Revue du Journal arabe des affaires et de la gestion

Multi-Dimensional Scaling and Brand Image Analysis of Select Consumer Durable Products Based on Consumer Perception in Wilayat of Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman

Abstract

Radhakrishnan Subramaniam, Mahanad Mohammed Ali Al Sabahi and Salah Saleh Al Shaqri

Sultanate of Oman is a fast developing country flooded with branded products/services offered by multi-national companies. The performance of any organization system in the complex business world rely heavily on its plans for marketing sub-system. Too many brands in a product/service segment makes it difficult for corporate houses to differentiate their products/services based on their inherent features/attributes. Brand positioning is a vital element of a marketing plan that facilitate organizations to differentiate and occupy a mind space in the customers. Marketers use brand positioning to communicate product attributes prudently to their target market keeping in view the target market needs and constrains in its competitive environment. Effective brand positioning protects the organization through its carefully worded messages to the target consumers. Perceptual mapping is a measuring technique used by marketing community to identify and understand the position of various competing brands on spread of various attributes. Multi-dimensional scaling and Brand image analysis are tools to conduct perceptual mapping of brands on attributes of products. The researchers attempt to study the position of brands of select consumer durables products based on various product attributes ranked on a ranking scale. There has not been any study conducted in this domain in Wilayat of Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman and to that extent this study is considered to be significant.