Exploring the Effects of Brand Promotion and Brand Image Perception on Business Outcomes of Small-sized Agribusiness Firms

Abstract

To date there is hardly any empirical evidence in academic literature that branding, particularly brand promotion and brand image perception, plays any signifi cant role in the performance of small-sized agribusiness, especially those in the Sub-Saharan (SSA) region. This study was triggered by the need to fi ll this vacuum. Survey data were collected from small-sized agribusiness fi rms in one of the SSA economic 'powerhouses', which is Nigeria. Employing a contemporary research technique, specifi cally the Consistent Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (denoted as PLSc), the study found that both brand promotion and brand image perception are instrumental for enhancing the organizational performance of small agribusinesses. In sum, the fi ndings lend empirical support to the extant literature on brand promotion and brand image perception as precursors to the performance of fi rms regardless of a its size and business location. The implications of study, limitation and future research directions are further highlighted in the concluding section of the paper.

Understanding marketing resources and size in agro-based enterprises

“…This matches with suggestions in recent work (e.g. Ainin et al , 2015; Iwu et al , 2015). More generally, the result shows that online branding, properly executed, can enhance performance of the agro-based enterprise.…”

“…These results are consistent with arguments put forth by proponents of the RBV of the firm in that an organization’s marketing resources can be directly employed to gain a competitive edge through customer excellence (Hinterhuber, 2013). The research also helps to clarify the positive but insignificant relations (between loyalty and financial performance) reported in Iwu et al ’s (2015) paper by suggesting that the relations between these two constructs would be best understood by capturing both with two or more indicators.…”

“…All this suggests that research exploring the marketing requirements and the role that marketing resources play in the economic well-being of agro-based enterprises in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa is thin at best. Meanwhile, the paper by Iwu et al (2015) provides the initial foundation for this work. At the same time this work is a direct response to the inconclusive research of Iwu et al (2015), which called on academics to widen the discourse on marketing resources in Africa.…”

“…Meanwhile, the paper by Iwu et al (2015) provides the initial foundation for this work. At the same time this work is a direct response to the inconclusive research of Iwu et al (2015), which called on academics to widen the discourse on marketing resources in Africa.…”