How to Build a Stronger Brand Image in a Mobile Marketing Environment in Saint Lucia
Abstract
Introduction: Mobile technology is one that has had a significant impact on the business and market environment, giving firms competitive advantage and higher profitability in the mobile marketing business environment. The increased competition in business ventures in Saint Lucia calls for practical efforts to establish strategies that would enhance effective branding and customer satisfaction.
Research Topic: How to Build a Stronger Brand Image in a Mobile Marketing Environment in Saint Lucia
Research objectives: The primary aim of this study was to determine ways of building a stronger brand image in a mobile marketing environment in Saint Lucia.
Study Participants: the population of the study consisted of mobile phone users in Saint Lucia. One hundred and ten study participants were selected using a convenience sampling method.
Research Methodology: the major data collection tool for primary data was questionnaires. Inferential statistics and descriptive statistics methods were used to analyze data.
Results: The study found that there was a positive relationship between customer satisfaction and perceived quality in mobile marketing. The most significant brand image factor in the market environment in the mobile marketing sector was brand loyalty and brand awareness.
Conclusion: Building stronger brands in the mobile marketing environment can be achieved by establishing sufficient brand awareness and brand loyalty. This can help firms to gain higher market shares, reduce marketing costs, enhance brand extensions, attract new customers, and strengthen brand to competitive business rivals.
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Introduction
Currently, more than 64% of the global population has a mobile phone (Calder, 2019). In the realm of mobile marketing, building a robust digital footprint is critical to the long-term success of a brand. One significant performance indicator in the process of establishing a strong brand is the development of a sharp brand image for the business (Chaney et al. 2018). The mobile application marketing firms in Santa Lucia are at the center of digital marketing in the country. Mobile devices get a considerable share of onscreen time from users with the increased use of small screens (Githinji and Wekesa, 2017). A strong brand image plays a significant role in enhancing the online presence of the business, projects the brand values, provides a competitive advantage, and reinforces the reputation of a company (Cascio and Montealegre, 2016). Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
This leads to higher returns on investment and fosters steady business growth. The efforts that are placed in the building of a strong brand are directly connected with the applied technology (Calder, Malthouse, and Maslowska, 2016). There is a surge in mobile internet consumption with the abundance of smartphone brands in the market and the rise in mobile users. Statista reported that the penetration of mobile internet was 61.4% in 2018 and was expected to rise by about 10% by 2022 (Chaney et al. 2018). The mobile marketing strategies of a firm are now among the key determinants of the perception of the brand by online users (Cascio and Montealegre, 2016). One of the effective ways of building a strong brand image through mobile marketing is responsive design. This is an approach that allows the website to use screens that are smaller in size in various handheld mobile phones. The responsive website reformats automatically according to the dimensions of the screen, giving the users a comfortable browsing experience when they access the brand’s website. Conti (2019) reckons that responsive web design has, in the recent past, transformed how online brands build their identity through mobile marketing. This paper seeks to describe how to build a stronger brand image in a mobile marketing environment in Santa Lucia.
Industry Profile
The mobile marketing industry is a sector that uses online marketing strategies that target a particular audience on their cellphones, tablets, smartphones, feature phones, and other related mobile devices (Cascio and Montealegre, 2016). This is achieved through electronic mails, websites, social media, mobile applications, SMS, and MMS. The industry provides customers with location and time-sensitive, personalized information that promotes services, products, ideas, and appointment reminders. Digicel St Lucia is proud to serve customers as well as business customers and to offer a business solution.
The company offers cables, mobile money, wireless broadband, fixed broadband, mobile, and satellite television. The company has been providing many services for an extended period, which makes us experienced. The company has several stores in various cities, which makes the delivery of services efficient. The firm ensures quality services to all the customers who visit any of our stores. There is also a welcoming and inviting atmosphere in all the stores to make our customers feel appreciated. The company provides online stores on various platforms that are friendly and easy to use. The firm strives to ensure that the customers on both platforms are satisfied.
Background of the Problem
With the increase in numbers of people with access to mobile devices, most firms have resorted to mobile marketing as they seek a competitive advantage over business rivals (Chaney et al. 2018). The increased smartphone products in the market space have resulted in stiff competition among the firms that resorted to using mobile marketing to reach their target audience (Grewal et al. 2016). The customers’ experience at the virtual communities on the brand economy of the mobile marketing industry cuts across various economic sectors (Cascio and Montealegre, 2016). Firms need to develop stronger brands to have competitive management within a then competitive market environment. The review on the brand communication thus provides a framework that describes the holistic management of mobile marketing by computerized systems and the secure exchange of the information between the various stakeholders in the sector (Calder, 2019). Advancements in technology improved speed of service delivery and efficiency, thereby increasing financial returns. The new technological advancement alters the culture and care in the health care industry (Conti, 2019). Mobile devices, social networks, and integrated health information systems provide a more efficient consumer experience. The frequency of the reviews of the brand communication had a diverse influence on the virtual communities.
Problem Statement
Currently, there is massive competition in mobile marketing with the growing brands of industries. Most world marketers are now giving considerable efforts on the establishment of effective brand and enhancing customer satisfaction. Because of this, various brands facilitated the introduction of brand equity that is aimed at building profitable long-term relationships (Grewal et al. 2016). Providing the best possible customer care that yields high customer satisfaction levels resulting in strong customer loyalty is a significant approach in customer retention (Chaney et al. 2018). In Saint Lucia, there are more mobile brands in the market space, with sales that were close to one million US dollars in 2014 (Cascio and Montealegre, 2016). The market has faced stiff competition that is likely to lead to the meeting out of particular brands soon. This study aims at identifying how to build a stronger brand image in a mobile marketing environment in Saint Lucia.
The rationale of the Study
To help mobile marketers to manage and build their brands in a drastically changing mobile marketing environment, the brand equity model that is focused on the customer must be integrated into the market space. This paper considered how brands can be built and managed in the current mobile marketing communication environment. The article began by discussing the significance of branding and the different strategies of establishing a stronger brand in mobile marketing in Saint Lucia. The paper also provided some significant insights into the issues of customer-based brand equity and several strategies that mobile marketers can use to develop stronger brand equity. The study also focused on an interactive mobile marketing environment and how it could be incorporated in the process of building stronger brands in Saint Lucia. The paper also highlighted strategies that could be adopted by mobile marketers to build brand equity and effective communication strategies.
Research Objectives
The primary objective of this study was to determine ways of building stronger brand image in a mobile marketing environment in Saint Lucia. The specific objectives for the study were: to assess the impacts of brand image on customer satisfaction in mobile marketing in Saint Lucia, to highlight the level of brand image and customer satisfaction in mobile marketing, to identify then factors in brand imaging that affect customer satisfaction in mobile marketing, and to give recommendations on strategies of building stronger brand image in a mobile marketing environment in Saint Lucia.
Significance of the Study
The environment of mobile marketing has changed significantly in the recent past in most parts of the globe. Internet and technology are changing the interactions of communities immensely, leading to innovations of marketing strategies to gain a competitive business advantage (Chaney et al. 2018). Similarly, branding is now a key marketing strategy for most leading firms. There is, however, little consensus on how branding and the brands can or should be developed in an interactive market place such as Saint Lucian Market. Conti (2019) contends that conventional branding approaches that focus on mass media as a marketing tool are not effective in areas where the consumers have access to vital information about product brands and companies. New perspectives are required to help firms understand branding guidelines and how they contribute to the changing mobile marketing sector (Cascio and Montealegre, 2016). This study will provide a piece of information that will help to build a stronger brand image in a mobile marketing environment in Saint Lucia.
Contribution of Study to the Improvement of the Business Environment
This study analyzes the strategies that can be used by firms to establish stringer brands within the mobile marketing environment in Saint Lucia. Some of the recommended procedures for building stronger brands in mobile marketing in Saint Lucia include the enhancement of brand awareness and increasing brand image. The mobile marketing managers should also focus more on strategies that promote brand loyalty as constructs of brand image as they contribute significantly to the mobile marketing environment (Calder, Malthouse, and Maslowska, 2016). The managers should adopt customer retention strategies to maintain competitiveness in a highly competitive mobile marketing field (Githinji and Wekesa, 2017). The building of stronger brands in the mobile marketing environment can help firms to gain higher market shares, reduce marketing costs, enhance brand extensions, attract new customers, and strengthen brand to competitive business rivals.
Limitations
Research limitations are aspects and fallouts of the study over which the researcher has no control (Wolgemuth et al. 2014). The first limitation was the availability of participants. The availability of participants did not align with the researchers because of work schedules. When participants do not give the researcher enough time, the result could be hasty data collection and analysis, which can negatively influence the quality of the study. The sample size can be a limitation. When there are few respondents, it is difficult to generalize the outcome of the survey (Teegavarapu, Summers, and Mocko, 2008). Finally, a significant methodological limitation with qualitative research is the analysis of data centers on the researcher. This had a potential issue of bias in the process of data analysis.
Delimitation
A key strategy for overcoming the limitations of a small sample and the likelihood of bias was by selecting a larger sample and randomizing the sampling procedure (Teegavarapu, Summers, and Mocko, 2008). The limitation with the availability of study participants was also overcome by having an adequate sample to fill in for any potential fall-outs.
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
The Internet has become a familiar and significant means of communication between people located in different regions precipitating a digital revolution. The era is marked by increasing the use of the computer and the internet, including other technological gadgets such as smartphones (Calder, Malthouse, and Maslowska, 2016). These are the applications that allow the user to share, create, or participate in the content through social networking. Examples of these applications and websites include Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Whatsapp, among others. Instagram was launched in 2010, and since then, it proliferated, trampling rivals such as Twitter and Snapchat through the adoption of new unique features and appropriate innovation (Chaney et al. 2018). In the recent past, there has been increased growth in the number of internet users compared to other applications and websites.
A market is an institution, infrastructure, social relations, and systems that allow the players to engage in constructive exchange (Grewal et al. 2016). Marketing is the communication between the customers and the service providers to exchange one’s services or products for money or other goods (Cascio and Montealegre, 2016). Global marketing focuses on the practical and modern strategies of marketing, depending on the needs of customers in the common space. Global marketing involves planning, coordinating, promoting, and producing the products of a company on a worldwide scale. The needs of the consumers shape a market.
Internet-Based Applications
A brand is a term, symbol, name, or design that is used to distinguish particular services or goods of a seller from the others (Conti, 2019). Brands are useful in advertising, marketing, and business at large as they form the basis for the identification of the services and products of a company. Brand personality refers to the human characteristics that are related to the brand name and gives a representation of the relationship between the customers and the brand (Chaney et al. 2018). The small and medium-sized firms are compelled to select effective brand approaches that would guarantee them a competitive advantage over their business rivals (Githinji and Wekesa, 2017). Currently, branding strategies are using mobile device applications such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Instagram for purposes of mobile marketing.
Instagram Company has gained immense preference among many young social media lovers. The company that is owned by Facebook is now the application of choice for those individuals that prefer communication through visual means using their cell phones. The internet users are, therefore, able to share photos, images, and videos with friends conveniently (Cascio and Montealegre, 2016). The fact that many people find images and graphics more appealing to the eyes than written information makes the application gain immense popularity among social media users. The photos are shared at the click of a button, making the application an expeditious means of sharing visual images.
The growing popularity of internet-based applications has been attributed to the ability of its use through mobile phones. The application lovers reckon that this social media tool works quite well on cell phones. With the increasing number of individuals that own cell phones as compared to those that own laptop and desktop computers, Instagram is becoming more popular (Calder, Malthouse, and Maslowska, 2016). The mobile phones are considered to be more convenient and portable and can thus be easily carried along during vocational trips and other social functions. Besides, the features of Instagram are limited on the desktop version because the application is primarily designed to work on the cell phone.
A digital divide refers to the knowledge, literacy, or generational gap that exists between those who are conversant with a particular technology vis-à-vis those who have no clue on the same (Conti, 2019). Access to mobile technology made the boundary existing between family and work time to be more permeable. The result of this is that people now have an opportunity to do their work from their homes, thus spending more time with their loved ones. According to Githinji and Wekesa (2017), the negative impacts of mobile technology of social interaction is that it is hindering the sense of interconnectedness among individuals who are far from each other
Technology has been a critical driver of economic development for a long time throughout the world. The digital revolution contributed an estimated 2.8 trillion US dollars to the global economy in 2014 representing approximately 3.9% of the world gross domestic product (GDP). The mobile industry created more than 12 million jobs by 2013 and contributed more than 330 billion US dollars to the United States public fund alone (Calder, 2019). The mobile industry led to the expansion of economies throughout the world. The mobile economy has been escalating steadily and is estimated to contribute about 5.5 % to the world GDP by 2020.
The new technological advancements have immense impacts on the contemporary political scene, particularly during campaigns for elective political polls (Grewal et al. 2016). The electronic media and the traditional print are influenced immensely by the new technological advancements such as mobile technologies and mobile devices. The expanding radius of mobile technology is evident in the political scenes in both developing as well as developed countries. The revolution of mobile technology changed campaign patterns and political communication. The extensive use of mobile technology in political campaigns in some developing and developed countries affected the political behavior of the electorate.
How to Build a Strong Brand Image
A brand is the customer’s perception of a person’s business. In other words, a brand is what everyone else thinks about your business when you are not with them (Githinji and Wekesa, 2017). It is a person’s reputation. For a brand to be successful, it has to be consistent n both its experience and communication, which can be achieved through; customer sales and sales, online advertising, and its packaging (Cascio and Montealegre, 2016). When building a brand, the effort helps in establishing a long term relationship with customers, which results in increased sales, more referrals from the clients as well as more projects. Building a brand is being able to generate awareness about the services of your business using campaigns and marketing strategies, with the primary goal being to create a unique image in the industry (Conti, 2019). To build a strong brand, the steps discussed below should be followed.
One of the ways to help build a strong brand is to discover the purpose behind the existence of your brand. The business owner should have a compelling purpose for having the brand in the first place. The owner of the business should be able to answer questions like ‘what problems it solves?’ ‘what makes your business unique’? And ‘what is the reason for the existence of the businesses? Answering some of the questions like these will help make your business unique and distinguish it from others. Knowing the purpose of life of your brand includes knowing what products and services that you will offer to the customers. Through having clear answers to these questions, you will undoubtedly build a strong brand image.
Another way to build a strong brand is by knowing the competitors in your industry. Anyone that wants to build a strong brand should research the competitors within the industry, be aware of what they do well but do not copy them. To create a strong brand, you need to be different from your competitors so that you can convince the customers to buy from you and not them (Chaney et al. 2018). You should be able to research about the quality of your competitor’s products and see if your products have a better quality because through that you will get customers. You should also study how the rivals market their business and what platforms they use. If you do better than the competitors, you can be guaranteed customers, thus a sharp brand image.
To build a strong brand, the business owner should be able to determine his/her brand’s target audience because this is the foundation of building your brand. In the process of building a brand, you should have in mind who you are trying to reach so that you can work your mission to fulfill their needs (Calder, 2019). You should learn the lifestyle and behaviors of your consumers so that you can be specific when serving them. An excellent example of being particular in the services you offer is ‘focusing on the needs of single mothers instead of all the mothers’. This is narrowing the target audience, which helps your brand messages reach become apparent to the recipient, thus making your brand image secure (Cascio and Montealegre, 2016). Another way of building a strong brand has a mission statement, which is a clear expression of what the passions for your business are. The mission statement should be able to define the purpose for the existence of the company and what value your business provides. The tagline and logo of your business should be able to reflect in the mission statement and should as well answer clearly to people who ask what your business deals with.
Global Marketing of Mobile Devices
Global management marketing requires analytical and research skills, good communication skills, effective management of market policy, critical thinking skills, and operational skills. When engaging in global marketing, players must understand that what works in one market may not do the same in another market. A company that sells its products or services in global marketing must do research on various markets (Cascio and Montealegre, 2016). Various adjustments have to be made to fit in the world market space effectively. Such adjustments may include learning the language of the target market and other variables that would affect pricing in the market (Chaney et al. 2018). Learning the cultures of the target market and respecting them promotes a healthy interaction and communication between the service or product producer and his customers in the global space. The global marketing managers must visit the target areas and learn about their products, prices and placements (Calder, Malthouse, and Maslowska, 2016). The global marketing managers are responsible for planning, directing, coordinating and evaluating the company’s interests and strategies abroad.
Sustainability of Online Marketing Shopping Versus Traditional Marketing
The advancement of technology has changed the shopping experience of customers significantly. In traditional shopping setups, shoppers have to travel to particular sites or locations such as department or market stores, outlet villages, and shopping centers to shop. Mobile marketing enables shoppers to order, and purchase products from their homes using the internet (Calder, Malthouse, and Maslowska, 2016). Currently, an increasing number of people are getting involved in online shopping and slowly shifting away from traditional methods of marketing. Questions arise on the comparative sustainability of mobile marketing vis-à-vis traditional marketing strategies. Mobile marketing is more sustainable than traditional shopping because it is eco-friendly and produces lower carbon footprints.
The knowledge of online shopping and gifting and how it affects personal relationships will set the basis for the development of strategies to implement to make the digital tool contribute positively to personal relationships. Such contributions make online shopping to be more sustainable compared to traditional shopping (Conti, 2019). Most studies on online shopping have focused on the cultures of the practice, the social emotions attached to it, and the perceived benefits. There is limited literature that focuses on the impacts of gift-giving on personal relationships and the economy. Mobile marketing is pegged on the internet and technology (Githinji and Wekesa, 2017). The two anchors of mobile marketing are slowly transforming how businesses operate and their use is likely to surge shortly. The result of this is a much more sustainable mobile marketing compared to traditional marketing strategies.
Technology has changed the practice of gift-giving by reinforcing sites that foster greater gift-giving awareness among online users, particularly on special occasions such as birthday celebrations. The process of online shopping allows for the exchange of gifts among people who are living in different geographical locations and within a very short time. Digital traces of online-giving have lifted the veil away from generosity acts thus inspiring more people to share gifts through the forum (Cascio and Montealegre, 2016). The digital tool, therefore, reduces the costs of transportation and time and is more convenient for people working in different regions. Online shopping builds strong social networks at the expense of personal relations but has significant economic value to the people involved making the approach to be more sustainable than traditional shopping.
Traditional marketing strategies is less significant in helping people have memories of gift-warranting occasions than mobile marketing. Gift sharing and purchasing is a practice that is widely done online in most parts of the present world. The online venues have been reported to provide non-social cues for gift-giving and social isolation. The practice has been associated with strong and weak personal relationships in different measures. Recent studies suggest that most users found online shopping to be more convenient compared with the traditional approach (Calder, Malthouse, and Maslowska, 2016). There were, however, concerns of fraud through cybercrimes which are posing a huge challenge to online shoppers. Some experts reckoned that if cybercrimes are not combated promptly and effectively, the sustainability of online shopping could be affected.
Mobile marketing is more sustainable than traditional shopping because it is eco-friendly and produces lower carbon footprints. The method of shopping is also more sustainable compared to the traditional approach because it relies on the internet and current technology which is a key driving force of business not only now but also in the new future (Conti, 2019). Online shopping strengthens relationships trough the reinforcement of online gift-giving which is more convenient leading to its high chances of sustainability.
Challenges Facing Mobile Marketing
When it comes to mobile marketing, marketers face several problems, just like other industries. Mobile marketing is faced with challenges like; channel choices, data overload, inability to check the results of how people are finding the device, unsure if it’s the right time to market the invention, and making marketing messages personal (Conti, 2019). Mobile marketing is faced with the challenge of the choices of channels to use, for instance, push, email, or news feed card. Each message which is sent using any of the channels has a different content, either pure or rich. Mobile marketing has to be sure of the right time and the right place for the conversation as well as choosing the right channel for the same. Before marketing, marketers should know the right channel to use for each message.
Another challenge that faces mobile marketing is data overload issue. The marketers end up using so much data, but the time, resources, and opportunities are little; thus, they end up not reaching enough customers. Sometimes this problem of lack of enough resources and opportunities results in not getting to the final customer. For marketers to connect more authentically and more deeply with customers, they need a lot of data to do that, which in most cases, doesn’t help much (Calder, Malthouse, and Maslowska, 2016). Marketers should not hunt for questions in the data; they should first identify the problem and then look for answers as they develop a hypothesis to solve the problem. This ensures they do not waste data. Mobile marketers are faced with the challenge of being unsure with customers, which means they don’t know when to approach them without annoying them (Conti, 2019). The marketers are not sure how the customer will respond to messages which they send to him, which is the best time to send those messages and whether or not customers will react to the news. They do not know how customers will respond to if the words are overwhelming, which makes them use the capping of frequency technique.
Mobile marketing is also faced with the challenge of personalization of messages, which makes them learn the technique of mastering who they are speaking to before making the messages personal (Calder, 2019). Segmentation can be used to solve this problem because it helps with the details of the customer based on the demographics, for instance, customer’s age, gender, and where they live. This information would help the marketer to understand how to deal with the customers from the beginning of the conversation. Segmentation also assists in showing the customer’s purchase behaviors; thus, when addressing them, they know where to go.
Strategies of Communicating Brand Image in a Mobile Marketing Environment
The mobile marketing environment has evolved in recent years to incorporate new technological enablers for not only communication but also creating and delivering value as well as managing customer relationships in a way that creates benefit to consumers. Branding is a key priority in product marketing for many organizations (Chaney et al. 2018). Using the internet and other related technologies to benefit of an organization’s marketing objectives is called internet marketing. Traditional methods of brand communication lays great emphasis on the use of mass media for customer outreach. Unlike these conventional modes of marketing, social media networks such as twitter, Facebook, instagram and other online applications offer a platform for marketers to create and communicate their brands to a wide audience within a short time (Cascio and Montealegre, 2016). Creating a good online brand image entails considering customer satisfaction and customer retention through social media platforms and online applications that fundamentally enjoy a wide digital outreach. The mobile marketing environment has many advantages that place it head over shoulders above the conventional methods of brand communication including the fact that information access is fast, cost effective and it enjoys no geographical barriers (Calder, Malthouse, and Maslowska, 2016). On the part of the marketer, a mobile environment offers an array of alternative market channels and new concepts through online research and collaboration.
Why do Companies Brand?
Branding adds value to a product so that it increases its marketplace benefit to an organization. The effects of marketing a brand are realized in its equity which is a direct outcome of marketing the product or service attributed to brand identification. When designing a marketing plan, branding is considered as one of the prime tools used in marketing communication (Calder, Malthouse, and Maslowska, 2016). Product branding is an important consideration before companies release their products to the market as it creates a link between the customers and the company. Branding is a combination of many aspects including creating an attractive company logo and choosing a name that reflects the products and services on offer, online presence especially for products that appeal to a wide audience and having a consistent marketing plan that communicates the company’s current offerings (Wheeler, 2017). The ultimate aim is to create an integrated approach to customers, partners as well as their competition.
Business branding is an asset that echoes a company’s financial standing and gives a clear illustration of revenue generation from sales due to the fact that the company’s revenue is generated based on their branding strategy. Delivery of promises is pegged on how good a company positions its brand in the market (Calder, 2019). Therefore branding becomes a yardstick that proclaims how effective a company delivers comparatively to their competition. Product perception is created by how a company brands its products or services in relation to the target market. The brand should precisely outline the look, feel and message of the product or service to enable customers draw the difference between what is on offer versus the competition. Consumers are more attracted to products that are branded than those that are not because brands create a bond that the customers easily connect with, and as a result creating long term customer loyalty. First impressions create a long lasting impact and therefore a company’s branding encompasses product experience, exceptional customer service and a reliable online presence. One important advantage of product branding is that it protects the company from competitors with similar products and prevents them from making copycats of the product since the brand is copyrighted.
Brand Awareness
When consumers are able to differentiate a branded product from a pool of similar products, it implies that the particular brand creates a desired value to them (Conti, 2019). Brand awareness is a derivative of the impact that it creates in the minds of the consumers and it consequently constitutes the very first step in the interaction between the consumer and the product. By this it means that awareness of a brand is an element that shapes the consumer’s behavior and preference. Without brand awareness, consumers become devoid of purchasing decisions on a particular product and therefore can go for any option that is availed in the market that may suit their current need. Therefore in designing a good marketing strategy, brand awareness becomes an initial point of interaction with the consumer to create that consistent need on the consumer’s schedule and its design should influence the decisions of the consumer (Conti, 2019). Awareness of a product brand happens in a hierarchical pyramid with different layers of the pyramid representing the level of brand interaction with the consumer. At the bottom of the pyramid is brand recognition, followed by brand recall, top of mind and lastly brand dominance.
Brand Recognition: In the awareness pyramid, recognition of their product brand by the target consumers is the initial intention. Recognition makes the consumers aware that a specific product brand exists and it also sets it apart from other competing products in the same product category (Chaney et al., 2018). Brand Recall: When products in a particular category are mentioned, the very first brand that comes into the mind of a consumer immediately is their favorite and thus the act of remembering it in the first instance is referred to as brand recall. The significance of this reflects in the prominence and popularity the brand bears in the mass market. Top of Mind: In the event that the consumer needs a particular product or service within a range of available options, the one that promises the best returns among the available brands is the one that definitely fulfils their need. For the brand to receive a high ranking in its product category is an indication that the level of awareness is high thus giving the company an impetus to position branding as one of its top priorities. Brand name Dominance: Once a company has achieved all the three metrics in branding, the consumers are fully aware about the product brand and it becomes dominant in the market. In a nutshell, awareness levels of a brand is a representation of the market position of a product in relation to consumer preferences and it is an important strategy in marketing communication.
Mobile Brand Marketing
An overview of the available digital marketing communication tools include the use of websites, web blogs, ad sites, search engines, interstitials, email and online mobile marketing. The mentioned tools are a paradigm shift in brand marketing from the conventional methods through their use of technology to reach vast markets therefore creating an open market to brand products across the globe (Calder, Malthouse & Maslowska, 2016). Mobile marketing for brands include the use of social media, content marketing, and e-mail marketing, among others. Businesses that employ content marketing as a communications strategy create blog posts, podcasts and product websites where they elaborately demonstrate the characteristics of their product brand as well their value proposition in comparison to similar products in the market. Here they also give special offers and other incentives to draw the attention of prospective customers. The content is centered on the specific product offering in a bid to woo undecided customers passively. Content marketing is an effective brand communication strategy in the mobile environment because many people are accessible to technology powered purchasing which greatly enjoys the availability of internet technologies on gadgets such as smart phones and IoTs (Wu et al., 2018). The bottom line for the marketer is to create an attractive and informative content that is then hosted on the company’s website. Consumers easily bond with details of the brand information since it is an honest persuasion for marketing the brand as opposed to online advertisements which often have scanty and at times unreliable product information. The method creates content and distributes content which is relevant and consistent in a bid to attract and acquire an objective audience.
Mobile brand advertising is done on mobile media on a number of formats including online portals, mobile search engines, streaming applications and other media that uses mobile technologies. Different technologies use varying methods of communication such as scanning, touching, keystroke and pointing technologies that use mobile distribution channels to convey information preferably through the internet (Grewal et al., 2016).
Mobile sales promotions are short lived give aways and incentives that inspire the customer to drive them to make a purchase decision while emphasizing on the financial gain but ignoring the other modes of marketing communications. The activities encourage and motivate a customer to make a purchase decision. Sales promotion activities that can take place in mobile marketing include infotainment and entertainment related. Product promotions are advertised on mobile platforms and these include items such as games, news, sports content, horoscopes, weather forecasts and even e-commerce coupons (Grewal et al., 2016). All of these promotions have a common denominator which is the aspect of money free offers through mobile platforms.
Direct marketing only aims to reach a target audience to get an immediate response which will determine their future business relationship. Personal relationships in conventional marketing include the use of direct mail, telephone and the use of the print media. With the advent of the internet, other more effective one to one modes of brand marketing communication have emerged (Grewal et al., 2016). Mobile marketing campaigns yield more and quick responses. Mobile direct marketing forms are permission based communication including use of personalized email, wap, sms, and mms on the basis of having prior customer knowledge and interaction.
Mobile Customer relations management one among the tools used for mobile marketing communications. Mobile CRM solutions are applicable conveniently using the customer mobile phone. Receiving product alerts, appointments, special offers and updates are availed on the CRM application. For instance, a customer is able to buy a travelling ticket online from the comfort of their mobile phone by following a few steps (Rodriguez, M., & Trainor, 2016). Mobile commerce websites provide customers with the liberty to access services such as payment of bills, banking services, bidding or betting, response to inquiries or even filling of online forms from their mobile phones.
Mobile communities exist to ensure that a category or niche of consumers are effectively served with a range of solutions provided for that particular interest group. Business to business mobile markets also exist to offer corporate solutions such as M2M, P2P and access to content on cloud or remote servers using mobile communication. Integration of mobile technologies in brand marketing communications is important in a company’s overall marketing plan. Mobile marketing entails the use of promotional tools such as sales promotions, advertising, customer relations management and direct marketing on mobile platforms. Various brand marketing activities are supported on mobile platforms.
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Study Design
The study used purposive convenience cross-sectional research design. Multiple case study design allowed the researcher to explore numerous situations, analyze the similarities and differences of the situations and come up with the answers to a research question (Adler et al. 2017). The purpose of the proposed study was to explore how to build a stronger brand image in a mobile marketing environment in Saint Lucia. The multiple case study is a research design used to critically study a phenomenon or an issue affecting multiple organizations or an entity. Data from multiple cases allowed the researcher to make comparisons of answers to the research question. Multiple case data helped the researcher to achieve data saturation (Benoot, Hannes, and Bilsen, 2016). Data saturation occurred when the data collected and analyzed is complete enough to avoid further collection and analysis of data for the same research purpose.
Research Method
This study used quantitative methods of data collection. Quantitative research methods are effective in providing information regarding particular demographics and market size (Abutabenjeh, and Jaradat, 2018). Quantitative research encourages the participants to expand their responses, which can result in opening aspects of the study which the researcher had not considered initially. A quantitative research method is an effective technique for collecting data from a social setting. The quantitative customer research strategies incorporate survey-based approaches that facilitate the provision of adequate feedback in relation to opinions and ideas of populations.
Population and Sampling
The number of study participants in a quantitative survey should be enough to ensure a rigorous data collection and analysis process. The size of the sample does not necessarily guarantee data saturation (Adler et al. 2017). In purposive sampling technique, the researcher identifies specific people to include in the study due to the unique knowledge or information they have regarding the research phenomenon. The size of the sample does not necessarily guarantee data saturation. The population of the study consisted of mobile phone users in Saint Lucia. 110 study participants were selected using convenience sampling method.
Ethical Research
This study sought ethical approval from the university and the research site. Each research inquiry came with its own set of specific ethical requirements. In the primary research, it is important to protect and respect the integrity of respondents (Wolgemuth et al. 2014). It is also important in enhancing participation in the study does not give rise to any legal issues as the result of the unethical conduct of a researcher. To mitigate these issues, the research took the necessary steps to promote research ethics (Teegavarapu, Summers, and Mocko, 2008). The researcher ensured that each participant received and signed a consent form, which explains the purpose of the study, roles, and the ethical measures taken. The researcher kept the participants’ identities, as well as the identities of the organizations, anonymous.
The anonymity of respondents is necessary for encouraging them to give answers as frankly as they can, knowing their identities were not revealed during data presentation and analysis (Benoot, Hannes, and Bilsen, 2016). The researchers kept the identities of the respondents and organizations anonymous. In the organization of the data, the respondents were identified with pseudonyms. The participants’ names are also hidden to safeguard their reputation (Teegavarapu, Summers, and Mocko, 2008). The participants have the right to conceal their identities to avoid any type of embarrassment. The researcher did not offer any incentives to participants for taking part in the study.
Data Collection Instrument
The researcher is the first and most important instrument for data collection when handling qualitative research (Teegavarapu, Summers, and Mocko, 2008). With this regard, the research administered questionnaires with the study participants. Researchers use questionnaires to personally assess the experiences and opinions of the respondent. The questionnaires were the primary form of data collection for this research. The advantage of the questionnaires is the ability to get detailed information from an expert (Wolgemuth et al. 2014). Data reliability and validity was achieved through the use of member-checking follow up interviews which will be carried out after the study participants filed the questionnaires and the review of the documents of the organizations of interest.
Data Analysis
Inferential statistics and descriptive statistics methods were used to analyze data. Secondary sources of documents, including publications and reports, offer crucial information to be triangulated against the primary data collected from the questionnaires (Benoot, Hannes, and Bilsen, 2016). The data are integrated with the primary data to the extent of supplementing the questionnaire responses and offers updated information on the various aspects of the research. While engaging in this research, the researcher used data triangulation which will entail correlating the information collected from other sources (Abutabenjeh, and Jaradat, 2018). Engaging in this correlation process helped to improve the validity and reliability of the research. The process of data analysis starts with the interview transcripts, fields’ notes, and various other collected data.
Reliability and Validity
For study findings to be reliable, they must be dependable. The researcher collected primary data through questionnaires with the participants of the study (Wolgemuth et al. 2014). This allowed the researcher to ascertain their relevance at the time of collection. Also, the researcher ensured that the data given by the participant is coherent and dependable to make the results present the true situation and are confirmable through a replication of the study by an independent researcher (Jameel and Majid, 2018). Overreliance on secondary data may cause challenges regarding the ability to meet the objectives of the researcher since the conditions of the source from which the data is collected may not fully match the environment of the current study (Teegavarapu, Summers, and Mocko, 2008). The main purpose of any research is to identify solutions to a brand marketing strategies. For research findings to be valid, they must be confirmable, thus a replication of the study procedures by any independent researchers should produce the same results as the current study (Adler et al. 2017). Research conformability was ensured through the application of a well-defined case study process.
Credibility and Transferability
Credibility is the extent to which the data and research findings are consistent and relevant to the intended purpose of the study. Experts propose methodological triangulation to be a way of achieving credibility (Jameel and Majid, 2018). Transferability relates to the possibility of transferring the content of an original research in other studies, contexts, or individuals. For instance, a future researcher may want to apply the result of this research in his or her situations or settings (Wolgemuth et al. 2014). This is only possible if this study is data rich as well as detail-oriented in nature. Some of the aspects which support transferability are data analysis, research settings, various participants, and lastly, populations. Hence, this study’s approach may improve the overall outcomes of applying these findings for future research.
Data Saturation
Data saturation is achieved by collecting data adequate in quantity and quality to support the study fully (Jameel and Majid, 2018). It is commonly achieved by taking a sample size large enough to represent the real characteristic of the population. Experts propose consistency in the questions–for all respondents– to ensure similarity hence saturation (Abutabenjeh, and Jaradat, 2018). The plan ensured data saturation by guaranteeing the right sample size is obtained and the resources available are able to carry out the processes involved in the effective data collection process.
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS, FINDINGS, AND DISCUSSION
The study found that product branding was an important consideration before companies release their products to the market as it creates a link between the customers and the company. The results of this study indicated that 45% of the study participants were females while 55% of the respondents were males. In terms of age, most participants were between the age of 25 to 35 (41%) and this was followed closely by the ages 16 to 25 year (37%). Majority of the participants with the highest incomes had salaries ranging between $110 and $220 (37%). Only 21% of the participants had incomes of less than $110.
| Variable | Category | Frequency | Valid Present |
| Gender | Female Male | 45 55 | 45 55 |
| Age | 35 to 45 25 to 35 16 to 25 | 22 41 37 | 22 41 37 |
| Income | More than $330 $220 to $330 $110 to $220 Less than $110 Dependent
| 3 19 37 21 20 | 3 19 37 21 20 |
| Level of Education | Graduate Undergraduate Diploma Secondary school Below secondary school Other | 9 1 19 34 32 5 | 9 1 19 34 32 5 |
Reliability Test
A measure’s reliability refers to consistency and stability indication where the instrument determines the concepts and assists the efficiency of the measure. The table below represents the reliability results of the presented tests in accordance with the accepted variables under Cronbach’s alpha condition. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett’s test is a significant reliability test that determines data validity and whether the selected sample was adequate in providing the required information. The sample is considered to be adequate if the value of KMO is more than 0.5. The table below shows that the value of KMO was 0.836 which means that the sample that was used was adequate in providing the information that is required to answer the research questions. Bartlett’s test significant value was 0.000.
Table: Summary of reliability measurements
| Perspectives | Item number | Alpha value |
| Brand association | 3 | 0.789 |
| Brand loyalty | 4 | 0.889 |
| Brand awareness | 5 | 0.891 |
| Perceived quality | 5 | 0.844 |
| Customer satisfaction | 7 | 0.786 |
Table: KMO and Bartlett’s Tests
| KMO measure of sampling adequacy | 0.836 | |
| Bartlett’s sphericity test | Chi square approximation | 1956.556 |
| Df | 276 | |
| Sig. | 0 | |
Descriptive statistics
The descriptive statistics that were used for this study involved measures of dispersion (standard deviation, variance) and measures of central tendency (mean). The table below summarizes the means, variances, and standard deviations of the variables in the study. The results of the study indicated that customer satisfaction levels in the mobile marketing services were substantial and moderate. There were higher levels of perceived quality while brand association, brand awareness, and brand loyalty had considerable standard deviations.
Table: Descriptive Statistics of perspectives of Brand Image
| Perspective | Mean | Standard deviation | Variance |
| Brand awareness | 3.345 | 0.971 | 1.067 |
| Brand loyalty | 3.718 | 0.802 | 0.647 |
| Perceived quality | 3.428 | 0.803 | 0.967 |
| Brand association | 3.072 | 1.138 | 1.296 |
| Customer satisfaction | 3.473 | 1.032 | 0.645 |
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION
The main objective of this study was to determine how ways of building stronger brand image in a mobile marketing environment in Saint Lucia. The specific objectives for the study were: to assess the impacts of brand image on customer satisfaction in mobile marketing in Saint Lucia, to highlight the level of brand image and customer satisfaction in mobile marketing, to identify then factors in brand imaging that affect customer satisfaction in mobile marketing, and to give recommendations on strategies of building stronger brand image in a mobile marketing environment in Saint Lucia. The study showed that the customer satisfaction levels with mobile marketing was moderate. Brand awareness, brand loyalty, perceived quality, and brand association were shown to affect customer satisfaction positively. Brand loyalty and customer satisfaction were found to be directly related. Similarly, the study suggested that there was a positive relationship between customer satisfaction and perceived quality in mobile marketing.
The most significant brand image factor in the market environment in then mobile marketing sector was brand loyalty and brand awareness. Some of the recommended strategies for building stronger brands in mobile marketing in Saint Lucia include the enhancement of brand awareness and increasing brand image. The mobile marketing managers should also focus more on strategies that promote brand loyalty as constructs of brand image as they contribute significantly to the mobile marketing environment. The managers should adopt customer retention strategies to maintain competitiveness in a highly competitive mobile marketing field. Building of stronger brands in the mobile marketing environment can help firms to gain higher market shares, reduce marketing costs, enhance brand extensions, attract new customers, and strengthen brand to competitive business rivals.
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