EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF DETERGENT CHARACTERISTICS VARIATION ON USERS’BRAND LOYALTY AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITIES IN MAKURDI METROPOLIS

¹Kwahar Nguwasen & ²Onov Phillip

¹Department of Business Administration, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi

²Department of Economics, Benue State University, Makurdi

E-mail: ngu.kwahar@gmail.com/phixoyoung@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

The study was conducted on the analysis of the effect of detergent characteristics variations on brand users’ loyalty among undergraduate students of the Universities in Makurdi metropolis of Benue State. The aim was to analyze detergent characteristics variations combination that will achieve the best users’ brand loyalty in the study area. The 3x3x3 factorial experimental design was used for the study. This involves three independent variables each varied in three dimensions. The population of the study comprised all users of detergents among undergraduate students of the Universities in Makurdi metropolis of Benue State. These Universities are the Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi and Benue State University Makurdi. The sample of 270 was selected from the target population: 135 students from Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi and 135 students from Benue State University Makurdi. An 18-item self-developed instrument: “Detergent Users Loyalty Inventory” (DULI) was used for data collection. Three-way Analysis of Co-variance (ANCOVA) was used to test the Hypotheses by comparing the effect of the differences in product characteristics variation on brand loyalty. Pre-manipulation scale scores were used for pre-test or as covariate. In particular, the independent measures (between-groups) ANCOVA was used since the study dealt with different subjects under different conditions. The main and interactional effects in ANCOVA result were all significant; the study therefore went further to make use of Fisher’s Least Significant Difference (LSD) to locate the mean differences and sizes. The study found that the overall best brand loyalty level can be achieved only when there is a simultaneous increase in price, size and quality (Mean =178.01). Similarly, other economically optimal brand loyalty levels can be achieved at maintained size, price decrease and quality increase (Mean=177.80) and maintained size, maintained quality and price decrease (Mean =177.30). It was however observed that consumers of detergents in Makurdi metropolis of Benue State responses were in line with the tradition of maximum utility at lowest cost which though good for the rational users, is detrimental to the sustainability of the business.  Detergent Users want both quality and size increase as prerequisite for price increase. This though quite plausible to detergent users, can only be achieved at a loss to the producers. To solve market disequilibrium problems, the study recommended mutual benefits to both the producers and users of detergent. Thus, in view of precarious economic conditions, producers should increase the quality of detergents and the decrease size as prerequisite for price increase(Mean=90.81).This, though with low loyalty level vis-à-vis the best loyalty levels, will be mutually beneficial as it will attract a significant level of loyalty from the detergent users and at the same time, provide a window for producers to achieve high level of profitability.

Keywords: Product Characteristics, Product Characteristics Variation, Brand Loyalty, Detergents Users, Makurdi Metropolis.