THE ROLE OF BRAND MANAGEMENT ON FAST-MOVING CONSUMER GOODS SELECTION AMONG THE UNEMPLOYED URBAN CLASS DURING THE COVID- 19 ERA. A CONCEPTUAL PAPER

Abstract

Brand management is viewed as one of the marketing practices that may influence the choice of fast- moving goods among customers if effectively managed. Brand management research has been skewed towards the employed class thus leaving research gaps among the unemployed urban class. Considering that pandemics can influence customer choice of products based on the constrained income, it is vital for a research to be conducted to unravel the link between brand management and choice of fast-moving consumer goods and more specifically among the urban unemployed class. Despite extensive studies which have been carried out to unravel the association between brand management and consumer choices of fast- moving consumer goods, little is understood on how the variables of this study are associated thus the need for a study to clear the conceptual controversies. The main objective of this study was to establish the association between brand management and fast-moving consumer goods selection among the unemployed urban class during the Covid-19 Era. The specific objectives were to determine the effect of emographic, sychographic and contextual factors on fast-moving consumers goods selection among the unemployed urban class during the Covid-19 era. Further, the fourth objective was to evaluate the mediating role of Covid-19 pandemic between factors influencing consumer buying behaviour and fast-moving consumers goods selection. This study was anchored on Thurstone model, reference price model, brand loyalty theory, theory of reasoned action, consumer motivation theories, social cognitive theory, life-cycle theory, prospect theory and consumer socialization theory. Exploratory research design was adopted by this study. Exploratory approach is considered appropriate because it facilitates discovery of new knowledge by establishing whether what is being observed can be explained by using existing body of knowledge such as theories and empirical studies in the related field. It lays the foundation that sheds light to future studies. The relationship between the variables of this study was explained based on the principles of the exploratory research design. This study purely relied on desktop analysis of published research papers on brand management in relation to product choices. Papers published between 1991 and 2021 were reviewed. Theses, projects, reports and journal articles relating to social marketing and promotion of products and services were comprehensively reviewed. The findings, conclusions and recommendations of this study were derived from meta-analysis. The meta-analysis in accordance with recommended protocols and guidelines as recommended in statistical literature. Based on the marketing management literature analysis, it is concluded that brand is a multifaceted concept that is perceived differently by individual customers. Considering different results about what triggers consumers to prefer or buy a particular offering in the market, future studies should seek to understand consumer buying behaviour by using a multi-theoretical approach rather than a single theoretical approach that gives partial explanations about consumer behaviour.