Factors influencing consumer brand choice and purchasing decision making process: the case of bottled drinking water Tanzania

The overall objective of this study was to assess the attributes that influence the customers in buying bottled drinking water in Tanzania. Rather than trying to understand all the various decision making criteria involved in brand choice and the buying decision process, we focused solely on seven attributes and examined what percentage of each attribute contributes to the final decision including. Price, Brand, Corporate image and packaging elements (package color, package shape, further usage package and package size). The study findings suggest that price as well brand have got strong influence towards customers brand choice and purchasing decision process making, this implies that bottled water manufacturer and marketer should put more weight on these factor when designing their brands product. Research findings reveled that price and brand attributes do not stand alone on influencing customer of bottled water in their buying decision process. Packaging elements (i.e. package color, package shape, further usage package and package size) and corporate image attribute go hand with hand on influencing customer brand choice and purchasing decision making process. Bottled companies should understand consumer needs and wants and all marker efforts toward bottled water consumer by considering above attributes. The study also revealed that customer characteristics in terms of sex; education level, occupation, and location develop different consumer attitudes towards brand choice. Thus all marketing programs should address its customer need by considering of the above customer characteristics.