Marketing and Branding Research

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a worldwide concern hampered people's mobility and global trade. The study seeks to find the linkage between business managers' competency toward the performance of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study is a quantitative technique that has a sample of 750 respondents, of which 732 responses were returned as per the questionnaires sent for data collection. The partial least squares technique was deemed appropriate and was used to scrutinize the data, which was based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings revealed that COVID-19 pandemic has harmed managers' ability to operate their firms in Ghana, resulting in layoffs, low market share, low firm productivity, low client retention, a rise in the unemployment rate, and the closing of businesses. These findings supported profit maximization and survival-based theories, specifically the explanations advanced under the premise that every organization will act in its own best interests to maximize profit and survival, using every tactic to achieve survival. The implications of this study are to ensure that FMCG in Ghana ultimately migrates into digital platforms in order to remain flexible in their operation as a business and allow effective transactions among customers and business.

In todays highly competitive markets, keeping customers and retaining their loyalty is considered crucial in maintaining business. Companies and retailers also need to look for various marketing strategies in order to improve their customers’ loyalty. Having knowledge and skills about marketing is one of the capabilities which is required for success in the competition. In consumable markets, brands are the main points of differentiation between the competitive presentations, thus, they are crucial for the success of the companies. The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of marketing mix elements on brand loyalty. The present study is applicable in terms of objective and descriptive survey in terms of data collection. To evaluate the model and hypotheses, data collection was carried out through surveying 384 mobile phone users. For data analysis and verification of the model, structural equation modeling approach (SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used and based on the results of the path analysis, the relationship between the variables in the model is investigated. Results indicated the positive impact of products elements, distribution channels, and promotional activities on brand loyalty. Also, the findings showed that indexes of satisfaction and trust which are considered as mediating variables between marketing mix and brand loyalty had positive and significant impact on brand loyalty in the mobile phone industry.

This research aims to test whether product’s packaging color influences customers’ purchasing preferences or not and does time pressure moderates this relationship? It studied the importance of color in determining customers’ buying preferences when they have limited time to do shopping. This study revealed that buying preference of a customer is relatively more dependent on the color scheme than on time constraint. However, time pressure was an important moderating factor which influenced the effect of packaging colors on customers’ purchasing preferences. This study emphasized that companies cannot afford to ignore the significance of time constraints and color scheme of the products on customers’ buying behavior.

This study employs DeLone and McLean’s information
system success model to measure the effect of service quality, system quality, information quality on repurchase intention of the
smartphone-based ride hailing service in Vietnam. Data were gathered by
surveying 427 customers using Grab and Uber services. PLS
was employed to analyze the measurement and structural model. The statistical
results supported all five proposed hypotheses. The study confirmed that
electronic service quality of information system were significant predictors of
overall perceived service quality. Additionally, this
study reported a significant positive effect of perceived service quality
and customer satisfaction on repurchase intention. The
study also confirmed the relationships of the three variables representing the
electronic service quality on the overall service quality, which directly
effects customer satisfaction, considering a more comprehensive model for
service in m-commerce context. This paper extends the knowledge on the service
factors and customer satisfaction of repurchase intention.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a deeper look into value chain logic in supply chain relationships in a creative industries value chains. In recent years, value has been recognized as a key factor in better understanding of consumer behavior and gaining a competitive advantage. In a value chain, added value should be defined at every step of the chain. There should be defined activity which adds value as well as the activity that subtracts any value. The total value can be then calculated as the sum of the total value built up all throughout the value chain. Paper mostly analyses creative industries of advertising, architecture, and design. The presented model describes and analyzes the industry participants, value chain processes, support and related environment, and evaluates the relationship of stakeholders. The paper also takes into account the creation of value chain approach that describes the vertical and horizontal linkages. The chain of values represents the coordinated set of kinds of activity which create value for the enterprise, beginning from initial sources of raw materials for suppliers of this enterprise up to the finished goods delivered to the end user including service of the consumer. The value chain conception is important for the identification and development of the enterprise. The value creation activities can be a core competitive advantage which center on fostering relationships with key actors who can derive benefits from each other’s value chain. 

The mobile phone industry is a very innovative segment within the ICT sector, and the smartphone is gradually becoming the standard configuration of mobile devices and currently represents the fastest growing market in the telecoms industry. Previous studies on brand equity tend to focus on telecommunications, banking, hospitality, banking, construction, fast-moving customer goods, etc., while ignoring the education sector. Therefore, the general objective of the study is to evaluate the brand equity of apple smartphones and customer behavior in Abuja. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design. The study used primary data through a questionnaire using 341 samples. Specifically, the objectives of the study were to establish the extent to which brand awareness, brand association, and brand loyalty affect customer behaviour among students of Veritas University. The resutls revealed that brand awareness, brand association, and brand loyalty positively and significantly affect customer behaviour among Veritas University students. It was concluded that when consumers are attached and loyal to a brand, they are likely to make repeat purchases. This only happens when the relationship between the brand and the user is very in-depth and has an emotional connection with the mobile brand. The study recommended that firms interested in extending customer behaviour to repurchase their product categories should pay special attention to brand loyalty, brand awareness, brand association linked to the functions of guarantee, social identification, and status.

This research aims to test whether product’s packaging color influences customers’ purchasing preferences or not and does time pressure moderates this relationship? It studied the importance of color in determining customers’ buying preferences when they have limited time to do shopping. This study revealed that buying preference of a customer is relatively more dependent on the color scheme than on time constraint. However, time pressure was an important moderating factor which influenced the effect of packaging colors on customers’ purchasing preferences. This study emphasized that companies cannot afford to ignore the significance of time constraints and color scheme of the products on customers’ buying behavior.

Nowadays, only those tradings that just focus on the effectiveness of the marketing mix elements can shift their direction towards relationship marketing and establishing effective relationship management with customers. In todays competitive world, customers are in the center of companies’ attention and their satisfaction is the main factor in gaining competitive advantage. The fundamental prerequisite for achieving customers’ satisfaction is to fully meet or exceed their needs, wants, desires, expectations, and their willingness to purchase products. To gain competitive advantage, the companies should pay more attention to customers’ needs and meet them better than their rivals. This paper aims to investigate the impact of relationship marketing on customer loyalty enhancement in Kerman Iran insurance company. This study was carried out through a survey method using questionnaires as the main instrument. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between loyalty as dependent variable and trust, satisfaction, management, communication, and competence as independent variables and revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between variables. 

Nowadays, one product that has a well qualified design will not have expected utility if it cannot be available at the appropriate time and place to its buyers. Thus, marketing managers and official sales always try to find the more efficient and modern methods of distribution through investigating the transfer methods of goods. Appropriate decision will lead to the enhancement of transfer speed, convenience of customers, and reduction of costs. One of the main tools of marketing is the efficient distribution system. Since cultural products have a determining role in conveyance of thoughts, values, and social norms and transmit cultural values and messages with themselves, their distribution has a great importance. This study aimed to investigate the current challenges in distribution channels of cultural goods and services. Some of these challenges were being traditional, the length of the channel, and the number of intermediaries.                                                                                

In todays highly competitive markets, keeping customers and retaining their loyalty is considered crucial in maintaining business. Companies and retailers also need to look for various marketing strategies in order to improve their customers’ loyalty. Having knowledge and skills about marketing is one of the capabilities which is required for success in the competition. In consumable markets, brands are the main points of differentiation between the competitive presentations, thus, they are crucial for the success of the companies. The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of marketing mix elements on brand loyalty. The present study is applicable in terms of objective and descriptive survey in terms of data collection. To evaluate the model and hypotheses, data collection was carried out through surveying 384 mobile phone users. For data analysis and verification of the model, structural equation modeling approach (SEM) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used and based on the results of the path analysis, the relationship between the variables in the model is investigated. Results indicated the positive impact of products elements, distribution channels, and promotional activities on brand loyalty. Also, the findings showed that indexes of satisfaction and trust which are considered as mediating variables between marketing mix and brand loyalty had positive and significant impact on brand loyalty in the mobile phone industry.

Unemployment is one of the problems that global economics, especially the economy of
developing countries such as Iran is faced with. Therefore, there have been many studies to
investigate the variables which affect unemployment in macroeconomics. Considering
exchange rate volatility in recent years which have affected most of major variables of
economy in Iran, this study tried to investigate the relationship between exchange rate and
unemployment in Iran using the annual data of 30 years (from 1981 to 2012). To achieve the
objectives of the study, autoregressive econometric model with distributed lag was used to
assess the relationship between real exchange rate and unemployment. This model consisted
of five main variables, namely unemployment rate, exchange rate, export, import, and gross
domestic product. The results of the study demonstrated that economic growth had a
significant and positive effect on unemployment. In addition, it was shown that there was a
negative relationship between unemployment and exchange rate.