Importância dos valores de marca para o processo de decisão de compra da geração millennial

: caso de estudo: Ikea Portugal

Abstract

Generation Y or millennials, born roughly between 1980 and 2000, had a significant impact on how individuals buy products and interact with brands. Digital natives and drivers of the search for a better world, this generation has changed purchasing behaviour, leading to the growth of e-commerce and the adaptation of companies. This is the generation concerned with the planet and the future that has managed to get companies to be honest and open about their products, processes and values, which are more likely to support brands that prioritize social responsibility, sustainability and ethical practices. Values are increasingly more important for companies. Brand values represent the beliefs and principles that the brand stands for and have a significant impact on consumers' perceptions of a brand and their behaviour towards it. Brands that have values aligned with those of their consumers, that defend environmental responsibility, ethical practices and social impact capture the millennial consumer and achieve their loyalty. Consequently, it has become essential for brands to seek to understand consumer behaviour and the factors that affect their purchase decision, intending to understand whether the values of a brand are relevant to this decision-making.
Thus, the main objective of this investigation was to study whether the perception of the values of the IKEA brand by its Portuguese customers of the generation Y affects their purchase decision process.
A mixed methodology was used that incorporated a qualitative method – documental analysis of the brand's different platforms, internal and external, as well as exploratory interviews with three representatives from three different departments of IKEA Portugal – and a quantitative method – application of a questionnaire survey to consumers of the IKEA Portugal brand, which had a sample of 402 respondents.
The main results revealed that the values of the IKEA Portugal brand are effectively a determining factor in the Portuguese millennial consumer's purchase decision-process, highlighting the values that encourage a good quality-price relation and defend sustainability, social responsibility, and support for the communities

Date of Award	14 Sept 2023
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Nuno Goulart Brandão (Supervisor)