Influence of Branding on Consumer Preference of Fashion Fabrics: Study of Consumers on Awka, Metropolis, Anambra State, Nigeria

This study on the influence of branding on product preference: case study of selected consumers of fashion design and fabrics in Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria and specifically students of Faculty of Management Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria. Branding as it were has gone beyond its traditional concept and scope. It is no longer just about promoting a product or service but about building emotional connections with one’s audience (Marty Neumeirer 2023). It now involves immersive experiences and emotional connections with storytelling creating solutions to customers problems. The objectives of this study were to determine how branding influence consumer preference on fashion design and fabrics within the focused population of the study as aforementioned. The sample size of the respondents was 367 using Taro Yamane ‘s formula. Instrument for data collection was structured Questionnaires. Out of 367 questionnaires distributed, 360 were duly returned, while 7 were not returned. The survey research method was adopted for the study while Chi-square distribution for goodness of fit was used to test the hypothesis. The sources of data used in this study, were primary and secondary data. Analytically, the study shows that there is significant relationship between effective branding and consumer preference of product, while highlighting the significant relationship between branding and consumer perception, as well as the significant relationship between purchasing decision of a consumer and branding. In conclusion, the study established that branding is a key component of the marketing system and plays an important role in shaping product preference by creating an emotional and rational connection with consumers.