Consumers’ Loyalty to Bottled Water Brands in Nigeria: An Empirical Study

Aims: This study operationalized a theoretical framework, the “brand-choice sequences” theory, to empirically measure and analyze consumers’ loyalty to brands of bottled water in Nigeria, using Awka, a capital city of Anambra State, Nigeria and six bottled water brands as study slices. The study objectives focused on determining if brand loyalty exists among the bottled water consumers and to what extent. This study provides marketing intelligence on loyalty to brands of bottled water in this part of Nigeria. Such marketing intelligence on brand loyalty is expected to contribute to the formulation and reformulation of promotional strategies in the bottled water industry in Nigeria.

Study Design: This study was based on a survey of a convenience sample of 280 bottled water consumers resident in the place of study at the time of the study.

Place and Duration of Study: The place of study is Awka a capital city of Anambra State, Nigeria. The duration of the study was from August 1st to August 30th, 2013.

Methodology: Quantitative methodology involving the use a questionnaire with interval and nominal scales was used to collect data on consumers’ purchases and repeat purchases of the bottled water brands under consideration. The interval scales on the measurement instrument yielded a Cronbach’s alpha of .63. The method of data analysis was a computerized analysis involving single sample t-tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Results: This study found that there while there were significant differences in brand loyalties to the bottled water brands, there was however no significant undivided loyalty to any of bottled water bands. Segmentation analysis of brand loyalty by age showed no significant difference across the age segments. The income segments also showed no significant difference in brand loyalties. Across the education segments, no significant difference in brand loyalties was detected.

Conclusion: The study concludes that the “brand-choice sequences” theory can be empirically applied to measure, and analyze brand loyalty in the bottled water market in Nigeria, thus extending the testing and universality of the theory. This extension is significant in the study of brand loyalty, an area of marketing where there appears to be insufficient application of theoretical frameworks in measuring and analyzing brand loyalties in various consumer goods categories in Nigeria.