Which Mediates Consumer buying Behavior in FMCG Sector? - Brand Identity or Brand Equity- A Rural Consumer Perspective in Tamilnadu, India

Introduction: Of all the techniques, it is the brand building that establishes a significant bond between the marketers and the customers. This is only starting the decision in the consumer buying behavior process but the marketer needs to face enormous challenges in creating brand positioning since it needs in-depth understanding. Methodology: This paper particularly endeavors to analyze the influence of brand identity on the consumer buying behavior in the FMCG sector, and for this purpose, 485 FMCG customers from the rural side of Tamilnadu were selected through a convenience sampling method. Results: The result showed an optimistic association of brand awareness, equity, and salience with consumer purchasing behavior. It is the brand equity that positively mediated the consumer buying behavior and loyalty. Spectral analysis result confirmed the long term periodicity effect of brand equity and brand identity on the consumer loyalty. Conclusions: Marketer should establish the brand identity among the rural customers through various promotional activities, and try to create the brand equity among them as these two have a good impact on their buying process.