The Influence Of Marketing Mix Strategies On Customer’s Choice Among Restaurants In Dodoma City When Mediated By Social Networking: A Case Dodoma City

ABSTRACT

This dissertation reports the findings of the influence of marketing mix strategies on customer‟s choice among restaurants in Dodoma City when mediated by social networking. The study was led by three specific objectives which sought to map the service marketing strategies used by restaurants to influence customer choice in Dodoma Region, to determine the influence of service marketing mix elements on customer choices among restaurants in Dodoma Region, and to find out the influence of service marketing mix elements on customer choice when mediated by the social networking among the restaurants in Dodoma Region. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from three restaurants that were purposively selected from Dodoma City Council. Data were collected from 105 respondents who were sampled from the restaurants using purposive and convenience sampling techniques to inform the research through questionnaire and interviews. Content analysis, binary regression model, and structural equation modeling were used to analyse the data generated. The major variables included in the study were marketing strategies (7 Ps of marketing mix), social networking and customer choices. The study revealed that all seven service marketing mix (7 Ps) were found to be important determinants for the customer choice. However, “effective responses” category was found to be more significant to the customer choice. Therefore, any effect to maintain customer must involve this category. The study recommends that owners of the restaurants to improve product strategies by improving the quality of their products, improving the process of setting prices by employing or contracting price setting experts to set competitive prices. Products must be sent to the customers through diverse strategies and training of customers for quality services.