The Impact of Branding and Co-Branding on Consumer Decision-Making

The following piece of work set out to explore the effects of branding and co-branding, however not from a strategic, company-based perspective but rather from a consumer perspective. Much research has been done on branding and co-branding, and the author aims to enhance the corpus of knowledge by providing an insight into the minds of consumers when they are faced with branded or co-branded products, and the considerations that are made when deciding for a product. In short, brands promise many things to consumers, from status and acknowledgement by peers to assurances of quality and aid in selecting the right product amidst a plethora of offerings. Co-branding expands on these concepts, by creating expectations in the mind of the consumer of buying the combined knowledge, expertise and quality of two brands, bundled into one product. The following work is a qualitative study, combining qualitative data analysis and research into branding, co-branding, human and consumer behavioral research to understand the inner workings of a consumer’s mind when faced with a co-branded product