EFFECTS OF BRAND LOVE ON CONSUMERS’ PURCHASING BEHAVIOUR: CASE STUDY OF VODAFONE GHANA LIMITED

ABSTRACT  

Companies have noticed that the love for a brand is an important factor to maintain a good relationship with their consumers and improve profits. The concept of brand and its relationship with customer loyalty has been an issue of great concern in corporate management and marketing literature. In this regard, this study sought to investigate the effects of brand love on consumers’ purchasing behaviour using Vodafone Ghana Limited as a case study. The objectives of the study were to identify the types of telecom products offered to consumers by Vodafone Ghana, to determine the effect of brand love on consumers’ switching intentions, the effect of consumer brand love on consumer loyalty and whether consumers will recommend Vodafone’s products to others. The study employed the descriptive survey approach collecting quantitative data for analysis. Questionnaire was the main instrument used in data collection with occasional interviews. The population consisted of all Vodafone customers in the Ashanti Region of Ghana out of which a sample of 100 was randomly selected. The study found that customers used mobile telephony most than all the services and products offered by Vodafone followed by mobile internet. It was further found that the brand love of customers positively influences their loyalty. The switching intentions of customers were found to be low which was influenced by their brand love. The willingness to recommend the brand to others was also high due to the love of consumers for the brand. The study recommends that, telecommunication firms must ensure their customer satisfaction as it is a good predictor of future purchase behaviour, an indication of behavioural loyalty of the customer. Satisfied loyal customers generate profits because they are responsible for large percentage of sales and are less costly to keep rather than attract new customers.