Impact of Brand Awareness on Customer Loyalty: A Case Study of MTN Group Limited

This dissertation analyzes the impact of brand awareness on customer loyalty in MTN Group Limited. It examines the factors affecting brand awareness, elements of customer loyalty, and evaluates the relationship between brand awareness and customer loyalty.

Running head: DISSERTATION
Dissertation
Student ID: 1550758
University of Cumbria in association with
Robert Kennedy College
An analysis of the impact of brand awareness on customer loyalty,
A case study of MTN Group Limited

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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction....................................................................................................................4
1.0 Introduction................................................................................................................................4
1.1 Background to the study............................................................................................................4
1.2 Research aim and Objective......................................................................................................6
1.3 Research questions.....................................................................................................................7
1.5 Summary....................................................................................................................................7
Chapter 2: Literature review............................................................................................................9
2.1 Literature review introduction...................................................................................................9
2.2 Branding..................................................................................................................................10
1.4 Research Hypothesis................................................................................................................10
2.2.1 Branding Benefits for Companies........................................................................................10
2.2.2 Branding Benefits for Customers.........................................................................................11
2.3 Theory of Lovemarks..............................................................................................................11
2.3.1 Different Brand Image Dimensions......................................................................................13
2.3.1.1 Sensuality...........................................................................................................................14
2.3.1.2 Mystery..............................................................................................................................14
2.3.1.3 Intimacy.............................................................................................................................15
2.4 Brand Awareness.....................................................................................................................15
2.5 Consumer perceptions of quality.............................................................................................17

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2.6 Purchase Intention...................................................................................................................18
2.7 Consumer Behaviour...............................................................................................................19
2.8 Consumer buying behaviour....................................................................................................21
2.9 Consumer Loyalty...................................................................................................................22
2.10 Relationship between brand awareness and consumer loyalty..............................................23
2.11 Brand equity in the service industry......................................................................................24
2.12 Literature gap.........................................................................................................................24
Chapter 3: Research Methodology................................................................................................25
3.0 Research Methodology............................................................................................................25
3.1 Research philosophy................................................................................................................26
3.2 Research Approach..................................................................................................................28
3.3 Research Design......................................................................................................................29
3.4 Data collection and analysis....................................................................................................30
3.5 Sampling..................................................................................................................................31
3.6 Reliability and Validity............................................................................................................32
3.7 Ethical Considerations.............................................................................................................33
Chapter 4: Findings and Analysis..................................................................................................34
4.1 Quantitative analysis................................................................................................................34
4.1.1 Demographic questions........................................................................................................34
4.1.2 Quantitative Questions on Brand awareness........................................................................41

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4.1.3 Quantitative Questions on Consumer loyalty.......................................................................52
4.2 Regression Analysis.................................................................................................................65
4.3 Qualitative data analysis..........................................................................................................67
4.4 Discussion................................................................................................................................72
Chapter 5: Findings........................................................................................................................73
5.1 Conclusion...............................................................................................................................73
5.1 Recommendations....................................................................................................................77
References......................................................................................................................................80
Appendix........................................................................................................................................87
Qualitative questionnaire...............................................................................................................90

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Chapter 1: Introduction
1.0 Introduction
This paper aimed to determine if there is a measurable impact of brand awareness on
customer loyalty in a company named MTN Group limited. Business has changed drastically,
and companies have become more oriented towards focusing on the emotional aspects of
customers for marketing activities Aronczyk and Brady (2015), than towards the physical aspects
of products Davis (2017). Marketing is one of the basic needs of the organizations to manage
their sustainability and gain competitive advantage. The lowest level of recalling the brand is
brand awareness, and brand recognition starts from brand awareness Sasmita and Mohd Suki
(2015). Brand awareness is the number one factor when it comes to making purchasing decisions
for consumers. The primary marketing approach of any organization should be the retention of
existing consumers and acquiring new consumers, giving prominence to relationship marketing,
in the form of sales promotion, direct relationship marketing, integrated marketing and
developing and managing a productive relationship with consumers (Schivinski and Dabrowski,
2015).
1.1 Background to the study
As stated by Sasmita and Mohd Suki (2015), brand awareness is consumers’ knowledge
of consumer products offered by the organization. Brand strength suggests the presence of the
brand in the minds of the consumers and how quickly that knowledge is retrievable from
memory. Consumers can easily recognize the availability and existence of a product depending
on the awareness it has been able to generate. Schivinski and Dabrowski (2015) stated
consumer loyalty is the means of retaining the existing consumers so that they can make a

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repurchase of the brand consistently. Affection and commitment lead to emotional attachment,
and this results in consumers’ loyalty to a brand or product. The variety of manufacturers
providing similar products and services to the consumers are abundant, so the ability of the
companies to retain their existing consumers stabilizes their revenue generation streams and
creates positive word of mouth which increases the existing consumer base. There has been a
significant increase in consumer awareness due to the amount of exposure they have been
enjoying since the advent of Web 2.0 or social media. Consumers may be familiar with a brand,
but knowledge of the brand is the deciding factor for choosing one brand over the other.
According to Cho, Rha, and Burt (2015), products having better brand awareness will have a
higher quality evaluation and market share – in the sense that brand awareness and the perceived
quality drives the consumer purchasing decision. Pappu and Quester (2016) state that it is far
more cost effective to retain existing customers than acquiring new ones by up to five times. The
previous point means that maintaining a high level of loyalty among the consumers is essential
for long-term sustainability of the organization. There has been a significant shift in the global
telecommunication market in the past few years, and South Africa has also been affected due to
this change. The demand for affordable data at high speed is at its highest level, and the mobile
services revenues have taken over fixed landline services (Van der Merwe, 2015). Most of the
consumers are using mobile phone networks instead of fixed-line networks traditionally
dominated by the state-owned Telkom in South Africa. The telecom industry in South Africa is
one of the most advanced sectors in Africa with regards to developed infrastructure post the
liberalization struggle. The entry of new suppliers has extended low priced services for the
consumers in the market. The monopoly Telkom had over other competitors significantly
diminished due to the availability of submarine fiber optic cables made available to ISPs’ and

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new entrants at very competitive pricing. The government has been supportive in increasing
competition in this sector and has provided a backbone through network capacity (Gust.com
2018). A large number of new companies have emerged into the market which has developed
cut-throat competition for cheaper and faster connectivity launching new products and offering
new services on a monthly basis to gain a competitive advantage which is quite difficult for
companies to sustain (Africantelecomsnews.com 2018). The intense competition is the reason
that there has been many mergers and acquisitions in the industry as it is tough to maintain a lead
in such a market. MTN Group Limited is one of the South African companies in the
telecommunication industry that caters to the markets in the Middle East and Africa (Mtn.com
2018). The company has its headquarters in Johannesburg, and even though the organization
operates in more than 24 countries all over the world, Nigeria is responsible for one-third of the
revenue of the organization as it has more than 30% share in the market (Mtn.com 2018). As
part of an extensive marketing campaigns, MTN has always been linked with soccer and other
sporting events as they were the primary sponsors on many occasions. MTN had agreed to the
sponsorship in the English premier league with the club Manchester United. The organization
partnered with Nokia to launch the consumer service platform in the year 2018. However, the
organization's services are focussed mainly on the African continent, and the organization is one
of the well-known and esteemed brands in Africa.
1.2 Research aim and Objective
The research has aimed at identifying different elements of brand awareness and
consumer loyalty. The dissertation examines the impact of each of the aspects of brand
awareness on the various points of consumer loyalty. A hypothesis that will investigate the
nature and degree of association between the two variables was developed.

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The aim of the research was:
• To examine the factors affecting the brand awareness of MTN
• To identify elements of customer loyalty
• To evaluate the impact of brand awareness on customer loyalty of MTN
1.3 Research questions
• What are the factors related to brand awareness of MTN?
• What are the elements of customer loyalty?
• What is the relationship of brand value on customer loyalty in MTN?
1.5 Summary
The previous chapters of this paper have introduced the topic of the study along with the
background and the research problem. The background section to the study stated that brand
awareness is one of the significant factors for gaining competitive advantage in the industry as
most of the companies have become marketing oriented. Brand awareness is the basis for
developing recognition among consumers and knowledge about a brand is one of the significant
drivers of business growth. The main aim of modern organizations must be the development of
loyalty among the consumers, as repeat purchasing is essential for the sustainability of the
organization. In the introduction, mention was made about the fact that it is less expensive to
retain existing consumers than to acquire new consumers in a tightly contested market. This
chapter will reveal the current scenario in the market and the changes in the market

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competitiveness. The research paper has also described the aim, objectives, and questions which
aimed to explain the reasoning behind conducting the research. The goals and research questions
indicate that different aspects of brand awareness will be evaluated to identify its impact on the
various elements of consumer loyalty. Therefore, this study will aim to establish the relationship
between consumer loyalty and brand awareness.

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Chapter 2: Literature review
2.1 Literature review introduction
This paper critically analyses the different elements of branding and consumer loyalty to
develop a theoretical framework based on the objective of the study. The first section of the
literature review will describe the branding history and the different theories of branding. The
second section discusses consumer loyalty and consumer buying behaviour. The last part
evaluates the logical linkage between consumer loyalty and brand awareness. The different
dimensions of branding and consumer loyalty have been critically assessed in the literature
review section. As stated by Ahmad et al. (2016), the companies before the 19th century had
their trade limited to the local market, and international trade emerged through industrial
revolution by making significant improvements in transportation, production process, and
communication. Bilgihan (2016) states the purpose of branding in the 19th century was to
reemphasize the perceived product value by making associations that were positive.
However, there were still many companies that were focussing on branding based on the
physical attributes, product performance, culture, and originality (Davis 2017), which indicates
that most of the marketing and branding was concentrated on the tangible attributes of products
in the 19th century. The companies changed their positioning and became market-oriented in the
20th century which is reflected in the evolution from strong associations to a typical, intangible
and symbolic feature of lifestyle and personality. Traditional marketing has always focused on
highlighting the physical aspect of the brand and the product on offer. As opined by Aronczyk
and Brady (2015), modern marketing is more focused on tapping into the emotional and sensory
experience of a brand which depicts the intangible aspect.

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2.2 Branding
As stated by Holt (2016), the most crucial aspect for any organization is to develop a
successful brand and promote the desired perception in the minds of the consumers. Posner,
Williams, and Posner (2015) define branding as the element that develops a distinct image of the
company in the minds of the consumers where the company and its products could easily be
distinguished from the products offered by other competitors in the market. Choo and James
(2016) argue that branding is the method of using design, symbols, experience, and name to
create a distinct image in the minds of the consumers. According to Ottman (2017), a positive
association, favourable attitudes and consistent model are the essentials for developing a strong
brand image. Branding has a positive effect on both the consumers and the organization.
1.4 Research Hypothesis
H1: Brand awareness is related to customer loyalty in MTN
2.2.1 Branding Benefits for Companies
According to Arifin (2018), the differentiation of the marketers’ products from their
competitors could be easily achieved by effective branding, which in turn, facilitates
improvements to brand awareness in addition to reducing the cost of marketing activities. La and
Hsu (2015) state that companies having high brand awareness among the consumers will have to
spend less effort and money on marketing and promotions. An organization can become a
market leader in a product segment or industry, by effective use of brand awareness. As stated by
Chiambaretto, Gurău and Le Roy (2016), a higher level of brand awareness lead to a higher
tendency of the consumers to purchase products of the organization after the need has been
generated. Therefore, brand awareness not only improves the profit margin of the organization

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but facilities in expanding their product line into the same consumer segment or even a new or
different segment. On the other hand, Tuominen et al. (2016) state that branding can be used by
the companies to safeguard the unique features of their products and protect them from
counterfeiting and provides legal protection. Thus, branding is not only used for improving the
profit margin and market share of an organization but also helps in protecting the organization
from counterfeiting activities.
2.2.2 Branding Benefits for Customers
Aichner, Forza and Trentin (2017) state the three significant benefits of branding for
consumers are self-expression, risk reduction, and information efficiency. Marcoz et al. (2016)
argue that the branding of a product would motivate the consumers to procure products that will
meet their expectations. Branding decreases the risk of choosing the wrong product and provides
the consumers with assurance of obtaining the product with the best perceived quality. Iglesias et
al. (2017) opined that branding also includes knowledge exposure to the different offerings made
by the company in a product category or segment. The web consists of vast amounts of
information in the modern era and consumers can easily search for and discover the products that
are suitable to their specific needs. Moreover, consumers can very quickly develop knowledge
regarding the available products from various competitors in the market and purchase products
that are best suited to their personality, social status, lifestyle, and character.
2.3 Theory of Lovemarks
As stated by Di Mattia, Rodríguez and Pérez-Acosta (2018), the scientific theory and its nature
is a group of statements that are systematically linked together and consists of generalizations
that can be tested using different forms of analysis techniques. Shuv-Ami, Vrontis, and Thrassou

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(2018) suggest that generalized theories should comprise three elements and they are empirical
testing and systematic connections. Systematic connection implies that all concepts and methods
are interrelated to each other which forms the definition and fundamental rules of formation.
Generalization refers to the interrelationship between theories and propositions that creates a
framework for the study, which means that there should be a generalized condition in the
structure or the method proposed by Ruihley and Pate (2017). The hypotheses should be testable
empirically which implies that the argument should apply to different experimental conditions.
However, the approach proposed by Robert’s Lovemarks framework (2004) does not fulfil all
the criteria mentioned above, so in this study, empirical data analysis has been conducted by
making use of surveys and interviews to address the research gap in the study. The study will
establish the relationship between the variables using empirical data analysis where it will aim to
validate the Lovemark’s theory.
According to Robert’s Lovemarks (2004), organizations must go beyond developing a brand,
by establishing a love mark to build loyalty among customers. The theory states that a 'love
mark' can be defined as the deep emotional connection that distinguishes the brand experience
between two or more different brands Silva et al. (2017). The brand, experience, and events
loved by the consumers fall into the category of Lovemarks. Robert describes Lovemarks as an
amalgamation of respect and extreme love for a brand. The level of enjoyment experienced by
consumers of the brand will distinguish between branding and Lovemarks and developed
categories such as fads, products, and brands.
The theory says products have a low level of respect and love, fads have a low level of respect
but a high level of love, love marks have a high level of both love and respect and brand receives
a high level of respect and low level of love or passion. The love aspect can be seen for example

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from companies like Apple, who may receive a high level of respect and love from their
consumers which are evident from the number of consumers waiting in queue for the launch of a
new product (Schlobohm, Zulauf and Wagner, 2016). Hewlett Packard receives a high level of
respect from their consumers, but none of the consumers will wait in a queue for the launch of a
new product which shows the lack of love. The best example of a fad is a kipper tie that was
popular for a certain period but not in fashion anymore. The three elements that will enhance the
experience of the consumers are sensuality, intimacy, and mystery. As stated by Silva et al.
(2017), these three factors are the three dimensions representing the brand image of the
organization. The fundamental reason for this is the fact that aspects of the brand image and
Lovemarks tap into the emotional perception and consumer rational of being connected to a
brand. Even though these factors are not enough for addressing all aspects of the brand image it
has been used to analyze most of the dimensions, which could be considered as a significant
limitation of the research model and the study.
2.3.1 Different Brand Image Dimensions
As stated by Anselmsson et al. (2014), one of the significant considerations of consumer
buying behaviour is the brand image of the organization. The buying behaviour of customers
when it comes to product and brand choices are primarily made based on the evaluation of the
image of the brand. The practical and cognitive aspect of brand image has been analysed in most
of the traditional studies, but the visual element is mostly avoided. Alwi and Kitchen (2014)
argue that the consumer interaction shapes brand image and it can also be considered as the
attitudes, feelings, beliefs, and perceptions of a brand in a customers’ mind. Gensler et al. (2015)
stated that intangible aspects are directly related to the image of the brand which comprises the
symbolic value and social meaning portrayed by the logo. According to Michaelidou, Micevski,

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and Cadogan (2015), feelings and perceptions associated with a brand determines the brand
image in the mind of consumers. In this study, the author has proposed sensuality, intimacy, and
mystery to represent the features of emotional, sensory and cognitive dimensions related to the
image of a brand. The theory states that these three factors are responsible for developing loyal
consumers of a brand.
2.3.1.1 Sensuality
Consumers’ physical senses develop experiences into their minds which defines the
visual aspect of the image of a brand. The sensory experiences that are pleasant define the
sensuality, for instance, the design of a website and ambiance of a store are suitable examples
stimulating the sensory experiences, and this can be addressed as sensuality. Robert (2004)
stated that visual factors of the product such as logo, design, display, music, colours, and
packaging enhance the emotional experiences of the consumers. Ruihley and Pate (2017) state
that sensory experience is one of the most critical aspects for the organizations to focus on when
trying to develop a better perception among consumers.
2.3.1.2 Mystery
The thoughts or perception of the brand is defined by the cognitive aspect of the brand, and
this can be established with the consumers by taking into consideration the services, attributes of
the products, symbolic meaning and performance of a brand. Schlobohm, Zulauf, and Wagner
(2016) state that a consumer develops a specific perception of the brand in their minds due to a
previous experience. The cognitive experience is captured by mystery defined by the presence
and experience of being associated with a brand. It also reflects upon the lifestyle and future
dreams which creates a perception that remains constant for all the occasions when a similar

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need is generated. As stated by Robert (2004), an essential subcomponent of mystery is the story
of the brand which defines the brand identity. The story that the brand depicts to its consumers
should result in positive perception and feelings. Aspirations, personal dreams and inspirational
ideology of the consumers are represented in the story. One example is the Adidas logo of three
stripes ascending in the shape of a mountain, depicting the challenges athletes face, like climbing
a mountain which appeals to their target market, athletes trying to overcome challenges and fulfil
their dreams.
2.3.1.3 Intimacy
The feelings of the consumers while interacting with the company is reflected in the
emotional aspect of the image of the brand. The connective and affective experiences between
the brand and the consumer are defined as intimacy Silva et al. (2017). The firms’ capability to
understand the preferences and opinions of the consumers and long-term commitment will foster
a positive relationship towards the products and services offered by the company.
2.4 Brand Awareness
As stated by Huang and Sarigöllü (2014), the ability of the consumers to recall, recognize and
identify a brand in diverse situations is known as brand awareness. The two essential elements
of brand awareness are brand recognition and brand recall. Sasmita and Mohd Suki (2015) states
that when a consumer encounters a product category, the ability of the consumer to recall a
specific brand is known as brand recall. On the other hand, Barreda et al. (2015) opined that the
ability of the consumers to recognize a brand from the brand cue is known as brand recognition.
The consumer awareness of a brand can be enhanced by effective use of the physical attributes of
the brand such as logo, icon, symbol and brand name.

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Similarly, promotion of the brand and word of mouth also increases the awareness of the brand
and is one of the primary drivers of the consumers’ purchasing decision. Kim, Choe, and Petrick
(2018) argue that width and depth are the two aspects that distinguishes a brand where extent
defines the depth of the consumer to recall a brand and width defines the ability of the brand to
invoke thought in the minds of the consumer while purchasing the product. This means that the
consumer feels about a brand if the brand has both width and depth. This means if a brand has
both breadth and depth the brand has higher awareness than other brands in the market.
Therefore, the brand association developed through brand awareness will influence the
purchasing behaviour of the consumers. Moreover, the products that create a positive image in
the minds of the consumers enhance the impact of the marketing activities conducted by the
organization.
The name of the brand is also crucial as it facilitates the consumers in identifying the service
providers and results. People tend to buy a well-known and familiar product which reflects the
awareness of the brand among the consumers. As stated by Sasmita and Mohd Suki (2015)),
consumer choice of products is influenced by brand awareness, which shows their purchase
intention are profoundly affected by brand awareness. This indicates that the products having
higher brand awareness will be preferable to the consumers due to the perceived high-quality
evaluation and market share. According to Kim, Choe, and Petrick (2018), the differentiation of
the marketers’ products from their competitors could be easily achieved by effective branding
methods. This facilitates the improvement of their brand awareness and reduces the cost of
marketing activities. Marcoz et al. (2016) state that companies having high brand awareness
among consumers will have to spend less budget in addition to less effort on marketing and
promotions.

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Organizations can become the market leader in a product segment and industry by
effective use of brand awareness. As stated by Jensen et al. (2015), the higher the brand
awareness, the higher the tendency of the consumers to purchase products of the organization
after the need has been generated. Therefore, brand awareness not only improves the profit
margin of the organization but facilities in expanding their product line into the same consumer
segment or different segment. On the other hand, Yan Xin et al. (2014) states that a product with
high brand awareness in the market will have a higher consumption preference due to its quality
evaluation and market share.
2.5 Consumer perceptions of quality
According to Li et al. (2018), the subjective judgment of the consumers towards a product is
known as perceived quality. The author also argues that the consistency of the specification of
the products and added value evaluation can also be considered as perceived quality. Wang and
Gao (2017) proposed that the criteria for user recognition is known as perceived quality and
product recognition is known as objective quality. The primary difference between perceived
quality and actual quality is the fact that the perceived quality will vary depending on the
perception of the consumers based on the external features, but the objective quality is pre-
designed and defines the attributes of the products. Yu, Liu, and Zu (2015) state that the
consumer evaluates the product benefits, durability, reliability, and technology based on their
knowledge and experience which portrays the objective quality. The subjective feeling and
accumulative product benefits are judged by the consumers who define the perceived quality of a
brand.
This means that there are significant differences between the real quality of a brand and the
perceived quality as the perceived quality is based on past encounters with the brand which will

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affect the future decisions of the consumers. This shows that unpleasant experience of the
consumer in previous encounters with the brand will change their next decision and they are less
likely to make a purchase or avail the service due to such experiences (Yu, Liu and Zu 2015).
The consumers have a different perspective of the product quality which shows that
manufacturers’ opinion of a product will vary as the consumer have less knowledge regarding
product specifications. Perceived quality is relative, and it will vary from consumer to consumer.
Consumers generally may not have enough information while purchasing, so the little
information derived from branding and advertising of a specific product essentially drives their
purchase decision.
2.6 Purchase Intention
The most recognized model for evaluating the purchase decision of the consumers was
presented by Engel, Blackwell, and Miniard (1995). According to this process, the buying
decisions of the consumers are divided into various stages and more specifically, five steps. The
different stages are recognition of the requirement, searching for information, evaluation for an
alternative, purchase decision and post-purchase behaviour. See-To and Ho (2014) argue that
consumer buying behaviour results from identifying the problem, probing for solutions,
evaluating the available products to check for alternatives and finally making the decision to
purchase. Hsu and Lin (2015) state that purchasing decisions can be further categorized into
thoroughly planned buying, partially planned buying and unplanned buying. The unplanned
buying behaviour can be considered as impulse buying behaviour where the consumer makes the
purchase intention and decision after entering the store. The partially planned buying behaviour
means that the consumer chooses the product category, but they will decide the brand and
product to purchase after entering the store.

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On the contrary, in thoroughly planned buying, the consumer will select the brand and the
product that they will purchase before entering the shop. Kotler (2003) stated that individual
attitudes affect the purchase intention of the consumers. This consists of personal preferences
and unpredictable behaviour which arises from unplanned situations. The purchase intention
defines the personal inclination towards a product, and it can be used as an index to forecast the
consumer buying behaviour. This aspect, ‘unpredictable consumer behaviour,’ has not been
taken into consideration for the research questions and could leave a gap for future research.
2.7 Consumer Behaviour
The importance of brand awareness on consumer loyalty can be understood only by having an
overview of the consumer buying behaviour. Horner and Swarbrooke (2016) state that the
activities and process in which the consumers get involved in when identifying, choosing,
buying, using, examining and disposing of a product or services to satisfy their wants and needs
leads to overall changes in purchasing behaviour. According to Holt (2016), experience-oriented
and cognitive consumer behaviour are two types of consumer buying behaviour, where the
experience-oriented consumers are more emotional towards making a purchase, and on the
contrary, the cognitive consumers are rational and logical towards the purchase and make their
purchasing decisions effectively. Arifin (2018) categorized the buying behaviour of consumers
into four types in the form of social, unconscious, learned and rational behaviour. The three steps
representing these behaviours are action, attitude, and knowledge.
The consumers that have rational behaviour will acquire knowledge regarding the product and
will evaluate the gathered information to weigh the offerings. The evaluation of the product
assists them in developing an attitude towards the product and make the decisions whether to
make the purchase (Anselmsson et al. 2014). These types of behaviours are common in the

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consumers trying to purchase an expensive product where initially knowledge is acquired,
attitude is developed, and final action is taken.
Consumers having unconscious behaviour starts by developing an attitude towards a product
which is generally formed from emotions and feelings. The developed attitude drives the
consumers to search for more information regarding the product and acquire knowledge. The
consumer, only after gaining the necessary expertise, will make the purchase decision. This
shows that in this process initially the consumer develops an attitude, gains knowledge and
finally acts.
The consumers develop learned behaviours from their habits in order to make choices of their
products, and their practices drive their actions. In this scenario, initially, the consumer learns,
develops knowledge and develops an attitude towards the product.
The consumers exhibiting social behaviour make their purchasing decision depending upon
the social environment they exist in. The lifestyle, status and peer influence will determine the
product they will purchase. In this scenario, the consumer makes the action, develops the
attitude and finally gains knowledge regarding the product.
As stated by Anselmsson et al. (2014), culture impacts consumer behaviour, and there are
other factors such as psychological, social and personal factors, that influence consumer
behaviour. Cultural factors define the social class, culture, and sub-culture that consumer
considers themselves to be part of. The consumers status, reference group, consumers role in
society and consumers’ family defines the social factor. The age of the consumers, their
economic background and lifecycle status determines personal factors. The attitude, belief,
learning, motivation, and perception of the consumers will define the psychological element.

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2.8 Consumer buying behaviour
As stated by Horner and Swarbrooke (2016), the strength, preference, intention and
attitude to commitment define the consumer buying behaviour. The different stages of buying
decisions consumers go through is commonly referred to as consumer buying behaviour which is
a complex process with various external and internal factors influencing the consumers’ eventual
buying decision.
The five stages of the consumer buying behaviour are as follows:
Figure 1: Consumer Buying Behaviour
Source: (Low 2016)
The above figure illustrates the five stages a consumer goes through while making
purchasing decisions, however, Low (2016) states that in a day to day purchase, information
search and evaluation of options are omitted, and this implies that consumers go through all these

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phases while making complex purchasing decisions. In the need generation, the need or the want
is being generated by external and internal stimuli. Once a need is created the consumer
searches for information through available sources, in this stage, a consumer will evaluate the
different options and rank them according to their personal preferences. In the next phase, the
consumer will make the purchase decision based on the evaluation in the previous stage. The
post-purchase phase deals with the comparison between the perceived performance and the
expected performance. The buying behaviour of the consumer will depend on the type of
product they are purchasing. In complex buying behaviour, the consumer will gather a lot of
information before buying a high-quality product. In habitual buying behaviour, the consumer
will make a purchase based on their habit. In variety seeking buying behaviour, the consumer
will experiment with the product they are purchasing. In dissonance-reducing behaviour, the
consumer will get highly involved with making a purchase, typically when the commodity is rare
or very expensive.
2.9 Consumer Loyalty
So et al. (2016) states that a consumer base that is loyal can be considered as a barrier to entry
for market competitors and is one of the core elements of brand equity. The goal of brand
management is to develop loyalty among consumers. A company can evaluate the strength of
their consumer loyalty by assessing the preferences of the consumer in purchasing the
competitors’ products. Consumer loyalty grows from previous positive personal experiences of
the use of a product or a service. Consumer loyalty is an assurance for the company that the
consumer will make a repeat purchase from the brand. Consumer loyalty shows the commitment
of the customer towards a brand, and they will keep on purchasing even if there is a change in
the situation. See-To and Ho (2014) argued that the frequency of purchase is not necessarily

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equivalent to consumer loyalty as many consumers buy a product due to convenience.
Convenience buying behaviour shows that consumers will keep on purchasing the product and
the company will not have to spend extra resources to lure them to avail themselves of a product
or service. A consumer can be truly loyal to a brand when it reflects in both their attitude and
behaviour. Consumers who have any one of these factors can be classified under the term
‘spurious consumer loyalty’. Loyalty can also be categorized into long-term and short-term
loyalty. Short term loyalty to a product does not define consumer loyalty as the long-term
consumer will never deviate from a trusted brand even if they get a better product.
Psychological processing, brand commitment and long-term commitment to purchase behaviour
define an actual long-term loyal consumer of a brand. The price tolerance and repurchase
intention also depict the loyalty of the consumers. Action loyalty and effective loyalty are
different types of consumer loyalty. Affective loyalty is developed from previous experiences
resulting from accumulated satisfaction from past purchases, commonly referred to as devotion
to a brand. The repurchase intention can be defined as effective loyalty, and purchase action
may not be actioned. Action loyalty shows that the consumer prefers the brand and they are
making repetitive purchases. However, it is quite difficult to evaluate the loyalty of a consumer.
Holt (2016) states that attitudinal loyalty defines the deep commitment of liking a brand which
shows that the consumer believes in the products offered by the organization. Yu, Liu, and Zu
(2015) opined that the behavioural perspective should be measured regarding the number of
products purchased, number of brands purchased and future intention of purchase.
2.10 Relationship between brand awareness and consumer loyalty
Ahmad et al. (2016) state that brand awareness profoundly affects the loyalty of the consumers
and previous studies have empirically tested the relationship between these two variables. Aaker

24DISSERTATION
theory (1991) established the relationship between consumer loyalty and brand awareness, but in
this theory, it is combined as a unidimensional concept. Sasmita and Mohd Suki (2015)
supported the findings of the Aaker theory and developed a degree of association between
consumer loyalty and brand awareness. The love marks theory suggests the same thing where
the love and respect are essential for developing effective brand awareness, which in turn affects
the consumer loyalty. Ahmad et al. (2016) suggested the possible relationship between brand
awareness and consumer loyalty.
2.11 Brand equity in the service industry
According to Çifci et al. (2016), it is quite difficult for consumers to differentiate between the
branding of a product unless they have experienced the services. The perceived risk of
purchasing service is more than purely purchasing a product, Horner and Swarbrooke (2016)
describes perceived risk as the dilemma between the negative and the positive effect of the
service. Kim, Choe, Petrick (2018) highlighted that to reduce risk, consumers prefer using
services that are highly reputed and the services they trust and have had satisfactory experiences
with in the past. Williams and Posner (2015) state that effective branding of the services offered
by the company assists the consumers in making the purchase decisions and reduces the amount
of risk they face. The study has shown that even though brand awareness has been the focus in
this literature, it has been more on the tangible products and there is very little literature talking
about the service industry.
2.12 Literature gap
The current literature has been unable to accurately define the concept of branding for the
service industry as most of the literature is inconsistent. Most of the research in the past has

25DISSERTATION
focused on the Aaker model, where sometimes it is considered as unidimensional, so other
aspects are generally not considered. This issue will be addressed by the Lovemarks model
which will be used to look at love and respect for the brand as another dimension defining
consumer loyalty of the brand (Di Mattia, Rodríguez and Pérez-Acosta 2018).
Chapter 3: Research Methodology
3.0 Research Methodology
In this study, brand image has been viewed as the combination of consumers’ direct and
indirect experiences, largely focussing on the intangible aspects of the brand. The research
methodology was developed based on Saunders Research Onion that consists of unfolding each
of the layers of an imaginary onion, with specific layers in the research onion being sampling,
research approach, ethical consideration, reliability, research design, validity, data analysis
method, data collection method and research philosophy. The objectives of the study will
determine the chosen methodology of research (Mackey and Gass 2015). The different methods
used in behavioural studies are survey method, case study method and observational method.
The research may also use the quasi-experimental method and correlational method when
prediction and behavioural description is the aim of the research (Taylor, Bogdan and DeVault
2015).
This study used the experimental method as a behavioural description, prediction and
cause and effect deductive approach is the purpose of the study. This is applied research as it
focuses on the issues faced by MTN and the results of the study can be used by the organization
to develop better brand awareness in the current market.

26DISSERTATION
Figure 2: Research onion Model
Source: (Taylor, Bogdan and DeVault 2015)
3.1 Research philosophy
In this study, assumptions and beliefs have been generated based on general awareness.
Realism, interpretivism, positivism and pragmatism are the different philosophies used in
scientific and social research. However, the current study has chosen pragmatism as the
philosophy of choice as it facilitates mixed method analysis in the study (Hughes and Sharrock
2016). All concepts are relevant in pragmatism if it is backed by suitable data or actions which
means that the philosophy indicates that there are multiple ways of construing the same
occurrence by different entities. This means that pragmatism trusts in various points of research.
The two most common philosophies are interpretivism and positivism which are mutually
exclusive to each other. Pragmatism is used to amend the assumptions made by these
philosophies so that the research can be moved to a different range.

27DISSERTATION
Figure 3: Research Philosophy
Source: (Hughes and Sharrock 2016)
Justification for choosing pragmatism
Pragmatism has been chosen as the philosophy of research as it facilitates the use of
mixed methods for analysing the collected data. This philosophy facilitates conducting both
qualitative and quantitative data analysis. Thus, the study has been able to use both hypothesis
testing and content coding to develop results from quantitative as well as qualitative data that
was gathered from questionnaires. The mixed method design has enabled the development of a
better result in the study which was less likely if a single research design was used. Although
pre-empted bias is commonly seen as a limitation to any case study, there are many authors that
argue that no case study research can truly be totally exempt from bias, but care should be taken
not to influence the outcome of the research to fit the research questions (Lee and Saunders
2017).

28DISSERTATION
3.2 Research Approach
Abductive, inductive and deductive are the different types of approaches to research. The
inductive method is used for the development of new theories and frameworks that are tentative
in nature. This is done by analysing the data and forming a hypothesis that is tested based on
patterns and information. However, the possibility of not deriving a relevant conclusion in the
study is high in this kind of research because the study changes direction based on the patterns in
the data analysed (Sekaran and Bougie 2016). The abductive approach starts with a shocking
statement, and the rest of the study is focused on proving the statement. On the other side, the
deductive approach is used to prove the theories discussed in the literature review of the
research. The deductive approach facilitates in testing the developed hypothesis in the study, and
this is the reason that the deductive approach has been chosen as the research approach. The
deductive approach has assisted in establishing the relationship between consumer loyalty and
brand awareness. The comparison between the expected and the observed outcome is also
evaluated using a deductive approach.
Figure 4: Research Approach
Source: (Sekaran and Bougie 2016)

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The justification for selecting the deductive approach
The deductive approach has been used to enhance the observational scope of the research.
The deductive approach has also assisted in executing both qualitative and quantitative data
analysis. The deductive approach is expected to provide fruitful results and is less time
consuming and risky. The deductive approach has also facilitated the conducting of surveys and
interviews Saunders et al., (2015).
3.3 Research Design
The research design is the procedure for choosing amid the qualitative and quantitative
techniques. It has also been considered by some as the process of collecting and analysing the
collected data successfully. Research design can be considered as the general plan of action or
proceeding with the research Meyers (Gamst and Guarino, 2016). Exploratory and conclusive
design are the two types of research design in the study. In exploratory design, available data is
used to conduct an in-depth analysis, and the result my lead to deviation from the original aim.
This means that the exploratory study does not aim to obtain a conclusion but will keep
exploring to provide tentative theories. This study has used the conclusive research design as it is
appropriate for conducting primary data analysis. Causal and descriptive research designs are
two types of conclusive research designs Meyers, Gamst and Guarino (2016). The descriptive
research design will observe and describe the phenomenon, and the causal design as the name
suggest evaluates the causal relationship between variables. This study uses a mixed research
design, so sequential explanatory is the appropriate research design. The mixed method analysis
has established the relationship between consumer loyalty and brand awareness where both
qualitative and quantitative analysis has been conducted and compared to develop significant
findings.

30DISSERTATION
3.4 Data collection and analysis
In this research study, primary data was collected for conducting both qualitative and
quantitative data analysis. The quantitative data was collected by using a survey questionnaire in
the form of close-ended questions asked to the consumers of MTN limited. The close-ended
questionnaire was conducted by means of an online survey to obtain answers hopefully relevant
to the study. As qualifying criteria for the quantities survey, a simple question was asked initially
“Are you an existing customer MTN or have been a customer of MTN in the past”, there was no
distinction made between past and existing customers. The qualitative data was collected through
a questionnaire consisting of open-ended questions (Palinkas et al., 2015). These open ended
questions are developed for semi structured interviews where the different factors responsible for
the loyalty of the consumers have been identified through the given questions. The questionnaire
has been developed in order to address the different aspect of the consumer loyalty as discussed
in the theories so as to confirm the theories discussed in the literature. Sensuality, mystery and
intimacy are the elements of the Love mark’s theory and the questions have been developed in
such a way it will address these elements.
These questions were asked of the managers of the organization and in-depth answers
have been gathered and analysed. The qualitative data has been analysed by using content
analysis where open coding and axial coding is used (Strauss and Corbin, 2008). The patterns in
the answers obtained from the in-depth questionnaire have been analysed to develop raw content,
and open coding has been used to identify the theories. Axial coding draws out the conclusion
from the systematic data. Statistical techniques have been used to evaluate the quantitative data.
The study used inferential statistics derived from responses to the developed questionnaire. Data
relevant to the study was collected and developed into graphs and tables. Regression analysis

31DISSERTATION
was conducted to analyse the relationship between consumer loyalty and brand awareness.
Microsoft Excel is the statistical tool used to develop the inferential statistics. The hypothesis
being tested with regression analysis was whether there is a relationship between consumer
loyalty and brand awareness.
3.5 Sampling
Sampling was used to collect data from the general population in South Africa, limited to
acquaintances of the author. The use of sampling diminished the cost of the research. A
systematic approach was taken while sampling the data collected in the study. In the first step,
the study consisted of choosing the target population significant to the research. The target
population for the study are MTN customers in South Africa for the quantitative analysis and for
the qualitative analysis the target populations was MTN Group’s managers. Sample frame
determination was used in the next step where the researcher attempted to identify the consumers
that could contribute to the study (Saunders et al., 2015.).
The sample frame consisted of MTN’s customers in South Africa for quantitative
analysis and for qualitative analysis the sample frame consisted of mid-level managers who have
worked/are working at MTN South Africa. The next step was to determine the sample size for
the study, where 226 potential respondents, (part of the authors personal social networks) were
selected for the survey, and the list was reduced to 100 based on completeness of answers to the
questionnaire. There were 39 surveys in the research that were incomplete and remaining 187
respondents comprises of 99 male respondents and 88 female respondents. The study has chosen
all the respondents from the overall 187 respondent to examine the impact of the brand
awareness on consumer loyalty. The qualitative respondents were selected through convenience
sampling and consisted of 10 respondents who worked with the author at MTN. All the

32DISSERTATION
respondents were contacted via email and social networks from the authors' contacts, for both the
quantitative and qualitative questionnaire. The number of respondents have been kept minimum
so that the bias in the research can be avoided.
3.6 Reliability and Validity
Reliability is the precision of the instruments used in the study which determines
reproducibility. Reliability has examined the research ability to reproduce similar results using
different datasets in the study. Test-retest reliability has been used as a tool to check the
reliability of the data where the different datasets have been used to check whether the same
results are obtained or not, LoBiondo-Wood and Haber (2014). However, the significance of
validity in the study is more as the data can be precise but if not valid then the study will fail.
The appropriateness of the chosen methods is defined by validity and construct validity has been
used in the study to check validity. The validity and reliability in the currents study are high and
desired results have been reached. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire is checked
using pilot testing where the data collected has been checked to see whether the answers are
significant or not.
3.7 Ethical Considerations
The privacy of the respondents has been maintained in the study by total anonymity of
personal data. The data collected has not been used in any other studies. The participants have
been given a vivid description of the purpose and objective of conducting the survey. The
participants have not been put under pressure to take part in the surveys. The research has
prioritised the protection, respect and dignity of the respondents (Walliman, 2017). The aims
and objectives have not been exaggerated, neither has the results obtained been manipulated. The

33DISSERTATION
statement forms, affiliation forms and funding sources have been mentioned to the participants to
avoid any type of conflict. This is essential for addressing the consent form so that participants
have enough information about the research before taking part in it. The developed
questionnaires do not contain offensive or discriminative languages that are offensive to the
respondents. The study has provided enough information for the participants to understand the
significance of the study to avoid coercion of any type. The ethical complexities of the research
population, specific questions and interpretation of the data and results from the answers have
been considered strongly by the author, moreover the interpretive nature of social thinking was
continuously being evaluated and considered in order to stay unbiased and stay focused on the
research outcome Bell and Bryman (2015).

34DISSERTATION
Chapter 4: Findings and Analysis
The findings and analysis chapter consist of evaluating both quantitatively and
qualitatively, the data obtained, to compare and prove the existing theories discussed in the
literature review. The relationship between brand awareness and consumer loyalty has been
identified where Lovemarks theory has been used to establish the relationship.
4.1 Quantitative analysis
Quantitative analysis has been conducted to develop relevant findings based on the
requirement of the study. The survey data has been collected and has been put in frequency
tables to analyse the opinion of the consumers on the brand awareness and consumer loyalty.
This enables the researcher to understand whether the consumers taking part are loyal consumers
or not.
4.1.1 Demographic questions
1. Age?
Age
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid Less
than 24
48 25.7 25.7 25.7
26-30 61 32.6 32.6 58.3
31-45 45 24.1 24.1 82.4
46 and
above
33 17.6 17.6 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 1: Age
Source: (As created by author)

35DISSERTATION
Graph 1: Age
Findings
The aim of this question was to evaluate the age of the respondents taking part in the
study. The graph and frequency table suggest that 32% of the respondents belong to the age
group of 26-30, 26% are below the age of 25 years, 24% are between the age group of 31-45 and
18% falls is the age group of 46 and above. This shows that the respondents are almost equally
distributed and the difference in opinion due to the age can be calculated later on in the study.
2. Your Gender?
Gender
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid Male 99 52.9 52.9 52.9
Female 88 47.1 47.1 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 2: Gender
Source: (As created by author)

36DISSERTATION
Graph 2: Gender
Source: (As created by author)
Findings
The number of male respondents in the study is 53% and the remaining respondents
consists of 47% of the respondents.
3. What is your education qualification?
Education qualification
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid Master’s
Degree
45 24.1 24.1 24.1
Bachelor’
s Degree
52 27.8 27.8 51.9
Honour’s
Degree
39 20.9 20.9 72.7
Diploma
Degree
51 27.3 27.3 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 3: Education qualification

37DISSERTATION
Source: (As created by author)
Graph 3: Education qualification
Source: (As created by author)
Findings
This question addresses the education qualification of the respondents. The graph and the
frequency table depict that 28% of the consumers are bachelor degree holders, 27% are diploma
degree holders, 24% are master’s degree holders and 21% are honours degree holder. This shows
that the respondents are well educated and may provide more thoughtful insights. However,
difference in opinion is expected due to their difference in maturity and level of development.

38DISSERTATION
4. What is your marital status?
Marital status
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid Married 42 22.5 22.5 22.5
Single 55 29.4 29.4 51.9
Separate
d
52 27.8 27.8 79.7
Widowe
d
38 20.3 20.3 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 4: Marital status
Graph 4: Marital status
Findings
This question evaluated the marital status of the respondents taking part in the survey.
The highest number of respondents in a section are single and comprises of 29% of the total

39DISSERTATION
population. The study also shows that 28% of the respondents are separated, 23% are still
married and 20% are widowed. This is a crucial aspect as all these consumers will have a
different perception as they have different views based on family status. In South Africa, when it
comes to married couples, the majority of woman would leave the decision making and
purchasing decision choices mostly for the head of the household, so the question gives an
indication if there is a large difference between married couples and single persons, which might
identify questions for future research into social behaviour with respect to consumer behaviour.
5. Years of use of MTN services
Years of use
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid Less
than a
year
50 26.7 26.7 26.7
1-2
years
36 19.3 19.3 46.0
2-5
years
55 29.4 29.4 75.4
More
than 5
years
46 24.6 24.6 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 5: Years of use
Source: (As created by author)

40DISSERTATION
Graph 5: Years of use
Source: (As created by author)
Findings
The question identifies the tenure of use of the services and products offered by MTN.
The chart and the response frequency show that 29% of the respondents have opted for the
services and product in between 2-5 years, 27% of the respondents have opted for the service for
less than a year, 25% have opted for the company’ service for more than five years and 19%
have opted for the service in between 1-2 years. This implies that the consumer availing service
for more than 2 years can also be considered as loyal consumers.

41DISSERTATION
4.1.2 Quantitative Questions on Brand awareness
(1=strongly agree, 2=agree, 3= indifferent, 4=disagree and 5=strongly disagree)
6. How far do you agree that MTN leverages the web effectively?
Leverages the web
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly
agree
83 44.4 44.4 44.4
Agree 73 39.0 39.0 83.4
Indifferen
t
12 6.4 6.4 89.8
Disagree 8 4.3 4.3 94.1
Strongly
disagree
11 5.9 5.9 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 6: MTN leverages the web
Source: (As created by author)

42DISSERTATION
Graph 6: MTN leverages the web
Source: (As created by author)
Findings
This question evaluates whether MTN leverages the web effectively or not. The result
from the response frequency show that the majority of the respondents have strongly agreed to
the research question comprising of 44.4% of the total population and 39% have agreed to the
question. On the contrary, it has been derived that 6.4% are indifferent to the question, 4.3%
have disagreed and 5.9% have strongly disagreed. This highlight that the organization has been
using web as a medium to improve their brand awareness effectively.
7. How far do you agree that MTN uses social authority to establish themselves excellently?
Social authority
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly
agree
71 38.0 38.0 38.0
Agree 85 45.5 45.5 83.4
Indifferen
t
12 6.4 6.4 89.8
Disagree 7 3.7 3.7 93.6
Strongly
disagree
12 6.4 6.4 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 7: MTN uses social authority
Source: (As created by author)

43DISSERTATION
Graph 7: MTN uses social authority
Source: (As created by author)
Findings
This question evaluates whether MTN uses social authority to establish themselves or
not. The outcome from the response frequency show that majority of the respondents have
strongly agreed to the research question comprising of 38% of the total population and 45.5%
have agreed to the question. On the opposing side, it has been derived that 6.4% are indifferent to
the question, 3.7% have disagreed and 6.4% have strongly disagreed. This highlight that the
organization has been using social authority to establish themselves excellently as a medium to
improve their brand awareness.

44DISSERTATION
8. How far do you agree that MTN uses traditional advertising successfully?
Traditional advertising
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly
agree
67 35.8 35.8 35.8
Agree 89 47.6 47.6 83.4
Indifferen
t
12 6.4 6.4 89.8
Disagree 8 4.3 4.3 94.1
Strongly
disagree
11 5.9 5.9 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 8: MTN uses traditional advertising
Source: (As created by author)
Graph 8: MTN uses traditional advertising
Source: (As created by author)

45DISSERTATION
Findings
This question evaluates whether MTN uses traditional advertising efficiently or not. The
outcome from the response frequency show that most of the respondents have strongly agreed to
the research question encompassing 35.8% of the total population and 47.6% have agreed to the
question. On the contrary, it has been derived that 6.4% are indifferent to the question, 4.3%
have disagreed and 5.9% have strongly disagreed. This highlight that the organization has been
using traditional advertising medium to improve their brand awareness which means that
traditional marketing tools are still an important aspect of their branding strategy.
9. How far do you agree that MTN uses sponsoring events efficiently?
Sponsoring events
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly
agree
96 51.3 51.3 51.3
Agree 60 32.1 32.1 83.4
Indifferen
t
12 6.4 6.4 89.8
Disagree 9 4.8 4.8 94.7
Strongly
disagree
10 5.3 5.3 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 9: MTN uses sponsoring events
Source: (As created by author)

46DISSERTATION
Graph 9: MTN uses sponsoring events
Source: (As created by author)
Findings
This question evaluates whether MTN uses sponsoring events to improve their brand
awareness or not. The result from the response frequency show that majority of the respondents
have strongly agreed to the research question consisting of 51.3% of the total population and
32.1% have agreed to the question. On the contrary, it has been derived that 6.4% are indifferent
to the question, 4.8% have disagreed and 5.3% have strongly disagreed. This depicts that MTN
has been using sponsoring events effectively to increase the awareness among the consumers.

47DISSERTATION
10. How far do you agree that MTN uses product placement effectively?
product placement
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly
agree
88 47.1 47.1 47.1
Agree 68 36.4 36.4 83.4
Indifferen
t
12 6.4 6.4 89.8
Disagree 12 6.4 6.4 96.3
Strongly
disagree
7 3.7 3.7 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 10: MTN uses product placement
Source: (As created by author)
Figure 10: MTN uses product placement
Source: (As created by author)

48DISSERTATION
Findings
This question evaluates whether MTN uses product placement effectively or not. The
result from the response frequency show that majority of the respondents have strongly agreed to
the research question comprising of 47.1% of the total population and 36.4% have agreed to the
question. On the contrary, it has been derived that 6.4% are indifferent to the question, 6.4%
have disagreed and 3.7% have strongly disagreed. This highlight that the organization has been
using product placement as a tool to make the consumers aware of the offerings made by the
company.
11. How far do you agree that MTN uses digital marketing effectively?
Digital marketing
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly
agree
80 42.8 42.8 42.8
Agree 76 40.6 40.6 83.4
Indifferen
t
12 6.4 6.4 89.8
Disagree 7 3.7 3.7 93.6
Strongly
disagree
12 6.4 6.4 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 11: MTN uses digital marketing
Source: (As created by author)

49DISSERTATION
Graph 11: MTN uses digital marketing
Source: (As created by author)
Findings
This question evaluates whether MTN leverages digital marketing effectively to improve
the image and awareness of the brand. The result from the response frequency show that majority
of the respondents have strongly agreed to the research question comprising of 42.8% of the total
population and 40.6 % have agreed to the question. On the contrary, it has been derived that 6%
are in different to the question, 3.7% have disagreed and 6.4% have strongly disagreed. This
highlight that the organization has been using digital marketing as a strategy for attracting the
consumers and gaining their attention. This is highly relevant as the majority of the consumers
are exposed to the digital marketing platforms, so this helps to gain more awareness where
regular updates and interaction with the consumers is necessary.

50DISSERTATION
12. How far do you agree that MTN excels at providing best service to their consumers?
Providing best service
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly
agree
78 41.7 41.7 41.7
Agree 78 41.7 41.7 83.4
Indifferen
t
12 6.4 6.4 89.8
Disagree 12 6.4 6.4 96.3
Strongly
disagree
7 3.7 3.7 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 12: MTN excels at providing best service
Source: (As created by author)
Graph 12: MTN excels at providing best service
Source: (As created by author)

51DISSERTATION
Findings
This question evaluates whether MTN excels at providing best service to their consumers
or not. The result from the response frequency show that majority of the respondents have
strongly agreed to the research question comprising of 41.7% of the total population and 41.7%
have agreed to the question. On the contrary, it has been derived that 6.4% are indifferent to the
question, 6.4% have disagreed and 3.7% have strongly disagreed. This emphasized the fact that
consumers have been using the service of MTN for more than 5 years and some for more than 2
years which means that their expected and perceived level of service has been reached otherwise
they would have made a switch to other competitors in the market.
13. How far do you agree that MTN’s message is simple, consistent and effective?
simple, consistent and effective message
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly
agree
81 43.3 43.3 43.3
Agree 75 40.1 40.1 83.4
Indifferen
t
12 6.4 6.4 89.8
Disagree 9 4.8 4.8 94.7
Strongly
disagree
10 5.3 5.3 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 13: MTN’s message is simple, consistent and effective
Source: (As created by author)

52DISSERTATION
Graph 13: MTN’s message is simple, consistent and effective
Source: (As created by author)
Findings
This question evaluates whether MTN is able to convey their brand awareness message
effectively or not and whether it is simple, consistent and effective. The result from the response
frequency show that majority of the respondents have strongly agreed to the research question
comprising of 43.3% of the total population and 40.1% have agreed to the question. On the
contrary, it has been derived that 6.4% are indifferent to the question, 5.3% have disagreed and
4.8% have strongly disagreed. This shows that the organization has been able to tell their story
effectively to the consumers which is the reason consumers understand the purpose of the
organization and the role it plays in the life of the consumers. The majority stated that the
message is simple and consistent which means that the logo, awareness and tag line has been
effectively used to develop a brand equity that is relatable for the consumers.

53DISSERTATION
4.1.3 Quantitative Questions on Consumer loyalty
(1=strongly agree, 2=agree, 3= indifferent, 4=disagree and 5=strongly disagree)
14. How far do you agree that consumers trust MTN as a brand?
Trust
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly
agree
78 41.7 41.7 41.7
Agree 78 41.7 41.7 83.4
Indifferen
t
12 6.4 6.4 89.8
Disagree 14 7.5 7.5 97.3
Strongly
disagree
5 2.7 2.7 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 14: consumers trust MTN
Source: (As created by author)
Figure 14: consumers trust MTN
Source: (As created by author)

54DISSERTATION
Findings
This question addresses whether the consumers have developed trust with the
organization or not. The findings have highlighted that majority of the respondents have strongly
agreed to the research question representing 41.7% of the respondents and 41.7% have supported
the majority. On the other hand, 7.5% have disagreed to the majority and 2.7% have strongly
disagreed and 6.4% are indifferent. This shows that majority of the consumers trust the company
and thus have been associated with it for a long time and similarly, the consumers that had
different expectations or MTN as a company did not live up to their expectations had little trust
in the organization. This may result from instances where their experiences were bad which
prevents them from trusting the organization. However, the consumers that are indifferent
represent those consumers that are still experimenting with their choice and evaluating different
products in the market.
14. How far do you agree that MTN has developed a respectable corporate reputation?
respectable corporate reputation
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid 1 66 35.3 35.3 35.3
2 90 48.1 48.1 83.4
3 12 6.4 6.4 89.8
4 6 3.2 3.2 93.0
5 13 7.0 7.0 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 14: MTN has developed a respectable corporate reputation
Source: (As created by author)

55DISSERTATION
Graph 14: MTN has developed a respectable corporate reputation
Source: (As created by author)
Findings
This question assesses whether MTN has developed a respectable corporate reputation
among the consumers. The result from the responses show that most of the respondents have
agreed to the research question comprising of 48.1% of the total population and 35.3% have
strongly agreed to the question. On the contrary, it has been derived that 6.4% are in different to
the question, 3.2% have disagreed and 7% have strongly disagreed. This illustrates the level of
trust the organization has been able to develop among the consumers. In this regard, half of the
population considers MTN as a highly respectable brand which means that they are happy to be
associated with the brand.

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15. How far do you agree that opinion of the peer group affects the opinion of the
consumers in choosing MTN?
Opinion of peer group
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly
agree
89 47.6 47.6 47.6
Agree 67 35.8 35.8 83.4
Indifferen
t
12 6.4 6.4 89.8
Disagree 13 7.0 7.0 96.8
Strongly
disagree
6 3.2 3.2 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 15: Peer group affects the opinion of the consumers in choosing MTN
Source: (As created by author)
Graph 15: Peer group affects the opinion of the consumers in choosing MTN

57DISSERTATION
Source: (As created by author)
Findings
This question evaluates whether peer group affects the opinion of the consumers in
choosing MTN or not. The result from the response frequency show that majority of the
respondents have strongly agreed to the research question comprising of 47.6% of the total
population and 35.8% have agreed to the question. On the contrary, it has been derived that 6.4%
are in different to the question, 7% have disagreed and 3.2% have strongly disagreed. This shows
that the organization has been able to generate positive word of mouth among the consumers, so
they recommend the services offered by the organization to friends and family.
16. How far do you agree that recall of the advertisements is effective in MTN?
recall
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly
agree
73 39.0 39.0 39.0
Agree 83 44.4 44.4 83.4
Indifferen
t
12 6.4 6.4 89.8
Disagree 12 6.4 6.4 96.3
Strongly
disagree
7 3.7 3.7 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 16: Recall of the advertisements is effective in MTN
Source: (As created by author)

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Graph 16: Recall of the advertisements is effective in MTN
Source: (As created by author)
Findings
This question evaluates whether recall of the advertisements is effective in MTN or not.
The result from the response frequency show that majority of the respondents have strongly
agreed to the research question comprising of 39% of the total population and 44.4% have agreed
to the question. On the contrary, it has been derived that 6.4% are in different to the question,
6.4% have disagreed and 3.7% have strongly disagreed. This shows that majority of the
consumers can recall the brand when the need is being generated and suggest it to their peer
groups and family. This also implies that the organization has been able to develop effective
brand equity and perception in the minds of the consumers.

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17. How far do you agree that employee appearance and service delivery affect the
consumer buying behaviour in MTN?
Employee appearance and service delivery
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly
agree
68 36.4 36.4 36.4
Agree 88 47.1 47.1 83.4
Indifferen
t
12 6.4 6.4 89.8
Disagree 6 3.2 3.2 93.0
Strongly
disagree
13 7.0 7.0 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 17: Employee appearance and service delivery affect the consumer buying behaviour
in MTN
Source: (As created by author)

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Graph 17: Employee appearance and service delivery affect the consumer buying
behaviour in MTN
Source: (As created by author)
Findings
This question evaluates whether employee appearance and service delivery affect the
consumer buying behaviour in MTN. The result from the response frequency show that majority
of the respondents have strongly agreed to the research question comprising of 36.4% of the total
population and 47.1% have agreed to the question. On the contrary, it has been derived that 6.4%
are indifferent to the question, 3.2% have disagreed and 7% have strongly disagreed. The
organization belongs to the service industry so providing the best possible service is essential for
consumer satisfaction. The consumers evaluate the product and service based on the overall
experience, so a positive employee appearance and service delivery experience is a must in this
case.

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18. How far do you agree that you make repeat purchase of the products and services
offered by MTN?
repeat purchase
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Valid Strongly
agree
67 35.8 35.8 35.8
Agree 91 48.7 48.7 84.5
Indifferen
t
10 5.3 5.3 89.8
Disagree 13 7.0 7.0 96.8
Strongly
disagree
6 3.2 3.2 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 18: Consumers make repeat purchase of the products and services offered by MTN
Source: (As created by author)
Graph 18: Consumers make repeat purchase of the products and services offered by MTN

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Source: (As created by author)
Findings
This question evaluates whether Consumers make repeat purchase of the products and
services offered by MTN. The result from the response frequency show that majority of the
respondents have strongly agreed to the research question comprising of 35.8% of the total
population and 48.7% have agreed to the question. On the contrary, it has been derived that 5.3%
are in different to the question, 7% have disagreed and 3.2% have strongly disagreed. This means
that majority of the consumers are expected to make a repeat purchase of the products offered by
the organization.
19. How far do you agree that you are loyal to MTN?
loyal
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly
agree
73 39.0 39.0 39.0
Agree 85 45.5 45.5 84.5
Indifferen
t
10 5.3 5.3 89.8
Disagree 8 4.3 4.3 94.1
Strongly
disagree
11 5.9 5.9 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 19: Consumers are loyal to MTN
Source: (As created by author)

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Graph 19: Consumers are loyal to MTN
Source: (As created by author)
Findings
This question evaluates whether consumers are loyal to MTN or not. The result from the
response frequency show that majority of the respondents have strongly agreed to the research
question comprising of 39% of the total population and 45.5% have agreed to the question. On
the contrary, it has been derived that 5.3 % are indifferent to the question, 4.3% have disagreed
and 5.9 % have strongly disagreed. The repeat purchasing intent of the consumers are high which
signifies that the consumers are loyal to the organization. This has been reflected in the response
frequency from the survey question.

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20. How far do you agree that you are satisfied with services and products offered by
MTN?
satisfaction
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid Strongly
agree
87 46.5 46.5 46.5
Agree 71 38.0 38.0 84.5
Indifferen
t
10 5.3 5.3 89.8
Disagree 17 9.1 9.1 98.9
Strongly
disagree
2 1.1 1.1 100.0
Total 187 100.0 100.0
Table 20: Consumers are satisfied with services and products offered by MTN
Source: (As created by author)
Table 20: Consumers are satisfied with services and products offered by MTN
Source: (As created by author)

65DISSERTATION
Findings
This question evaluates whether consumers are satisfied with services and products
offered by MTN. The result from the response frequency show that majority of the respondents
have strongly agreed to the research question comprising of 46.5% of the total population and
38% have agreed to the question. On the contrary, it has been derived that 5.3% are indifferent to
the question, 9.1% have disagreed and 1.1% have strongly disagreed. This shows that majority of
the consumers are highly satisfied with the products and services offered by the organization.
This means that the organization has been able to develop a strong image and awareness which is
reflected by the response which leads to higher loyalty to MTN. However, this needs further
analyses using inferential statistics to prove the theory.

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4.2 Regression Analysis
Regression analysis is conducted to establish the numerical relationship between the
independent variable and the dependent variable. The regression analysis can be also be used to
analyse the goodness of fit of the model developed in the research. The below table is the output
table determining the relationship between two variables and the significance of the data. The
linear relationship between the data will be analysed in the study using the regression analysis
and it also shows that explaining capability of the independent variable about the dependent
variable.
SUMMARY
OUTPUT
Regression Statistics
Multiple R
0.97090
1159
R Square
0.94264
9061
Adjusted R
Square
0.94233
9056
Standard
Error
0.23418
5107
Observation
s 187
ANOVA
df SS MS F
Significa
nce F
Regression 1
166.7630
309
166.763
0309
3040.75
3633
8.8196E-
117
Residual 185
10.14589
29
0.05484
2664
Total 186
176.9089
238
Coeffici
ents
Standard
Error t Stat P-value
Lower
95%
Upper
95%
Lower
95.0%
Upper
95.0%
Intercept -
0.04310
0.039021
591
-
1.10454
0.27078
9908
-
0.12008
0.03388
3295
-
0.12008
0.03388
3295

67DISSERTATION
123 8232 5754 5754
X Variable 1
1.01561
7781
0.018417
882
55.1430
2887
8.8196E
-117
0.97928
1695
1.05195
3866
0.97928
1695
1.05195
3866
Regression analysis has been conducted to establish the relationship between consumer
loyalty and brand awareness. The hypothesis in the first chapter has been evaluated using
inferential statistics. The nature and degree of association between the variables are evaluated
using the regression analysis. The value of multiple R and R square has been evaluated to
identify effectiveness of the developed model. Multiple R determines the correlation between the
independent variable (brand awareness) and the dependent variable (consumer loyalty). The
value of multiple R in the study is 0.970901159 which is almost equal to 1 which means that
there is positive correlation between the variables and it is almost perfect. This means that
enhancing the brand awareness will enhance the consumer loyalty of the organization. However,
the significance of the result must be validated using the F statistics.
R² is the coefficient of determination which determines the extent to which the
independent variable can explain the dependent variable. The value of R² is used to determine
the goodness of fit of the model developed by the regression analysis. R² will also analyse
whether the data points lie within the regression line or not. The explanatory capability of the
independent variable on the dependent variable is also analysed using this method. When the
value of R² is greater than 0.8 it means that goodness of fit of the developed model is high. The
value of R² is 0.942649061 which means that 94.277% of the dependent variable can be
explained by the independent variable. There is random variability of 5.73 due to the inclusion of
human element into the study.
To evaluate the significance, F statistics have been checked and the F value in the given
study is 8.8196E-117. The F statistics value in the study is less than 0.05 which means that the

68DISSERTATION
null hypothesis can be rejected, and love marks theory has also been proven which shows that
consumers having respect and love for the organization will stay loyal. This means that there is a
positive relationship between consumer loyalty and brand awareness.
0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
f(x) = 0.928153365267901 x + 0.149186018063085
R² = 0.942649060956604
Regression Analysis
Brand Awareness
Consumer Loyalty
The regression line in the study is y = 0.9282x + 0.1492 which shows the relationship
between consumer loyalty and brand awareness. The equation can be rewritten as Consumer
loyalty= 0.9282 Brand awareness + 0.1492. The linear equation shows the positive relationship
between the variables. When the value of brand awareness is put as 1 unit, the value of consumer
loyalty becomes 1.0784 which shows the positive relationship. This means that with 1 unit
increase in the value of brand awareness, consumer loyalty will increase by 1.0784 units.
4.3 Qualitative data analysis
The qualitative analysis will consist of the result from the data gathered by interviewing
10 managers of the company. The qualitative analysis supports the findings of the study and will
compare the results to provide a different dimension. The remarks used in the qualitative analysis
are not the exact verbatim of the respondents but a generalized remark has been developed based

69DISSERTATION
on the similar view of the respondents and all the points mentioned by each are used to develop a
remark.
Questions Remarks Count
1. What is the significance
of brand awareness in the
organization?
“Brand awareness is
essential for sustainability in
the market and the
organization spends majority
of the time in improving the
brand equity so that more
and more people know about
the brand and the product
that is being offered by the
organization”
“We focus on developing
the brand as it is one of the
major ways of reaching out
to consumers and retaining
them. The cost of acquiring
new consumers is quite high
so it is highly significant”
5
5
2. How much does the
company focus on branding?
“The company is immensely
focused on branding as

70DISSERTATION
Why? consumers in the modern era
have more options available
and globalization has
increased the competition.
This is the reason we use
social media marketing,
search engine optimization,
improving the logo,
developing digital content
that represents us”
“It is quite obvious that
branding is the main
function of the organization
as developing a brand that is
loved and respected
provides consumer, loyalty
and purchase intentions. In
order to attain this, we
communicate with
consumers on online
platforms as much as
possible and pay heed to
3
7

71DISSERTATION
their issues and solve the
problem faced by them. We
also try out our best to
conduct events and sponsor
events and football clubs to
improve the awareness of
the brand.”
3. What are the different
aspects of branding?
“The different aspects of
branding are image,
awareness and recall. These
three are the basic and
various aspects are attached
to where the branding has to
be done in such a way that
the story of the
organizations clear to the
consumers. This means that
branding has to be
consistent, specific and
relatable.”
10
4. What are the different
elements of consumer
loyalty?
The different elements of
consumer loyalty are trust,
repeat purchasing, positive

72DISSERTATION
word of mouth etc. A loyal
consumer will stay with you
for their life span and the
cost of retaining these loyal
consumers are quite little
when compared to acquiring
new consumers from the
market.
10
5. What is the impact of
brand awareness on
consumer loyalty?
“Brand awareness highly
impacts the loyalty of the
consumers as if the
consumers are not aware of
the work done by other
organizations and the
products offered then it is
impossible to gain loyal
consumers. The first step of
reaching consumers is
developing an effective
brand.
10

73DISSERTATION
4.4 Discussion
The quantitative data analysis has shown that there is a positive impact of brand
awareness on consumers based on the regression analysis and similarly, the opinion of the
managers indicates the organization is successful in developing an effective brand. The
consumer awareness of a brand can be enhanced by effective use of the physical attributes of the
brand such as logo, icon, symbol and brand name. Similarly, promotion of the brand and word of
mouth also increases the awareness of the brand and is one of the major drivers of the
consumers’ purchasing decision. The awareness aspect is clearly reflected in the answers and
responses derived from both managers and consumers. The critical analysis and discussion of the
different theories clearly suggested that brand awareness is a critical factors for improving the
loyalty of the consumers. The purchase intention of the consumers are affected by the perceived
quality which is also reflected from the data analysis.
Consumer buying decision is complex in nature and goes through multiple phases. In the
need generation, the need or the want is being generated which can be due to external and
internal stimuli. When the need is generated the consumer searches for information through the
available sources such as personal, public and commercial. In this stage, consumer will evaluate
the different options and rank them according to their personal preferences. In the next phase,
the consumer will make the purchase decision based on the evaluation in the previous phase. The
post purchase phase deals with the comparison between the perceived performance and the
expected performance.
The buying behaviour of the consumer will depend on the type of product they are
purchasing. This is also true for the consumers in the service industry like MTN, and it is much
more difficult for consumers to make the purchasing decision, which can only be enhanced

74DISSERTATION
through first-hand experience. As stated by one of the managers, “It is obvious that branding is
the main function of the organization as developing a brand that is loved and respected provides
consumer loyalty and positive purchase intentions. To attain this, we communicate with
consumers on online platforms as much as possible and pay heed to their issues and solve the
problems faced by them efficiently. We also try our best to conduct events and sponsor events
and football matches to improve the awareness of the brand”. The extensive sponsorship of
soccer events shows that the organization has been focused on creating awareness of the brand,
in turn retaining the existing consumers. The company has been effective in making use of the
social media platform, but continuous improvement and innovation is required as their
competitors are also progressing and developing strategies. MTN still does not have leadership
as far as market share in South Africa is concerned and the organization will have to make
improvements to increase their share in the market.
As per discussed in the literature review section, it has been seen that Aaker model and
Love Mark’s theory states that love and respect highly affects the brand awareness and consumer
loyalty. Similarly, it has been seen that there is a clear correlation between consumer loyalty and
brand awareness. The awareness of the brand is high among of the consumers which is one of the
prime reasons that the consumer has developed their loyalty towards MTN. This clearly reflects
and has similarity with the theories in the literature review section.
Chapter 5: Findings
5.1 Conclusion
This study identified the fact that branding is the foremost reason for retaining existing
consumers as consumers have become much more conscious about the brands they are being

75DISSERTATION
associated with. The perception that an organization generates in the minds of the consumers
about the offerings and the brand is directly proportional to the loyalty of the consumers. Brand
image is shaped by the consumer interaction, and it can also be considered as the attitudes,
feelings, beliefs and perceptions of a specific brand (Sasmita and Mohd Suki 2015).
Objective 1: To examine the factors affecting the brand awareness of MTN
The factors affecting brand awareness are leveraging the web, use of social authority, use
of traditional advertising, event sponsorship, product placement, digital marketing and quality
service. The factors of love marks theory also affect the brand awareness where sensuality,
mystery and intimacy are essential for developing positive brand awareness. The result from the
quantitative analysis has shown that most of the consumers are exposed to these factors while
encountering the company and becoming loyal consumers. The conclusion shows that at least
84% of the consumers surveyed in this research have given good reviews about the organisation
which indicates that the organisation has a high brand image in the South African market. The
question asked to evaluate whether the brand message is effective, simple and consistent or not
and the result from the response frequency show that majority of the respondents have strongly
agreed to the research question comprising of 44% of the total population and 40% have agreed
to the question. On the contrary, it has been derived that 6% are indifferent to the question, 5%
have disagreed, and 5% have strongly disagreed. This shows that the organisation has been able
to tell their story effectively to the consumers, indicating they have understood the purpose of the
organisation and the role MTN plays in the life of the consumers. The majority stated that the
message is simple and consistent which means that the logo, awareness and tagline has
developed brand equity that is relatable to the consumers. This is one of the most significant
factors of brand awareness, in which organisations have enjoyed success due to the effectivity of

76DISSERTATION
their message. In comparison to the literature review, it can be seen that all the factors mentioned
in the literature have been addressed in the findings and analysis. Width and Depth are two
essential aspect of brand awareness which is similar to answered obtained from the consumers
and mid-level managers where mostly of them directly or indirectly have talked about brand
recall and the ability of the brand to invoke purchasing behaviour.
Objective 2: To identify elements of customer loyalty
The different elements of consumer loyalty are trust, meeting the expectation, perceived
value, and excellent consumer service and consumer engagement. a loyal consumer can be
considered as a barrier to entry for the market competitors and is one of the core elements of
brand equity. The final objective of brand management is developing loyalty among the
consumers. A company can evaluate the strength of their consumer loyalty by evaluating the
preferences of the consumer in purchasing the competitors’ products. Consumer loyalty is
developed from previous personal experiences engaging in a product or a service. Consumer
loyalty is an assurance for the company that the consumer will make a repeat purchase from the
specific brands that they are loyal to. Consumer loyalty shows the commitment of the customer
towards a brand, and they will keep on purchasing even if there is a change in price or feature of
the products. The findings of the study show that in measuring trust, most of the respondents
have strongly agreed to the research questions representing 42% of the overall population for the
study. On the other hand, 7% have disagreed with the majority, and 3% have strongly disagreed,
and 6% are indifferent. This shows that most of the consumers trust the company and as a result
have been associated with it for a long time and similarly, consumers that had different
experiences where MTN did not live up to the expectations of the customers, had a lower level of
trust towards MTN. This may result from instances where their experiences were bad which

77DISSERTATION
prevents them from trusting the organisation. However, the consumers that are indifferent
represent those consumers that are still experimenting with their choice and evaluating different
products in the market. The responses have been similar in most of the cases in the sense that the
consumers have been in favour of the organisation from the perspective that the majority of
respondents were satisfied with the service provided by MTN. However, there are still
consumers that are not happy with MTN, and the company should investigate these finding to
identify the factors that are responsible for consumers having a bad experience and make
changes or enhancements. The effective loyalty of the consumers are affected by this factors and
these consumers are less likely to make a repeat purchase. The loyalty of the consumers go
through different phases and have different kinds of loyalty to different products. However, the
perceived value and consumers’ expectations need to be met for any progress towards loyalty. In
this scenario, it has been seen that the unsatisfied will not make any purchase until a different
image of the brand is invoked in the brand.
Objective 3: To evaluate the impact of brand awareness on customer loyalty of MTN
The findings of the study have demonstrated that brand awareness has a high impact on
consumer loyalty which was proven by the inferential statistics. The value of multiple R in the
study is 0.970709 which is almost equal to 1 which means that there is a positive correlation
between the variables and it is almost perfect. This means that enhancing the brand awareness
will enhance the consumer loyalty of the organisation. When the value of R² is greater than 0.8,
it means that the appropriateness of the developed model is high. The value of R² is 0.942277
which means that 94.277% of the dependent variable can be explained by the independent
variable. There is random variability of 5.73 due to the inclusion of the human element in the
study. The F value in the given study is 1.68E-62, and the F statistics value in the study is less

78DISSERTATION
than 0.05 which means that the null hypothesis can be rejected, and the Lovemarks theory has
also been accepted, which shows that consumers having respect and love for the organisation
will stay loyal. The impact of brand awareness on the consumer loyalty is clearly illustrated by
the research questions and the positive reviews that has been received from the respondents
taking part in the study. As discussed in other studies, Love Mark’s theory consists of
psychological factors that affects the purchase decision and loyalty towards as they develop love
and respect towards particular brands and remain loyal to them.
5.1 Recommendations
Objective 4: To recommend suitable strategies for improving brand awareness in MTN
Even though MTN Group has been able to develop an effective brand, continuous
progress and investment in branding is required to enhance consumer loyalty and brand
awareness. The organisation will have to develop content on a regular basis on digital marketing
platforms. The organisation should improve their search engine optimisation content so that
MTN’s websites and products are on the first page of the priority search. The organisation should
also use blogging to create content that is effective and easy to relate to. It is easier for people to
relate to infographic and visual content which improves the brand recall, so the organisation
should develop infographic content on their social media websites and official websites to attract
more consumers to the brand, increasing the chance of people going through the content
developed by the organisation as it takes less time to understand and grasp if a summary of the
content is effectively portrayed graphically.
The organisation should also consider multimedia content like YouTube which is a
platform that has one of the highest online traffic statistics, conducting webinars is one of the

79DISSERTATION
ideal ways for the company to communicate with their clients. The organisation should also
provide offers, discounts and free usage to the consumers as most of the consumers in the market
have become technology savvy, and they purchase their products by evaluating the quality, and
more importantly the best value for money.
The organisation should also develop content that is interactive and should communicate
with the consumers on the social media platform like Twitter, on a regular basis, to identify the
concerns of the customers and improve the level of engagement the organisation has with their
consumers. Remarketing is one of the essential features needed to be used by the organisation to
target the existing consumers so that they can become loyal consumers, especially in the
‘indifferent’ customers, focussing on these customers can show a significant growth in market
share.
Email marketing is another way of improving the brand awareness of the organisation
and MTN should send emails to their existing consumers regularly to update them about the
products, services and offers. Digital marketing is one of the most powerful media tools in the
modern age, but the use of traditional marketing is still effective, and the company should also
focus on investing in their traditional marketing. Referral marketing is another form of marketing
where the consumers would get discounts or price cuts on existing offers if they refer friends or
family. This method creates positive word of mouth, and the organisation can increase their sales
volumes and profit margins effectively. Community involvement is one of the major ways of
improving brand awareness as the consumers in the modern era prefer being associated with
organisations being active in the social field. The organisation should take measures to protect
the surrounding environment and contribute to the community through charity, donations and
improvement of the social environment.

80DISSERTATION
The findings of the research and the critical analysis of the factors have clearly shown
that brand equity and awareness are critical for improving the loyalty of the consumers. MTN
has been able to increase their awareness of the brand in the past decade which contrasts the
awareness the consumers about the product offerings of the organization. However, majority of
the literature has oversimplified the behaviour of the consumers as consumers demographics
have not been taken into account while analysing their behaviour but the demographics plays
significant role in making decisions for the companies. Moreover, the approaches taken by
previous authors were based on the consumer buying behaviour theory but the findings suggest
that Love Marks theory plays a significant role in increasing the loyalty of the consumers.

81DISSERTATION
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Appendix
Quantitative questionnaire
1. Age?
a) Less than 25 b) 26-30 c) 31-40 d) 41 and above
2. Your Gender?
a) Male
b) Female
3. What is your education qualification?
a) Master’s Degree
b) Bachelor’s Degree
C) Honour’s Degree
d) Diploma Degree
4. What is your marital status?
a) Married
b) Single
c) Separated
d) Widowed
5. Years of use of MTN services?
a) Less than a year
b) 1-2 years
c) 2-5 years

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d) More than 5 years
Questions on brand awareness
5. How far do you agree that MTN leverages the web effectively?
a) Strongly agree b) Agree c) Indifferent d) Disagree e) Strongly disagree
6. How far do you agree that MTN uses social authority to establish themselves excellently?
a) Strongly agree b) Agree c) Indifferent d) Disagree e) Strongly disagree
7. How far do you agree that MTN uses traditional advertising successfully?
a) Strongly agree b) Agree c) Indifferent d) Disagree e) Strongly disagree
8. How far do you agree that MTN uses sponsoring events efficiently?
a) Strongly agree b) Agree c) Indifferent d) Disagree e) Strongly disagree
9. How far do you agree that MTN uses product placement effectively?
a) Strongly agree b) Agree c) Indifferent d) Disagree e) Strongly disagree
10. How far do you agree that MTN uses digital marketing effectively?
a) Strongly agree b) Agree c) Indifferent d) Disagree e) Strongly disagree
11. How far do you agree that MTN excels at providing best service to their consumers?
a) Strongly agree b) Agree c) Indifferent d) Disagree e) Strongly disagree
12. How far do you agree that MTN’s is simple, consistent and effective?
a) Strongly agree b) Agree c) Indifferent d) Disagree e) Strongly disagree
Questions on consumer loyalty
13. How far do you agree that consumers trust MTN as a brand?
a) Strongly agree b) Agree c) Indifferent d) Disagree e) Strongly disagree
14. How far do you agree that MTN has developed a respectable corporate reputation?

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a) Strongly agree b) Agree c) Indifferent d) Disagree e) Strongly disagree
15. How far do you agree that opinion of the peer group affects the opinion of the
consumers in choosing MTN?
a) Strongly agree b) Agree c) Indifferent d) Disagree e) Strongly disagree
16. How far do you agree that recall of the advertisements is effective in MTN?
a) Strongly agree b) Agree c) Indifferent d) Disagree e) Strongly disagree
17. How far do you agree that employee appearance and service delivery affect the
consumer buying behaviour in MTN?
a) Strongly agree b) Agree c) Indifferent d) Disagree e) Strongly disagree
18. How far do you agree that you make repeat purchase of the products and services
offered by MTN?
a) Strongly agree b) Agree c) Indifferent d) Disagree e) Strongly disagree
19. How far do you agree that you are loyal to MTN?
a) Strongly agree b) Agree c) Indifferent d) Disagree e) Strongly disagree
20. How far do you agree that you are satisfied with services and products offered by
MTN?
a) Strongly agree b) Agree c) Indifferent d) Disagree e) Strongly disagree

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Qualitative questionnaire
1. What is the significance of brand awareness in the organization?
2. How much does the company focus on branding? Why?
3. What are the different aspects of branding?
4. What are the different elements of consumer loyalty?
5. What is the impact of brand awareness on consumer loyalty?