Measuring the determinants of brand preference in a dairy product market

Abstract

Branding is increasingly being used as a strategy for managing markets in developed countries while developing countries still lag behind. The objective of this study was to assess the level of brand awareness and factors underlying brand preference of dairy brands in Chitungwiza and Harare urban markets in Zimbabwe. A total of 90 respondents who included individual and institutional consumers were selected using judgmental and simple random sampling respectively. Primary data was collected using structured interview schedules developed for each category of consumers. Consumer product awareness indices, cluster analysis and factor analysis were the main tools used in the analysis. The findings of the study showed that 52% of the respondent consumers were aware of ARDA dairy brands despite having come across few ARDA DDP advertisements. Four factors were identified as key determinants of dairy product choice namely promotion, price and availability of product, attractive packaging and product quality. There is need for agricultural marketers to incorporate these findings in the formulation of responsive marketing strategies. Key words: Brand awareness, brand preference, urban, dairy products, Zimbabwe.