BRAND APPEAL AND CUSTOMERS’ PATRONAGE OF FAST FOOD FIRMS IN PORT HARCOURT

In theory, brand appeal represents an integrated notion employing a broad stretch of routes, methods and tools that may be considered as a strategy for achieving sustainable customer patronage. Although this concept has been thoroughly examined in various studies there is a research gap regarding its usage in generating customer patronage in the fast food industry. The aim of this research project is to examine and evaluate the degree of the application of brand appeal in customer patronage in fast food firms in Rivers State of Nigeria. The population of the study was 65 fast food firms, from which a sample of 39 was drawn based on the Taro Yemen’s formula. The simple random sampling technique was employed to select 200 respondents from 39fast food firms in Rivers State of Nigeria. The data were gathered by questionnaire survey on 200 respondents. 200 copies of questionnaires were received useful, obtaining a 93 percent response rate. The simple regression statistics was used to test the hypotheses. The results illustrates that emotional brand appeal has a strong, positive and significant influence on patronage intention, and a very strong, positive and significant influence on patronage action. The study also found that rational brand appeal has a strong, positive and significant influence on patronage intention and patronage action. The study therefore, concludes that brand appeal significantly influences customer patronage of fast food firms in Rivers State. The study recommends amongst others that fast food managers should focus particularly on emotional brand appeal to ensure that their companies address adequately, patronage intentions and patronage action.