BRAND EQUITY AND MARKETING STRATEGIES OF ALCOHOL MANUFACTURING COMPANIES IN KENYA
Beatrice Gatwiri Kithinji - Masters of Business Administration, Kenyatta University, Kenya
Dr. Jane Wanjira - Kenyatta University, Kenya
ABSTRACT
Alcohol manufacturing companies in Kenya have incrementally faced competition both locally and regionally owing to globalization and technological improvement. The goal of the study was to establish the link between brand equity and marketing strategies of alcohol manufacturing firms in Kenya. Specific objectives include; establishing the effect of brand loyalty; awareness; identity; and association on marketing strategies of alcohol manufacturing companies in Kenya. The research was anchored on brand equity theory, marketing mix theory, Strategic Choice theory and Push and Pull Theory. A descriptive research design was adopted and the research focused on 210 marketing executives of alcohol manufacturing firms in Kenya. To determine the sample size, the Krijcie and Morgan technique was adopted. The eventual sample size obtained composed of 132 respondents.Self administered questionnaires to the participants were used in the gathering of primary data.The validity of the instrument was measured using test re-test technique. The Cronbach’s Alpha (α) correlation coefficient of above 0.7 was used to measure internal consistency of the research instruments. Descriptive analysis and inferential statistics were used to analyze the gathered data which was later exhibited using tales. The research found that brand loyalty forms an essential factor in retention of customers who prefer the products. Alcohol manufacturing companies in Kenya marketing team had adopted several brand loyalty strategic measures in view of promoting their products, the study also concludes that building on brand loyalty enabled alcohol manufacturing companies in Kenya to easily find consumer acceptance on product and that the marketing department loyalty programs that kept consumers of the products vibrant in purchasing the product. On the brand awareness, this study concludes that customer had substantive familiarity with the products, sales trend signify that customers repurchased the brand regularly. The study concludes that alcohol manufacturing companies in Kenya have several brand associations that provided the consumers with necessary motivation to purchase and consume that brand. The study recommends that the company’s marketing team should continuously embrace strategies that maintain brand awareness live in customer’s mind this recommendation is founded on the conclusion that consumer purchase on a particular product highly dependent on his awareness on the same brand.
