Brand Perception

1.1 BACKGROUND STUDY

Brand plays an essential role in the success of a business, especially in a competitive environment where survival of a business depends on the customers’ preferences. Brand managers need to understand how customers perceive and select brands in specific product categories and market segments. They also need to know what is important to customers when making a brand decision, where customers get information about products and services, and what customers think about their brand. In the mobile telecommunication industry where consumers have many alternatives to choose from, Companies are anxious to separate themselves from their competitors in a unique and inimitable way; brands play an enormous role in achieving these

(2006), consumer perception is the process by which an individual selects, organizes, and interprets stimuli into a meaningful and coherent picture of the world. If the consumer (whether it’s a business, a buyer, a voter or a donor) therefore doesn’t pay a premium, make a selection or spread the word, then no brand value exists for that consumer. Brand awareness is as such one of the main crucial issues for consumers when assessing products (Aaker, 1991). Evaluating brand perception of consumers is very essential in enhancing product value, pricing and consumers’ attitudes toward the brand

According Paul Jankowskwi (www.forbes.com) Perceptions are critical. A brand is made of hundreds of perceptions that create an emotional connection with consumers. While solid marketing directly effects many perceptions, consumers now have the tools to alter, undo, change and enhance brand perceptions from their point of view. Word of mouth and customer reviews is where the real rubber meets the road. Think about your brand. Why do people like it? Why do they use it? What emotions are elicited when they think about your brand? This research work seeks to study and analyse what people think, what elicited them when they think and why they use products of the Vodafone Ghana brand.

1.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The main objective is to determine how the Vodafone brand in Ghana impacts on consumer purchase preference in the telecom industry.

Specific objectives were the following:

• To examine if consumers loyalty and trust are determined by service quality or the Vodafone brand.

• To determine the key factors that motivate consumer purchase decision regarding