The influence of packaging and brand equity on over-the-counter herbal medicines in Kumasi, Ghana.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.In a highly competitive drug market, building vibrant brands would ensure that traditional herbal medicine companies gain sustainable competitive edge and long term profits. More importantly, successful brands need to be recognized as strong and enduring assets that can boost the companies` future growth in the industry. Distinctive packaging design is well-acknowledged to provide less expensive means of creating healthy brands with high commercial value. Despite the numerous advantages associated with well-designed packaging and brand equity of late, traditional herbal medicine companies are yet to reap the benefits in the over-the-counter pharmaceutical market. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of packaging and brand equity of herbal drugs in the over-the-counter medicine market. The research utilized a quantitative research method to align the research objectives with the philosophy underpinning the study. Using a systematic sampling technique, data were gathered face-to-face from 348 respondents selected from the herbal medicine market in Kumasi metropolis in Ghana. Through structural equation modelling (SEM) technique using SPSS Amos 22, the proposed research hypotheses were analysed. The findings of the research indicate that brand loyalty, brand awareness and brand association are the key sources of customer perceptions of brand equity in the over-the counter market. Essentially, brand loyalty was found to be the most important driver of value for brands in the over-the-counter medicine industry. The results also demonstrate that packaging contributes to enhance brand equity through the impact of brand loyalty, brand association, perceived quality and brand awareness of herbal medicine in the over-the-counter market. The study further found that, among the dimensions of brand equity, packaging plays a substantial role in creating brand loyalty in the over-the-counter pharmaceutical market. The study recommends that traditional herbal medicine companies need to concentrate their efforts on developing brand loyalty given its strategic role in the success of a business. Furthermore, traditional herbal medicine companies need to consider packaging in their brand-building efforts to strengthen overall brand equity in the over-the-counter drug market

The Role of Computer Education in the Behavioral Intentions to Use Information Technology in Hospitals in Kumasi, Ghana

Computer education is increasing steadily because it is well-recognized as a major indicator of the successful acceptance of information technology applications in an organization. Despite the advantages associated with computer education, there is a relative scarcity of empirical studies on the potential role of computer education in the behavioural intentions of staff to use information technology applications, particularly in healthcare settings. Thus, this research is aimed to investigate the role of computer education to the behavioural intentions of staff to use information technology applications in the hospitals in Kumasi. Guided by Davis` technology acceptance model, five hypotheses were stated and examined through structural equation modeling. Utilizing stratified sampling, data were gathered via a survey questionnaire from a sample of 154 staff in the hospitals in Kumasi. The research revealed that computer education contributes positively to the behavioural intentions to use via the impact of perceptions of ease of use of technology applications in the hospitals in Kumasi. The research, therefore, recommends that the management should consider computer education in the adoption of technology systems to enhance the staff perceptions of ease of use and hence, their intentions to use to improve health care in the Metropolis

The Influence of Packaging and Brand Equity on Over-The-Counter Herbal Medicines in Kumasi, Ghana

In today`s competitive business environment, packaging and brand equity provide a competitive advantage to a firm which may increase and maintain its market share. However, the role of packaging in supporting the brand equity is relatively new in the over-the-counter pharmaceutical market and currently, there is a lack of empirical research to uncover its significance in this product segment. This paper seeks to investigate the impact of packaging on brand equity through the mediating effect of dimensions of brand equity in the over-the-counter drug market in Kumasi metropolis. Based on Aaker`s customer-based brand equity model, eight hypotheses were formulated and tested through structural equation modelling. Using systematic sampling, data was collected through survey questionnaires from a sample of 348 consumers who patronize in herbal medicines from herbal stores in Kumasi Metropolis. The study found that packaging significantly contributes to support brand equity of plant medicines through the mediating effect of brand awareness, brand association and brand loyalty. These results indicate that brand managers in the plant medicine industry need to consider packaging as an important brand-building tool in their marketing strategy to enhance brand equity in the over-the-counter pharmaceutical market. This will enh0ance their competitive distinctiveness in the over-the-counter market.&nbsp

The Link between Brand Equity and Loyalty: Evidence from Traditional Medicine Market in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana

Abstract: Building a vibrant brand in a highly competitive market is of strategic importance as it provides greater loyalty which generates large market share and decreases competitive pressure on a firm. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence on the role of brand equity in supporting the formation of loyalty in the traditional medicine market. The aim of this research is to investigate the impact of brand equity on loyalty in the traditional medicine market. Based on the dimensionality of Aaker`s brand equity framework, four research propositions were put forward and evaluated by using structural equation modelling. The study relied on a sample of 348 customers who buy herbal medicines from the traditional medicine market in Kumasi metropolis. The study established that perceived quality, brand association and awareness significantly contribute to enhance the value of the brands which in turn, creates loyalty in the traditional medicine market in the Kumasi Metropolis. Recognizing the strategic importance of loyalty to the success of a firm, traditional health practitioners should direct their efforts towards developing perceived quality, brand association and awareness to enhance the value of their brands to support loyalty in the Kumasi traditional medicine market

The Effect of Brand Awareness, Credibility, Quality and Loyalty on Word-of-Mouth in a Competitive Medicine Market

Brands with a high level of awareness, credibility, quality and loyalty provide a platform for strengthening customers` favourable word-of-mouth, which may contribute to increasing market share in a competitive environment. However, there is few or no research on the effect of awareness, credibility and quality on word-of-mouth through the impact of attitudinal loyalty and behavioural loyalty, particularly in the traditional medicine market. Consequently, this research aims to evaluate the effect of awareness, credibility and quality on word-of-mouth via the impact of the dimensions of loyalty in the traditional medicine market. Survey questionnaires were administered to 265 customers chosen from the traditional medicine market through a systematic sampling strategy. The data collected were statistically analyzed using structural equation modelling through SPSS Amos 20. The study revealed that awareness, credibility and quality positively influence word-of-mouth through the impact of behavioural loyalty. The research further found that awareness and credibility significantly influence positive word-of-mouth through the impact of attitudinal loyalty in the traditional medicine market. Therefore, this paper extends the prior studies by exhibiting the potential role of brand awareness, credibility and quality in strengthening word-of-mouth through the impact of attitudinal loyalty and behavioural loyalty, particularly in the traditional medicine market. This paper also advances managers` knowledge about creating and exploiting brand awareness, credibility, perceived quality, attitudinal loyalty and behavioural loyalty to increase positive word-of-mouth in the traditional medicine marke

The Effect of Brand Credibility, Brand Image and Customer Satisfaction on Behavioural Intentions in Traditional Medicine Market

Brands with stronger image, credibility, and greater customer satisfaction engender favourable behavioural intentions, which serves as an essential competitive weapon in a market. The impact of brand image, credibility, and satisfaction on behavioural intentions are well-documented in the literature. There is, however, little or no research on the influence of credibility and image on behavioural intentions through the intervening role of satisfaction in the traditional medicine market. As a result, the research aimed to assess the intervening role of customer satisfaction in the effect of brand image and credibility on behavioural intentions in the traditional medicine market. Data were distributed to a sample of 265 customers via a systematic sampling strategy. The hypotheses formulated were tested by using covariance-based structural equation modelling. The research confirmed that satisfaction perfectly mediated the effect of credibility on customers’ behavioural intentions in the traditional medicine market. However, no mediational relationship between the brand image and behavioural intentions was established. Consequently, this study contributes to the brand theory by displaying the mediated role of customer satisfaction in the impact of brand credibility on the customers’ behavioural intentions, particularly in the traditional medicine market. As an emerging industry, this paper also advances the practitioners’ knowledge about how to build and manage credibility, satisfaction, and image to strengthen the customers’ behavioural intentions in the traditional medicine market

Influence of Brand Credibility, Satisfaction and Quality on Brand Equity in Non-Conventional Health Industry

Consumer perceptions of quality, satisfaction, and brand credibility are critical ingredients for developing healthy brands with high value in a competitive market. However, few authors have looked into the brand credibility`s intervening role in the effect of quality and satisfaction on brand equity in the non-conventional health industry. Hence, this paper sought to evaluate the mediating role of brand credibility in the effect of quality and satisfaction on brand equity in the non-conventional health industry. A covariance-based structural equation model was the analytical tool employed to evaluate the hypotheses stated in this paper. Data were gathered from 265 customers using a systematic sampling technique. The research confirmed that brand credibility contributes partially to the impact of quality on brand equity and completely to satisfaction on equity in the non-conventional health industry. Accordingly, this paper contributes to expanding the current brand management literature by demonstrating the brand credibility`s intervening role in the path between satisfaction, quality, and equity, particularly in the non-conventional health industry. This paper also adds to the brand manager`s knowledge of how to build and harness credibility, quality, and satisfaction to increase brand equity in the non-conventional health industry

Brand awareness, word-of-mouth and willingness-to-pay (WTP) high price: The role of herbal brand image in Ghana

A high level of brand awareness and brand image enhances customers` favourable word-of-mouth referrals which in turn, strengthens their WTP a high price for a brand. Despite the increasing importance of brand awareness and brand image to customers` word-of-mouth referrals and their WTP a high price, there are limited studies on the mediated role of brand image in the influence of brand awareness on customers` word-of-mouth referrals and their WTP a high price, particularly in the herbal industry. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the mediated role of brand image in the impact of brand awareness on word-of-mouth referrals and WTP a high price in the herbal industry. Using a systematic sampling strategy, data were collected from 265 samples of customers in the Cape Coast herbal market. The research hypotheses were statistically tested via structural equation modelling with the help of smart PLS 3.3.3. The study establishes that the relationship between brand awareness, word-of-mouth and WTP a high price is partly attributed to the influence of brand image. Besides, the study found that word-of-mouth contributes partially to the influence of brand awareness and brand image on WTP a high price. The study confirmed that brand image is critical in developing brand awareness to strengthen customers` word-of-mouth referrals and their WTP a high price in the herbal industry

Influence of Brand Awareness and Perceive Quality on Loyalty: The Mediating Role of Association in Traditional Medicine Market in Kumasi, Ghana

Enhancing brand quality, association and awareness can generate greater loyalty which may lead to a sustainable edge in a competitive market. And yet, there is a relative paucity of studies on the influence of awareness and quality on loyalty via the mediating impact of association, particularly in the traditional health market. Hence, this study sought to investigate the influence of awareness and quality on loyalty via the intervening role of the association in the traditional health market. Based on Aaker`s customer-based brand equity framework, eight hypotheses were stated and examined through structural equation modelling. Data were gathered from a sample of 348 customers through systematic sampling. The research found that association perfectly mediates the path between awareness and loyalty, but plays a partial role in the path between perceived quality and loyalty. The study, therefore, contributes to advancing the limited branding literature in the traditional medicine industry. First, the study establishes the starring role of awareness, association, and quality as antecedents of loyalty in the context of brand management in the traditional medicine industry. Not only this but also the research confirms that association acts as a mediator in the relationships among awareness, association, quality and loyalty in the context of brand management in the traditional medicine industry

Brand awareness, word-of-mouth and willingness-to-pay (WTP) high price: The role of herbal brand image in Ghana

A high level of brand awareness and brand image enhances customers` favourable word-of-mouth referrals which in turn, strengthens their WTP a high price for a brand. Despite the increasing importance of brand awareness and brand image to customers` word-of-mouth referrals and their WTP a high price, there are limited studies on the mediated role of brand image in the influence of brand awareness on customers` word-of-mouth referrals and their WTP a high price, particularly in the herbal industry. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the mediated role of brand image in the impact of brand awareness on word-of-mouth referrals and WTP a high price in the herbal industry. Using a systematic sampling strategy, data were collected from 265 samples of customers in the Cape Coast herbal market. The research hypotheses were statistically tested via structural equation modelling with the help of smart PLS 3.3.3. The study establishes that the relationship between brand awareness, word-of-mouth and WTP a high price is partly attributed to the influence of brand image. Besides, the study found that word-of-mouth contributes partially to the influence of brand awareness and brand image on WTP a high price. The study confirmed that brand image is critical in developing brand awareness to strengthen customers` word-of-mouth referrals and their WTP a high price in the herbal industry