Determinants of Brand Trust for FMCG Products with Special Reference to Shampoos Category

Abstract

Indian consumer’s background, in recent times, has progressed to become one of the greatest forces shaping the Indian society. Marketers and researchers are trying to understand the various dimensions of this emerging Indian consumer culture. Brand trust is one among these dimensions to be understood. Although factors affecting brand loyalty continue to rule research and managerial practices, a deeper look indicates that most of the work does not take into consideration the complete picture to understanding brand trust which, in turn, leads to brand loyalty. At the same time, there is no research focusing on understanding brand trust in the category of shampoos in the Indian market. This study about determinants influencing brand trust in shampoos was done because it is a complex category of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and different organisations operating in this category spend millions on advertising to reinforce, in the Indian consumers, the decision to buy their shampoo brands. The study has found out that brand functional benefit, buying intention and brand symbolism influence brand trust among the Indian consumers, while the price consciousness and genetic influence does not have any influence on brand trust in this category.