This research work was aimed at studding the major factors which determine the consumer preference for Malt – Guiness, Maltina and Vitar Malt brands of Malt drinks, using consumers in Enugu urban.

The study also examined how consumers respond to the various marketing variables such as price, promotion, product, and place so as to verify which tool to concentrate mostly by firms and executives who produces and market Malt drinks.

To accomplish these, the researcher generated primary data. The data were generated using questionnaire as the research instrument. The questionnaire were administered to various consumers in Enugu urban.

After a detailed analysis of the data generated, it was discovered that malt drinks consumption cuts across various age groups in Nigeria, and also that business people and civil servant consume more than any other professional groups in Nigeria. Other findings made from this study are that malta guiness is the most preferred brand out of the six studied brands. This was followed by maltina and vita – malt. Amistel malta has the lowest consumer brand loyalty followed by Royal malt. Also, the study showed that while quality and availability or place were accepted as major factors which influence their preference of a particular brand by consumers, promotion and price were regarded as having very insignificant effect.

Following the above findings, the researcher made the following recommendations.

First, it was recommended that more marketing efforts be directed to business people and civil servant by malt drinks firms. Another recommendation was that firms with low brand loyalty should re-examine their products to improve their quality. Again, marketers of malt drinks are advised to reduce their budget share to promotion and engage more in product modification and development.

Finally, it was recommended that malt drink firms see their consumers as price insensitive, but quality conscious which will enable them pay less attention to price – cutting as an effective strategy.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE - - - - - - I

APPROVAL PAGE - - - - - II

DEDICATION - - - - - - III

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT - - - - IV

ABSTRACT - - - - - - V

TABLE OF CONTENTS - - - - - VI

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

1.2 Statement of problem

1.3 Research objective

1.4 Statement of hypothesis

1.5 Significance of the study

1.6 Scope of the study

1.7 Limitation of the study

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Consumers behaviour

2.2 The motivation theory

2.3 The learning theory

2.4 The Freudian psychoanalytic model

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Design of the study

3.2 Methods of investigation

3.3 Research instrument

3.4 Population for the study

3.5 Sample size procedure

3.6 Questionnaire allocation

CHAPTER FOUR

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

4.1 Questionnaire distribution

4.2 Age distribution of respondents

4.3 Respondent by education qualification

4.4 Respondents by occupation

4.5 Quality as a factor for brand preference.

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND CONCLUSION

5.1 Summary of findings

5.2 Recommendations

5.3 Conclusion

Notes

Bibliography

Appendixes.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The introduction of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in Nigeria has resulted in so many changes. Among these changes are those that occurred in the food and beverage industry.

In this industry, some of the major raw materials formally used in the production of drinks like wheat, malt barley and yeast were banned from being imported. Consequently, the taste and quality of been which are produced with locally sourced raw materials changed and as a result, many firms turned to a new product (Malt) in order to reach their business objective. With this new changes, many and various different brands of malt drinks arrived in the market. The implication was a cut – throat competition in malt drinks market among the producing firms thus calling for only the most marketing oriented firms i.e. firms who know the customers physically and psychologically to survive.

The wide spread in the brands of malt drinks and proliferation of firms that manufacture malt drinks market. Many consumers who could no longer afford to taste the been which was 100% locally sourced turned to malt drinks. But there are so many brands of malt drinks that it became imperative for the marketing managers to determine those factors which push consumers to bend toward a particular brand. Some of these competing brands are Maltina, Amstel Malta, Vita – Malt, Hi – Malt and Royal Malt, Malta Guniness.

Also, the prevailing economic situation is another factors which compels companies that manufacture malt drinks to uphold the term effectiveness in all their actions.

Unlike the yesterday’s Nigerian buoyant economy when consumers complaining less about the proportionality of the price they pay and the value of their purchased goods or services, consumers become more cautious of their spending.

As a result of existing stagflation i.e. combination of recession and inflation, consumers are very cautious about spending.

They ensure that their every kobo spent is worth it, thus making it difficult for an arm – chair marketer to win consumer loyalty. The situation calls for an in depth under standing of the consumer to understand those factors which push them to prefer a particular brand of malt drink to another. Only adequate knowledge which can gained through findings from studies of this nature will enable the marketers and manufacturers to develop products and services tailored to their target market needs.

A consumers purchase decision and brand choice are some times seen as being erratic. Consumers are not always right in their decision but this only makes the marketers task more challenging. There are many factors and motives which play significant role in consumers purchase decision such that it is an uphill task to designate accurately which factors that determine consumer brand preference.

When a consumer is presented with different brands of malt drinks to choose from, there is a gamult of marketing and environmental stimul: which come into play to determine his brand choice. The pressing need and task facing the brewers and marketers of malt drinks is to find out which of these stimuli or variables that exert greater influence on consumer brand preference. The central interest of the marketer is to know how consumers respond to various marketer – controlled stimuli. A marketer who understands how consumers respond to these stimuli have an enormous advantage over his competitors. The only way to be one of the fittest who survived in this competitive environment is to have an insight into the consumers buying behaviour as elicited by their preferences for particular brand so as to give marketers in the food and beverage industries who deal on malt drinks guide in tailoring their marketing programmes and efforts in line with the expectation of their target market.

The major emphasis in this study will be focused on the identification of the major variables like product attributes, price, distribution factor, or promotional activities which exert greatest influence on consumers brand preference for malt drinks.