INFLUENCE OF CORPORATE BRANDING ON CONSUMER PERCEPTION OF ORGANIZATIONS IN KENYA

OWINO FAITH OCHIENG'

Abstract


Branding strategies are undertaken with the main aim of differentiating products from a pool of competitors and positioning them within the market place. Globalization and regional integration have contributed to increased numbers of competitors operating within the same context. Competing organizations seek market dominance by increasing corporate profitability through the growth of market shares. The clinical approach to corporate branding as a reputation management tool has evolved to the application of corporate branding as a strategy for the formation and shifting of consumer attitudes and behavior. The objectives of the study were to assess the influence of corporate branding on brand awareness and to determine the influence of corporate branding on consumer perception of organizations in Kenya. This study employed a descriptive research design approach and was targeted to a section of the population that had been exposed to the brand and actively consumed their products. The study focused on customers within the confines of Nairobi County. Convenience sampling strategy was used to draw a representative sample from the population. The data was collected from students and staff in tertiary institutions within the Nairobi CBD. In addition, the study surveyed 384 respondents using questionnaires. The data was subjected to SPSS version 20 system in which the researcher undertook descriptive and inferential data analysis. Further, the researcher drew inferences on the influence of corporate branding on the perception of organizations using correlation and multiple regression analysis. The study found that corporate branding had significant positive association with brand awareness. The study also established that corporate branding had significant positive association with consumer perception. The study recommends that organizations should use corporate branding as a strategy for increasing brand awareness. In addition, the study proposes that corporate brand communication be employed across diverse channels to achieve optimum market coverage. In addition, the study advocates for the use of corporate branding as a reputation management strategy to achieve positive perception across all consumer segments. Finally, the study advances the application of corporate branding to differentiate and position organizations thereby enabling them to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage within their industry.


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