ABSTRACT
had been mostly regarded as being very crucial and in the identification of a company’s product from those of the , especially when one considered the several it performed on consumers’ decision and satisfaction.
Hence, it included everything involved or needed for the differentiation like brand name, , trade mark.
Therefore, it was observed that brand was the only competitive edge one had that cannot be copied by anyone else.
In the contemporary marketing environment, it was a difficult task to say exactly which factors motivated the consumer to prefer a particular product to another.
And the marketing of malt drink products was very compelling when considered with their close substitutes for each other, especially those that were studied which included; Hi-malt, Amstel malta, Maltina and Guinness malta.
Thus, this research (i) ascertained the relationship between branding and consumer patronage, (ii) ascertained the factors of branding that influenced consumers’ choice of malt drinks, (iii) ascertained the significant variation in the packaging of different malt drinks.
Determined differences among the different brands of malt drinks and (iv) determined if price is a factor considered in consumers preference for a brand of malt drink. The research adopted survey design, and made use of primary data collected through the use of questionnaire.
The sample size used for this study was three hundred and fifty (350) respondents, which consisted of the staff of some of the existing tertiary institutions in South East of Nigeria.
The tertiary institutions are Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education Owerri, Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu and Madona University Okija, Anambra State.
Z-test regression was used to test hypotheses 1, 2, 3, and 4 while one- way Anova multiple regression was used for hypothesis 5. SPSS version 17.0 was used in the analysis of data. It was tested that the use of branding was significant in the determination of customers’ patronage of malt drinks (Zc = 5.20 > Zt = 1.96, a = 0.05).
Branding had a significant influence on consumer’s choice of malt drinks (Zc = 5.79 > Zt = 1.96, a = 0.05). There was a significant variation in the packaging of different malts (Zc = 6.41 > Zt = 1.96, a = 0.05).
There was a significant difference among the different brands of malt drinks (Zc = 5.78 > Zt = 1.96, a = 0.05). There was a significant relationship between price and consumer’s preference for a brand of malt drink (r = 0.434, Fc = 18.89 > Ft = 2.37, a = 0.05).
It was recommended that Malt Manufacturing Companies should embark on research that will enable the company to identify gap that exist between consumers’ needs and their product, and also should periodically improve on product quality/taste, in which several quality control measures should be taken to maintain product quality.
Again, Malt marketers should always make their brands available at the right place and at the right time because this will ensure strong brand loyalty on the part of consumers.
And this can be achieved by; engaging more distribution trucks to complement existing ones, appoint more distributors in rural areas to ensure grass-roots distribution and coverage, reaching directly to large-scale retailers like hotels, restaurants and bars, which would ensure constant availability.
Finally, irrespective of the taste of the Malt, Malt Manufacturing Companies should be able to price their products at no cost variance.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page – – – – – – i
Approval Page – – – – – – ii
Certification page – – – – – – iii
Dedication – – – – – – iv
Acknowledgement – – – – – – v
Abstract – – – – – – vi
Table of contents – – – – – – vii
CHAPTER ONE Introduction
1.1 Background of Study – – – – – – 2
1.2 Statement of Problem – – – – – – 4
1.3 Objectives of Study – – – – – 6
1.4 Research Questions – – – – – – 6
1.5 Research Hypotheses – – – – – – 6
1.6 Significance of Study – – – – – – 7
1.7 Scope of the Study – – – – – – 7
1.8 Limitations of Study – – – – – – 7
1.9 Conceptual/Operational Definition of Terms – – – – 8
References – – – – – 10
CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Introduction – – – – – – 11
2.2 Definitions and Meaning of Branding – – – – 12
2.3 Branding Decision – – – – 17
2.4 Kinds of Branding – – – – 17
2.4.1 National Manufacturer Brand – – – – 18
2.4.2 Private or custom Brand – – – – 18
2.4.3 Licensed Brand – – – – 19
2.4.4 Co-branding – – – – 19
2.4.5 Base (Primary) Brand – – – – 19
2.4.6 Brand Extension – – – – 19
2.5 Branding Tasks – – – – 20
2.5.1 Developing Brand Positioning – – – – 20
2.5.2 Integrating Brand Elements – – – – 20
2.6 Brand Identity – – – – 21
2.7 Brand Performance – – – – 22
2.7.1 Assessing Brand Performance – – – – 23
2.7.2 Measuring Brand Equity – – – – 23
2.8 Brands as Growth Platforms – – – – 24
2.8.1 New Product and Brand Extension – – – – 25
2.9 The Crucial Role of Branding – – – – 26
2.10 Designations of Branding – – – – 27
2.11 Building Brands – – – – 29
2.11.1 Branding and Promotion – – – – 30
2.11.2 Branding and communication –
– – – 30
2.11.3 Branding and Price – – – – 31
2.11.4 Branding and Packaging – – – – 31
2.12 Qualities of good Branding – – – – 32
2.13 Benefits of Branding – – – – 33
2.14 Problems of Branding – – – – 33
2.15 Criticism of Branding – – – – 34
2.16 Advocates of Branding – – – – 36
2.17 Some Models of Branding – – – – 39
2.17.1 The Keller Model – – – – 39
2.17.2 Consumers’ Ladder of Brand Absorption and Acceptance – 41
2.17.3 The Loyalty Ladder – – – – 42
2.18 Concept of Consumer Behaviour – – – – 43
2.18.1 Influences on Consumer Behaviour – – – – 44
2.18.2 Consumer Perception and Branding – – – – 45
2.19 The Brewery Industry in Nigeria – – – 46
2.20 Nigerian Breweries Plc – – – – 47
2.20.1 Brand History of Maltina and Amstel Malta Products of Nigerian Breweries Plc – – – – 48
2.21 Guinness Nigeria Plc – – – – 50
2.21.1 Malta Guinness – – – 50
2.22 Consolidated Breweries Plc – – – 50
2.22.1 Hi – Malt – – – 51
2.23 Summary of Related Studies – – – 51
2.24 Perceived Gap in Literature – – – 53
References – – – 54
CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY – – – 59
3.1 Research Design – – – 59
3.2 Research Method – – – 59
3.3 Sources of Data Collection – – – 59
3.4 Population of the Study – – – 60
3.5 Sample Size Determination – – – 60
3.6 Sampling Technique – – – 62
3.7 Instruments and Methods of Data Collection – – – 63
3.8 Validity and Reliability of the Instrument – – – 63
3.9 Method of Data Presentation and Analysis – – – 65
References – – – 67
CHAPTER FOUR DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSES
4.1 Introduction – – – 69
4.2 Presentation of data – – – 69
4.2.1 Return Rate of Questionnaire – – – 69
4.2.2 Sex of Respondents – – – 70
4.2.3 Age Distribution of Respondents – – – 71
4.2.4 Educational Qualification – – – 72
4.2.5 Marital Status – – – 73
4.2.6 Category of Respondents – – – 73
4.2.7 Consumption of Malt Drinks – – – 74
4.2.8 Length of Consumption of Malt Drink – – – 75
4.2.9 The Most Preferred Brand of Malt Drink – – – 76
4.2.10 Respondents Length of Time Drinking Preferred Malt Drink – 76
4.2.11 Influence of Branding on Choice of Malt Drink – – – 77
4.2.12 Medium of Product Awareness – – – 78
4.2.13 Branding as a Determinant of Customers’ Patronage – – – 79
4.2.14 Price as a Factor in Brand Preference – – – 80
4.2.15 Other Non Price Factors that Influence Brand Preference – – 81
4.2.16 Differences among Packaging of Different Malt Drink Brands – 83
4.2.17 The Relationship of Branding and the taste of its Content – – 84
4.2.18 Change in Taste of Preferred Brand of Malt Drink – – 85
4.2.19 Consumption of Malt Brand before Change in Brand Taste – – 85
4.2.20 Nature of the Present Taste – 86
4.2.21 Ranking of the Taste of Sampled Brand of Malt Drinks – 87
4.2.22 Least Preferred Brand of Malt Drink – 88
4.2.23 Reason for Lack of Preference – 88
4.2.24 Ability to Identify Preferred Malt Drink Brand in a Blind Test – 90
4.2.25 Suggestion on Improvement of Malt Drink Brand – 91
4.3 Test of Hypotheses – 92
4.3.1 Test of Hypothesis One – 92
4.3.2 Test of Hypothesis Two – 93
4.3.3 Test of Hypothesis Three – 94
4.3.4 Test of Hypothesis Four – 95
4.3.5 Test of Hypothesis Five – 96
CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary of Findings – – – 100
5.2 Conclusion – – – 101
5.3 Recommendation – – – 102
5.4 Contribution to Knowledge – – – 104
5.5 Contribution to Knowledge – – – 106
5.6 Suggestion for Further Studies – – – 108
Bibliography – – – 109
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
One of the truths of modern business is that there is almost nothing that your competitors can’t duplicate in a matter of weeks or months (Jeffrey:2000). If you have a great idea, you can be certain that somebody will copy it before long.
And not only will they follow your lead, but they may also be able to do a better job or sell the product or service at a lower price.
The question then becomes, “what competitive edge does one have to offer that cannot be copied by anyone else?”.The answer, ones or own brand.
A consideration of the chaos that would be at the point of purchase if manufacturers, have no means of distinguishing their products from that of competitors would readily pinpoint the importance of branding in marketing warfare.
Consumers would definitely be put through the rigours and time consuming task of determining what product to choose from the list of unbranded products.
The likely event of choosing the wrong product among the several unbranded products is there, given the unscrupulous behaviour of some middlemen.
This assertion is buttressed by Okafor (1995:100), quoting Morden (1987), who posited that, “Customers seeing a favoured brand (to which they may exhibit loyal behaviour), may cut short the analysis of alternatives prior to the purchase decision, and proceed more rapidly towards the purchase”.
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Agbonifoh, B. A., Ogwo, E. O., Nnolim, D. A., and Nkamnebe, A. (2007), Marketing in Nigeria: Concepts, Principles, and Decisions, 2nd ed., Aba: Afritowers Limited.
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