The similarities between the views of Smart Communications, Inc. and its target market on the company's corporate identity conveyed through a celebrity endorser

Abstract

The study aims to determine the similaiities between the view of Smart Communication, Inc. and the perception of the target market on the company’s corporate identity conveyed through its celebrity endorser, Sharon Cuneta. The study used the descriptive research design that aims to meet the o owing objectives. (1) determine the corporate identity of Smart Communications, Inc. that is conveyed through the celebrity endorser; (2) find out how the target market perceives Smart Communications, Inc. through the celebrity endorser; (3) find out the influence of the target market's socio-economic class, age, and sex on their perception on SMART; and (4) determine the similarities between the corporate identity of SMART that is conveyed through the celebrity endorser and the perception of the target market on the company. The study utilized the qualitative method, specifically the key-informant interview, and the quantitative method, specifically the survey questionnaire, to meet the objectives of the study. The researcher has interviewed the marketing manager of SMART in order to determine the corporate identity that the company tries to communicate to its target market. The data gathered from the key-informant interview is supplemented by the company's Brand Identity Manual and company mission-vision. The results of the study show that SMART presents itself as a Filipino company, which aims to be the measure and standard of leadership in everything it does. SMART envisions a world of people truly connected and enabled to realize their limitless possibilities. It is an innovator that constantly delivers ideas that people love and offers products that are relevant. SMART also presents itself as a leader in the telecommunications industry that addresses the needs of its customers. The study also shows that SMART has a brand communication that is economical, clear, simple, and direct. The researcher has used a nonprobability purposive sampling method to survey 105 respondents. The respondents must belong to one of the three age groups: (1) teens; (2) yuppies; and (3) middle-aged. They must also have watched the television commercial featuring Sharon Cuneta. By getting the modal answers the results of the study show that the respondents agree to 10 out of 14 identities of SMART. The respondents perceive SMART as a Filipino company, an innovator a company that constantly delivers ideas that people love, a company that offers products that are relevant, a company that addresses the needs of its market, a company that has a brand communication that is clear, simple, and direct, and a company that makes people truly connected and enables people to realize their limitless possibilities. This study has also determined the possible relationship between the target market's characteristics such as social class, age, and sex and their responses. Using Chi Square Test for Independence, Cramer's V, and odds ratio, the study has found out that the social class and age have influence on the target market's perception on the company. Sex, on the other hand, has no relationship with the target market's perception. This study has proven the role of a celebrity endorser in communicating the corporate identity of the company. It has determined that both Smart Communications, Inc. and its target market view the company as a Filipino company, an innovator, a company that constantly delivers ideas that people love, a company that offers products that are relevant, a company that addresses the needs of its market, a company that has a brand communication that is clear, simple, and direct, a company that makes people truly connected, and a company that enables people to realize their limitless possibilities.