JEFMS Journal

ABSTRACT:

This study examined brand innovation strategies and customer retention of soft drink firms in South-East Nigeria. The study adopted the correlational research design. The population of the study consisted of all the soft drink firms in South-East Nigeria. The unit of analysis was made up of managers of the three (3) soft drink firms in South-East Nigeria. Eighteen (18) managers per firm who fall under the categories of branch managers, operations managers, production managers, marketing managers and sales managers were identified in the three (3) soft drink firms in South-East Nigeria and they formed the sampling frame of the study. The census sampling technique was adopted in this study where all the 18 managers of the above categories were used as the sample for the study. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from the respondents. The data collected were analyzed statistically while the hypotheses were tested using Spearman Rank Order Correlation Coefficient (rho). The SPSS version 23.0 was used to perform the correlation analysis. The findings revealed that soft drink firms in South-East Nigeria adopt incremental and radical innovation as a way of keeping their brand competitive and enticing to their customers. The study revealed that incremental innovation is a strong and significant predictor of repeat patronage and customer referral. Based on these findings, it was concluded that brand innovation strategies (incremental and radical innovation) and customer retention of soft drink firms in South-East Nigeria. Based on the findings and conclusion, it was recommended that soft drink firms in South-East Nigeria especially those that are experiencing high level of customer defection should adopt brand innovation strategies as it would help to retain their existing customers.

KEYWORDS:

Brand, Soft drink, Brand Innovation, customer retention, South-east

REFERENCES:

1) Bhaskaran, S. (2006). Incremental innovation and business performance of small and medium-size food enterprises in a concentrated industry environment. Journal of Small Business Management, 44 (1), 64-80.

2) Chien, Y. (2013). The influences of brand innovation on purchase attitude and purchase intention: The moderating effects of brand involvement. MA Taiwan: Ming Chuan University Press.

3) Dirisu, J. I., Iyiola, O. & Ibidunni, O. S. (2013). Product differentiation: A tool of competitive advantage and optimal organizational performance (A study of Unilever Nigeria Plc). European Scientific Journal, 9, (34), 258-281.

4) Evanschitzky, H. Eisend, M. Calantone, R.J. & Jiang, Y. (2012). Success factors of product innovation: An updated meta-analysis. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 29, 21-37.

5) Kanagal, N.B. (2015). Innovation and product innovation in marketing strategy. Journal of Management and Marketing Research, 18, 1-25.

6) Koromani, J. (2015). Clarifying innovation: Four zones of innovation. Experiencing Information. www.experiencinginformation.com.

7) Magatef, S. G. & Tomalieh, E. F. (2015). The impact of customer loyalty programs on customer retention. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 6 (8), 78-93.

8) Ocloo, C.E. & Tsetse, E.K. (2013). Customer retention in the Ghanaian mobile telecommunication industry. European Journal of Business and Social Sciences, 2 (7), 136-160.

9) Oyeniyi, O. & Joachim, A.A. (2008). Customer service in the retention of mobile phone users in Nigeria. African Journal of Business Management, 2 (2), 26-31.

10) Thread (2019). The Nigerian soft drink market: What you need to know. Retrieved from: https://thethreadgroup.com/thread-insights/2019/11/29/thethreadgroupcom/thread-insights/2019/11/29/nigerian-soft-drinks-market