1. University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Consumers From Different Cultures and Their
Perceptions of Branding In The Hair Care Sector
BERRAK BOLLUK
Msc International Marketing
Business School
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
United Kingdom
September 2008
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2. CONFIRMATION
I confirm that this dissertation is my own work and that all sources used
have been fully referenced and acknowledged.
Signature
Date
25.08.2008
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3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the following individuals and organisations
for their kind assistance and support:
To my dear supervisor Dr. Carmen Hubbard for supervising me thoroughly,
professionally and sincerely, thank you for all the help and advice that you have
given me; this dissertation would not be possible without your help.
To my co-supervisor Elizabeth Jackson, for all the suggestions and help that
she has given me and for encouraging me.
To my family, for supporting me financially and emotionally all through my
life and through my master`s degree, thank you for everything that you have done
for me.
To my master`s degree teachers in Newcastle University, thank you for
teaching me everything that I know about international marketing.
To the Postgraduate office, thank you for helping me finding participants for
my focus groups, without you the essence of my research would have been lost.
To all my friends in Turkey and in Newcastle for supporting me emotionally
and for making my life richer.
To my infant nephews in Turkey, thank you for being part of my life, giving
me so much love and for making my life much more meaningful.
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4. DEDICATION
This dissertation is dedicated to my father, Ozkan Bolluk, who dedicated all his life
to me and spent all his life to make me a better person, intellectually and personally.
I want to dedicate this dissertation to you for everything that you have done for me.
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5. ABSTRACT
Branding is what gives a product its attitude, its personality and its identity. It is
what makes a product more than a product and it is the sum of all that the product
stands for. Consumers` perceptions of different brands are decisive for a brand’s
thriving or failing. Therefore, better understanding of consumers` perceptions of
brands is necessary for companies to improve their offerings to the customers. This
observation is true for all sectors, regardless of industry.
Hair care is an important sector and is expected to grow in the future. There is not
enough research into this sector let alone marketing research or research into
consumers` perceptions of different brands in the sector. The aim of this dissertation
is to contribute to the research in this sector. The research undertaken includes three
different focus group studies with people from different regions of the world and
different cultures and with participants of varying cultural backgrounds. The aim of
the research was to determine how consumers perceive different brands in the hair
care sector and whether there were differences between perceptions that are
influenced by the different cultures of the consumers.
There were also other aims of this research. Whether consumers buy some shampoos
regularly, because of the benefits of the product or because of intensive marketing
communications is the second issue that this research aimed to resolve. The third
question that this thesis investigates is whether P&G and Unilever are exceptionally
successful in the hair care sector. Both companies are well-known multinational
corporations in fast moving consumer goods. The hypothesis was that both Procter
and Gamble and Unilever are successful in this sector with their diversified products
that target people with different types of hair. Datamonitor (2007) mentions that
P&G is the global market leader in the beauty segment with a leading market share
of 24% in the hair care sector, through the brands as Always, Head and Shoulders,
Olay and Pantene Pro-V. Unilever on the other hand is one of the global leaders in
the personal care sector owning popular brands such as Axe, Dove, Pond`s, Lux,
Sunsilk and Comfort (Datamonitor, 2007).
Focus groups were the chosen data collection method because although their results
might not be generalized into the whole population, they give good insight into the
consumers` perception of brands in the hair care sector and the two other questions.
The focus group method was chosen also because it has the benefit of allowing the
researcher to investigate topics in depth at a lower cost compared with other
methods.
The findings of the study were that culture influences the way consumers perceive
brands and companies and successful brands and marketing communications is more
important than initially thought. The final finding of this study is that P&G is doing
exceptionally well in the hair care sector but Unilever is successful though not
“exceptional”. The final chapter discussed the strengths and the limitations of the
study and made suggestions for further research.
Key words: Hair care sector, branding, successful brands, consumers` perceptions,
focus groups, marketing communications, P&G and Unilever.
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6. List of Tables
Table 1: Top 20 Brands by Interbrand.......................................................................22
Table 2: Asian Focus Group Participant Information................................................32
Table 3:European Focus Group Participant Information...........................................36
Table 4:British and American People Focus Group Participant Information.............40
List of Figures
Figure 1: Key drivers feeding the global cosmetics and toiletries market.................10
Figure 2: Global Sales Reach US$269.7 Billion in 2006...........................................12
Figure 3: Competitive Landscape 2006.....................................................................14
List of Appendices
Appendix 1:Interview Guide For The Focus Groups................................................56
Appendix 2:Asian Focus Group Interview Transcript...............................................59
Appendix 3:European Focus Group Interview Transcript.........................................72
Appendix 4:British and American People Focus Group Interview Transcript...........81
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7. Table of Contents
CONFIRMATION……………………………….....................................................2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………...................................... 3
DEDICATION………………………………...........................................................4
List of Tables………………………………...............................................................6
List of Figures………………………………............................................................ 6
List of Appendices………………………………..................................................... 6
CHAPTER 1:INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY………………………………..9
1.1 Introduction………………………………....................................................9
1.2 Aim of the Study………………………………............................................9
1.3 Context of the Research……………………………….................................9
1.3.1 Cosmetic and Toiletries Sector………………………………..............11
1.3.2 Cosmetic and Toiletries Sector by Region………………………........11
1.3.3 Hair Care Sector………………………………....................................12
1.3.4 Procter & Gamble Company Profile……………………………….....13
1.3.5 Procter & Gamble In the Hair Care Sector……………………….......14
1.3.6 Unilever Company Profile………………………………....................15
1.3.7 Unilever In the Hair Care Sector………………………………..........16
1.4 Research Aim, Objectives and Methodology………………………….......16
1.4.1 Research aims and objectives………………………………...............17
1.4.2 Research methodology………………………………..........................17
1.5 Structure of the Study………………………………...................................17
CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL FRAMEWORK……………..18
2.1 Introduction………………………………..................................................18
2.2 Theoretical Framework………………………………................................18
2.2.1 Literature Review on Branding……………………………….............18
2.2.2 Literature Review on Country of Origin………………………...........20
CHAPTER3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY………………………………........23
3.1 Introduction………………………………..................................................23
3.2 Qualitative Study………………………………..........................................23
3.3 Focus Group Methodology………………………………...........................23
3.3.1 Focus group definition………………………………..........................23
3.3.2 Reasons for the methodology………………………………................24
3.3.3 Dynamics of the focus group………………………………................25
3.3.4 Sampling………………………………...............................................25
3.4 Interview Guide………………………………...........................................26
3.5 Analysis of the focus groups………………………………........................27
CHAPTER 4:RESEARCH RESULTS………………………………......................28
4.1 Introduction………………………………..................................................28
4.2 Asian People Focus Group Analysis………………………………............29
4.3 European People Focus Group Analysis………………………………......32
4.4 British and American People Focus Group Analysis……………………...36
CHAPTER 5:DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION……………………………….......41
5.1 Introduction………………………………..................................................41
5.2 Conclusion and Discussion………………………………..........................41
5.2.1 Consumers’ Perception of Branding In the Hair Care Sector...............41
5.2.2 Why Consumers Prefer Particular Brands............................................44
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8. 5.2.3 P&G and Unilever................................................................................ 46
5.3 Strengths and Limitations of the Research………………………………..47
5.3.1 Strengths of the Research……………………………….....................47
5.3.2 Limitations of the Research………………………………..................50
5.4 Suggestions for Further Research………………………………................50
REFERENCES………………………………..........................................................52
APPENDICES……………………………...............................................................56
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9. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY
1.1 Introduction
This chapter gives background information about the study. It presents the aims of
the study and the reasons for it and its context. Information about the cosmetic and
toiletries sector and its sub-sector the hair care industry are also given. Moreover,
information is given about Procter and Gamble (P&G) and Unilever in general and
their performance in the hair care sector in particular.
1.2 Aim of the study
This study aims to investigate branding in the hair care sector. Focus group
discussions with consumers from different cultures were conducted to investigate
whether culture influences their perceptions. The second aim of the study is to
investigate why consumers prefer the hair care brands that they regularly buy,
whether it is because of the functions of the brand or the intensive marketing
communications that they are exposed to. The study also aims to discover whether
the consumers’ perspective is that P&G and Unilever are exceptionally successful in
the hair care sector. These three questions that this research investigates are central
to the main issues in the international marketing’s empirical and theoretical
frameworks and the research is expected to contribute to the literature in these areas.
1.3 Context of the research
1.3.1 Cosmetic and Toiletries Sector
Situation and Trends
Euromonitor International (2007) argues that optimism about the future of the
industry has a basis and that the cosmetic and toiletries industry is one of the
strongest performers of the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industries. In the
sector, there is an emerging trend towards more environmental and ethical products.
To gain competitive advantage, companies use segmentation according to gender,
hair and skin type more than they used to. There are two main but opposing trends in
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10. the sector, first is the demand for convenient and portable cosmetics, and second is
pampering and experiential products. Euromonitor (2007) shows that the boundaries
between cosmetics and toiletries and other fast moving consumer goods industries
are disappearing. They argue that there is an emerging recognition by companies of
the power of consumers and how consumers want to see people similar to
themselves in the advertising (Euromonitor, 2007). Euromonitor (2007) also argues
that prevailing trends in the developed, Western markets are spreading to developing
markets and they cite anti-aging products’ being a global phenomenon as an
example. Another trend in the market is the increasing importance given to
packaging.
As shown by Figure 1, Euromonitor (2007) defines the key drivers in the main
cosmetic and toiletries industry as aging populations and a demand for gentler, less
invasive products, safety concerns and new retail concepts making natural/organic
beauty care more accessible. The other trends defined by Euromonitor (2007) are
growing worldwide wealth, consumer/corporate ethics, competition and the needs
for brand differentiation and technology.
Figure 1:Key drivers feeding the global cosmetics and toiletries market
(Source:Euromonitor International)
1.3.2 The Cosmetic and Toiletries Sector by Region
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11. Euromonitor (2007) predicts that China will be the largest contributor to absolute
global growth and an important source of dynamism. Euromonitor (2007) expects
rapid economic development across Eastern Europe to put Russia and the Ukraine at
the top of the forecast growth tables. Brazil, on the other hand, is expected to show
signs of maturity and slowing economic growth. Japan, France, UK, US and South
Korea are expected to account for 20 percent of global sales. Euromonitor (2007)
believes forecast growth in Latin America is being held back by Mexico. It is
suggested that with high disposable incomes, a modern retail market and demand for
premium brands, the Middle East will be the next boom market. Africa, on the other
hand with political instability, corruption and the Aids epidemic is a longer term
prospect (Euromonitor, 2007). According to Euromonitor (2007) the cosmetic and
toiletries industry in North America will not stagnate.
1.3.3 The Hair Care Sector
As shown by Figure 2, the hair care sector is the second largest sub-sector in the
cosmetic and toiletries sector. Moreover, the sector itself is predicted to grow
internationally in the coming years. The journal The Business of Beauty (2008)
reported that, according to the independent research company Euromonitor
International, the US hair care sector is forecast to grow by three percent by 2011.
Davies (2006) acknowledges that with forecast growth of almost 30% by 2010, the
cosmetics and toiletries industry is set to be one of the beneficiaries of economic
development. The Australian hair care sector is also promising with a steady annual
value growth of 5.5% with the shampoo segment having the highest value share of
40% (NewsAsia Pacific, 2006).
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12. Figure 2: Global Sales Reach US$269.7 Billion in 2006 (Source: Euromonitor
International)
Gender and age are influential factors in determining hair length and type and there
are important differences between men and women in hair care. According to Mintel
(2007) those in employment spend more on hair care to look more professional. It is
also mentioned that hairdressers are influential in consumers` preferring certain
brands. For hair care products, supermarkets are still the most dynamic and largest
channel of distribution. According to Mintel (2007), performance of the shampoos is
the key factor in the preference of certain brands and there is high level of brand
awareness in the sector. Therefore Mintel (2007) asserts that the importance of
branding in the sector justifies a high ratio of advertising expenditure to sales. The
hair care sector is expected to grow in the future in partly because there is no direct
substitute for shampoos. High advertising expenditure and innovation has helped to
maintain the growth of the market and is expected to do so in the future.
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13. 1.3.4 Procter and Gamble - Company Profile
Procter and Gamble Co is an American global corporation formed in 1837 based in
Cincinnati, Ohio which manufactures a wide range of consumer goods
(www.pg.com). According to 2008 figures (www.pg.com), it is the 23rd
largest US
company by revenue and is the 10th
in the Fortune Magazine`s Most Admired
Companies list. Procter & Gamble Co. was a family business that started as a soap
and candle manufacturer. The company prospered in 19th
and 20th
centuries by
manufacturing and selling products in other countries. P&G`s brands are so successful
today that they cannibalize the sales of each other, therefore the company’s brand
management is worthy of study (www.pg.com).
According to Datamonitor (2007), P&G is one of the world`s most successful brand
creation and brand building companies. The company participates in more than 40
product categories with 300 brands in roughly 60 markets. Its brands include Actonel,
Always, feminine hygiene products, Ariel, washing liquid, Bounty, paper towels,
Braun, electrical devices, Charmin, bathroom tissue, Crest, toothpaste, Dawn,
detergent, Downy, fabric softener, Duracell, battery, Folgers, coffee, Gilette, razor,
Head and Shoulders, shampoo, Iams, dog and cat foods, Nice n Easy, hair colouring,
Olay, Oral-B, dental product, Pampers, disposable diapers, Pantene Pro-V, hair care
product, Pringles, potato chips, Tide, detergent and Wella, hair care product.
According to Datamonitor (2007) P&G generates revenues through seven business
divisions: beauty (30.7% of the total revenues during fiscal year 2006), fabric care and
home care (24.9%.), baby care and family care (17.4%), health care (11.4%), pet
health, snacks and coffee (6.4%), blades and razors (5.1%) and Duracell and Braun
(4.2%). In past years, P&G has made important acquisitions of other companies. In
general, it is sustaining its growth with many international subsidiaries around the
world. It is further internationalizing into developing regions such as the Middle East,
Africa and Latin America. According to Euromonitor International (2007), its
presence in a wide range of sectors is a weakness where small brands are in a danger
of being overlooked.
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14. 1.3.5 Procter and Gamble In The Hair Care Sector
As shown by Figure 3, P&G is a leader in cosmetics and toiletries sector. According
to Euromonitor International (2007), in cosmetics and toiletries, its global market
share is about ten percent. Mintel (2007) asserts that P&G` strength in hair care lies
in the Pantene Pro-V and Head and Shoulders brands. Pantene Pro-V is also
associated with continuous innovation. Mintel (2007) says that Pantene Pro-V
moved into anti-breakage hair repair in 2005 and its recent activity includes Ice
Shine and Colour Expressions. Its advertising campaign associates Pantene Pro-V
with the Shine concept. Head and Shoulders is mentioned in the Mintel report (2007)
as it has been repositioned and its medical properties are less emphasized with the
new emphasis being on cosmetic properties. Head and Shoulder conditioner won the
2007 product of the year award. Herbal Essences is predicted to be the largest
growing brand of P&G and it is predicted to unseat Elvive. Its sub-brand Rainforest
Flowers won the 2006 product of the year award. According to the report P&G
bought Wella`s hair care business in 2004.
Figure 3: Competitive Landscape 2006 (Source:Euromonitor International)
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15. 1.3.6 Unilever - Company Profile
Unilever is a multi-national, Anglo-Dutch corporation that operates in many of the
world`s consumer products sectors including foods, beverages, cleaning agents and
personal care products (www.unilever.com). It is an international company in the
sense that it operates in about 60 countries, the importance of its business outside the
United Kingdom and Holland is considerable and its individual companies employ
multinational staffs. Its worldwide revenue was 40 billion pounds in 2005. Unilever is
a dual-structured company including Unilever NV in Rotterdam and Unilever PLC in
London (www.unilever.com). Its long-term strategy for operations is decentralized
management where the central management has the right to decide only in the most
strategic issues. It major key competitors are Procter & Gamble, Nestle, Kraft,
Henkel, L’Oreal, Pepsi Co and Coca Cola.
According to Datamonitor (2007), Unilever has four main business segments, savoury
dressings and spreads, ice cream and beverages, personal and home care and other
operations. It brands include Dove, shampoo and conditioner, Becel, margarine, Ben
and Jerry`s ice-cream, Bertolli, pasta sauces, Bru, instant coffee, Calve, sauces and
ketchup, Continental, side dishes, Flora, margarine, Fruco, ketchup, I Can`t Believe
It`s Not Butter, margarine, Jif, juice, Knorr, ready meals and soups, Lipton, tea, Pot
Noodle, Rama, margarine, Royal, pastas, Slim Fast, diet products, Unox, soups, Surf,
laundry detergent, Axe, deodorant, Brut, cologne, Cream Silk, conditioner, Comfort,
Domestos, Dove, Impulse, Lux, soap, Ponds, Rexona, Rinso, Sunsilk, Timotei, Suave
and Vaseline.
Datamonitor (2007) argues that Unilever`s strengths include a strong brand portfolio,
a focus on R&D and diversified revenue streams. Emerging markets, increasing health
awareness and growth in the men`s toiletries and fragrances market are all
opportunities for Unilever. However, Datamonitor (2007) adds that the company
should be aware of threats posed by decreasing performance in the European market
and increasing competition. According to Mintel (2007), in recent years, there have
been important de-mergings in Unilever. Mintel ( 2007) argues that Unilever has been
15

16. trying to streamline its operations. In line with this, Unilever went from owning 1600
brands in 1999 to 400 in 2006 and is focusing on key divisions such as the food, home
and beauty sectors as well as key brands, such as Lipton.
1.3.7 Unilever In The Hair Care Sector
As shown above in Figure 3 , Unilever is a leader in the cosmetics and toiletries
sector. Unilever is reported to focus on its power-brands such as Dove (Mintel,
2007). Unilever`s brand portfolio also includes Sunsilk and Timotei. According to
Mintel (2007), Dove has become one of the largest global personal care brands with
an emphasis on moisturising. Its new advertising campaign is well-known for
including “real women” in the advertisements which illustrates the brand`s criticism
of marketing stereotypes. Mintel informs us that Sunsilk was the UK`S most popular
hair care brand in the 1970s but has lost its position. According to Mintel (2007), the
reasons for this decline are increased competition and a lack of innovation and
support. Timotei is reported to be a smaller brand than Sunsilk. It was re-launched in
2005 with new formulations and new packaging and since 2005, it has performed
better. According to Euromonitor International (2007), Unilever`s hair care portfolio
is now stronger and more focused.
1.4. Research aims, objectives and methodology
1.4.1. Research aims and objectives
The aims of the research were first, to investigate consumers` from different cultures
perceptions of branding in the hair care sector, second, to find out why consumers
buy the hair care brands that they buy regularly, whether it is because of the benefits
of the product or because of the intensive marketing communications that they are
exposed to and third, to find out whether consumers perceive P&G and Unilever as
exceptionally successful in the hair care sector. The additional aims of the study
were:
To provide an overview of the international hair care sector
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17. To provide an overview of P&G and Unilever with specific reference to their hair
care brands
To give an overview of empirical and theoretical issues related to focus groups
To give an overview of theoretical issues related to branding and country of origin
To draw general conclusions about branding in general and branding in the hair care
sector specifically.
1.4.2. Research methodology
This research used the focus group methodology, a qualitative method to be
explained in detail in Chapter 3. It used three different focus groups with Asian,
European, British and American people combined to identify differences between
their perceptions.
1.5 Structure of the study
The first chapter gives an introduction to the study. It explains the reasons and
rationale for the research. It gives an overview of the hair care sector and company
profiles of P&G and Unilever and their strategies for the hair care sector. The second
chapter is about theoretical issues related to branding. It reviews the literature on
branding and country of origin. The third chapter explains the methodology,
including a definition of focus groups, their dynamics and the sampling and analysis
techniques used with the method. The fourth chapter presents the analysis and results
from the focus groups conducted with Asian, European and British and American
people combined. The final chapter is a discussion of the overall results and the
findings in regard to the three questions that this research investigates and the
strengths and limitations of the research. It also includes suggestions for further
research.
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18. CHAPTER 2:THEORETICALAND EMPIRICAL FRAMEWORK
2.1. Introduction
In this section, the theoretical framework related to branding is discussed. For the
second part, literature on country of origin is reviewed.
2.2 Theoretical Framework
2.2.1 Review of Literature on Branding
According to American Marketing Association (cited in Keller, 2008) a brand is “a
name, term, sign, symbol, or design or a combination of them, intended to identify the
goods and services of one seller or a group of sellers and to differentiate them from
those of competition”. According to the Journal of Brand Management (2003),
creating a strong brand is not always a priority for all businesses especially in their
early years. This is not the case for Pantene Pro-V nor for Dove. These are brands that
P&G and Unilever use to distinguish themselves from competitors. Chaudhuri and
Holbrook (2002) claim to have developed the concepts of brand trust and brand effect
to show the ultimate effect they have on brand outcomes such as market share. They
argue that their study is unique in the sense that it relates product level variables to
brand level variables and moreover they make the claim that their eight hypothesis
have not been tested previously.
Chaudhuri and Holbrook (2002) argue that high levels of perceived differences
between brands in the same category increase the functional and emotional risk
element in choosing a specific brand. They also make the claim that brand trust
increases as functional brand choice risk increases which, as a result, affects brand
commitment and market share. This is relevant in the sense that hair care is a category
in which there is supposed to be functional differences between products. The success
of Pantene Pro-V and Dove might be explained by their superior quality with
relevance to Chaudhuri and Holbrook`s (2002) study. It must also be noted that their
research is high in validity since it studied about 150 products at the aggregate level.
However, successful brands are not matters of their superiority in functional terms. In
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19. creating a successful brand, the importance of symbolic values and meanings should
also be taken into account. Wee and Ming (2002) agree with this and suggest that
using brands is a way for people to express themselves with Tuan (2003) arguing that
we are what we possess. According to Gentry (2002) marketers realize that products
are more than functional benefits whereas Meenaghan (2002) argues that marketing is
solely concerned with symbolic benefits. Similarly, Wee and Ming (2002) claim that
branding is more about symbolic benefits than functional benefits. Whether this is true
for Pantene Pro-V and Dove will be researched in the focus group study. Moreover,
the qualitative method will also investigate the success of Pantene Pro-V and Dove
and whether they owe their success to their functional benefits or the extensive
marketing with which they are promoted.
There are also issues other than functional and symbolic benefits that must be taken
into account when analyzing successful brands. One important point that cannot be
over looked is the importance of marketing communications. Besides the issue of
which communication methods to use, there is also the issue of what message to give
to the consumers. Wang and Nelson (2006) argue that it is more effective to give
varied messages than identical messages; they also argue that more attention should
be given to strengthening consumers` information diagnosticity by at least making
messages accessible and repetitive to the right consumers. The research also found
that publicity is considered more reliable than advertising by consumers. Wang and
Nelson (2006) also argue that the internet should be used more for marketing. Moffett
(2002) and his colleagues agree with this argument.
In response to the changes in the market in general and the increase in the usage of
internet in particular, marketing has changed. Moreover, according to Laforet (2005) it
has to change. In his research, he found that corporate branding is in decline and
separating corporations from their many brands is a useful strategy to keep both of
them successful and avoid risks. This finding is relevant to this research in the sense
that it is highly possible that this is the reason behind P&G and Unilever not using
their company names to promote themselves. The issue of changes in branding is not
limited to Laforet`s study. Chimhundu and Hamlin (2007) also study the change in the
brand management structure in fast moving consumer goods. They report that there is
much speculation that category management is replacing brand management and will
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20. dominate in the future. However, their findings show that brand management is still
not outdated and there is a fair balance between brand management and category
management
2.2.2 Literature Review of Country of Origin
In the report “Best Global Brands” Interbrand (2007), of the top 100 brands, 53
originated in the US. The first 20 brands are shown in Table 1. Therefore, it is can be
said that country of origin has an important effect on brands and this section is
included to consider that view. The literature shows that a country of origin effect
exists. Eroglu and Machleit (1989) state that considerable research effort has been
made to find out whether country of origin affects consumers` product evaluations;
their findings indicate that country of origin (COO) is a salient element in product
evaluations. However, there are various problems with previous research that make
these authors question the main findings. First, most studies used COO as a single
cue to determine product evaluations, however, there are also other factors, so
multiple cue research is needed. Second, instead of using tangible products in
research, participants were asked to base their evaluations on verbal references to
products. The third major limitation was reliability and validity issues and the fact
that most participants were able to guess the aim of the research. Eroglu and
Machleit tried to overcome these limitations.
Han (1989) used the Halo model and the Summary Construct model to determine
country of origin effects for televisions and automobiles. The `halo effect` assumes
that country image affects beliefs of the consumers and beliefs affect attitudes to the
brand in return. Country image is a summary construct but consumers recode such
individual pieces of information into bigger units. Country image can be viewed as a
summary construct. Consumers may abstract information about a country’s products
because brands with an identical country of origin have similar attributes.
Consumers make an abstraction of country information into country image and
country image directly affects consumer attitudes toward a brand from the country
instead of affecting it indirectly through product attribute rating.
In Summary Construct Theory, consumers have beliefs about products which turn
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21. into their general country image and this directly affects their attitude toward the
brand. Han (1989) argues in line with his research that when consumers are not
familiar with a country’s products, the `halo effect` is more explanatory of the
situation where the country image serves as a halo from which one may infer a
product’s attributes. In contrast, when consumers are familiar with a country’s
products, country image becomes a construct that summarizes consumer’s beliefs
about a product’s attributes and affects their attitude toward the product. According
to his research, these hypothesis are found to be true.
The findings and assumptions made by Verlegh and Steenkamp (1999) are very
pertinent to the present research. Their argument is based on a quantitative meta
analysis. One of their most critical arguments is that country of origin is not merely
another cognitive cue. In addition to role of COO as a quality signalling process, it
has a symbolic and emotional meaning. According to Fournier (1998) COO relates a
product to national identity which can result in strong emotional attachment to
certain brands and products. For example second generation American-Italian
women are strongly attached to Italian products especially Italian food. Botschen and
Hemettsberger (1998) reported that consumers link COO not only to product quality
but also to feelings of national pride and memories of past vacations. So, one of the
core arguments of Verlegh and Steenkamp (1999) is that COO is not merely a
cognitive cue for product quality but also relates to emotions, identity, pride and
personal memories. Other than implying product quality, countries have strong
emotional and affective connotations. People may prefer domestic products linking
them to national pride.
A literature review by Skaggs (1996) considers the issue of COO on food products.
As argued by Eroglu (1989), Skaggs (1996), Verlegh and Steenkamp (1999) and Han
(1989), the country of origin effect is an important one. Much research has been
done on this topic though the extent to which it is important is not clear. It must also
be remembered that that are limitations of the existing literature and that country of
origin is not a single cue and affects consumer`s evaluations of brands in more than
one way.
21

22. Table 1:Top 20 Brands (Source:Interbrand Report)
22

23. CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1. Introduction
This section introduces the methodology used in the research. It includes a definition
of the focus group method, the advantages and disadvantages of focus groups,
sampling method, the questions asked during the focus groups and finally the
analysis procedure.
3.2. Qualitative study
Bryman and Bell (2007) argue that qualitative research is about words rather than
numbers, it is an understanding of the social world through an examination of the
interpretation of that world by its participants. They argue that ethnography and
participant observation, qualitative interviewing and focus groups are the main
research methods associated with qualitative research. It is stated that the analysis of
qualitative research is carried out according to different criteria from the analysis of
quantitative research. The main reason that this study uses a qualitative research
methodology is that qualitative research provides the researcher with rich and deep
data rather than the hard but not in depth data that is associated with quantitative
research. Another advantage of qualitative research is that the emphasis is on the
participants and their context.
3.3 Focus Group Methodology
3.3.1. Definition
This research used focus group methodology. Most of the literature on focus groups
indicates that the first use of focus groups is highly debated and Fallon and Brown
(2002) record that sociologists, social scientists and market researchers all claim to
have made first use of the technique. Bryman and Bell (2007) describe focus groups
as a method of interviewing that involves more than one, usually four interviewees.
23

24. They argue that in essence it is a group interview where there is a special emphasis on
interaction between the participants. Focus group meetings are described by Howard
(1989) as a discussion in which small groups of people talk about selected topics
under the guidance of a moderator.
3.3.2. Reasons for the methodology
Though it is not the reason for this methodology, with focus groups, the researcher is
able to save money and time by carrying out interviews with a number of individuals
simultaneously. Krueger (1994) argues that focus groups are about discovering why
people think or feel the way they do. Focus groups are also advantageous in the sense
that in individual interviewing, the participant is likely to be affected by the presence
of the interviewer. Cohen (2002) focuses on the fact that focus group discussion is
interaction between participants not with the interviewer. Krueger (1994) also argues
that if questions are asked properly in the focus group, the results are good
representations of consumers` perceptions. The focus group methodology was chosen
in this research because the research specifically aims to find consumers` perceptions
of branding in the hair care sector and focus group study allows the researcher to do
this in depth.
There are other important reasons why this research uses focus group methodology.
First the nature of the focus group study is congruent with marketing research and it
allows the researcher to have in depth information about the subject. Cost and time is
also another advantage that makes focus group study more attractive than individual
interviews. According to Madriz (2000) it also has the advantage of allowing the
researcher to observe participants sharing ideas, opinions and experiences and even
debating with each other. According to Kitzinger (1998) however, most of the
literature focuses on formation and conducting of the groups and there is lack of
literature on data analysis of focus groups in general and of group interaction in
particular. The analysis technique for the group interaction will be as detailed as
possible because of its congruence with this study`s purpose. Duggleby (2005) argues
that the important point is the congruence of the analysis technique of group
interaction to the methodological approach in general; this advice will be taken into
24

25. account when analysing the data in this research.
3.3.3. Dynamics of the focus group
The focus groups were composed of approximately eight people which according to
Fallon and Brown (2002) is an optimal number. These authors suggest that group size
should range between four and twelve members with eight being suggested as the
optimal number for group participants. Fallon and Brown (2002) believe that it can be
highly advantageous to ensure that focus group members are characterized by a
shared culture which they believe leads to better a quality and quantity of results.
Fallon and Brown (2002) also acknowledge some problems of focus groups are due to
other factors in participants’ lives and they make an interesting point saying that an
inexperienced moderator who knows the participants personally can be an advantage
in getting more information. This information is encouraging given that most of the
participants of the focus groups were personal acquaintances of the moderator.
A strong point of the research was that special attention was given to interaction
between participants. Although the literature on focus groups is vast Wibeck and
Oberg (2007) state that interaction between members is seldom evaluated or analyzed
even though it is supposed to be the main strength of focus groups. One important
point that they raise is that for an effective focus group discussion an interview guide
is necessary which can be in different forms. Kitzinger (1994) adds to this saying that
at times, there is also a need for stimulus material which may consist of an image, text
or product. Kruger (1998) advises that the interview guide should contain open-ended
questions that can stimulate discussion.
3.3.4. Sampling
The Asian focus group had nine participants. Most of the participants were selected
by convenience sampling, by personal acquaintance to the moderator. Bryman and
Bell (2007, p.197) define convenience sampling as “a convenience sample is one
that is simply available to the researcher by virtue of its accessibility”. Only two of
the participants were selected through an email distributed to the postgraduate
students at the Newcastle University. A summary of information on the ages, gender
25

26. and origin of members of this group is given below in Table 2 in Chapter 4.
The European focus group was made up of eight participants. Except for one
participant who was recruited by an email distributed to postgraduate students of
Newcastle University, all the other participants were selected by convenience
sampling as personal acquaintances to the moderator. A summary of age, gender and
origin information for this group is given below in Table 3 in Chapter 4.
The focus group of British and American people consisted of seven participants.
Four American participants were selected by snowball sampling. The English
participants were selected by convenience sampling as personal acquaintances of the
moderator. Summary information for this group is given in Table 4 in Chapter 4.
3.4. Interview Guide
Before the actual focus groups, there was a practice focus group with four
participants. After the practice group, the questions to be asked were revised, in
order to gather more in-depth data from the participants. The focus group discussions
were structured; the same questions were asked in the three focus groups to
determine the differences between participants` answers and perceptions of hair care
brands. To make the structuring of their discussions easier, questions were provided
to the participants. The questions revolved around the three main questions that the
research aimed to investigate. “Ticking” questions and “complete the sentence
below” questions were included as supported by Krueger (1994) for focus groups.
“Why” type of questions and Likert scale questions were avoided since they were
consistent with a qualitative study. The questionnaire consisted of three parts with
each part designed to answer one of the main research questions. At the end of the
questionnaire, participants were asked their general idea on what makes a brand
successful and whether they had anything else to add. The questions are provided in
Appendix 1.
26

27. 3.5. Analysis of the focus groups
Yin (cited in Krueger, 1994) defines data analysis as examining, categorizing,
tabulating or otherwise recombining the evidence to address the initial propositions
of the study. Krueger (1994) argues that focus group analysis should be made by
going back to the intent of the study. The analysis method chosen was based on
transcription and it kept the intentions of the study in mind. The researcher chose the
method of elaborate analysis based on the three main questions that this research
aimed to investigate. Consistency of the answers given by the participants, context of
the research where participants had bottles of hair care products in sight and group
dynamics were considered in the analysis. The analysis was done by the moderator
which is an ideal case for Krueger (1994). When quotations from the participants
were used, the meaning that the participant intended to give was kept in mind.
Special focus was given to big ideas and the big picture emerging from the focus
groups and coding was carried with the three main questions in mind. Analysis was
also done taking into consideration that focus groups are not merely group interview
so that attention was given to interaction between the participants.
27

28. CHAPTER 4:ANALYSIS OF THE FOCUS GROUPS
4.1. Introduction
This chapter presents the analysis of the focus groups. The first analysis is of the
Asian people focus group, the second analysis is of the European people focus
group, the third analysis is of the British and American people focus group.
Summary of the analysis and comparing and contrasting of the focus groups is done
in the Chapter 5.
4.2 Asian People Focus Group Analysis
There were many important findings from the Asian people focus group. First, it was
clear that most participants preferred a regular brand on the basis of the functionality
of the shampoo and price. Participants with a dandruff problem stated that dandruff
is a problem common in Asia because of the hot and humid climate. They all stated a
preference for Head and Shoulders based on the function of removing dandruff. In
the “complete the sentence below” section where questions asking for the reasons
particpant prefer the particular brand that they do, most chose “makes my hair look
good”, “smell good” and “the price is good” options. Some completed the sentence
with additional reasons e.g. liking a particular company or that the product is easy to
find.
Seventh participant: Reasons might be problem with dandruff. Dandruff is
the most common problem in that area.
Moderator: So you think that when people prefer a shampoo brand, they
also take into account price?
Fifth participant: Exactly.
Sixth participant: Like I am concerned about many elements, price,
quality, brands.
Seventh participant: We can lose our Msc degree but not our hair.
Responding to the question of effectiveness of marketing communications, most
respondents stated that marketing communications were only important to a certain
extent. They emphasised that advertising is effective in getting them familiar with the
brand and perhaps in their buying the brand for the first time but not necessarily in
28

29. their buying the brand repeatedly. They also said that advertising and marketing
communications did not influence them in being loyal to the brand but most of them
felt that marketing communications might be more important for other people, for
example less educated people. For the “complete the sentence below” question, only
two chose the “I like the advertisements of the brand” option.
Eighth respondent: Without any marketing, if you launch any product, not
just shampoo, you should make a presentation for any product.
Second participant: Actually, I don’t believe these advertisements for the
hair care sector. They always use like perfect women with perfect hair.
Nobody can have that kind of silky hair. They only reason I buy this
product is that because I am familiar with it.
First participant: I think the advertisements can attract me to buy the
shampoo. But if I try the shampoo and find out that is it not good, I think I
will go and tell all of my friends and all of my classmates “don’t buy that
shampoo”.
Seventh participant: There are some people who don’t have the market
sense.
In the consumers` opinions of particular brands section, most of the participants said
that they associate Pantene Pro-V brand with “style, quality and professionality”.
Some also stated that Pantene Pro-V is somewhat expensive. None of them associated
negative words with Pantene Pro-V. In regard to the Dove brand, most of the
participants said that they associated Dove with moisture, gentleness and family.
However, they stated that they did not choose Dove because they associate it too
much with soap and shower gel. Some believed that Dove would not wash their hair
well, either because they had tried it personally or because they associated it too much
with “moisture”. Many stated that they found the Dove brand “expensive”. In regard
to the Head and Shoulders brand, most participants had positive associations. They
associated Head and Shoulders with “antidandruff, reliability and availability”.” Some
of the participants, however, stated that they would not use Head and Shoulders
because they associate it too much with dandruff and medical use.
Third participant: Words for Pantene Pro-V, silky hair. A lot of choices. It
works. The bottle looks stylish, ads look fine. It seems like a nice kind of
shampoo.
Fourth participant: Stylish, they use lots of celebrities in the ads. I use it
only once. I associate it with celebrities and all that. (for Pantene Pro-V)
Sixth participant: I don’t remember using it either. I am more familiar with
29

30. Pantene Pro-V. It is more family for me, Dove.
First participant: I think for Dove, the brand is more for shower gel. I
never tried that brand because if there is discount, I think I will try it.
Third participant: I think it is functional. (for Head and Shoulders)
Seventh participant: It is reliable (for Head and Shoulders)
Eighth participant: Cheap as well. (for Head and Shoulders)
Many associated the Elvive brand, with “L’Oreal” a strong, established company with
a long history. They also regarded it as functional. One participant said that there was
too much information on the bottle and one participant that it was for women. The
Herbal Essences brand evoked no consensus among the participants, some
participants` views were favourable and some not. Some mentioned that Herbal
Essences was natural and had a natural package, some associated it too much with
flowers and some felt that it had a cheap image for them since the company
distributed too many free samples in their home countries. Almost all of them
mentioned that the advertising of Herbal Essences is easily remembered. Regarding
the Gliss brand, there was consensus among the group, as most of them had never
heard of it. Some of the males thought of it as a “female product” and some associated
it with “quality”.
Fourth participant: I never used it but the branding of L’Oreal is very well
established. I think that would be a consideration.
Moderator: Okay, the company is important. (Yes answers from the group)
Second participant: Natural (for Herbal Essences)
Third participant: Yeah natural. (for Herbal Essences)
Sixth participant: They are giving free samples in Japan too much. (for
Herbal Essences)
Ninth participant: Yeah free samples. (for Herbal Essences)
Seventh participant: I did not hear about this brand before. Is it a brand
for females? (for Gliss)
Eighth participant:Yes, I think it is a brand for females. Pink bottle. (for
Gliss)
As far as the “successful company in the hair care sector” section was concered, there
was very high consensus among the group, as all bar one of the participants thought
that P&G was the most successful company. The reasons they gave were high quality
products for the right price, successful marketing communications, and high
availability of its brands and the reliability of the brands. Only one participant thought
of L’Oreal as the most successful company in the hair care sector the reason being that
30

31. she felt familiar with the company. Participants found either L’Oreal or Unilever to
be the second most successful company. Most mentioned that Unilever is strong in
other sectors but not particularly hair care. All of the participants chose Schwarzkopf
as the “least successful company in the hair care sector” the sole reason being that
they were not familiar with the company and its brands. As can be seen from the
choices of favourite and least favourite companies, in choosing the successful
companies familiarity with the company was very important. This shows that
marketing communications have more effect on participants than they thought.
Second participant: I put P&G in the first position because it keeps the
balance between performance and price.
Fourth participant: My first one would be Procter and Gamble because of
their sales and the quality.
Fifth participant: And distribution of their product is good. Their
marketing communications is everywhere, on the radio, television and
internet
Probably, its more professional and functional but if people don’t know
about it, it is no use. (for Schwarzkopf)
Second participant: The last one is Schwarzkopf because I never heard of
it. For me, I don’t know the brand.
The other brands that the participants mentioned as successful were Pert plus and
Keuni. They mentioned many factors that contribute to success of a brand and they
included quality, performance, price, effective marketing communications and
availability of the brand.
The dynamics of this focus group was that as people started to discuss the three
questions, there started to be consensus among the group. The first and fifth
respondents had particularly different opinions from the others. The first respondent
criticized all the brands highly and mentioned that she wouldn`t buy shampoo that
originates from a company that is at odds with Chinese governments. The fifth
respondent was highly price conscious and she mentioned the price issue many
times. Information from this focus group is summarized in Table 2 below.
31

32. PARTICIPANT NUMBER NATIONALITY SEX AGE FAVORITE BRAND LEAST FAVORITE BRAND FAVORITE COMPANY LEAST FAVORITE COMPANY
PARTICIPANT 1 CHINESE FEMALE 23 HEAD AND SHOULDERS GLISS LOREAL SCHWARZKOPF
PARTICIPANT 2 CHINESE MALE 24 HEAD AND SHOULDERS PANTENE P&G SCHWARZKOPF
PARTICIPANT 3 HONG KONG FEMALE 24 PANTENE HERBAL ESSENCES P&G SCHWARZKOPF
PARTICIPANT 4 PAKISTANI MALE 23 HEAD AND SHOULDERS HERBAL ESSENCES P&G SCHWARZKOPF
PARTICIPANT 5 CHINESE MALE 23 HEAD AND SHOULDERS GLISS P&G SCHWARZKOPF
PARTICIPANT 6 JAPANESE FEMALE 27 PANTENE HEAD AND SHOULDERS P&G SCHWARZKOPF
PARTICIPANT 7 PAKISTANI MALE 25 HEAD AND SHOULDERS GLISS P&G SCHWARZKOPF
PARTICIPANT 8 PAKISTANI MALE 29 HEAD AND SHOULDERS P&G SCHWARZKOPF
PARTICIPANT 9 TAIWANESE MALE 29 HEAD AND SHOULDERS GLISS P&G SCHWARZKOPF
Table 2:Asian Focus Group Participant Information
4.3 European People Focus Group Analysis
Many important conclusions can be drawn from the analysis of the European people
focus group. In the analysis in this, this focus group is compared with the Asian
people focus group. Similar to the Asian focus group, the European focus group
preferred the shampoo brands that they regularly bought on the grounds of
functionality such as “cleans my hair well”, “suits my scalp” and “price is cheap.”
The brand loyalty of this group to the shampoos that they regularly buy was less than
that of the first group. The emphasis on the effect of price was almost the same for
the two focus groups. For “the complete the sentence below” question, most chose
reasons such as “makes my hair look good”, “makes my hair clean”, “makes my hair
smell good” and “price is good” options. Compared to the first focus group, there
was more emphasis on “making hair smell good” and “making hair clean” options.
Second participant: I don’t have a special brand that I use regularly. My
hair is usually mess. I get pharmacy back home, Vichy?
Fifth participant: Yes. It is really cheap. It is really strongly chemical. I
think I must go and buy another one.
First participant: Ten or eleven pounds for a bottle. I think it is worth the
32

33. money. (for Redkin)
Seventh participant: I like Herbal Essences, I like the smell. That’s the
only reason really. Yeah.
In response to the question about the effect of marketing communications, many
members of this focus group made it clear that they did not prefer the shampoos
because of the advertising, some mentioned that they did not see their favourite brand
advertised, others that they consider the advertising of their favourite brand to be very
poor. One respondent claimed that she had noticed the advertisement for her favourite
brand (Herbal Essences) however later she changed her mind and argued that the
advertisement did not affect her buying decision. Some participants said that
advertising was effective in that it made the consumer familiar with the brand but if
consumers were loyal to a brand, they would not change their preference because of
advertising. One participant stated that personal experience with the brand was more
important than marketing communications.
First participant: I have never seen a Redkin commercial. Maybe it is
because it is a hair salon product that there is no TV commercial for it.
Fifth participant: I think the advertisements for Treseme is crap.
Eighth participant: Not exactly the way that they do it. But in the sense
that you are familiar with the brand so that you may trust it a little bit
more. So you know that it is not something that is going to ruin anything.
Second participant: I think the most effective thing for commercials is that
if you are not using a specific brand and you just see this commercial on
TV, then your brain remembers that,
For specific brands, there was less consensus among the participants for this focus
group compared to the first group. The brands that they viewed favourably were
different. When giving answers on what they think about specific brands, they
concentrated more on smell and packaging compared with the first focus group. Few
participants were favourable to the Pantene Pro-V brand, some said that they had tried
it and not liked it; some said they did not associate it with anything, others said that
the package was boring. Only one participant was favourable towards the Pantene
Pro-V brand and said that he associated it with high quality and good price. The
responses for the Dove brand were similar to the first focus group. Many reported that
they did not know that there was a Dove “shampoo” brand, they associated it too
much with “moisturization” and “soap” and “shower gel”. Some had actually tried it
and liked the brand and some, especially females, spoke positively about their “real
33

34. women” campaign. The Head and Shoulders brand was again a highly associated with
“anti-dandruff”. Some associated it with a useless product that exists in every
household since somebody had had dandruff once and one referred to it as being
“anti-modern”. This group`s least favourite brand was Head and Shoulders. Among
these three brands, the greatest difference from the first focus group was found for
Pantene Pro-V. For Dove and Head and Shoulders, the associations and positive and
negative aspects mentioned were very similar to the first focus group.
Sixth participant: I tried Pantene Pro-V some years ago but I really didn’t
like it.
Second participant: It is boring. (for Pantene Pro-V)
Seventh participant: I didn’t know that they even had a shampoo. (Yes
word from most of the group)
Second participant: The negative aspect would be that we didn’t even
know that they had shampoo. (for Dove)
Third participant: It is anti-dandruff shampoo. (for Head and Shoulders)
Seventh participant: It is not modern. (for Head and Shoulders)
In respect to the Elvive brand, most participants made comments on the fun, pink
bottle and the advertisement where the woman shakes her hair. There was no mention
of the L’Oreal company. There was less consensus about the Herbal Essences brand
among the group, the third participant stated that they test on animals and strong
protest was voiced in the group. Some associated the brand with “naturalness” and
“organicness”. Some loved “the smell” and some hated “the smell”. The advertising
of Herbal Essences was again mentioned. In relation to Gliss, there was some
consensus among the group, some said they had never heard of it and some unlike the
first group found it “professional and stylish”. Perceptions of these three brands were
rather different from in the first group, as people in this group did not talk much about
Elvive, but made almost same associations for Herbal Essences and participants were
more favourable to Gliss brand.
Seventh participant: I think I have the red one, now that you mention it. I
like the colour, it was the reason that I bought it. When you go to the shop,
it stands out. (for Elvive)
Fifth participant: You might also look at it because it is constantly on TV.
(for Elvive)
First participant: I don’t like the smell. When I smell the other shampoos
like Pantene Pro-V, they smell like shampoo but Herbal Essences smells
like candy.
34

35. Third participant: Herbal Essences is the only product that does animal
testing.
Third participant: I never heard of it. (for Gliss)
First participant: I like the Schwarzkopf better, it looks more professional
anyway.
There was very high consensus among the group in respect to “the most successful
company” section, in that L’Oreal was considered to be the most successful company.
Their choice on “the least successful company” showed no consensus, some chose
P&G, and others chose Unilever with only one choosing Schwarzkopf and L’Oreal.
Participants chose L’Oreal as their most successful company mainly because L’Oreal
owns successful brands and has a high level of advertising. Some chose Unilever as
the least successful company and said that they have too many associations for
Unilever and they could not associate it specifically with the hair care sector. Some
chose P&G as their least successful company and said that they knew the brands but
not the company behind it. Unlike the Asian focus group, the European focus group
mainly chose Schwarzkopf as the second most successful company.
Eighth participant: I put L’Oreal on top as well, because they do lot of
advertising and if they are using celebrities on the commercials
continuously, then they must be quite successful.
Fourth participant: I put Procter and Gamble as the most successful
because Pantene Pro-V and Head and Shoulders are familiar to me. I hear
about them more than any other stuff.
Second participant: I put P&G as my least favourite because I didn’t hear
about the company but the shampoos they have.
Seventh participant: Yeah. It is not “the” company when I think about hair
care. (for Unilever)
Other brands that participant found successful in the hair care sector included Eva and
Least Effort, a designer hair brand. In response to the question about what makes a
brand successful, participants mentioned quality, price and the effect of marketing
communications. However, unlike the Asian focus group, more emphasis was given to
the importance of the uniqueness of the brand.
Group dynamics was very different from in the first focus group. The second
participant was highly dominant, the eighth participant liked to debate and third and
fourth participants were rather quiet though the efforts were made by the moderator to
35

36. give them the opportunity to speak. After the third participant stated that Herbal
Essences uses animal testing, the sixth respondent decided to change the shampoo
brand that she regularly buys which had been Herbal Essences. High consensus on
“the most successful company in the hair care sector” for both focus groups cannot be
explained by group dynamics because participants were first asked to write the
ranking of the companies and then share with the group. Information from this focus
group is summarized in Table 3.
PARTICIPANTNUMBER NATIONALITY SEX AGE FAVORITEBRAND LEASTFAVORITEBRAND FAVORITECOMPANY LEASTFAVORITECOMPANY
PARTICIPANT1 NORWEGIAN FEMALE 27 GLISS HEADANDSHOULDERS LOREAL UNILEVER
PARTICIPANT2 NORWEGIAN FEMALE 23 GLISS HERBALESSENCES LOREAL P&G
PARTICIPANT3 DUTCH MALE 25 DOVE HERBALESSENCES LOREAL P&G
PARTICIPANT4 RUSSIAN FEMALE 24 GLISS HERBALESSENCES P&G LOREAL
PARTICIPANT5 GERMAN FEMALE 23 PANTENE HEADANDSHOULDERS LOREAL SCHWARZKOPF
PARTICIPANT6 ITALIAN FEMALE 27 DOVE HEADANDSHOULDERS UNILEVER P&G
PARTICIPANT7 GERMAN FEMALE 25 HERBALESSENCES HEADANDSHOULDERS LOREAL UNILEVER
PARTICIPANT8 DANISH MALE 25 PANTENE HEADANDSHOULDERS LOREAL UNILEVER
Table 3:European Focus Group Participant Information
4.4. British and American People Focus Group Analysis
There was less consensus about almost every issue among the British and American
people focus group compared to the other focus groups. This is believed to have
been caused, to a certain extent, by the combination of two different cultures and
thus contributes to the argument that there are cultural differences in the consumers`
perceptions of hair care brands. Certain brands were again found to be preferred
according to functionality. Most participants again ticked the “makes my hair look
good”, “makes my hair clean” “and makes my hair smell good” options. However,
36

37. this group, compared with the other two groups put more emphasis on “I like this
company`s products” and “I like the advertisements of the product” options. There
was high brand loyalty by the consumers to their preferred brands. In this group of
UK and American people, consumers, mostly British people stated a preference for
designer hair brands and different brands rather than supermarkets brands such as
Pantene Pro-V and Dove. The price issue did come up for some of the American
people.
Third participant: Yes, Lush. You can buy it from the Lush shop. It is not a
store brand, it is not a hair dresser brand.
Sixth participant: The head and shoulders seems to be the only thing that
keeps my scalp from being itchy and the L’Oreal conditioner seems to be
the only product that keeps my hair from getting too oily.
Eighth participant: I use Tresemme regularly because on the bottle it says
that it is made for professionals and it makes my hair look good at an
affordable price. (American)
First participant: The only reason I buy this shampoo is because I like the
bottle very much.
In respect to the effect of marketing communications, there was less consensus among
this group than in the two other two groups. Some stated that they chose their
preferred brand in the first instance because of the advertising; some stated that they
chose their preferred brand because it was a natural product, not produced by a
multinational giant and that it was favoured by them as the company did not advertise
at all. None of the participants acknowledged that the marketing communications of
their preferred brand was more effective than other brands. There was either a positive
approach to marketing communications or a very negative approach to marketing
communications. However, when participants chose the most successful company,
most participants chose P&G the main reason being that “they advertise a lot”.
Therefore it can be inferred that participants in this groups did not choose their
preferred brand on the grounds of effective marketing communications, however the
main reason they gave for choosing their most successful company was that the
company (P&G) advertised a lot. It was interesting that the criterion for success for
this group was a high level of marketing communications.
Third participant: Lush does not advertise at all, there is no advertising. It
is not a multinational giant.
Fourth participant: I think the advertisements shows you that the shampoo
37

38. reduces dandruff, they show you the picture of a damaged hair and how it
repairs hair. It was the reason I bought the shampoo in the first place.
Sixth participant: Marketing communications help, however, once I found
that I liked this shampoo, I only buy it due to the fact that I prefer it, and
less to do with marketing.
Seventh participant: Big brands are not always better, go for organic.
Some participants said that they thought that the Pantene Pro-V brand is too
commercialized, some found it expensive and some thought it was scientific with
good functions such as repairing damage. In this focus group, there was no mention of
association of Pantene Pro-V with high quality and most of the participants did not
rank it high in their ranking of shampoo brands. Dove, again, was associated with
moisture and naturalness and the “real beauty” advertising campaign. Unlike the other
groups, fewer participants said that they associated Dove with too many different
products and so could not associate it with shampoo; this group was more favourable
to this brand. The association of the Head and Shoulders, brand with dandruff was
again very strong in this group. Participants either loved Head and Shoulders or hated
it but the reason given was the same, the association with dandruff., The change in
Head and Shoulders` marketing strategy from a medical focus to a cosmetic focus was
mentioned in this group.
Sixth participant: Pantene Pro-V is okay and it has many products for
different types of hair. It is also more expensive. I have used it in the past
but never returned to it.
Seventh participant: Pantene Pro-V is for me over advertised and
overpriced. I don’t buy it.
Third participant: And it smells really nice. (for Dove)
Fourth participant: It is about moisturizing. (for Dove)
Eighth participant: I associate it with dandruff but in a positive way
because other shampoos are not for dandruff, that is its competitive
advantage. (for Head and Shoulders)
Second participant: I have never ever used Head and Shoulders. I have too
many memos of it being associated with dandruff. The hair opens up and
it is full of dandruff and staff like it.
Most participants in this group had never heard of the Elvive brand; this was
interesting because most participants in the other two groups knew the brand. The
company marketing Elvive, L’Oreal was not mentioned in this group. The Herbal
Essences brand, was strongly recalled by the participants because of the famous “Yes,
38

39. yes, yes” advertisement. When asked specifically how this advertising affected their
purchasing, none of the participants stated a preference for the brand. Though all
agreed that the advertising of Herbal Essences stands out, some thought that it was too
overtly sexualized and thus they were less favourable to the advertising. Herbal
Essences` smell was also mentioned. As in the other focus groups most participants
were not familiar with the Gliss brand and stated that they never heard of it. One
participant mentioned that she associates the brand with old people, since her
grandmother uses it. For many participants Gliss was the last brand in their ranking of
shampoo brands.
Seventh participant: I have never heard of it (for Elvive)
Eighth participant: I am not familiar with that brand. (for Elvive)
Second participant: No, not really but it stands out. Whereas everybody
else is talking about the science of shampoos, Herbal Essences talks about
sex.
First participant: I know the advertisement of Herbal Essences as well.
Second participant: To be honest, I never every used Gliss.
Sixth participant: I never heard of it. (for Gliss)
First participant: I have never heard of Gliss either.
In “the most successful company in the hair care sector” section, most participants
chose P&G. There was also consensus among the group in the sense that they chose
P&G because it advertises a lot. The moderator summarized the situation and asked
whether the company’s advertising a lot it meant that it was successful, the
participants answered yes. P&G was very successful in other focus groups as well but
not specifically because of its constant advertising. This reason was confirmed when
participants completed the sentence as “I find P&G very successful because they
advertise a lot”. The second company most successful was either Unilever or L’Oreal
for the same reason, that they advertise a lot. The “least successful company” was
Schwarzkopf; as in the Asian focus group, participants gave the reasons for this as
their not being familiar with this company`s products.
Second participant: I find P&G very successful, because they advertise a
lot.
Seventh participant: I agree.
Moderator: So if they advertise a lot, they are successful?
Third participant: Yes, I think so. The ones who advertise a lot are the
most successful ones.
39

40. Eighth participant: I put P&G first and Unilever second because they
advertise more than others.
Third participant: My ranking is L’Oreal, P&G, Unilever and
Schwarzkopf. I made this ranking because of the amount that they
advertise.
Participants mentioned brands such as Lush, John Frieda, Alterna and Tony Guy as
other brands that are successful in the hair care sector. What made a successful brand
for them focused on image and advertising aspects more than in other groups. It
should also be noted that there was a considerable amount of aversion to supermarket
brands in this groups; however, this was not reflected in their perceptions of
successful shampoos or successful companies. It should also be noted that second and
third participants were husband and wife and the wife did most of the talking for her
husband. This “couple effect” for focus groups was also mentioned by Krueger
(1994).
PARTICIPANT NUMBER NATIONALITY SEX AGE FAVORITE BRAND LEAST FAVORITE BRAND FAVORITE COMPANY LEAST FAVORITE COMPANY
PARTICIPANT 1 British MALE 25 PANTENE GLISS P&G SCHWARZKOPF
PARTICIPANT 2 British FEMALE 38 PANTENE GLISS P&G SCHWARZKOPF
PARTICIPANT 3 British MALE 39 PANTENE HEAD AND SHOULDERS LOREAL SCHWARZKOPF
PARTICIPANT 4 British FEMALE 22 HEAD AND SHOULDERS GLISS P&G SCHWARZKOPF
PARTICIPANT 5 US FEMALE 25 HEAD AND SHOULDERS GLISS P&G SCHWARZKOPF
PARTICIPANT 6 US FEMALE 23 HERBAL ESSENCES GLISS P&G SCHWARZKOPF
PARTICIPANT 7 US MALE 28 DOVE GLISS P&G SCHWARZKOPF
Table 4: UK&US People Focus Group Participant Information
40

41. CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
5.1. Introduction
In this section, the results from the focus groups will be compared and contrasted
and conclusions drawn from the whole study. This section also includes discussion
of the strengths and limitations of the study and suggestions for further research.
5.2 Conclusions and Discussion
The aim of the research was to investigate the three main questions specified in
Section 1.4.1. First was to determine consumers` perception of branding in the hair
care sector and whether there were cultural differences between their perceptions.
The second aim was to find out why consumers prefer the particular brands, whether
it is because of the benefits of the product or because of intensive marketing
communications, the third aim was to find out if consumers perceive P&G and
Unilever as exceptionally successful in the hair care sector.
5.2.1 Consumers` Perception of Branding In the Hair Care Sector
There were considerable amounts of difference in perception between the three focus
groups. Since most of the participants were young, educated people, these
differences can mostly be attributed to culture. Hofstede (1997, p.32) defines culture
as “collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one
category of people from those of another.” Hofstede refers to cultural patterns of
feeling, thinking and acting as mental programmes just as computers are
programmed or as software of the mind. He chooses this mental software analogy
because he thinks that culture is much more than civilisation. For Hofstede what
distinguishes a group of people from another group of people is their culture.
According to Hofstede and Mooji (2002), consumption differences can be predicted
and explained by scores on Hofstede`s five dimensions of national culture which are
power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, masculinity and Confucian
dynamism.
41

42. What was similar among the three focus groups was that consumers stated their
preferences for the brands that they preferred based on the functionality of the
brands; however, the preferred functions were different among different cultures.
Consumers regardless of their culture stated that making their hair look good was an
important criterion for their preferred shampoo brands. However, European
consumers looked for more functions than the Asian group, making their hair clean
and making their hair smell good were additional criteria that they expected from
their preferred shampoo brands.
British and American people added to these functions other functions e.g. they liked
a specific company`s brands and that they believed in the advertisements of the
brand. Asian consumers were more favourable to supermarket brands such as
Pantene Pro-V, Dove, Elvive and Head and Shoulders. Among the British and
American people, there was hostility to these highly advertised supermarket brands
which some of them stated to be “too commercialized.” Perceptions of the
effectiveness of marketing communications will be discussed in the next section.
There were differences between the groups in attitudes to specific brands, which can
be attributed to some extent to culture but differences among individuals were as
important as cultural differences. Pantene Pro-V had mainly positive associations
such as “high quality, science, shine and style”. Favourable attitudes to this brand
were higher among the Asian group compared to the European group and British and
American group, though certain individuals in every group were favourable to
Pantene Pro-V. There was similarity between all focus groups in regard to Head and
Shoulders and consumers without exception associated this brand with
“antidandruff.” However, for some individuals this association was positive, for
some it was very negative. Differences in this aspect are attributed to individual
differences, not cultural differences. All consumers regardless of their cultural
background had high recall of the advertising of Herbal Essences, though
perceptions of the brand differed from a “cheap brand” to a “natural product”. In the
European focus group alone, animal testing associated with the brand was mentioned
and it aroused indignation in the group.
42

43. L’Oreal the company marketing the Elvive brand was mentioned in the Asian and
European focus groups but not in the British and American focus group. Some
American consumers stated that they never heard of this brand, this problem was not
encountered with other cultures. Consumers usually ranked this brand in the middle
of the other brands. Many consumers had problems associating Dove with shampoo
and many stated that they associated it too much with “moisture” and believed that it
would not clean their hair. Almost all consumers in the Asian and British and
American focus groups stated that they were not familiar with the brand Gliss and
that they not heard of it. In the European focus group there was higher awareness of
this brand and some European consumers had positive associations with it.
In regard to successful companies in the hair care sector, Asian and British and
American people identified P&G as the most successful company. Unilever and
L’Oreal were interchangeably second and third among these groups. However, the
reasons for this ranking differed between the two focus groups. Asian consumers
ranked P&G highly because of the quality and market share of its brands; however
British and American consumers ranked P&G high because it advertised more than
other companies. However, for European consumers, the most successful company
in the hair care sector was L’Oreal though they still ranked P&G highly. Regarding
the least successful company in the hair care sector, there was similarity between
Asian and British and American consumers, they all thought Schwarzkopf was the
least successful company since they were not familiar with the company`s brands.
On the other hand, European consumers ranked Schwarzkopf higher in the list and
perceived it as more successful compared with the other focus groups.
Consumers from different cultures mentioned different brands as successful brands
in the hair care sector. Asian consumers mentioned Keuni and Pert Plus, European
consumers mentioned Mops hair and Least Effort and British and American people
mentioned Suave, John Frieda and Lush brands. There was also high level of
difference between cultures in regards to what makes a brand successful. Asian
consumers mentioned quality as well as effective marketing communications;
European consumers mentioned uniqueness and British and American people put
43

44. more focus on effective marketing communications and the image of the brand.
In summary, from the focus groups it was found that culture has an influence on
consumers` perceptions as argued by Hofstede (1997), Mooji (2005) and Engel and
his colleagues (1995). Mooji (2005) argues that the marketing of different brands is
perceived differently among different cultures because there is no shared culture
unlike the arguments of some American scholars. His argument concerning different
cultures and their different perceptions held true for young people in this study. His
main finding is that differences in consumer behaviour across countries are persistent
and these differences are mainly because of culture and that marketing experts have
to take this into account. Mooji (2005) also refers to Hofstede and his country
scoring method for consumption patterns. Engel and his colleagues (1995) argue that
the core values of a society define how products are used and culture defines
products` function, form and meaning. They argue that culture is mainly transmitted
in early childhood through family, religion and education and is resistant to change.
The findings of this study is in line with these scholars` arguments and it shows that
culture affects individuals` perception of different brands, companies and what
makes a brand successful.
5.2.2 Why Consumers Prefer Particular Brands
Faix and his colleagues (1999) argued that the hair care sector is a sector in which
individuals prefer the brands that they regularly buy on the ground of their
functionality. The finding of this study is that functionality of brands is very
important, however, marketing communications are also very effective. Most
consumers spoke about marketing communications and their effect as something that
influenced other people but not them. It can be inferred that educated consumers
consider themselves unaffected by marketing communications, and that they thought
of marketing communications as a factor that only influenced younger and
uneducated people. However, when consumers from all cultures ranked brands and
companies as “least successful”, the main criteria on their mind were ineffective
marketing communications and their unfamiliarity with the brands or the companies.
Consumers also tended to rank successful companies and successful brands on the
44

45. grounds of effective marketing communications and their familiarity. This
“advertising effect on success” was there for all groups and probably higher for
British and American people. From this it can be said that consumers are more
affected by marketing communications than they regard themselves to be.
The brands mentioned in this study mainly used integrated marketing
communications (IMC) and a high level of standardization for their marketing.
Marketing communication is an effective tool and can be composed of many
elements, such as advertising, sales promotions, sponsorships, public relations and
direct marketing which have different advantages and disadvantages. A new trend
with reasonable success in international marketing is to combine mass-promotion
efforts in integrated marketing communications and deliver the whole product with
relationship marketing in mind. Relationship marketing is discussed below.
Looking at the literature on integrated marketing communications, Schultz, Duncan
and Everett (1993, cited in Fill) led much of the IMC activity though there is no
agreement on the exact definition. According to Chris Fill (2005,p.304), IMC can
roughly be defined as “a strategic approach to the planned management of an
organization`s communications. IMC requires that organisations coordinate their
various strategies, resources and messages in order that it engage coherently and
meaningfully with target audiences. The main purpose is to develop relationships
with audience that are of mutual value.” The most important effect of IMC on
communications is that message effectiveness is increased through consistency and
core messages are reinforced.
Chris Fill (2005) observed that the relationship marketing paradigm developed at the
same time as IMC and there are areas where the two concepts intertwine and reinforce
each other. IMC and the product, as experienced by consumers, combine together to
create a relationship with the customer. Duncan and Moriarty (1999) argued that
integrated marketing communications are not the same as relationship marketing, but
IMC constitute an important part of a relationship marketing strategy. According to
Grönross (2000), the existence of a relationship between two parties creates additional
value for the customer and also for the service provider. Grönroos (2000) thinks that
45

46. the idea of marketing being most concerned with the 4 p`s was created in the
monopolistic era and it does not apply to today`s circumstances. What is needed is a
relationship marketing approach today not a transaction approach so that value for the
customer can be created. The arguments of these scholars also hold true for hair care
brands, all the brands mentioned in this study can benefit further from a relationship
marketing approach.
5.2.3 P&G and Unilever
P&G was found to be exceptionally successful in the hair care sector. It was by far
“the most successful company in the hair care sector” for Asian and British and
American consumers. European consumers regarded L’Oreal as more successful than
P&G; however P&G still ranked as the second most successful company. Consumers
gave reasons for this as high market share, reliable, successful brands that appealed
to them, successful marketing communications and high quality. P&G also had the
advantage of different brands in the same sector that targeted consumers with
different needs. P&G`s annual growth report shows P&G to be a market leader in
many sectors and the hair care sector is one of them. In 2007, in all sectors
combined, its net sales increased by 12% to $76.5 billion, its net earnings per share
increased by 15% to $3.04 and its cash flow from operating activities was $13.4
billion (www.pg.com). That P&G knows how to create successful brands and how to
gain consumer trust is demonstrated by its success in the hair care sector.
On the other hand, Unilever is also successful in the hair care sector but it is not
considered by consumers as “exceptionally successful.” Consumers stated that they
have problems associating Dove with shampoo because it had too many other
associations with brands such as Dove soap. The moisturizing association of Dove
appealed to a minority of consumers, however “the real beauty campaign” seemed to
work in favour of this brand. As can be inferred from this, Dove brand has market
positioning problems and has to improve its marketing efforts. Males (2003) argued
that Dove is one of the main competitors of P&G in the hair care sector, however
from the consumers` perceptions it cannot be considered as “exceptionally
46

47. successful”.
Unilever`s annual growth report show that in general Unilever is not doing as well as
P&G. Its growth in the US was around 4% and in Europe its growth was around
10% (www.unilever.com). Though both companies state that they give special
attention to innovation and R&D, P&G is doing better than Unilever in general and
in the hair care sector specifically. One of its reasons may be that for P&G, the hair
care sector is one of its main business areas, however for Unilever, packaged foods
and beverages and home care are more important than hair care as market shares are
shown in Chapter 1. It has also been mentioned in the first chapter that Unilever is
repositioning its brands in general and in the hair sector specifically. This
repositioning approach seems to have benefited brands by increasing positive image
of the brands, however it has not reached its full potential yet and has to continue
with careful strategies. Unilever can benefit from further repositioning of Dove and
more effective marketing communications for the brand so that the consumers at
least know that Dove shampoo “exists”.
5.3 Strengths and Limitations of the Research
5.3.1. Strengths of the Research
The research was strong in many ways. First, what it researches is unique and has the
potential to contribute to the literature. The hair care sector is becoming increasingly
important and there is insufficient literature devoted to the topic. Moreover, P&G and
Unilever are global leaders in fast moving consumer goods however, their marketing
successes have not been studied enough. Literature on both the hair care and
marketing success of P&G and Unilever are not sufficient. The research is also unique
in the sense that it investigates why consumers prefer the hair care brands that they do
and what the effect of intense marketing communications is on their choice.
Therefore, this research is important because of the three questions that it investigates
and because it has a potential to contribute to the international marketing literature.
Turauskas and Vaitkuniene (2004) posit that focus groups are good for understanding
47

48. complex behaviour and motivations and are good for understanding diversity. The
research was a qualitative study with all the advantages and was strong in the sense
that it allowed the researcher have in depth information about the three main questions
that it investigated. Turauskas and Vaitkuniene (2004) agree with this advantage of
focus groups and argue that the focus group method allows the researcher to activate
powers of creative discussion quickly and at low cost and allows the researcher to
collect rich empirical data and obtain detailed information. The focus group studies
were structured and practice focus group was conducted and the interview guide was
edited which allowed better quality data from the groups. The moderator was not
totally inexperienced given that the she has joined focus group studies herself and
reviewed the literature intensively so that discussions were flowing and in-depth. The
moderator also tried to reinforce participation and contribution of ideas from the
participants so the presence of the moderator is seen as working positively in this
respect. The presence of the moderator also substantially ensured the flow of
discussions and she balanced the need for intervention and the need to allow the
discussion to flow. The presence of the moderator also ensured that there was not a
dominant participant or a very silent participant which Smithson (1998) argued is a
danger of focus groups.
Moreover, the convenience sampling method which brought people together who
were familiar with the moderator resulted in the comfort of the participants and more
open discussions. There were activity based questions to make the study entertaining
and open ended questions to create interactive discussions. The study used an
advantage of focus groups, namely that there are interactions between participants
something that is missing in individual interviews. The interaction between
participants was also analyzed to the extent that it was necessary for the aims and
objectives of the study.
The focus groups were also strong in the sense that there were three different focus
groups with culturally different participants. It allowed the researcher to investigate
whether culture is influential in the way consumers perceive brands. This was also the
point where international marketing became part of the picture. Given the fact that the
focus groups involved people from similar backgrounds, young, educated,
48

49. international students, the differences between them can be attributed mainly to
cultural differences. Research with young, educated people also guaranteed, to a
considerable extent, that they were open minded people with a certain exposure to
different cultures. Therefore, the differences found between the groups were expected
to be larger than if they had been older or less educated people.
All discussions were tape recorded and a verbatim transcript of each is included in
Appendix 2. The focus group studies were strong in the sense that they were about
marketing which made the participants feel more secure and comfortable since the
issues were not deeply personal or private. The focus groups allowed the participants
to feel the safety of numbers and safety of a group discussion as opposed to individual
interviews; Lautman (2001) agrees with this as an advantage of focus groups.
Moreover, the participants did not have superior-subordinate relationships with each
other since they were not working in the same company nor were they teacher and
student, features which made the discussions more open. Also cooperation with the
overall study is expected since the participants were adults rather than children and
teenagers from whom cooperation could have been problematic. The number of
participants, approximately eight for each focus group, was also manageable and also
created a wealth of discussion.
The study was very strong in ethical aspects. In the focus group studies, all
participants were promised that their information would be kept confidential and only
used for the purposes of the study. They all participated willingly and were in no way
forced to participate in the study. Equally, they were not influenced or pressured by
the moderator to answer in any particular way. Participants were given a contract
signed by the moderator to guarantee that their names will be kept confidential and
their information will only be used for the dissertation. They also signed a contract
saying that they were participating willingly. All were also asked if there were any
objections to tape recording and no one objected. They were asked whether they
wanted a transcript of the research at the end and they were provided with a copy if
they said they wanted one. All participants were given five pound vouchers from WH
Smith and they were provided with refreshments in the focus group sessions. They
were also provided with the questions to be used in the focus group so that they could
49

50. follow the discussions better. The participants also had different brands of shampoos
in sight with the purpose of creating more discussion. Most of them remarked after the
group activity that they had really enjoyed it and that it was carried out very
professionally.
5.3.2. Limitations of the research
The research also had weaknesses mainly due to the nature of the focus group
methodology. Focus groups are weak in the sense that they do not represent the whole
culture. However, with fairly a high number of participants and with participants from
many different cultural backgrounds, this weakness was to some extent overcome.
However, it was not possible to overcome this weakness completely. The research
covered only about one sector, hair care and there could have been more focus groups.
However, this was not possible not because of time considerations but because of
practical reasons since finding participants cannot be defined as easy. Moreover,
though affordable, the research required considerable amounts of time and effort by
the researcher especially in the gathering of participants and in the transcribing and
analyzing of data. However, considering the importance of the questions that it is
researching, it was thought to be worthwhile.
5.4. Suggestions for further research
International marketing literature dates back to the 1950s and it revolves around
topics such as standardization versus adaptation, country of origin effects, and
evolution of international marketing, marketing management and market entry
strategies. The literature on international marketing is insufficient due to its
relatively recent development and the business environment. Literature on branding
is one of the issues that need more attention from scholars. Enhancement of
globalization and internationalization of more business and the development of new
technology will also require additional research. There is also insufficient literature
on consumers` perception of brands. Literature on successful brands exists but
general strategies and business operations of successful companies need more
attention from scholars. Moreover, among the literature reviewed, no study
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51. measuring the effect of marketing communications generally could be found
although literature exists on effects of advertising, sponsorship and publicity. This
study aimed to contribute to the literature in these three aspects though in a limited
manner. First of all, it looked at only one sector, the hair care sector. It would be very
beneficial for more research to be done investigating the same questions but for
other sectors and other industries. This study could also be broadened if it researched
the general cosmetics and toiletries sector or home or personal care sector. Future
research would be better if it investigated the same issues by combining qualitative
with quantitative methods. These methods have different advantages and
disadvantages and the combination of these methods would yield better validity and
reliability. The research would also have been better if it conducted focus groups
with people from different cultural backgrounds such as Latin Americans, Middle
East and Africa. The research could also be higher in validity if the sampling method
had not been convenience sampling, which it had to be for practical reasons; a
random sample for each focus group would have resulted in more generalizibility of
the results. All these recommendations for future research would contribute to
international marketing literature but because of the practical reasons they were not
applied in this research.
51