Introduction
This study explores the impact of the marketing mix in creating brand loyalty. The study will be undertaken to determine the elements of the marketing mix that are more important in the creation of sustainable brand loyalty among consumers. The findings from this study will provide important insights on how firms can achieve brand loyalty and influence the decisions of customers using the marketing mix strategy. This paper also seeks to determine the interrelationship between various elements of the marketing mix and whether they complement each other. The author will evaluate the role that product development, pricing, promotion or distribution play in influencing consumer decisions. The study focuses on consumer perceptions regarding the elements of the marketing mix. Because of its quantitative nature, the findings from the proposed study can be generalized and will be used to derive managerial implications. The following are some specific research questions for this research:
- What elements of the marketing mix are more important for the creation of sustainable brand loyalty among customers?
- How can firms tailor their marketing mix to improve brand loyalty?
- How do various elements of the marketing mix inter-relate with each other?
Problem Statement/Originality
Barwise (1993), as quoted in Yoo et al. (2000), assert that despite the vast interest in brand loyalty, there is insufficient literature with regard to which marketing activities are relevant for the effective implementation of brand loyalty, which is a crucial element of brand equity. Yoo et al. (2000) further agree that many researchers have placed emphasis on exploring the concept of brand loyalty. However, they have failed to account for its sources and development, despite the fact that the knowledge about the sources and creation of brand loyalty are fundamentally pertinent to informing the decisions made by marketers and brand managers to influence consumer buying behavior. In order to cater for this gap in knowledge, the proposed study seeks to analyze the various elements of the marketing mix (price, promotion, place, and distribution) and explores their relative importance in creating and sustaining brand loyalty.
Proposed Methods
The proposed study will make use of a quantitative research design, which relies on the use of statistical analysis to make inferences and generalization from the findings. For this study, brand loyalty will be the dependent variable, whereas the independent variables will comprise the elements of the marketing mix (promotion, price, product, and distribution). It is imperative to note that the scope of this study is limited to consumers’ perceptions on the elements of the marketing mix and how these elements influence their buying behaviors, as well as brand loyalty.
The survey will be executed using questionnaires on a sample of 100 respondents, who will be selected randomly from various commercial outlets across the capital of Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire will solicit responses from the customers with regard to their perceptions on the elements of the marketing mix and how these aspects of the brand appeal to them and inspire loyalty. Brand loyalty will be measured using five-point likert scales evaluating the likelihood of customers switching brands if there are changes in the components of the marketing mix (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill 2007).
For instance, the likelihood of switching brands in the event that a cheap alternative brand is produced in the market will be used to measure the price element of the marketing mix. Data analysis for these variables will primarily involve the use of one-way first to determine if there are any significant differences in the elements of the marketing mix with respect to the likelihood of switching brands. With regard to the interrelationship between the elements of the marketing mix, correlation statistics will be used, after which the researcher will perform a multiple regression to model the relationship between brand loyalty and the marketing mix components.