EVALUATING DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS CONTRIBUTION TO BRAND EQUITY ON WATER PRODUCING COMPANIES IN GHANA. A CASE STUDY OF SELECTED MINERAL WATER COMPANIES.

Abstract

Brand equity is a very paramount aspect in the marketing of an organization’s product. The organization’s knowledge about how their product or service is perceived by their consumers is important for the management of marketing strategies used in the organization. Mineral water producing companies has been operating business in the country for a long period of time. However, the evaluation of the different channels used in marketing their product and the impacts it has on the brand’s equity has not been fully researched. This study therefore aims at evaluating distribution channels contribution to brand equity on water producing companies in Ghana, a case study of selected mineral water companies. Descriptive research design was used for the study. An online survey was conducted where the sampling size for the study was 156. The sampling size was selected using convenience sampling technique. A five point Likert scale questionnaire was used in acquiring the respondent’s information. The questionnaires were analyzed with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel. The study revealed that distribution channel effectiveness has an impact on brand equity. From the findings of the study it can be concluded that there is a positive relationship between brand equity and distribution channel effectiveness. According to the respondents of the study, distribution channel effectiveness impacts brand loyalty most followed by brand association, brand awareness and perceived quality respectively. From findings it can be deduced that water producing companies in Ghana are able to meet customers’ demands, distribute their products on time, package their products well and have a constant price. vi The study recommends that water producing companies in Ghana should pay more attention towards increasing direct marketing that is distributing mineral water to customers directly.