Customer perception and motives towards counterfeit products in Kerala

Abstract

The legitimate status of the original manufacturers is used by counterfeit producers for their financial advantage. Anti-counterfeiting strategies and preventive mechanisms to detect and combat counterfeit goods have been developed in many nations but have not emerged and propagated on wider terms. Customer demand for counterfeit goods is one of the prominent factors for the endurance, escalated growth, and expansion of the counterfeiting conditions across the globe. Thus, it is vital to pay greater emphasis on the demand aspect for the purpose to figure out why consumers have gravitated towards counterfeit products. The study examined the perception of customers regarding counterfeits, motivating forces or driving factors that leads to the customer attitude and purchase intentions towards counterfeit products along with the examination of mediating effect of attitude and perceived value as well as the moderating effect of novelty-seeking behaviour of the customers. The study also examined at how the effects of the variables differed based on socio-demographic, economic, and counterfeit buying determinants. The information required to conduct the research process was gathered using both primary and secondary data collection methods. The customers were found more concerned about the cognitive drivers of price and value of the counterfeit products. The elements of integrity and personal gratification were revealed to be the most powerful affective drivers, whereas the factors of information susceptibility and normative susceptibility proved to have a greater impact on the analysis of social drivers. The level of perceived value and purchase intentions towards counterfeit merchandise were found to have a high level of attainment whereas the level of positive attitude towards counterfeits was found to have a moderate level of attainment only. It was found that the perceived value mediates the relationship between the customer motives and purchase intentions whereas customers’ attitude failed to possess a mediating role. The results of moderation effect revealed that if the counterfeit products have the best price-quality parity and satisfy the customers' desires to use novel products, it would ultimately boost the value perception of the customers and purchase intentions regarding the counterfeit products.