Chapter 2

REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter contains the related literature and studies, in thematized format.

After a thorough and rigorously done by the researchers, that have a direct bearing on

the topic undertaken. The literatures and studies were both from local and foreign.

Consumer Behavior

Based on Geste, “Customer Satisfaction on Whitening Soap among Students at

University of Mindanao” (2012), one of the most remarkable scenario in today’s

operation, marketing people should be oriented in the behavior of their clients or

potential clients and how they are being subjected to the greater risk of various choices

in the market. Evaluation of information of the collected data from surveys, consultations

and other references correlative to this topic is the ground for this work.

In the study of Jao, “Customer Retention Is King: 4 Steps to Secure the Throne”

(2013), he noted that it is more expensive to acquire new customers than to keep

existing ones, but current customers tend to spend more than the existing ones. There

are four action steps to retain existing customers: personalize, track and test, reward

loyalty customers, and ramp up your customer service.

Based on the study of Hoyer et.al “A Brief Literature Review on Consumer

Buying Behaviour” (2012), targeting members of society perceived as an opinion leader

that usually proves effective strategy when marketing products and services influences

the behavior of the other members of society as a consumer.

(2012), price is the marketing mix variable for which a competitive response can be most

quickly implemented. Pricing is the only role in the marketing mix which results revenue.

It is one of the vital basis of the ones business; to figure its status. Pricing decisions was

considered as important in the firm wherein it has a important function in positioning a

product.

In accordance of Pereda, “Consumer Behavior a Practical Approach to

Consumer Understanding” (2015), consumer behavior place as the sum of consumers

decision process in acquiring, consuming and dispositioning of product and services. It

does not really signify the way the consumers buy in their everyday life. The consumers

consuming experience is the cognitive and affective feeing the use of products and

services. A satisfied consumer will likely to recommend the product and services to their

friends and families. And with continuity, a satisfied consumer will use and avail the

products and services. Unsatisfied consumers result of opting to another product or

brand or in worst case scenario, they will complain it to the dealer or distributor.

According to Rajani, “Ma, Fang, et al.: A Theory on Fashion Consumption

Journal of Management and Strategy” (2012), “As we see social media almost

everywhere, social media platforms are a big part of our everyday lives. As online

businesses are going big, marketers are also busy in inventing new marketing strategies

to capture the online market. Having a sound and effective social media marketing

strategy is now getting essential for online business owners.

In the study of Concepcion, “Impact of Social Media on Consumer Buying

Behavior” (2017), The field of consumer buying behavior is complex. It involves interplay

of individual, social and socio-cultural processes. Extensive explanations, data and

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informations from the behavior sciences and consumer researches have shown that

identifying and predicting consumer buying behavior is difficult and fragile while the

others are downright contradicting. The traditional “word of mouth”, publicity has been

replaced by the “word of web” as consumers are increasingly referring to social media

before making a purchase, greatly influencing buying behavior.

According to Nielsen “Recent Social Media Report” (2016), reenacted the size of

the audience and the degree of consumption across social networking platforms in the

United States. Not surprisingly, the top drivers of social media users among social

networkers are keeping in touch with family and friends (89%) and (88% respectively)

and finding new friends (70%). Another driver of use is the desire to view and contribute

to review of products and services as 68% of social media users go to social networking

sites to read products reviews from family, friends and experienced consumers and

others use these sites to provide product feedbacks, both positive and negative, other

top reasons social media users engage in social networking include entertainment (67%)

, as a creative outlet (64%), to learn about products (58%), and to get coupons or

promotions (54%).

Whitening Soap

Based on the study of Alfajora “Ampalunggay Soap” (2013), Filipinos see fair and

young skin, as todays basis of beauty. Being attractive has become a standard of

acceptance in one society because of the narcistic outlook of the people. Frankie, a

blogger from skinbeautifulblog.wordpress.com, stated a few reasons of why it is so

important to be beautiful by having a fair complexion. She quoted, “Attractive people are

more likely to have dates and have many friends” and “attractive people are 2-5 times

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more likely to be hired for a position” while “unattractive people are most likely to be

assumed or accused of committing a crime.”

According to Cabiao “4 Factors Explain Filipino Buying Behavior” (2013), having

fair complexion is a Filipino consumer’s definition of beauty. Evidently, there is 10%

purchase increase in whitening products over 1% in non-whitening products dated from

the year 2011 to 2013.

According to Mendoza, “Customer Satisfaction on Whitening Soap among

Students at University of Mindanao” (2013), skin whitening is opening door and

opportunity whitening products specifically soaps is the booming industry in first world

countries. Post-colonial, internalize, racism gave birth for today’s popularity of whitening

soap. Government intervention is highly needed for the market-driven practices

addressing the health benefits, risks and harms linking skin whitening.

In the study of Gulay “Factors Affecting the Buying Behavior towards Whitening

Soap” (2014), For more than 500 years, skin whitening soaps were produced as “anti-

septic soaps” with ingredients such as ammoniated mercury, potassium, mercuric iodine

and other toxic mercuric compounds, carboxylic acid and its hydroquinone derivatives.

The whitening effect of some agents is evident, some are also believed to damage the

skin, produce skin irritation and reddening. The magazines, televisions and radio are the

traditional channels to communicate with the target market. Next to the new

communication channel, the old channels must also be examined when looking at their

influence on the attitude and consumption regarding whitening soap.

Sales Promotions

In the study of Bolilan “Effective Promotional Strategies in Selected Fashion

Boutiques: Basis for Buying Preferences” (2016), sales promotion can develop

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meaningful points at difference to the brand (unique associations) if the promotional

campaign is not attributed to another brand or is not seen as a generic promotion of the

product category. The use of sales promotion has become inevitable and almost every

company needs to use these strategies as either an offensive or defensive tool. It is

added that sales promotions consist of a variety of marketing tools, which are designed

to stimulate purchase by providing an incentive. There are numerous reasons why sales

promotion has increased in importance. The promotional strategies could be an

additional impact on the whole marketing category as well. Another, equally distressing

theory about the promotional impact on the category is that since sales promotion tends

to encourage brand switching, the categories do not benefit as a whole as people switch

to even lower prices.

In accordance to Mao “The impact of Promotional Tools on Sales Promotion: The

Islamia University of Bahawalfur, Pakistan” (2014), The different sales promotion has

impact on consumer buying behavior and purchase intention for all type of products on

the other hand there is no significant effect of discount level and social surrounding on

sales promotion. There are three kinds of methods could be used be the marketer to

increase sales: Promotion which is used to target consumer is called consumer sales

promotion. Different kinds of promotions tactics are used by the sellers to attract the

customer and increase their sales. The promotion and price information increase

customer perception of price and motivation in buying the product. In the promotion, they

also give different types at services to attract their customers and make them loyal to

their store and reason switching barriers to their customer not to change their loyalty

promotion have very much significant and positive relationship on loyalty which shows

the result of sales promotion it also shows different promotion effect like attractiveness of

alternative, perceived switching, interpersonal relationship.

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 Based on the study of Obeid “The Effect of Sales Promotion Tools in Behavioral

Responses, Marketing and International Trade Department Higher Institute

Administrations” (2016), Sales promotions are a marketing tool in communication

programs. It comprises a wide variety of promotional tools designed to achieve short

term objective. Promotions is one of the techniques to attract consumers to purchase

more or try a product or service. Severe outcomes of promotion included sales

increased, quantity or stock used and attract new consumers. Consumer would be easily

persuaded to buy product as there is no extra cost need and more valuable perceived by

consumers. Besides, this promotion techniques could be beneficial to retailers in speed

up the stock clearance compared to price promotions. A premium product or review

offered free, or at a relatively low price, in return for the purchase of one or many

products or services.

Synthesis of the Reviewed Literature and Studies

A thorough review of the related literature and studies enabled the researcher to

have a precise look at the existing research. This allowed the researchers to further

define the problem and provide profound investigation on the level of agreement and

rate of satisfaction, trust and loyalty.

The literatures and studies showed that there are factors to be considered in

purchasing whitening product correlated with perception and its sub-topics.

The nature of perception is a series of activities by which stimuli are perceived,

transformed into information, and stored. Consumer behavior is the summary of an

individual in his consumption, disposition, and way of buying his essentials and wants

every day. Whitening soap as today’s necessity especially in a country where people

denotes that fair complexion is an edge for an individual. Furthermore, the related

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literature and studies emphasizes that consumer behavior and perception was combined

to briefly explain how a consumer purchases whitening soap.

Relevant Information were extracted from the following related literature and

study to serve as a guide and reference for the researchers to have a more

comprehensive impression about Consumer Behavior in Purchasing Whitening Soap:

Perceived by the Selected Students in Polytechnic University of The Philippines Santa

Rosa Campus. Most large company’s research consumer buying decisions in detail to

answer questions about what consumers buy where they buy, how and how much they

buy, when they buy, and why they buy. Marketers can study actual consumer purchases

to find out what they buy, where, and how much. But learning about the whys of

consumer buying behavior is not so easy-the answers are often locked deep within the

consumer’s mind.

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