Determining Whether Branding of Locally Manufactured Car Care Products Increases Brand Preference: A Case of Auto shops In Nairobi

Abstract

Car care products are products which are engineered to maintain a car into good working condition to bring about longevity and also aesthetic values. Some family of car care products are those products which can be used for body paints, battery systems, dashboard, engine systems and upholstery parts. Car care products need to be well blended with good design, colour, packaging, label, lettering, name, style, and symbol so that the products can be distinguished from the competitors’. This results to product differentiation which builds on brand preference thus sales increase and high profitability for the companies. This study was carried out to determine whether branding of locally manufactured car care products increased brand preference. This study brought out the role of branding of locally manufactured car care products in product preference, brand perception, market entry and in gaining competitive advantage. The research adopted a descriptive research design. Sampling technique adopted was non-random; convenience sampling. Data was collected using questionnaires and interviews done among the auto shops along Kirinyaga Road, Nairobi. These are organizations that deal with both imported and locally manufactured car care products. One of the key findings of this study was that branding of car care products improve brand perception, brand preference and aid in market entry. It was also found that branding enable companies gained competitive advantage. One of the key recommendations proposed by this study is that locally manufactured car care products should be properly branded. This would enable the local brands to compete fairly with the imports. This study recommends other area of the study to be done on the effect of advertising on branding.