AN EVALUATION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF BRANDING AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATTION

AN EVALUATION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF BRANDING AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATTION

(A CASE STUDY OF THREE CONSUMER PRODUCTS IN ABUJA NAMELY: DETERGENT, TOOTHPASTE AND BEVERAGE)

ABSTRACT

The aim of this research is to look into an evolution of the importance of branding as an effective tools for product differentiation in marketing of consumer products in Abuja namely: detergent, toothpaste and beverages.  The research is of a particular interest to the researchers so as to determine the importance of branding as marketing tools. the  research methodology  includes the sampling method of data collection, structure and unstructured  questionnaires, personal interview and other analysis  techniques in the world today, there  is a dramatic  interest vested in branding  such  that  hardly can anything be sold without being  branded.  Also finding reveals that company cannot make considerable project without branding the project.  finally,  brand name  should  be  promoted often enough for customers to  develop brand loyalty  as to  fall in line with that of popular  brand efforts should also be made to  monitor  brand performance  continuously through  research and  development  department.  

CHAPTER ONE 

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

A brand is a name, word, letter or some combination of any of the above word that is use by manufacturers or merchants to identify their goods and service and to distinguish them from those of the competitors.

According to the American marketing association (A.M.A) a brand is a name, a team, sign, symbol or design or combination of them intended to identify goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of their competitors. however, the first decision to be made is whether  a leader or even the company should put a brand name on their products, producers as well as middlemen sold their goods directly out to barrels, bins and cases without any supplier identification. The earliest sigh of branding were in the effort of middle agent (Medieval) to put trade mark on their product to protect trade man and to protect consumers against inferior quality by allowing producer to be traced. Interestingly in the world today there is a dramatic interest vested in branding such that hardly can anything be sold without being branded. Salt is packaged in distinctive manufactures containers arranged and stamped with growers name, even product such as nuts and bolts are packaged in a cellophane with the distributors name label on them.

Companies brand and name should not be treated highly but as an integral part of the companies to build unique brand name that will eventually become identify with the generic product. It is worthy to note that many companies failed because they do not brand their product to differentiate them from that of the competitors.  Some time the pressure for branding comes not from the purchasers, but from the distributors. Distributors may want brand as a means of making the product easier to certain standard and increase buyer performance unmated buyers want brand name to help to identify the product they want. Through product branding, sellers develop various groups of buyers as loyalist who buys their product and brand. The rational behind brand and product management is that it is desirable to have a single person to co-ordinate and plan the strategy for a product, rather than having one individual to plan the marketing activate of many product. Hence, the researches learn to contained themselves with the little information gathered through oral interview and data collected from a few supermarket and consumers of the brands.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM S

From the introduction, it is understood that the use of branding is almost compulsory in every business organization. Despite one fact that branding is a tool for product differentiation, some brand name dies not effectively perform well in one problem that researchers identify to ensure that it has possible solution.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objectives of the study is to find the branding as an effective tool for product differentiate, since these are change in modern behavior is a challenging job and it is the object effective tool of product.

As service to exhibitor, to ensure that participant get maximal opportunity to meet buyers and users the product actively carries unique characteristics in order to take advantage of the competitors market environment. The fact behind the purpose is to communicate with individual groups or organization to directly or indirectly facilitate exchanges by informing and persuading one or more audience to accept an organization product.

1.4 RESEARCH SCOPE

The scope intends to look at the effectiveness of branding as a tool for product differentiation in marketing of consumers product namely: Detergent, Toothpaste and beverage within the past years. The area to be cover is broken under the following sub-headings.

1.5 STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS

H₀-branding is an effective product of differentiation.

H_i-branding cannot be an effective tool for product differentiation.

1.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Due to finance we are restricted in our intention because research involves huge amount of money, the researcher being a student and a dependents could not raise quite an appreciable amount for the research work. Also, time is a factor that constraint us as possible to obtain data. Use only restricted our finding to supermarkets in Abuja.

1.7 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The general belief is that firms do not operate in a vacuum to make profit; there has been a continuous experience of undifferentiated product. It is quite clear that for business organization to achieve.  Its aim, consumer’s satisfaction and profit maximization has to face competition squarely from other competitors. However this research has fact about the effectiveness of branding in the marketing of consumer goods in supermarkets.

1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

Vocalized e.g lux, joy e.t.c is that part of the brand which speak and also simply tracing of a product. Product is being distinguished by consumers easily through brand name.

Brand Mark: – is that part that can be recognized but not vocalized such as symbols, design indistinctive coloring or lettering e.g. play by hart.

Trade Mark:- a brand or part of brand that give legal protection i.e. it protect the sellers exclusive right to use the right to see the brand or mark name.

Logo:- is a brand or part of brand that is given legal protections i.e. it protects the sellers exclusive right to use the brand name or brand mark e.g. RX Pharmacy.

Customers: – this buyer or consumer. The three are normally use synonymous.

A customer may mean current or potential buyer of the product. They are the ultimate purchaser of the product produced by manufacturer. It is very important to define some terms used in the study to give reader. This permit easy interpretation of what the writer has in mind.