branding Strategies and Purchase Intention toward Electric Scooters among Indian Urban Consumers
Shivakumar PT
Assistant Professor
Poornaprajna College, Udupi - 576102
Affiliated to Mangalore University
Email ID: shivakumarppc@gmail.com
Abstract
With the rapid growth of electric mobility in India, competition has increased among the electric scooter manufacturers as consumers adapt to the new mobility trend; hence, branding strategies has become a crucial tool for companies over the years to influence the adoption of the product to the consumers. The present study empirically examines the impact of branding strategies on purchase intention towards electric scooters among Indian urban consumers. By relying on well-established theories of brand equity and consumer behavior, this study explores the relationships between brand awareness, brand image, perceived quality, perceived value, brand personality, brand trust and price perception on consumers intention to buy electric scooters. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire on random respondents from urban locality covering multiple streams of occupational background such as students, working professionals, gig economy workers, and eco-friendly travellers. Data was analyzed using: descriptive statistics to profile respondents and test consumer preferences; reliability analysis (Cronbach’s alpha) to check the internal consistency of measurement scales; correlation analysis to explore relationships between key variables; independent sample t tests and one-way ANOVA to test differences across demographic segments, and multiple regression analysis to identify relative influences of branding constructs on purchase intention. VIF Values were also checked as a part of multicollinearity diagnostics ensuring robustness of the model. Researcher conducted a study of 527 respondents online and found that perceived quality, brand trust, and perceived value have a significant and positive effects on purchase intention; and price sensitivity and infrastructural concerns had negative effects on an individual's intent to adopt electric scooters. The difference across income and occupational groups were substantial which calls for brand and price differentiation in India, the heterogeneous urban market. This paper fills the research gap in branding and sustainable mobility literature by presenting empirical evidence on consumers' attitude towards electric vehicle features in an emerging economy and provide implications for marketers who are looking to establish stronger competitive positioning in the electric vehicle industry.
Keywords: Brand equity, Purchase intention, Electric scooters, Branding strategy, Consumer behavior, India, Electric mobility.
