Developing brand loyalty model through brand personality mediation with relationship marketing aspects

Abstract

The research investigated the brand loyalty standing of Pakistani soft drink cola brand with international brands to find out reason why local cola brand is far behind in comparison with international brands. A brand loyalty model has been proposed and empirically tested. Brands congruence, satisfaction and commitment have been taken independently variables and brands personality as mediating variable to see their influence on brand loyalty. Pakistan’s beverages industry’s soft drink segment with cola brand have been considered. Three leading cola brands out of which two international brands (Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola) and one local brand (Gourmet cola) have been taken as object for the study. The study quantitative in nature. The brands loyalty framework that has been developed is empirically tested through structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) technique was used for substantiating the hypothesis the hypothesis for proposed brand loyalty model. Convenience sampling technique is used for data collection since the population is homogenous. Initially a sample size of 1000 respondents was considered for the study which covers major cities if Pakistan. However, after data screening, the final sample size came out to be 914 and 86 questionnaires were rejected. All the objectives of the study which were set out at the beginning were substantiated statistically with meaningful results explaining the problem under study. The study successfully examines all the three leading cola brand with the regard to the objectives set out earlier for the research. The study also examined the mediating effect role of brand personality in relation to brand congruence satisfaction and commitment on to brand loyalty based on the underpinning theories of reasoned action and planned behavior. The research has contributed to the theory and has expanded the concepts of brand loyalty, brands personality and relationship marketing aspects. The study has also shown several issues for marketing management practitioner. For marketers it is imperative for the, to make consumers loyal as they spend huge amount of money while developing and promoting a brand, if consumers are not loyal to the brand, marketer’s investment may go into rain.