doi: 10.62486/agma202494

ORIGINAL

Analysis of the perception and promotion of the D1 brand in Ciudad Bolivar, during 2024

Análisis de la percepción y promoción de la marca D1 en Ciudad Bolívar, durante el año 2024

Elvia Carolina Palacios Martínez¹ *, Joaquín Andrés Cogollo González¹ *, Karen Valentina Bernal Jiménez¹ *, Maribel García Rojas¹ *

¹Fundación Universitaria San Martín. Bogotá, Colombia.

Citar como: Palacios Martínez EC, Cogollo González JA, Bernal Jiménez KV, García Rojas M. Analysis of the perception and promotion of the D1 brand in Ciudad Bolivar, during 2024. Management (Montevideo). 2024; 2:94. https://doi.org/10.62486/agma202494

Enviado: 05-12-2023         Revisado: 10-03-2024         Aceptado: 04-08-2024         Publicado: 05-08-2024

Editor: Misael Ron

ABSTRACT

This article presents the results of a research that analyzes the perception and promotion of the D1 brand in Ciudad Bolivar, D1 is a chain of low-cost stores, where products of the family basket and other articles of general interest and some specific items are marketed, in recent years it has gained strength allowing it to expand mainly in sectors where the socioeconomic level is medium, medium-low in strata 1, 2, 3 as is the town of Ciudad Bolívar. We analyzed the experiences of some consumers with the D1 brand, this includes interactions in physical stores, customer support and the perceived quality of products or services. The article also examines communication strategies and explores the relationship between consumer confidence and brand perception. With what was observed, it was possible to understand the position of the D1 brand and the products that sell both own and allied brands from the point of view of consumers, with this, the brand can find its strengths and in which areas there are opportunities for improvement.

Keywords: Perception; Promotion; Advertising; Attention; Brand.

RESUMEN

Este  artículo  presenta  los  resultados  de  una  investigación  que  analiza  la  percepción y promoción de la marca D1 en Ciudad Bolívar, D1 es una cadena de almacenes de bajo costo, donde se comercializan productos de la canasta familiar y demás artículos de interés general y algunos específicos, en los últimos años ha tomado fuerza permitiendo expandirse principalmente en sectores donde el nivel socioeconómico es medio, medio-bajo en estratos 1, 2, 3 como lo es la localidad de Ciudad Bolívar.

Se analizaron las experiencias de algunos consumidores con la marca D1, esto incluye interacciones en tiendas físicas, atención al cliente y la calidad percibida de los productos o servicios. También, el artículo examina las estrategias de comunicación y explora la relación entre la confianza del consumidor y la percepción de la marca. Con lo observado, se logró entender en qué posición se encuentra la marca D1 y los productos que venden tanto propios como de marcas aliadas desde el punto de vista de los consumidores, con esto, la marca puede encontrar sus puntos fuertes y en qué áreas hay oportunidades de mejora.

Palabras clave: Percepción; Promoción; Publicidad; Atención; Marca.

INTRODUCTION

The research was developed to understand how an audience between 15 and 20 years of age perceives the D1 brand created in 2009 in Medellin, becoming the first discount chain to arrive in the country;⁽¹⁾ it became popular in different sectors due to the promotions and types of products it offers. With this, we seek to evaluate how this generation accepted the market

The D1 brand has emerged as a key player in transforming purchasing preferences and consumer behavior. As we move into 2024, it is important to examine its evolution, especially in locations with rapid demographic and economic growth, such as Ciudad Bolivar. “Ciudad Bolivar is the 19th location in the District.⁽²⁾ This article focuses on delving into the current perception of the D1 brand and the promotional strategies implemented to capture and maintain consumer loyalty.

By exploring the promotional tactics and perception of the brand by young people in Ciudad Bolivar, it is possible to gain insight into D1’s position among consumers and its potential to remain a preferred brand.

Perception is understood as how the human being receives, interprets, and understands signals that, when used by a brand, can influence the decision-making process in a public that adjusts its purchasing preferences and creates within buyer profiles a representation of the ideal customer.⁽³⁾

Topic I. Perception: The concept of perception is individual mechanism performed by human beings that consists of receiving, interpreting and understanding the signals coming from the outside, modifying them through sensitive activity.⁽⁴⁾

Topic II. Promotion: Strategy that seeks to increase the demand for a product or service. Through tactics that generate awareness of the product.⁽⁵⁾

Topic III. Advertising: Paid communication strategies to promote the brand.⁽⁶⁾

Topic IV. SMEs and MSMEs. “SME is a commercial, industrial, etc., company with few workers and a moderate turnover.⁽⁷⁾  Mipyme is the term microenterprise that refers generically to economic units of low productivity and low capitalization that, in general, are born out of the need for survival of their owners.⁽⁸⁾

Topic V. Ciudad Bolívar: Ciudad Bolivar is the 19th locality of the district, the largest area of Bogota after Sumapaz and Usme. For the year 2023, a study was carried out, and it was reported that it has a population of around 850,000, an area of 13,000 hectares, and a population of about 1,000,000 inhabitants.⁽⁹⁾

METHOD

In this research work, we opted for the use of qualitative methodology, information gathering based on the observation of behaviors,⁽¹⁰⁾ thus allowing us to develop an analysis of the experiences, emotions, and subjective predictions of each participant. Specifically, we applied the particular tool: Focus Group Group’s market research method that analyzes and captures feedback on a company’s products, services, and marketing campaigns”.⁽¹¹⁾ Selection of participants: Young people from Ciudad Bolivar who are in the age range of 15 to 20 years old were selected. Ensuring diversity within the group is important to obtain a wide range of perspectives.

Moderator Preparation: The moderator should be well-informed about the D1 brand and the dynamics of the locality. Scripted with open-ended questions that stimulate conversation and allow participants to express their opinions freely.

Focus Group Environment: Held in a neutral and comfortable environment for participants, free from distractions and external pressures.

Conducting the Session: The moderator begins the session by introducing the purpose of the study and establishing the ground rules. He or she then guides the discussion using the prepared questions, ensuring that all participants have an opportunity to speak.

Data Analysis: Sessions are usually recorded to allow for later analysis. Analysis involves identifying common themes, patterns, and differences in participants’ responses.

In order to define the concepts and questions that can be asked, a table of categories was generated with three main topics: 1 Promotion, 2 Advertising, 3 Perception, where indicators were broken down for each topic, and from these, some questions to be asked in the research came out.⁽¹²⁾

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Persons interviewed:

Female: 12 - 16 years of age

Female: 12 - 16 years old

Male: 43 years old

Three in-depth interviews were conducted, the objective of which was to determine the perception of the D1 brand.

Initially, an introduction was made to the interviewer, the objectives were discussed, and why this activity was carried out. They introduced themselves and talked a little about themselves when talking to the people. Then, they were permitted to fill in their data, and their information could be analyzed without any problem.

Some concepts were clarified, and it was important for them to have them clear so that answering the questions would be easier.

Subsequently, we moved on to the questions posed, and a small conversation began to flow as they answered.

Finally, we thank them for their participation in the activity.

Triple-entry box.

Triangulation is an instrument used in research to give validity to an investigation and the results; according to Dr. María Soledad Reyes, it “is used to see the same reality from different points of view”,⁽¹³⁾ which is why it is used to understand how the answers of the interviews correlate with the concepts and approaches that were handled in the investigation.

According to the State Distance University, the triple-entry table technique allows students to appropriate the text, relate it to their context, and find applicability to what they are studying since they can construct their own concepts and learn about the topic in question.⁽¹⁴⁾

Three basic categories were used here: perception, advertising, and promotion, understanding the meaning of each, but since they are very open categories, more specific indicators were studied.

Table 1. Triple-entry table
Categories	Definition	Indicators	Questions
Perception	Individual mechanism performed by human beings that consists of receiving, interpreting and understanding the signals coming from the outside.	Featured brand products. Brand recognition.	1 A) “The dog shampoo  dog shampoo.” B) “Of some product either.” 2 A) “It’s a yes and a no because there are some people who know about it, but they say I don’t know, I know it exists, but I don’t know what it is, and there are others who have more knowledge and know that it is a supermarket that can be found in any part of the neighborhood”. B) “It really is, as it is found in many places.”
Advertising	Paid communication and promotion strategies	How to acquire advertising.	1 A) “By Instagram.” B) “Eeh by television.”
Promotion	Strategy that seeks to increase demand for a product or service. Through tactics that generate awareness of the product.	Brand discounts or promotions. Customer loyalty.	1 A) “Yes, I heard once a promotion that they were selling soap powder with chlorine and it was really cheap and I bought it there at that moment and I took advantage of it and I said no, okay, it worked.” B) “In D1 no ma’am.” 2 A) “Price and good customer service.” B) “Uh, not really because I go to market in different places.”

From the perception, it is possible to understand that within the products highlighted, there is not a great remembrance of these, as shown with subject 2, “Of some product either” (Subject B); it is also possible to highlight not a specific product but a general category of products as shown by subject 1 “The dog shampoo dog shampoo” (Subject A). This shows that even if the mention is not precise, there is a general association with a product category. This suggests that perception is more oriented toward familiarity with types of products rather than with specific products. In summary, to improve recall of individual products, marketing strategies must focus on creating a positive perception of the brand and highlighting and differentiating specific products within the overall category.

The perception highlights the capacity of recall that a brand can generate in a consumer, allowing high recognition, which would be an advantage for the D1 brand. It was also perceived that subject 1 “It is a yes and a no because there are some people who do know it, but they say I do not know, I know it exists, but I do not know what it is, and there are others who have more knowledge and know that it is a supermarket that can be found in any part of the neighborhood,” (Subject A) here we see how the perception of D1 varies among consumers. This variability suggests that while some have superficial knowledge, others are well informed and recognize the brand’s ubiquity in their environment; here, the subject manages to perceive from his environment and knowledge.

While Subject 2, “Really yes, since it is found in many places” (Subject B) recognizes it and speaks of its high impact from the demographic aspect of the brand, this widespread recognition suggests that the strategy of expansion and presence in multiple locations has been effective, it is critical to leverage this positive perception, ensuring that all consumers not only recognize the D1 brand but also clearly understand its value proposition and the variety of products it offers. Fostering a deeper and more specific perception of the brand can translate into greater loyalty and preference for the target audience.

In terms of advertising, it is important to know where these strategies can be generated so companies can better engage their audience and increase community.

With subject 1, “through Instagram” (Subject A) with this subject, we can evidence the importance of social networks as a mechanism for business communication, which is why we can consider the potential of social networks, especially Instagram. Companies can reach a global audience through visually appealing content and interactive campaigns with this platform. Instagram allows brands to showcase their products creatively and facilitates direct interaction with consumers through comments, direct messages, and polls in stories. This level of engagement is crucial to building a strong and loyal relationship with the target audience.  While with Subject 2, “Eh for TV” (Subject B), it can be shown that traditional media is still handled in households, and although media consumption has evolved with digitization, TV is still a powerful medium, especially for broader and more diverse audiences. Television advertising campaigns can take advantage of prime time to reach millions of viewers simultaneously. For audiences still very susceptible to the home environment, these media are more effective and generate more credibility.

In the promotion, they use discounts on products either for the season or as a sales strategy; subject one showed, “Yes, I heard once a promotion that was that they were selling the soap powder with the chlorine in it, it was cheap, and I bought it there at that moment, and I took advantage of it, and I said no yes okay it worked” (Subject A), this comment explains perfectly how a well-executed promotion can drive an immediate purchase. The special offer attracted the consumer’s attention and created a sense of urgency, motivating them to act quickly before the promotion ended. With subject 2, “In D1 no ma’am” (Subject B), it is shown how this subject, not being the main buyer and not having a recurrence with the brand, does not recall these strategies. Another strategy is to generate awareness of the product can see the customer loyalty to the brand, i.e., that both top of hand and top of mind have the consumer against the brand D1, with subject 1 “price and good customer service” (Subject A) this has had a good experience in terms of their perception in the buying process, which allows you to see it as an indicator of loyalty to the brand. With subject 2, “Eh, not really because I go to market in different places” (Subject B), here, on the contrary, D1 has not been able to position itself as the first purchase option.

Cloud

This word cloud contains the concepts most frequently used by the interviewees. It is a tool that helps us analyze the interview participants’ vocabulary when answering each question posed.

CONCLUSIONS

· The D1 supermarket chain is recognized in different categories and customer groups and is seen as a supermarket with a large territorial reach and a wide variety of products.

· Despite being a supermarket with a wide reach, it does not manage to be the first purchase choice for family market basket products or more specialized products.

· The public recognizes the promotional tactics handled by D1; however, they are not always credible or decisive when purchasing a product.

· It is evident how in D1 consumers there is no brand differentiation, i.e., consumers, when referring to a product sold in D1, do not speak for the brand of the specific product, but in general of D1, here it can be said how the brands that trade in these supermarkets are losing positioning in front of D1.

· People buy in D1 chains for economy because it is positioned as a brand where you can get everything at a good price. With this, they have made the other brands lose validity vis-à-vis D1.

· People still believe that D1 sells low-quality products; there is a more developed top of mind in other brands.

REFERENCES

1.  Tiendas D1. Historia [Internet]. 2023 [citado 2024 Jun 9]. Disponible en: https://d1.com.co/historia/

2.  Alcaldía Mayor de Bogotá. Localidades de Bogotá. Bogotá.gov.co [Internet]. 2024 [citado 2024 Jun 9]. Disponible en: https://bogota.gov.co/mi-ciudad/localidades/ciudad

3.  Peñalver P. Cómo crear mi buyer persona y qué herramientas necesito para hacerlo. We Are Marketing [Internet]. 2022 Sep 27 [citado 2024 Jun 9]. Disponible en: https://www.wearemarketing.com/es/blog/como-crear-mi-buyer-persona-y-que-herramientas-necesito-para-hacerlo.html

4.  Salcedo Aparicio, Denisse Maricela. «La percepción sensorial, la cognición, la interactividad y las tecnologías de información y comunicación (TIC) en los procesos de aprendizaje.» 2 de June de 2022. RECIAMUC. 3 de May de 2024. https://reciamuc.com/index.php/RECIAMUC/article/view/863

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6.  Gamma. Gamma. https://gammagroup.co/es/good-together/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=search_paid&utm_campaign=good_together&utm_content=webpage&utm_term=comunicaciones_para_los_negocios&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwltKxBhDMARIsAG8KnqV0YRewdTEanNMqjDm9s5Iu2yvt0nFwj3ZeaHs3_ck

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9.  Alcaldía Mayor de Bogotá. Localidad de Ciudad Bolívar [Internet]. Bogotá: Bogotá.gov.co; [citado 2024 May 23]. Disponible en: https://bogota.gov.co/mi-ciudad/localidades/ciudad-bolivar

10.  Sinnaps. Metodología cualitativa [Internet]. Sinnaps. 2023 [citado 2024 Jun 9]. Disponible en: https://www.sinnaps.com/blog-gestion-proyectos/metodologia-cualitativa

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FINANCING

The authors did not receive funding for the development of this research.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

AUTHORSHIP CONTRIBUTION

Conceptualization: Elvia Carolina Palacios Martínez, Joaquín Andrés Cogollo González, Karen Valentina Bernal Jiménez, Maribel García Rojas.

Formal analysis: Elvia Carolina Palacios Martínez, Joaquín Andrés Cogollo González, Karen Valentina Bernal Jiménez, Maribel García Rojas.

Research: Elvia Carolina Palacios Martínez, Joaquín Andrés Cogollo González, Karen Valentina Bernal Jiménez, Maribel García Rojas.

Writing - original draft: Elvia Carolina Palacios Martínez, Joaquín Andrés Cogollo González, Karen Valentina Bernal Jiménez, Maribel García Rojas.

Writing - proofreading and editing: Elvia Carolina Palacios Martínez, Joaquín Andrés Cogollo González, Karen Valentina Bernal Jiménez, Maribel García Rojas.