Ray-Ban, Genuine since 1937

Page 1
 Prepared by:

Servansing Divya

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR PROJECT

11.19.2008

Page 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 4

QUESTIONNAIRES 5
INTERVIEWS 5
ASSESSING SECONDARY INFORMATION 5

ANALYSIS 6

PRIMARY HYPOTHESIS 6
RAY-BAN CUSTOMERS 6
AGE 6
GENDER 7
HOW DO CONSUMERS VIEW SUNGLASSES? 7
WHAT DO PEOPLE LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING SUNGLASSES? 8
GENERAL PUBLIC 8
RAY-BAN CONSUMERS 10
CONTEXTUAL AND SITUATIONAL FACTORS 10

BRAND IMAGE AND ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS 11

FROM UTILITY TO IMAGE 11

THE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS 12

CONCLUSION 15

BIBLIOGRAPHY 16

APPENDIX 1 18

EXHIBIT 1.A - QUESTIONNAIRE

EXHIBIT 1.B – QUESTIONNAIRE FRENCH VERSION
EXHIBIT 1.C - INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

APPENDIX 2 21

EXHIBIT 2.A – GENERAL DATA

EXHIBIT 2.B – POPULAR BRANDS OF SUNGLASSES
EXHIBIT 2.C - FREQUENCY
EXHIBIT 2.D – RAY-BAN ANYONE?
EXHIBIT 2.E – HOW MUCH?
EXHIBIT 2.F – PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

Page 3
Introduction
Ray-Ban is one of the most popular manufacturers of sunglasses of the
century. Bausch & Lomb created the brand in 1937, on commission of the United
States Air Force.1 The first model was introduced under the trade name “Ray-Ban
Pilots’ Glasses”. The green glasses absorbed the light from the yellow range of the
spectrum – or sunlight, therefore Ray Ban. In 1999, Bausch & Lomb sold Ray-Ban to
the Italian luxury group Luxoticca.

The purpose of this essay is to observe, quantify and analyse the consumption
behaviour of Ray-Ban customers. To achieve this goal, a structured research was
conducted: directly addressing the customers and interviewing two salespersons.
Observation and discussion with these two actors (of the process of buying
sunglasses) allowed me to verify and sometimes contradict the hypothesis and
perception I had of Ray-Ban customers.

Indeed being a Ray-Ban owner myself, I was naturally drawn to choosing this
product. I first discovered Ray-Ban sunglasses in a 1961 movie, “Breakfast at
Tiffany’s”, starring Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly - a fashion forward New-
Yorker – who sported a pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers. This apparition participated to a
formidable success-story, starring the Wayfarer as the best-selling style in history.

Sunglasses are a visual aid, variously termed spectacles or glasses, which

feature lenses that are coloured or darkened to prevent strong light from reaching the
eyes.2 There are numerous brands of sunglasses available today confirming the re-
definition of sunglasses from a means of protecting our eyes to a fashion item.
Ray-Ban is the creator of several sunglasses whose unique and avant-garde design
gave the brand its fashion icon status. Two models, the Ray-Ban aviator and the Ray-
Ban Wayfarer, are the most imitated sunglasses in the world. Available to the general
public respectively since 1937 and 1953, they both symbolise a classic or vintage
image, in fashion in the 1980s and enjoying a revival since the mid-2000s.

Bearing in mind the image and status of the brand, this study aims at
answering the following questions: How, When, Where and Why do customers
consume Ray-Ban sunglasses. These questions will be examined in the context of
buying sunglasses in general, then focusing on Ray-Bans. Furthermore the factors
(personal, situational and contextual) that influence consumers to buy such a product
will also be studied.

This essay will address the topic of Ray-Ban consumers’ profile and patterns
by describing the methodology used. I shall then proceed to the findings analysis and
eventually highlight the role of the brand image and advertising campaigns.

1
Ray-Ban - History of Branding, The History of Branding – Corporate Internet Branding History
Identity & Logo Design
2
Sunglasses, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Page 4
Methodology

Questionnaires

Surveys consisted in 6 questions (Appendix 1, Exhibit 1.A) and were handed

out to a diverse audience in Geneva, Lausanne and the neighbouring French village of
Ferney-Voltaire. In order to maximize the number of questionnaires filled, the latter
was translated in French (Exhibit 1.B). Questionnaires were handed to students at
IFM, and to random people in two shopping centres and in the street. The sample
analysed comprised 84 individuals, sometimes even wearing or purchasing
sunglasses! The results of the questionnaire were then compiled and computed in an
Excel spreadsheet to produce the tables & charts you will find in Appendix 2.

Interviews

Two salespersons were interviewed in order to find more information about

the context in which consumers were buying sunglasses and an external view on Ray-
Ban customers (as neither of them owns or owned this product). They both chose to
remain anonymous for personal reasons. The first sales-lady works at “Visilab”
(Balexert), an optician’s shop that retails full range of Ray-Ban sunglasses amongst
others. The second interviewee works in a shopping centre in the United-States of
America (USA), - similar to “Globus” in Switzerland - that also retails various types
of sunglasses. Their expertise and different working experience brought additional
information about consumers and the product itself.

Assessing Secondary Information

The last technique used to gather information used throughout this document,
was to research several websites, books and other material (short videos for the
advertising campaigns). Examining this secondary source of information was more
complicated as selecting relevant information amongst the company’s history and
financial situation, the brand’s marketing strategies, and fashion articles was more
complicated than I expected. Moreover studies/surveys carried out on Ray-Ban are
not easily available (nor free of charge).

Page 5
Analysis

Primary Hypothesis

Sunglasses are a means of protecting our eyes from sunlight and glare (UV
rays, etc.). However nowadays sunglasses are more than ever a crucial item in
fashion. In many fashion magazines, it has often been reported that a pair of
sunglasses can define a whole look or enhance an outfit! Ray-Ban is no exception to
this statement. It is a historical brand whose position has evolved since the creation of
the first pair of Aviators. Indeed Bausch & Lomb, founders of Ray-Ban, manufacture
mainly eye care products (contact lenses, medicines, implants for eye diseases). The
first pair of sunglasses was developed specifically for pilots and was used by the
military.Today Ray-Ban has an inherited image of classic/vintage elegance, and
fashion-forward innovator. This could be associated to cultural symbols in the sense
of cultural icon. So the Ray-Ban customer is likely to be a medium fashion-conscious
individual, aged between16-393.

Ray-Ban Customers

The questionnaire was addressed to every one regardless of whether they were
Ray-Ban customers or not. This enables a better comparison to the rest of sunglasses
consumers. Nonetheless a cross-section analysis of the results will allow an analysis
of consumption patterns specific to Ray-Ban. Here Ray-Ban consumers account for
± 62 % of the sample. In other words, 52 out of the 84 people questioned own or have
owned a pair of Ray-Bans.

Age

The scale of age was divided into 5 parts: 16-21; 22-29; 30-39; 40-54; 55 and over.
Age is an important item in defining the customers’ lifestyles and degree of interest in
fashion. As shown on the graph below, most of Ray-Ban consumers were aged 16-39
(± 77%).

3
“To coincide with their 70th birthday, Ray-Ban sought to reinforce the brand as a cutting edge fashion
leader amongst people 16-39”, Communication Objective,
http://www.mcn.com.au/Resource/CaseStudyDetail.aspx?IdDataSource=47

Page 6
Gender

Gender analysis shows that Ray-Ban customers are mainly male (± 57.7%); although
generally speaking a sunglasses customer would tend to be female (± 52,4%).

Gender

50
44
45
40
40
35
30
30
Male
25 22
Female
20
15
10
5
0
Total RayBan
Consumer Group

How do consumers view sunglasses?

According to the sales-lady from “Visilab” sunglasses are very popular

especially in spring. “People tend to buy their sunglasses in the prospect of the
summer holidays”, she said, “That’s why most of the brands deliver their new
collection around April-May”. According to both salesperson there are several almost
equally popular brands namely Ray-Ban, Tom Ford and Vogue Eyewear (very
popular especially in the USA for the past 2 years).

However Ray-Ban has been a popular brand consistently (amongst the top 3
best-selling brands) for the past 5 years. Compared to other brands Ray-Ban is very
successful with men and women. “Many Ray-Ban models are in fact unisex” as the
American sales-man, pointed out in our interview.

The result of my questionnaire also confirms the leading position of the brand.
To the question “In general, which brand(s) of sunglasses would you buy out of the
following?” (8 brands were listed), 40% answered Ray-Ban.

Page 7
 Which brand(s) would you consider buying?

Guess
3%
VogueE
HugoBoss
7%
0%
Oakley
7%
Ray-Ban
Tom Ford 40%
11%

D&G
12%

Gucci
20%

Ray-Ban Gucci D&G Tom Ford

Oakley VogueE Guess HugoBoss

Surprisingly, Ray-Ban is followed by Gucci (20%) and Dolce & Gabbana (12%) -
none of the brands mentioned by the salespersons I have spoken to. One of the
salesperson I’ve interviewed after computing the results of the questionnaire
explained that her answer was based on the sales figures which she couldn’t disclose.
She also added that these brands are more expensive and more fashion oriented than
Ray-Ban.

What do people look for when buying sunglasses?

General public

The last question of my survey was meant to evaluate the importance of

different characteristics of sunglasses for people. I listed the following
− Design: the aesthetic
− U.V. Protection: the practical
− Price: the practical
− Reputation: the advertising or image
− Robustness: the practical
− Previous Experience: personal factor
− Peers’ Advice: personal factor.

The importance given to these criteria helps to define a consumer profile. Here are the
results:

Page 8
 Importance of the product

100%
90%
80%
70%
Strongly di
60%
Disagree
50%
Agree
40%
Strongly Ag
30%
20%
10%
0%
Design U.V. ProtectionPrice Reputation Robustness Previous Peers' Advice
Experience
Product Chara

In general people strongly agree with the Design (±71%) and the U.V. protection
criteria (±57%). It clearly highlights the importance of the aesthetic but also shows
that customers are still conscious of the primary utility of sunglasses. The practical
aspects of buying sunglasses are important but do not come forward as a critical
decision criterion.

What price range would you consider?

350+
17%
300-350
No answer
17%
5%

100-
26%

100-299 "What price range would

35%
you consider when buying
sunglasses?”

35% would consider a middle price range (100-299 CHF) however 34% chose the
two highest price ranges (300-350 CHF; 350+ CHF).

Page 9
Ray-Ban Consumers

I also analysed the same characteristics valuation with Ray-Ban consumers,

compiled a similar chart.

Ray-Ban Consumers P
0 0 0
100% 2 2
4 4
90% 12 6 10 6
80% 10
26 18
70%
60% 24 Strongly disa
28 Disagree
50% 36 24
Agree
40% 40 22 Strongly Agr
30%
26
20% 18
14 14
10% 8 8
0%
Design U.V. Price Reputation
Robustness
PreviousPeers' Advice
Other
Protection Experience
Characteri

Ray-Ban consumers also value the aesthetic and the U.V. protection as very
important or important.

However they are more price-conscious as 44 out of 52 people strongly agree

or agree when asked if price was important to them. Most of the people questioned
preferred a medium price range (100-299CHF) when asked to select a price range
(±41%). Reputation is also decisive when buying sunglasses, ±81%, against ±79% for
the general public.

Contextual and Situational factors

So how are Ray-Ban consumers influenced by situational and contextual

factors? The contextual factors are defined as the physical (localisation, lighting,
music, etc.) and social (to be accompanied, interaction, salesperson, etc.)
environment4 when buying sunglasses. At “Visilab”, in the shop Ray-Bans are
displayed as any other brands. The logo is displayed on top of the shelving area and
on the optician’s website and other publications. In the American mall, Ray-Bans
have a predominant place in the shop as they offer the widest range of models, thus
there location is indicated with bright signs and references across the shop and the
mall’s publications. Does it have an impact on the buyers? According to the
“Visilab” sales-lady, it does not really affect the buyer. Based on her own estimation,
only 30% of the clients would go directly to the Ray-Ban corner without looking at
4
Principes de Marketing: Polycopié officiel 2007, Prof. Dr.: B. Müller, J-E. Denis & J-C. Usunier,
Université de Lausanne (Faculté des HEC)

Page 10
other brands before or being guided by a salesperson. However the American
salesman has a different view. The Ray-Ban corner is almost never empty during
prime shopping hours and people often ask for advice on the Ray-Bans before any
other brands.

The situational factor denotes the consumers’ anterior state of mind, physical
condition, money available when buying and a temporal perspective (period of the
day/season, time passed since the last purchase, etc.)5. This was difficult to assess, as
you have to question people while they are buying their sunglasses.

Brand Image and Advertising Campaigns

The Ray-Ban customer as well as the random sunglasses customer clearly
proves that this item went from utility to image. This section will investigate what
image does the Ray-Ban customer look for and how does it influence the branding
and advertising of Ray-Ban or vice-versa.

From utility to image

Sunglasses became fashionable on a massive scale in Europe in the 1920’s:

when outdoors sports like tennis, sailing, mountain climbing and so on became
widespread symbols of athletic prowess, success and healthy living6. Yet it was still
used as a means of protection replacing hats and parasols not practical in these
activities. The advent of sunglasses as a way of presenting oneself in an attractive
light, took place in the 1950’s when Hollywood celebrities were shown wearing
“Foster Grant” sunglasses, or jumbo-sized multi-coloured frames in the 1960’s.

Sunglasses obviously acquired an extra function as a sign of identity. When

questioned on this statement the American salesman replied today it’s the number one
function of sunglasses even more important than the U.V. protection especially
amongst younger generation. “It seems like brand names added value to the life of
ordinary people”, he added. I also came across an interesting fact in my research:
when Ray-Ban launched the Pilots’ Glasses (more commonly called Aviators), it was
the first time that sunglasses were launched as a brand name6.

Ray-Ban also brought upon another revolution in fashion with the introduction
of the Wayfarers transformed into a “cult object” by Marilyn Monroe6. However it
was in 1961 movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, when Audrey Hepburn wore the
Wayfarers that they turned into a legend accessory. In the 1980’s “Ray-Ban is said to
5
Principes de Marketing: Polycopié officiel 2007, Prof. Dr.: B. Müller, J-E. Denis & J-C. Usunier,
Université de Lausanne (Faculté des HEC)
6
How lifestyles product became rooted in the Finnish consumer market – Domestication of Jeans,
Chewing gum, Sunglasses and Cigarettes, Visa Heinonen, Jukka Kortti, Mika Pantzar, National
Consumer Research Center

Page 11
have experienced difficulties in meeting demand, following a sudden 50% rise in its
sales”7, the year following the release of the movie “Risky Business”, in which Tom
Cruise sports the classic Wayfarer model.
As fashion took over utility it is interesting to
observe the change in the need of sunglasses in the
Hierarchy of needs by Maslow. The original need of
sunglasses could be related too Safety needs as
protection of one’s eyes. Today it can also be
classified as Belonging needs. People wear
sunglasses to look a certain way thus belonging to a
certain group depending on one’s fashion interests.
However celebrities who use sunglasses to hide
(many celebrities have been photographed wearing
several models of Ray-Bans) could be qualified as a return to utility and Safety needs.

I then asked myself what is the importance of the advertising in discovering Ray-Ban
sunglasses.

The Advertising Campaigns

Recurrent placement is what made Ray-Ban sunglasses famous (as mentioned

above): “Ray-Ban now places its glasses in 160 films and TV shows each year”8.
Since the mid-2000s Ray-Ban has been increasing its advertising spending. The
different campaigns first aimed at the promotion the other models of the Ray-Ban
range.

It then focused on the icons and the re-edition of these models.

In tune with the return of '80s-influenced fashions,

Luxottica reissued the original Wayfarers, in black and tortoise, in
late 2006.

7
Branded Entertainment, Jean Marc Lehu (p78)
8
Visual Intelligence, Ann Marie Seward Barry (Advertising Images p263)

Page 12
 Then in July 2008 it launched the “Project Colorized” for the re-edition of
coloured Wayfarers.

The most important and interesting one though was the “Never Hide”
campaign. Launched in March 2007 and still going strong worldwide. It features
people, everyone from the celebrities to regular Ray-Ban consumers on pictures of the
campaign or videos. The best pictures are selected from Ray-Ban’s website and
displayed in Times Square in New York.

The success of Never Hide relied on the fact that it promoted the creativity of
every user via pictures, short videos and a music contest.

So are Ray-Ban customers more sensible to the image or advertising? In my

survey two questions addressed this matter.
Question n°4 “How did you discover this product?” addressed only Ray-Ban owners.

The majority did not discover Ray-Ban via advertisement but simply on the
shelf of a shop (18 out of 52 owners). However the number of users having
discovered Ray-Ban through media (Newspaper/Magazine, TV ad, Movie/TV)
amount to 38,5%. Surprisingly no one discovered his or her Ray-Bans on the
Internet. So the product placement does have an influence and Ray-Ban’s

Page 13
communication strategy is key to not only discovering its models but also buying
them, since this question were only addressed to Ray-Ban owners.

Question n°6 addressed this indirectly as it gauged the importance of Ray-

Bans reputation and the purpose of the field “Other: _ _ _” was to see whether people
would add advertising from their own initiative.

Based on the chart in the section above “Ray-Ban Consumers’ Preferences”, a

new information emerged. We can fairly say that people do trust Ray-Ban’s
reputation and many added (question nn§4) that they discovered Ray-Ban through
other people. The “Other people” category also comprises of people who were
offered Ray-Bans as a gift. Consumers value the “word-of-mouth” method.

Page 14
Conclusion
Ray-Ban is more than a brand of sunglasses. Over time Ray-Ban grew into a
fashion icon. Countless have said or say they add a touch of retro and yet avant-garde
style. Many would say they define your personality. When you choose a Ray-Ban you
are often choosing an image shaped by history and strong personalities (or for some
merely by a clever communication strategy).

While carrying this survey, I asked people who own Ray-Bans why they
bought their sunglasses. Most of them simply answered that they liked them and
would not exchange them with another, except with another Ray-Ban! I have to agree
with that statement. Furthermore this survey confirmed that Ray-Ban is a staple in
one’s accessory collection.

However I also encountered some issues while doing my research. It was

difficult for me to modify my questionnaire when I realized it did not allow me to
gather detailed information about the consumer’s lifestyles or preferences.
Quantifying this type of information also would have also been a challenge - a very
time-consuming one!

Overall my findings confirmed my primary hypothesis about Ray-Bans as the

age group, type of interest in fashion and price considerations coincided. But these
results are based on a small sample and have a limited significance.

I enjoyed doing this project and appreciate Ray-Ban even more now. My own
pair is waiting for me in its casing in my shelf. Although the sun is scarcely out
during this season I will take them out for a little stroll in the city!

Page 15
Bibliography
Books:

1. Mapping Consumer Behavior, Prof. Dr. Panayotis Zamaros, 2008

2. Principes de Marketing: Polycopié officiel 2007, Prof. Dr.: B. Müller, J-E.

Denis & J-C. Usunier, Université de Lausanne (Faculté des HEC)

E-books:

3. Branded Entertainment - Jean Marc Lehu (p78)

http://books.google.ch/books?id=h9kBo37JI0C&pg=PA78&lpg=PA78&dq=R
ayBan+studies+on&source=web&ots=LcJVo524w3&sig=Ic84GPgfkQ8vQTv
zAD03oSjaK4&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result#PPP1,
M1

4. Visual Intelligence - Ann Marie Seward Barry ( Advertising Images p263)

http://books.google.ch/books?id=ZiTpRxkTMwUC&printsec=frontcover&dq
=Ray-Ban+studies+on&hl=en&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0

Websites:

5. Ray-Ban Official Website, Ray-Ban company website

http://www.rayban.com

6. Ray-Ban, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray-Ban

7. Sunglasses, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunglasses

8. Ray-Ban - History of Branding, The History of Branding – Corporate Internet

Branding History Identity & Logo Design
http://www.historyofbranding.com/rayban.html

9. How lifestyles product became rooted in the Finnish consumer market –

Domestication of Jeans, Chewing gum, Sunglasses and Cigarettes, Visa
Heinonen, Jukka Kortti, Mika Pantzar, National Consumer Research Center
http://www.kuluttajatutkimuskeskus.fi/files/4573/WORKING_PAPERS_80_2
003_howlifestyleproducts.pdf

Page 16
10. Case Study - Ray Ban (Preview), MCN Multi Channel network,
http://www.mcn.com.au/Resource/CaseStudyDetail.aspx?IdDataSource=47

Page 17
Appendix 1

Exhibit 1.A - Questionnaire

ABOUT YOU:
Gender: ˆ Female ˆ Male
Age
Group: ˆ 16-21 ˆ 22-29 ˆ 30-39 ˆ 40-54 ˆ 55 and over

YOUR SUNGLASSES:
n In general, which brand(s) of sunglasses would you buy out of the following?

ˆ Oakley ˆ Dolce & Gabbana ˆ Tom Ford ˆ Guess

ˆ Ray-Ban ˆ Gucci ˆ Hugo Boss ˆ Vogue Eyewear

o How often do you buy sunglasses?

ˆ Once per year ˆ Twice per year

ˆ More often ˆ When you really need a new pair (seldom)

p Do you own or owned a Ray-Ban pair of sunglasses? (If your answer is “No”,
please proceed to question n°r)

ˆ Yes ˆ No

q How did you discover this product?

ˆ Newspaper/ Magazine ˆ TV advertisement

ˆ Internet ˆ Movie / TV show
ˆ On the shelf of a shop ˆ Other: _ _ _ _ _

r What price range do you consider when buying sunglasses? (In CHF)

ˆ 350 and over ˆ 300-350

ˆ 100-299 ˆ 100 and less

s How important are the following when buying your sunglasses?

Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly
Agree Disagree

Design ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ

Page 18
U.V. Protection ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ
Price ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ
Reputation ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ
Robustness ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ
Previous Experience ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ
Peers’ Advice ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ
Other: _ _ _ _ _ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ

THANK YOU FOR SPARING THE TIME TO COMPLETE THIS QUESTIONNAIRE.

Exhibit 1.B – Questionnaire French Version

DONNEES GENERALES:

Genre : ˆ Homme ˆ Femme

Âge : ˆ 16-21 ˆ 22-29 ˆ 30-39 ˆ 40-54 ˆ 55 et
plus

VOS LUNETTES DE SOLEIL:

n De manière générale, quelle(s) marque(s) de lunettes de soleil, parmi les suivantes,

achèteriez-vous?

ˆ Oakley ˆ Dolce & Gabbana ˆ Tom Ford ˆ Guess

ˆ Ray-Ban ˆ Gucci ˆ Hugo Boss ˆ Vogue Eyewear

o À quelle fréquence achetez-vous des lunettes de soleil?

ˆ Une fois par an ˆ Deux fois par an

ˆ Plus souvent ˆ Lorsque vous avez besoin d’une nouvelle paire
(rarement)

p Possédez-vous, ou avez déjà possédé une paire de Ray-Ban? (Si votre réponse est
Non, veuillez procéder à la question n°r)

ˆ Oui ˆ Non

q Comment avez-vous découvert ce produit?

ˆ Journaux/Magazines ˆ Télévision (publicité)

ˆ Internet ˆ Film/Emission télévisée
ˆ En magasin ˆ Autre: _ _ _ _ _

r Quelle fourchette de prix considériez-vous lors de l’achat de vos lunettes de

soleil ?

ˆ 350 ou plus ˆ 300-350

ˆ 100-299 ˆ 100 ou moins

Page 19
s Quelle importance ont les critères suivants lors de l’achat de vos lunettes de soleil ?

Très Important Peu Pas du tout

important important important

Esthétique/Design
Protection U.V.
Prix
Réputation
Durée
Expérience précédente
Conseils d’amis
(Tierces personnes)
Autre: _ _ _ _ _
ˆ ˆ
ˆ ˆ
ˆ ˆ
ˆ ˆ
ˆ ˆ
ˆ ˆ
ˆ ˆ
ˆ ˆ
ˆ ˆ
ˆ ˆ
ˆ ˆ
ˆ ˆ
ˆ ˆ
ˆ ˆ
ˆ ˆ
ˆ ˆ
ˆ ˆ
ˆ ˆ

MERCI D’AVOIR REPONDU A CE QUESTIONNAIRE !

Exhibit 1.C - Interview Questions

L Are Ray-Ban Sunglasses popular? Have you seen a change in the interest for
Ray-Ban products in the past 5 years?

L How do people qualify Ray-Ban as a brand and Ray-Ban products? Could you
give adjectives?

L Do you think consumers are influenced by the Ray-Ban’s advertising strategy?

Page 20
Appendix 2

Exhibit 2.A – General Data

GENERAL DATA Number Percentage (%)

Sample 84
Gender M/F 40 44 47.6190476 52.3809524
Age Group 16-39/Over 66 18 78.5714286 21.4285714

Exhibit 2.B – Popular Brands of Sunglasses

Question n 1
Most popular brands (In decreasing order)

Ray-Ban 47
Gucci 24
D&G 14
Tom Ford 13
Oakley 8
VogueE 8
Guess 4
HugoBoss 0

Exhibit 2.C - Frequency

Question n 2
How often do you buy sunglasses?

Once Twice More Seldom

Number 10 8 6 60
% 11.9047619 9.523809524 7.142857143 71.42857143

Exhibit 2.D – Ray- Ban

anyone?

Page 21
Question n 3
Do you own or owned a Ray-Ban pair of sunglasses?

Yes No
Number 52 32
% 62 38

Question n (In decreasing order)

How did you discover this product?

Shelf 18
Newspaper/Magazine 8
TV ad 6
Movie/TV 6
Other 8 Other people 6
Internet 0

Exhibit 2.E – How much?

Question n 5
What price range do you consider when buying sunglasses? (In CHF)

350+ 300-350 100-299 100- No answer

Number 14 14 30 22 4
% 16.66666667 16.66666667 35.71428571 26.19047619 4.76190476

Exhibit 2.F – Product Characteristics

Question n 6
How important are the following when buying your sunglasses?

Strongly Strongly
Agree Disagree
Agree disagree
Design 60 22 0 2
U.V. Protection 48 34 0 2
Price 22 40 16 4
Reputation 18 52 14 0
Robustness 34 40 10 0
Previous Experience 26 40 14 4
Peers' Advice 10 38 26 10
Other

Page 22