AMITY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

TERM PAPER REPORT

AN EXPLORATORY RESEARCH ON ZMET TECHNIQUE TO
UNDERSTAND BRAND IMAGE
Guide name- Dr. Ruchi Jain


Name- Jeevitesh sethi
Course- BBA+MBA
7
th
semester
(A20)
Enrolment no.-A3923010024

DECLARATION




I Jeevitesh Sethi S/o Sushil Sethi, hereby declares that this dissertation represents my original
piece of information and has not been copied from anywhere.
I am aware that in case of non-compliance, Amity School of Business is entitled to cancel the
report.



Place: Faridabad Signature of student
Date: 11/10/2013 jeevitesh Sethi
Enrolment no. A-3923010024






Signature of dissertation coordinator Signature of faculty guide
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Nothing concrete can be achieved without an optimal combination of inspiration and
perspiration. No work can be accomplished without taking the guidance of the import. It is only
critiques for the ingenious intellectual that helps transform a product into a quality product. This
began as a part of project in our BBA+MBA program. I am grateful for the inspiration
encouragement information and wisdom of many resource people who helped me bring this
report into life.
I owe my sincere gratitude towards following personnel for their endeavors, guidance and
sustained help extended to me during the course of work. I would like to express my sincere
gratitude to Dr. Ruchi Jain (faculty) for her valuable guidance and support, with which this
project has been completed successfully. Her encouragement and constant guidance is highly
appreciated towards the fulfillment of this study
I am highly thankful to my faculty mentor Dr. Ruchi Jain (ASB) for giving valuable suggestions
and input throughout the project.











CONTENTS

DECLARATION.2
ACKNOWLEDGMENT.3
1.INTRODUCTION..................................................4
2.REVIEW OF LITERATURE............................................5
4.RESEARCH METHODOLOGY6
4.1OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY.9
4.2RESEARCH DESIGN..9
4.3DATA COLLECTION..10

5.ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION12
6. INFERENCE AND CONCLUSION ...17

BIBLIOGRAPHY
ANNEXURES




INTRODUCTION
CokeNikeTide.LevisCrest.The shelves of Stores and homes alike are lined with these
and other brand names,Since the 1950s, companies have assigned brand names to their products
as a means of differentiating them from the competition, and for several decades consumer
researchers have studied brand names, brand extensions, and more recently, brand equity.
The basis for the research lies in the meaning of the brand - its brand image.
Qualitative procedures ,including having customers engage in thought listing
procedures,describes a brand personality and define what a brand thinks thinks of you ,as the
customer also have been used in brand image studies and brand extention studies.most of thse
techniques rely on verbal communication to obtain customer information. Research on
communication ,however,suggest that over 80 percent of all human communication is
nonverbal, notes that brand images have a strong nonverbal component.thus,there appears to be
imbalance between how customers think and communicate about brands and how researchers
access customers thinking.
Our purpose is to introduce the zaltman metaphor elicitaition technique ,a research tool that uses
visual and sensory images to help better understand the meanings of brands.
Briefly, the zaltman metaphor elicitation technique(ZMET)employs qualitative methods to elicit
the metaphors ,contructs and model that to eliclit the metaphor ,constructs and mental models
that drive customers thinking and behavior ,as well as quantitative analysis to provide data for
marketing mix decisions and segmentation strategies. The Kelly repertory grid and laddering
techniques are integral components to of technique , as are visual and other sensory images tht
consumers provide. The contructs elicited during the interviews are aggregated.






LITERATURE REVIEW
Metaphors
The essence of a metaphor, in step with lakoff and Johnson, is knowing and experiencing one
quite issue in terms of another. it's solely through their metaphors that we will higher perceive
client thinking and behavior and so develop and market productive brands, goals and services.
Even behavior and thoughts area unit themselves metaphors for each other. several metaphors
area unit mental pictures and therefore the majority of those area unit visual.
Discussions of images and its connectedness to advertising, promoting and marketing research
that have implications for stigmatization are often found.
Customer and firm metaphors
Understanding customers figure associated with a whole and the way these metaphors act with
those of the producing firm or ad agency is vital. for purchasers, metaphors a couple of whole
area unit found in their pictures ,which may be visual ,verbal, mathematical and musical, among
different forms. These pictures contain a client expertise , understanding and memory in short,
their knowledge-about the kind of packaging ,where the whole are often purchased ,and the drive
,for example. once thinking of brands, visual illustration usually involves mind .this is
significantly the case for well developed brands. as an example, Upon hearing keebler .Keebler
elves would possibly return to the minds eye, and mcdonalds might generate an image of
golden arches. Less well-defined brands area unit probably to span a additional various set of
pictures.
Because a firm's or ad agency's metaphors a couple of whole area unit sent within the sort of
varied promoting combine choices, together with advertising, product and package style, product
ideas, and distribution channels, these metaphors ought to contain elements that area unit each
similar and dissimilar to their customers' metaphors. The similarities area unit necessary as a
result of customers area unit susceptible to seek out their own metaphors in advertising, the look
of a product or a store setting, as an example. Thus, once merchandiser communications area unit
congruent with customer-generated pictures, customers area unit additional probably to attend, to
process, and comprehend the determined data. The dissimilarities are necessary; they produce a
degree of tension that pulls attention and sets the inspiration for message comprehension.
inventive staffs and merchandise style staffs play a very necessary role in providing the inventive
"dissimilarities" part.


Pictures as Metaphors and Basic ideas
As much communication is nonverbal, footage will function entry points for exploring different
client ideas (Weisner 1988; Ball and Smith 1992). footage generally represent basic ideas, that
contain intensive data or shaping attributes, and folks sometimes acknowledge such ideas initial.
once customers acknowledge basic ideas, then they will infer or establish associated higher-order
ideas (Smith 1988; Rosch 1978). as an example, the conception of "Hershey's kiss" has
additional shaping characteristics than the upper order conception of "chocolate." The conception
of "Hershey's kiss" contains additional data, is additional without delay recognized and could be
a additional economical thanks to begin process data than the conception of "chocolate."
Because footage area unit therefore basic, information-rich and attribute-laden, they will be
related to multiple connected higher-order constructs. footage represent a natural and economical
manner for purchasers to start out communication higher-order constructs. in truth some clinical
psychologists use a client's pictures as a central partof the therapeutic subject matter method
(Entin 1981; Krauss and Fryrear 1983; Weisner 1988).
Seeing the Voice of the client
As noted, most marketing research methodologies like questionnaires and private and cluster
interviews deem verbal styles of communication to elicit data. Given the prominence of
nonverbal communication, AN spatiality exists between however marketing research information
generally area unit collected and the way customers sometimes have faith in and skill their
worlds. a far better understanding of customers' perceptions needs the employment of analysis
tools that have interaction customers' nonverbal and particularly visual "channels" of thought and
communication. during this section, we tend to concisely review the literature relevant to
pictures and different visual Stimuli as analysis tools and as necessary elements in promoting
communications.
Gombrich, Hochberg and Black (1972) offer a wonderful discussion of however footage
represent folks and things, and concerning the illustration of individuals and things in footage.
Given the communicatory power of images, it's not shocking that photography as a pursuit tool
has been growing. wonderful discussions of the employment of this tool in social science,
psychology, and social science are often found in Bateson and Mead 1942; Wagner 1979; Becker
1980; CoUier and CoUier 1986; Denzin 1989; Zler 1990; and Ball and Smith 1992. in addition,
Denzin (1989) provides an honest discussion of the validity and dependability problems
regarding the employment of film and photography typically as social science analysis tools.
client behavior researchers even have used pictures as stimuli to elicit consumers' thought
processes and/or develop theories relevant to their work. Work by Heisley and Levy (1991)
entailed their taking pictures {of folks|of individuals} and interviewing those people concerning
the content of the images. Holbrook (1987), seizing the roles of the research worker and subject
at the same time, took pictures of artifacts around his home and "interviewed himself," asking
concerning the which means of the images. additional recently, Wallendorf and Amould (1991)
and their co-investigators did content analyses of pictures of Thanksgiving events to grasp the
rituals related to the vacation. The terribly productive client Odyssey project additionally created
intensive use of still and video pictures (BeUc, Wallendorf and fortified wine 1989).
Researchers investigation advertising have examined the visual part of ads, and therefore the
interaction between the visual and verbal elements. The pictorial content of advertisements has
received attention by Rossiter (1982), EdeU and Staelin (1983), and Mitehell (1986), as an
example. Studies have verified that pictorial ad stimuli area unit recalled higher than verbal ad
stimuli and end in additional favorable product beliefs and whole attitudes (Lutz and Lutz 1977;
Mitchell and Olson 1981). Childers and Houston (1984) note that pictorial ad content is more
practical in delayed recall. different analysis has incontestible that semantically discrepant
footage and words are often combined during a manner that yields higher recall than that for
semantically consistent footage and words (Houston, Childers and trouble maker, 1987). By a
recent follow-up, Unnava and Bumkrant (1991) found that once verbal data was low in
imagination, the inclusion of images in step with {the data|the knowledge|the data} multiplied
recall of verbal information on each immediate and delayed post tests. once verbal data was high
in imagination, adding footage failed to have an effect on recall of verbal data. additionally,
Miniard et al. (1991) discuss the imagery-evoking ability of images in ads and subjects' later
process of knowledge within the ad.
RESEARCH METHOLOGY
analysis style analysis style used is exploratory . exploratory analysis usually depends on
secondary analysis like reviewing offered literature and/or information, or qualitative approaches
like informal discussions with shoppers, employees, management or competitors, and additional
formal approaches through in-depth interviews, focus teams, projective strategies, case studies or
pilot studies. the web permits for analysis strategies that area unit additional interactive in nature.


OBJECTIVE OF STUDY
1.To explore zaltman figure induction technique
2. to point out however this method could be a powerful qualitative instrument in shopping for
behavior
3.To show however non- verbal communication has additional impact on client than verbal
WHAT IS ZMET?
ZMET is helpful in understanding consumers' pictures of brands, products, and corporations,
brand equity, product ideas and styles, product usage and get experiences,
life experiences, consumption context, and attitudes toward business. Clearly, these problems
area unit necessary for the event of strategic communications.
1.Most Communication Is Nonverbal
the primary premise is that almost all human communication is nonverbal. The rule of thumb
among communications specialists is that concerning eighty p.c of all human communication is
nonverbal.
2.Thoughts Occur as pictures
Thoughts generally occur as nonverbal pictures although they're usually expressed verbally.
Thus the manner within which thoughts occur is also terribly completely different from the
manner within which they're communicated.
3. Metaphors as Essential Units of Thought
The third premise is that metaphors area unit the key windows/ mechanisms for viewing
consumer thought and feelings and for understanding behavior


The Procedure
A total of twenty five customers generally area unit recruited to participate during a project. once
qualifying for participation during a project (based on screeners), customers area unit given a
collection of directions and tips concerning the analysis topic, eg., a brand, a service conception
product use, or product style. they're taught to require pictures and/or collect footage from
magazines, books, newspapers or different sources that indicate what the subject suggests that to
them. Customers area unit supplied with a camera, and a private interview is scheduled around
seven to 10 days thence. the non-public interview involves a target-hunting spoken
communication that we tend to believe yields additional valid, additional reliable and,
significantly, additional relevant insights than ancient structured interview approaches (see
McCracken 1988; Mishler 1986).




Core Steps Tested
Step l: Storytelling. client describes the content of every image.
Step 2: uncomprehensible pictures. client describes the images he/she was unable to get and
explains their connectedness.
Step 3: Sorting Task. client kinds his/her footage into substantive piles.
Step 4: Construct induction. A changed version of the Kelly Repertory Grid technique and
therefore the laddering technique area unit accustomed elicit basic constructs and their
relationships. Customers' footage function stimuli.
Step 5: Most Representative image. client indicates the image that's most representative.
Step 6: Opposite pictures. client describes footage that represent the other of the task, as an
example, "what isn't Nike."
Step 7: Sensory pictures. Descriptions area unit induced of what will and doesn't describe the
style, touch, sound, color and feeling of the conception being explored.
Step 8: The Mental Map. client creates a map or a causative model victimization the constructs
that are induced.
Step 9: The outline Image. Customer, with help from a technician, creates a outline image
victimization digital imaging techniques.




Customer management over Stimuli
As ZMET had customers collect their own footage, the purchasers (not the researchers) area unit
au fait of the stimuli utilized in the target-hunting spoken communication. client management
includes a range of advantages. First, customer-generated footage area unit particularly
substantive as a result of what the attention perceives once it's secret writing a sequence of
knowledge over time, together with the viewing of static image like a magazine ad or a point-of-
purchase promotion, is target-hunting by existing client data, beliefs, or expectations. Second,
requiring customers to gather the stimuli will increase the probability of uncovering necessary,
however antecedently thoughtless client problems.

In addition to victimization pictures and footage as stimuli to elicit constructs, ZMET depends on
wording to ascertain and record pictures the client wished to gather however was unable to try to
to therefore owing to time or geographic constraints. The technique additionally uses a picture
bank created by the researchers. different image capture techniques are effective and therefore
the best combination of techniques can vary with the product-usage state of affairs, the target
market, and therefore the theme and objective of the analysis. in addition, ZMET makes
intensive use of non-visual sensory pictures.


The target-hunting spoken communication
The personal (one-on-one) interview or spoken communication with every client takes around 2
hours, and it's audio taped. The spoken communication focuses totally on the pictures customers
wake the interview. throughout our initial R&D, we tend to examined twelve topic areas,
starting from the which means of snack foods to the which means of a particular company image.
The spoken communication tips embrace nine steps, arid the input from these steps function
information for the researchers developing the accord map. Exhibit one describes every step.



INVESTIGATING whole IMAGE victimization ZMET
WHAT IS whole IMAGE ?
Brand image is that the current read of the purchasers a couple of whole. It are often outlined as a
singular bundle of associations inside the minds of target customers. It signifies what the whole
presently stands for. it's a collection of beliefs command a couple of specific whole. In short, it's
nothing however the consumers perception concerning the merchandise. it's the way within
which a particular whole is positioned within the market. whole image conveys emotional price
and not simply a image. whole image is nothing however AN organizations character. it's AN
accumulation of contact and observation by folks external to a corporation. It ought to highlight
AN organizations mission and vision to all or any. the most parts of positive whole image are-
distinctive emblem reflective organizations image, saying describing organizations business
briefly and whole symbol supporting the key values.
Brand image is that the overall impression in consumers mind that's shaped from all sources.
shoppers develop varied associations with the whole. supported these associations, they type
whole image. a picture is made concerning the whole on the idea of subjective perceptions of
associations bundle that the shoppers have concerning the whole. Volvo is related to safety.
Toyota is related to dependability.


Several researchers have mentioned a spread of elements associated with whole image and
therefore the interrelationships among these elements. Recall, as an example, that Sir Joshua
Reynolds and Gutman (1984) steered pictures are often thought of in terms of product options or
attributes that yield consequences (benefits or risks), that in internal organ facilitate values or
end-states. each Sir Joshua Reynolds and Gutman, and additional recently, Farquhar and man
(1993) steered that the aggregation of individual means-end chains ends up in a network
consisting of the whole and its associates (eg., usage things, product attributes, client advantages
and values). Moreover, the image that an individual has a couple of whole consists of each verbal
and nonverbal representations (Biel 1993). These, in mm, area unit best expressed via verbal and
nonverbal channels, severally. withal, most analysis that studies consumers' pictures of brands
generally uses verbal analysis strategies, and so misses a good deal of what constitutes the
individual's whole image.

The purpose of ZMET is to elicit metaphors and constructs and to ascertain relationships among
the constructs victimization each verbal and nonverbal stimuli. Therefore, we advise that ZMET
is AN economical and effective suggests that for understanding brands.









to induce a clearer understanding of however ZMET will facilitate the understanding of name
image problems, allow us to take the instance of AN interview with Alice, one in all the
purchasers WHO was asked to require and collect footage of what "Tide" meant to her.


Steps Procedure Outcome
1.storytelling about each
picture
Interviewer asks the images
and their relevance to the
consumers
Helps is establishing the brand
image in consumers mind
2.missed images Interviewer asks that are their
images which she was not able
to obtain and their relevance
To see that how that image is
relevant to the product
described
3.sorting tasks Person sorts image in three
groups :comfort, freshness,
drudgery
This helps in sorting pictures
into meaningful piles
4.Construct elicitation
(using laddering technique)
Elicit basic construct and their
relationship . It is created by
asking that how two images
are different from the third till
no new constructs were
elicited.

Customer picture serve as
stimuli.this helps to create
most representative picture
and construct elicit of
freshness and
unpleasantness.
5.most representative
picture
Synchronization of all the
image toform one image
which in alice case of TIDE
is SUNRISE.
Helps in knowing what tide
means to her ,that it meant
freshness as smell of her
clothing after
tide,brightness(as in the
colours of her clothes after
using tide),calm or
peacefulness.
6.opposite images Customers describes pictures
that represent the opposite of
the task
When asked she said that Tide
is strong ,but not
harmful(using image of
acid),and tide leaves clothes
feeling soft and not harsh
(image of porcupine)
7.sensory images Descriptions are elicitated of
what does and does not
describe the
taste,touch,sound,color and
emotion of the concept being
explored
Taste: oysters(liquid tide),but
not peanuts
Smell:a cool rain,but not
perfume
Touch: a Kitten,but not burlap
Sound:a train whistles,but not
a timid mouse
Color: orange , but not black
Emotion: calm, but not
nervous .(these are the
emotions which alice
experienced using tide)
8.The mental map Customer creates a map or a
casual model using the
constructs that have been
elicited
She said that Tide brings
laundry to mind,and when she
thought of laundry ,she
thought that its expensive
,time consuming and
unpleasant,all of it is very
aggravating.also, when she
thought of tide she thought of
a strong and dependable
detergent- a detergent that
cleans my clothes leaving it
fresh.Knowing that tide gets
her clothes clean means she
doesnt have any worries.even
thought tide is strong,it is
environmentally friendly ,and
thats important for the water
and health.
9.The summary image Customer,with assistance from
a technician ,creates a
summary image using digital
imaging techniques
She said that if you look in
there ,youll see a teddy bear
here presents how my clothes
after they are washed in
tide,soft and
comfortable.The teddy bear is
holding a rose to let you know
my clothes smell good when
washed with tide.




















INFERENCE OF THE PROCEDURE

ZMET could be a hybrid methodology grounded during a broad body of literature. the
employment of photography as a pursuit tool includes a fifty year history that crosses several
disciplines, and therefore the validity and dependability of photography as a general analysis tool
has been mentioned extensively by Denzin(19S9). The thorough personal spoken communication
has important benefit in its claim (Mishler 1986; McCracken, (1988), and different analysis
conducted by gryphon and Haus (1992), Sver and Thompson (1991), Robinson (1991) and Fem
(1982) suggests the effectualness of non-public interviews compared with focus teams. The
validity and dependability of the Kelly Repertory Grid and laddering technique as suggests that
for eliciting constructs area unit well established (Kelly 1973; Gutman 1982; Sir Joshua
Reynolds and Gutman 1988).

To-date, our R & D with ZMET involving over four hundred interviews has yielded some
necessary insights. initial nearly all participants in spite of demographic characteristics, like
academic or activity expertise, with success have interaction altogether steps. Steps 7, eight and
nine that a priori might sound tough as a result of the tasks area unit unknown, area unit
undertaken quite without delay.
Second, considerable interviewing follow is needed to conduct the interview. every step are
often introduced {in completely different|in several|in numerous} ways in which and individual
variations among customers might necessitate somewhat different approaches. Third, interviews
average concerning 2 hours, a substantial quantity of your time to pay with one client discussing
a really specific topic. now frame affords a chance to find out not solely concerning people's
initial thoughts (much as can be obtained by a structured form or focus group), however
additionally concerning the deeper which means of a subject. At identical time, the interviewers
should be sensitive to the difficulty of client fatigue. Finally, once the interview, participants area
unit given a follow-up survey (and a addressed sealed envelope) that assesses their experiences
with ZMET. Typically, we tend to get response rate of a minimum of eighty p.c and therefore the
participants indicate that the whole procedure, from taking/collecting pictures to the completion
of their digital image, is pleasurable, fascinating and involving.

CONCLUSION
Therefore, it is concluded that zmnt is a customer based technique which is highly effective and
efficient.It helps companies to know what consumers think,and feel about their product. It helps
in telling that how a consumer acts and the parameters of judgement of that product which is
unique to each consumer.This technique is a powerful qualitative instrument in buying behavior
as it makes companies aware as what images the consumer form s for that product and it is
relevant to the product and the images made have how deep emotional connect with the
brand.plus,80% of our thoughts and behavior is based on non-verbal orientations.It is concluded
that zaltman metaphor elication technique is a very effective qualitative tool in studying brand
image.


REFERENCES
Biel, Alexander L. (1993), "Converting Image Into Equity," in Brand Equity & Advertising:
Advertising's Role in Building Strong Brands, eds. David A. Aaker and Alexander L. Biel,
Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 67

Blaxton, Max (1992), "Beyond Brand Personality: BuUding Brand Relationships," in Brand
Equity Advertising: Advertising's Role in Building Strong Brands, eds. David A. Aaker and
Alexander L. Biel, Hlsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, PubUshers, 113-124.

CoUier, John, Jr. and Malcolm, ColUer (1986), Visual Anthropology: Photography as a
Research Method, Revised and expanded edition. Albuquerque, NM: UnivwsityofNew Mexico
Press.
Dobni, DaWn and George Zinidian (1990), "In Search of Brand limage: A Foundation
Analysis,in Advances in Consumer Research Vol. 17, eds. Mawin E. Goldberg, Gerald Gom and
Richard W. Pollay. Provo, UT: Association for Consumer Research, 100-119.

StoUer, Paul (1989), The Taste of Ethnographic Things: The Senses in Anthropology,
Philadelphia: The University of Painsylvania Press.
Black, Max. "More About Metaphor."In Metaphor and Thought, 2d ed., Andrew Ortony, ed.New
York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1993.

Glucksberg, Sam. "Language and Thought." In The Psychology of Hurrmn Thought, R. J.
Sternberg and E. E. Smith, eds. Cambridge, Great Britain, 1988.

Danesi, Marcel. "Thinking IsSeeing: Visual Metaphors andthe Nature of Abstract
Thought." Semiotica 80, 3/4,(1990): 221-237

"See What I Mean? Photography as Nonverbal Communication
in Cross-Cultural Psychology." In Cross-Cultural Perspectivesin Nonverbal
Communication, Fernando Poyatos,ed. Hogrefe Publishers,
1988.

Spiggle, Susan. "Analysis of Interpretation of Qualitative Datain Consumer Research." journal
of Consumer Research 21, 4 (1994):419-503.

Shaw, Mildred L. G., and CliffMcKnight. Think Again: PersonalDecision-Making and Problem-
Solving.Englewood Cliffs, Nj: PrenticeHall, 1980