ABSTRACT

This study focuses on examining the choice of toothpaste brand among undergraduate students in the University of Benin, Benin city. The data were sourced primarily through a structured Likert scale questionnaire administered to undergraduate students in the Marketing Department at the University of Benin.  A total of one hundred and seventy (170) responses were distributed to the sampled respondents who were undergraduate students in the Marketing department at the University of Benin, out of which one hundred and fifty-eight (158) sets of questionnaires were retrieved, cleaned and used for this analysis indicating a response rate of 92.9%. Based on the analyses, the following findings were made: there are significant factors such as dental recommendation, brand reputation, recommendations from friends etc. influencing brand choices of toothpaste among students in the department of Marketing at the University of Benin, that product attributes such as taste, quality, and packaging have a significant impact on the preference of toothpaste brands among students in the department of Marketing at the University of Benin, that there is a significant effect of price on the purchase intentions of undergraduate Marketing students for toothpaste brands and that students are significantly satisfied with their chosen toothpaste brands, and there are factors such as product quality, taste, packaging, discount offer or promotion activities, brand reputation, etc. contributing to their satisfaction. Based on these findings, it was reccommended that: brands should consider conducting further market research to identify specific preferences within these attributes and tailor their products accordingly, toothpaste companies should focus on maintaining and improving these aspects that lead to consumer satisfaction, toothpaste companies should carefully consider pricing strategies to maintain affordability while offering value-added features and benefits, and that brands could benefit from segmenting their market more finely, perhaps even developing products or marketing campaigns that address the unique needs and preferences of university students. Partnerships with universities for brand promotions or sponsored events could also be a strategic move to increase visibility and preference among this target group. By aligning their marketing strategies with the lifestyles and consumption patterns of university students, toothpaste brands can significantly enhance their relevance and appeal in this demographic.