Abstract

The study looks at the role of branding on consumer choice for mobile phone brands in Cameroon with case study Techno Mobile. The area of study was chosen to be Bonaberi Douala which is a big and fast growing sub division in the economic capital of Cameroon, Douala.

The study adopted a quantitative research design through the use of questionnaires to collect data from two hundred respondents by means of random   sampling   technique. The data were analysed using SPSS and Microsoft Excel.

The study discovered that majority of the respondents had adequate knowledge on these branding strategies used by Techno Mobile. Although some respondents acknowledged that branding is about logo, service quality, pricing, coverage image, signage and slogan.

A majority seem this as combination of all the above. The study had also discovered that branding has a significant association with branding and customer choice for mobile phones. The study revealed that brand loyalty has positive and significant association with consumer choice and behaviour.

Finally, perceived quality and brand association has positive and significant association with customer buying behaviour. The study is therefore recommending that Techno Mobile and other mobile phone manufacturers selling in Cameroon conduct regular marketing research to identify measure to improve and sustain their brand.

These could be customer survey on the particular brand or brand performance assessment. Moreover, customer satisfaction is very important to attract and retain customers especially in the competitive market of mobile phones.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The mobile phone market environment has really become competitive lately regarding its growth. Rapid population growth and high usage in technology and readily access to information globally and mostly consumers are overwhelmed with the very   choices   of   telecommunication   they   should   use   regarding   the   strewed telecommunication environment.  The rapid growth in technology and information sharing has propelled owners and management of business organisations to redefine customer attraction and retention strategy.

The perceived and real satisfaction of customers has been long linked with the brand image of a product or an organisation. There are an appreciable number of literatures that supports this assertion. The role and impact of branding on customer behaviour had been studied severally by both prolific writers and emerging writers (Zhang, 2015).

Through customer satisfaction, consumers build loyalty towards a particular brand and influence their buying behaviour both directly and indirectly. Some Authors have argued that corporate branding as an organisational asset whose success depends on the context in which it is applied.  Branding should  be  sensitive  to  three  key  elements; organisational culture, organisational vision and most importantly the image of the organisation. There should be a proper coordination between stakeholders, management, and the employees of the organisation to have a wider scope and deliberations about branding and image (Hatch et al., 2001).

A very good brand inspires confidence on employees, stakeholders who develop association with the organisation and glues customers to the brand when they come in contact with it. Knox & Balmer (2001) investigated branding, corporate identity and brand marketing and reported as follows; top managements of organisations never understood the power of branding until recently where organisations have incorporated branding into their strategic goals and due to competition within the market, individual organisations use branding to distinguish itself from other competitors.

Mobile phone usage in Cameroon includes several different brands with Techno being one of them. According to reports mobile and fixed telephones as well as internets form part of the main economic activities in Cameroon (World Mobile Conference, 2017). Mobile phone technology has been on a very progressive journey and has been able to cover quite a distance in a very short period of time. More often, consumers consciously do not know what they go through in making a decision of their choice of a particular product and when this happens it comes to the state where consumers need a shortcut to finally choose a product and the available shortcut made to the consumer is branding. This way a branded product makes it much easier for any consumer to choose from and be satisfied with the product chosen by him or her.

Branding involves creating a unique name and image for a product in a consumer’s mind which can be through some form of advertisement, campaigning word of mouth, celebrities etc. Brands perform valuable functions for firm, thus function of a brand is a consumer being able to distinguish two different products and being able to make a choice out of the two products Ghodeswar M. B. (2008). The increased competition in the mobile phone industry has resulted in a lot of communication tools employed by the companies to help in succeeding in the era of competition, one of the tools commonly used by mobile phone manufacturers isbranding.

The American Marketing Association defines branding as name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies one sellers good or service as distinct from those of other sellers  which  makes  trademark  as  the  legal  term  for  brands.  Mobile phone companies like the notable ones in Cameroon create brand image that would attract most consumers to purchase that the brand.

Consumer buying behaviour however is the process by which the individual search for, selects, purchase, use and dispose of goods and services, in satisfaction of their needs and wants. The consumers’ behaviour has a direct effect on the success of the firm and therefore must ensure that they create a marketing mix that satisfies consumers to create long lasting relationships. Theconsumer mostly goes through about five steps in taking one purchase decision. These are:  problem  recognition;  information  search;  evaluating  of  alternatives;  purchase decisions; purchase and post purchase evaluation. Consumer decision-making varies with the type of buying decision in which every consumer exhibit in purchasing a particular product and the feeling attached to the product or brand, and the loyalty felt towards it.

Thus, the economic survival of the mobile phone  industry  is  dependent  on brand-driven consumers’ relationships. The fact that consumers maintain long term relationships with different mobile phone brands in the Cameroonian market constitutes a sign of long term economic survival of the industry. An interesting philosophical issue may arise in respect of brand-driven satisfaction and long term survival of companies within the mobile phone market industry.

This study therefore focuses on the role of branding on consumers’ choice of mobile phone brandsin the mobile phone industry in Cameroon with case study of Techno Douala.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

According to Denmark (2010) the concept of branding is vital and draws synergy between organisational resources (human, fixed resources, tangibles and intangibles) and the strategic objectives of the organisation to achieve success among competitors. In this regard, after achieving success through branding, maintaining and managing customer relationships becomes integral to be the market leader.

Mobile phone manufacturers need to provide services that really satisfy consumers’ expectations in ensuring that the company survives economically. In order to achieve this they need to understand consumers’ buying behaviour in order to help them evaluate the service being offered and develop relationships with them.

Fast changing innovations are making mobile phone companies to experience unprecedented change, thus there has been a huge change in the telecom industry to improve the image of the company.

Therefore, these companies must employ very proactive branding strategies than they currently possessed. This way it is believed to make a difference   both   locally   and   internationally (Blackett, 2005).   In   Cameroon   most mobile phone brands such as Techno, Infinix, Itel and others, produce branding strategies to win the heart of customers and build relationships with them.  A good portion of the research on brand is devoted to building better understanding in the area of brand choice; brand switching, brand loyalty and brand extension (Moore et.al 2008). There is an association between brand loyalty and continues demand. This is because a satisfied customer buys more and buys longer and stays longer (Schultz, 2005).

This revelation  is  a  very  contentious  one  since  long  term  relationships  between consumers and mobile phone brands is an indication of long term economic survival  of  mobile phone  companies  within  the  Cameroon market and hence a sign of consumer satisfaction. Consumer relationships with mobile phone brands can be determined by a number of factors of which branding is a constituent.  The extent to which product branding affects consumers’ decision making remains a critical area that needs a thorough investigation.

It is for this reason why this study is undertaken to determine the effect of branding on consumers’ behaviour in the mobile phone market in Cameroon with case study Techno Douala.

Research Questions

1. What branding   awareness strategies   are   employed   or   used   by Techno?
2. What are the brand associations of Techno mobile by customers?
3. What is the brand loyalty of the consumers of Techno mobile?

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