Page 644 - MARSIUM'21 COMP OF PAPER

Qamarina & Zuraidah (2022)

1.0 INTRODUCTION
It is widely acknowledged that the pharmaceutical industry is extremely competitive. As a result, one of the options is to
provide customers with additional value through their products and services. If a company wants to maintain its market position
and continue to develop, it must carefully manage the value it provides to its customers. This value can be delivered through
a company's brand. Branding is a key competitiveness aspect in today's competitive environment since it differentiates identical
products and services supplied by different companies in the minds of consumers and makes them acceptable. Businesses that
have succeeded in becoming a brand have been divided into distinct categories based on the products and services they provide
to others. They occupy a unique position in the minds of customers which can help them to establish a brand identity. The
communication between the brand and the consumer is directly related to the formation of this image. In today's world, a brand
must be ready to react and be prepared to put up with any circumstance.
Due to intense competition with similar brands and products, companies in the pharmaceutical industry are more concerned
about branding to enhance their market share by increasing the value of their brand. One of the major research priorities in the
branding area is brand value (Allaway et al., 2011; Keller and Lehmann, 2006). A powerful brand with great brand awareness
is viewed to have strong strategic value and potential benefits such as increased customer preference, purchasing intention,
and customer loyalty. To ensure that the pharmaceutical industry grows steadily, each major company must sustain their market
share among existing and potential new customers. Furthermore, brand awareness is a necessary element of brand loyalty to
retain consumer loyalty, excellent performance, and market share within that industry.
1.1 Company Background
Clayniq Enterprise is a company operating in Kluang, Johor that was established on 11 December 2020. Clayniq Enterprise
has a vision to market, supply, and promote new and evolving clay technology-based products. The company's strength is
through the concept of "Research to Market'' which is new technological research products that are scientifically proven to be
marketed to consumers. Clayniq also wants to highlight new clay-based technology products especially pharmaceutical and
personal care products that are proven to be safe and user-friendly.

Clayniq's main product is an innovative research product which is Dual-Antibax Cleansing Soap. Dual-Antibax Cleansing
Soap contains Dual-Antibax powder that was innovated by Assoc Prof Ts ChM Dr. Nik Ahmad Nizam Nik Malek. The Dual-
Antibax powder contains two antibacterial agents (Ag and CTAB ions) incorporated in the natural kaolinite. Dual-Antibax
Cleansing Soap is a premium soap that can be used to clean dirt on the body and can kill bacteria and prevent bacterial growth.
Dual-Antibax Cleansing Soap is a soap that provides freshness for longer. It is formulated with a blend of modified clay, Tea
Tree Oil and Rice Bran Oil to remove impurities as well as maintain skin moisture. In addition, Dual-Antibax Cleansing Soap
can also prevent the release of large amounts of silver ions into the environment. The price for Dual Antibax Cleansing Soap
is RM 49.00.
Clayniq targets to focus on customers that especially have skin disease problems and customers that are always involved in
sport or regularly going to the gym because it also can eliminate body odour when the body is sweating. Moreover, Dual-
Antibax also has won multiple awards and recognitions in its scientific development. Thorough analysis and laboratory testing
has been done to ensure their customers are given the best quality and safety. Dual-Antibax has approval from the Ministry of
Health Malaysia as safe to use and has proven to successfully kill 99.99% of bacteria while promoting healthy skin conditions.
Formulated with rice bran oil, kaolin, and tea tree oil, Dual-Antibax Cleansing Soap offers versatility compared to other
products that simultaneously moisturizes the skin and kills harmful bacteria. Clayniq uses social media as their platforms such
as Facebook, Instagram, and WordPress to promote and deliver information about their product.
1.2 Problem Statement

Although Dual Antibax Cleansing soap is already in the market, many people are still not aware or know about the Clayniq
brand and its products, especially on social media. Because of this problem, they did not receive any orders from customers
on social media yet. Due to the pandemic of Covid-19, Clayniq couldn’t focus on direct selling to customers because of the
Movement Control Order (MCO) which limits them to sell their products to customers. It is also because everyone is becoming
more careful and protective towards the surrounding or to come in contact freely with other people because they are scared
that they might be getting the virus of Covid-19. Moreover, the main uniqueness of the Clayniq product is specialized to treat
external wounds on the body. However, they couldn’t advertise and claim that the soap can treat wounds because this product
needs to do clinical testing to get certified and scientifically proven. Dual-Antibax Cleansing soap only has a lab proven and
it costs a lot of money to do clinical testing. From this situation, Clayniq only can advertise and promote this product as an
antibacterial soap like a normal soap that we use in daily life. From the customer's point of view, Dual-Antibax Cleansing Soap
is the same as anti-bacterial soap from other brands that are cheaper. In addition, Clayniq also does not have any characteristics
that can highlight and pinpoint their uniqueness and differences from other brands which are important elements to increase brand
awareness.
1.3 Research Question

This study listed three main research questions:
RQ1: Are there any relationships between brand characteristic, advertising, and sales promotion with brand awareness of
Clayniq products?

RQ2: What are the most important factors that influence brand awareness of Clayniq products?

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