DIFFERENTIATION OF BEVERAGE BRANDS AND CONSUMER PATRONAGE OF STUDENTS .

ABSTRACT

This study focused on the effect of differentiation of beverage brands and consumer patronage of students in University of Benin. Although the study targeted three hundred and fifty-eight (358) responses, this was rounded off to three hundred and sixty (360), of which same numbers of questionnaires were distributed with all completely retrieved and filled. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were adopted for the study’s analysis. The analysis revealed that: quality differentiation significantly influences the patronage of beverage brands among students; feature differentiation was found to have a significant impact on the patronage decisions of students regarding beverage brands; design differentiation significantly affects the patronage of students for beverage brands; brand differentiation does not significantly shape the patronage behavior of students towards beverage brands; price differentiation significantly affects the patronage of Nigerian students for beverage brands; distribution differentiation plays a significant role in the patronage of beverage brands among students; and there is a significant relationship between differentiation of beverage brands and consumer patronage of students. Based on these findings, it was recommended that: it is crucial for companies to invest in improving the quality of their products; beverage companies should focus on innovating and highlighting unique features of their products; brands should invest in aesthetically pleasing, contemporary, and functional packaging designs that appeal to the youthful market; beverage companies should focus on building brand stories that resonate with students, emphasizing authenticity and emotional connection rather than just brand visibility; among others.