Submit your papersSubmit Now
For Enquiries: [email protected]
IIARD LogoIIARD

Strategic Marketing Practices and Customer Retention in Nigeria Bottling Company Plc, Ibadan Plant

Ishola Iyabode Olajumoke, Paul Ayobami Akanbi PhD

Abstract

Complexities in the twenty-first century business environment attributable to the dynamisms of globalisation, technological advancement, and changing consumer lifestyles have resulted in intense marketing competitiveness, compelling organisations to adopt strategic marketing practices that shift attention from transactional approaches to relationship-oriented strategies emphasising customer satisfaction, trust, and loyalty. This study examined strategic marketing practices and customer retention in the Nigerian retail sector, using Nigeria Bottling Company Plc. as a case study. Specifically, the study focused on product differentiation, branding strategy, pricing strategy, Customer Relationship Management , and promotional strategies. The study was anchored on Relationship Marketing Theory and Expectancy- Disconfirmation Theory and utilised a cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from 55 management and Marketing/Sales Department staff of NBC Plc., Ibadan Plant, using a structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The findings indicated significant positive relationships between product differentiation and customer retention (r = 0.732, p < 0.001), branding strategy and customer retention (r = 0.684, p < 0.001), CRM and customer retention (r = 0.751, p < 0.001), pricing strategy and customer retention (r = 0.562, p < 0.001), and promotion strategy and customer retention (r = 0.711, p < 0.001). CRM and product differentiation recorded the strongest relationships with customer retention. The study concludes that strategic marketing practices are important in strengthening customer retention and recommends sustained investment in customer relationships, product differentiation, branding, pricing and promotional activities.

Keywords

Strategic Marketing PracticesCustomer RetentionCustomer Relationship ManagementProduct DifferentiationNigeria Bottling Company Plc. P-ISSN 2695-186X

References

Aaker, D. A. (1991). Managing Brand Equity. Free Press. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Managing-Brand-Equity/David-A-Aaker/9780 029001010 Academia.edu. (2024). The Impact of Marketing Strategies on Customers’ Satisfaction. https://www.academia.edu Adeola, O. & Ezenwafor, J. (2020). Integrated Marketing Communication and Customer Retention in Nigerian FMCGs. Journal of Marketing and Consumer Research, 12(3), 45–56. https://journals.unizik.edu.ng/index.php/jfms/article/view/5948 Adeola, O. & Ezenwafor, I. (2020). Integrated Marketing Communication and Customer Retention in Nigerian FMCGs. Journal of Marketing Development, 8(2), 45–59. https://www.researchgate.net Adewale, A. & Ayozie, D. (2020). Branding and Consumer Choice in Nigeria’s Beverage Industry. International Journal of Business and Management, 15(6), 112–124. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v15n6p112 Adewale, O. P., & Ayozie, L. O. (2020). Branding Influence on Beverage Purchases in Nigeria. Journal of Marketing Management, 8(2), 45-60. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v8n2p45 Adewale, A. & Ayozie, D. (2020). Branding Influence on Beverage Purchases in Nigeria. International Journal of Business and Marketing Studies, 8(2), 67–79. Branding and Consumer Choice in Nigeria’s Beverage Industry. https://ikprress.org/index.php/JGEMBR/article/view/7745 Agyapong, G. K. Q. (2011). The Effect of Branding on Customer Loyalty in Ghanaian Beverage Firms. African Journal of Business Management, 5(3), 1020–1028. https://www.researchgate.net/ Akintunde, O. A., & Akaighe, G. O. (2016). Customer Relationship Management and Customer Retention in Nigeria Banking Industry: A Strategic Standpoint. Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness. https://www.na- businesspress.com/JMDC/AkintundeO_Web10_2_.pdf Aliyu, I. A. & Bello, I. (2020). The Impact of Product Planning on Customer Loyalty: A Study of Customers of Selected Soft-drinks Manufacturing Companies in Nigeria. Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, 10(2), 55–66. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344177134_The_Impact_of_Product_Planning _on_Customer_Loyalty_A_Study_of_Customers_of_Selected_Soft- drinks_Manufacturing_Companies_in_Nigeria Ascarza, E., Hardie, B. G. S., Gupta, S., & Papatla, P. (2017). In Pursuit of Enhanced Customer Retention Management. Harvard Business School / SSRN. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2903548 Ayokunmi, L. A., Abu-Seman, N. A., & Rashid, U. K. (2024). Social Media Marketing and SME performance in Ibadan City. Selangor Business Review. Vol. 9 (2). 62-75 https://sbr.journals.unisel.edu.my/ojs/index.php/sbr/article/view/167 Azad, S. N., Gazang, S., Rebaz Jalal A. N., & Idrees, S. (2025). The Role of Strategic Marketing in Enhancing Customer Loyalty. OTS Canadian Journal, 4(2), 1–13. DOI: 10.58840/fj23ws21. ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/388886391_The_Role_of_Strategic_Marketing_in_Enhancing_Customer_LO YALTY P-ISSN 2695-186X Azad, S. N., Rahman, T., & Karim, M. (2025). The Role of Strategic Marketing in Enhancing Customer Loyalty. International Journal of Strategic Marketing, 14(1), 22–38. https://www.ijournalse.org/index.php/ESJ/article/view/2038 Barney, J. B. (1991). Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99–120. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639101700108 Bello, M., & Sule, A. (2019). Product Differentiation and Customer Loyalty in Beverage Companies in Southwest Nigeria. Journal of Business and Economic Development, 7(1), 33–45. https://www.researchgate.net/ Berry, L. L. (1983). Relationship Marketing. Emerging Perspectives of Services Marketing, 25- 28. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/2847633. https://www.ama.org Buttle, F., & Maklan, S. (2019). Customer Relationship Management: Concepts and Technologies (4th ed.). London, UK: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351016551 Carim, A. A., Ibrahim, K. M., & Adedokun, S. O, 2024). Digital Marketing and Customer Esperience in Ibadan, Oyo State. Malete Journal of Accounting and Finance. Vol. 5 (1). https://majaf.com.ng/index.php/majaf/article/view/177 Ebitu, E. T. (2020). Promotion Improves Retention. https://ukrpublisher.com/wp- content/uploads/2025/11/UKRJEBM-852025.pdf Ebitu, E. T. (2020). Promotional Strategies and Customer Retention in the Nigerian Marketing environment. Journal of Marketing Development, 9(2), 48–60. https://gphjournal.org/index.php/bm/article/view/749 Eze, C. & Owolabi, O. (2021). Digital Promotions Influence Brand Recall Among Youths. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-cities/articles/10.3389/frsc.2025. 16057 36/full Eze, C., & Owolabi, O. (2021). Digital Promotions and Brand Recall Among Youths in Nigeria. International Journal of Digital Marketing, 6(1), 27–39. https://ujb.unilag.edu.ng/article/view/2475 Fornell, C. (1992). A National Customer Satisfaction Barometer: The Swedish Experience. Journal of Marketing, 56(1), 6–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299205600103 Grönroos, C. (1994). From Marketing Mix to Relationship Marketing: Toward a Paradigm Shift in Marketing. Management Decision, 32(2), 4–20. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251749410054774 Hallowell, R. (1996). The Relationships of Customer Satisfaction, Customer Loyalty, and Profitability: An Empirical Study. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 7(4), 27–42. https://doi.org/10.1108/09564239610129931 Heskett, J. L., Sasser, W. E., & Schlesinger, L. A. (1997). The Service Profit Chain. New York, NY: Free Press. Ibojo, B. O., Adebiyi, A. O., & Opeyemi, O. S. (2025). Influence of Personal Selling on Customer Relationship Management in Selected Telecommunication Firms in Ibadan. International Journal of Financial Reseach and Management Science. Vol. 10 No. 7, 67-88. https://doi.org/10.70382/tijfrms.v10i7.031 Incentivesmart. (2023). Strategies for Customer Retention and Loyalty Marketing. https://www.incentivesmart.com JOBED (2022). Pricing Strategies and Customer Patronage amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Business and Enterprise Development . doi: 10.47963/jobed.v11i.1222. https://journal.ucc.edu.gh/index.php/jobed/article/ download/1222/version/1202/715/5282 P-ISSN 2695-186X Jotform. (2025). Essential Customer Retention Survey Questions. Jotform Blog. https://www.jotform.com/blog/ Kasmo, P.. (2024). Building Loyalty: Customer Retention Marketing Strategies. https://www.kasmodigital.com/building-loyalty-customer-retention-marketing-strategies/ Journal of Marketing Strategy and Management, 11(2), 15–29. https://drpress.org/ojs/index.php/ajmss/article/view/17530 Keller, K. L. (1993). Conceptualizing, Measuring, and Managing Customer-based Brand Equity. Journal of Marketing, 57(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299305700101 Kotler, P., & Armstrong, G. (2018). Principles of Marketing (17th ed.). Pearson. https://www.pearson.com/uk/ Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing Management (15th ed.). Pearson. https://www.pearson.com/en-us/subject-catalog/p/marketing-management/P2000 000074 78/9780133856460 Morgan, R. M., & Hunt, S. D. (1994). The Commitment-Trust Theory of Relationship Marketing. Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 20–38. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299405800302 NBC Plc. https://nbcplc.com.ng Novatia Consulting. (2024). Customer Retention Strategy in Nigeria. https://novatiaconsulting.com/customer-retention-strategy-in-nigeria/ Novatia Consulting. (2024). Customer Retention Metrics. Business Review. https://novatia.com/customer-retention-metrics-2024 Nwokah, N., & Ondukwu, P. (2021). Customer Relationship Management and Repeat Patronage (Nigeria). African Journal of Management Research, 13(1), 75–88. https://journals.aphriapub.com/index.php/AJSBS/article/view/1287 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/367503889_Customer_Relationship_Management_an d_Customers_Repeat_Purchase_Behavior_in_Nigeria Obafemi, O. O., & Oyawa, O. B. (2024). The Impact of Customer Retention on Organizational Profitability in the FMCG Sector in Nigeria. British Journal of Management & Marketing Studies, 7(3), 116–129. https://abjournals.org/bjmms/papers/volume-7/issue-3/the- impact-of-customer-retention-on-organizational-profitability-in-the-fmcg-sector-in- nigeria/ Oberiri, A. D. (2016). Impact of Marketing Strategies on Customers’ Satisfaction in Nigeria Bottling Company Yola Depot (2008-2016). Journal of Marketing and Consumer Research. Vol. 27, 35-54. https://iiste.org/Journals/index.php/JMCR/article/viewFile/33117/34016 Ogunnaike, O., Salau, O., & Adeniyi, S. (2022). Customer Relationship Management Positively Affects Customer Loyalty in Fast Moving Consumer Goods. https://www.bwjournal.org/index.php/bsjournal/article/download/2366/2021 Ogunnaike, O., Salau, O., & Adeniyi, S. (2022). Customer Relationship Management and Customer Loyalty in the Nigerian FMCG Sector. International Journal of Marketing and Business Studies, 15(1), 40–53. https://www.researchgate.net/ Ojelabi. O. T. (2025). Impact of Promotional Strategies on Nigerian Breweries Performance. https://www.scribd.com/document/866937795/Oluwadamilola-Temitope-Ojelabi- corrected Ojo, A. (2022). Value-oriented Pricing in Nigerian FMCG Markets. https://www.businessperspectives.org/index.php/journals?controller=pdfview&item_id= 16595&task=download P-ISSN 2695-186X Journal of Pricing Strategy and Practice, 4(2), 61–74. https://www.researchgate.net/ Olaoye, O. (2021). Pricing Strategies Determine Switching Behaviour. https://deljoms.com.ng/pub/Volume%207%2C%20Number%201%2C%20June%202025 AA.pdf Journal of Business Strategy and Marketing, 8(3), 82–94. https://www.researchgate.net/ Oliver, R. L. (1980). A Cognitive Model of the Antecedents and Consequences of Satisfaction Decisions. Journal of Marketing Research, 17(4), 460–469. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378001700405 Oliver, R. L. (1997). Satisfaction: A Behavioral Perspective on the Consumer. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Peppers, D., & Rogers, M. (2011). Managing Customer Relationships. A Strategic Framework (2nd ed.). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119204554. https://www.wiley.com Porter, M. E. (1980). Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors. New York, NY: Free Press. Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. Free Press. https://hbr.org/1985/05/competitive-advantage-creating-and-sustaining-superior- performance Reichheld, F. F., & Sasser, W. E., Jr. (1990). Zero Defections: Quality Comes to Services. Harvard Business Review, Sept–Oct, 68(5), 105–111. https://hbr.org/1990/09/zero-defections- quality-comes-to-services ResearchGate (2025). Customer Relationship Management and Customers’ Repeat Purchase Behaviour in Nigeria. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/367503889_ Customer_Relationship_Management_and_Customers_Repeat_Purchase_Behavior_in_ Nigeria RF Limited. https://ritefoodsltd.com Rust, R. T., Zeithaml, V. A., & Lemon, K. N. (2000). Driving Customer Equity: How Customer Lifetime Value is Reshaping Corporate Strategy. Harvard Business Review, 78(6), 177- 185. https://hbr.org/2000/11/driving-customer-equity-how-customer-lifetime-value-is- reshaping-corporate-strategy SBC Limited. https://seven-up.org Shimp, T. A., & Andrews, J. C. (2017). Advertising, Promotion, and Other Aspects of Integrated Marketing Communications (10th ed.). Cengage. Tamunoiselegha, M. A., Amadi, R. N. Nsereka, B. G., & Dike, H. W. (2024). Consumer Perception of Organisational Reputation of the Nigerian Bottling Company Plc, in Rivers State, Nigeria. https://zenodo.org/records/15554404. TheJOAS (2024/2025). Digital Customer Relationship Management Tools and Consumer Retention. https://thejoas.com/index.php/thejoas/article/download/32/81 Varadarajan, P. R. (2010). Strategic Marketing and Marketing Strategy. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 38(4), 455-465. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-010-0203-9 Varadarajan, P. R. (2010). Strategic Marketing and Marketing Strategy: Conceptual Domain, Definition, Fundamental Issues and Foundational Premises. Journal/Article. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11747-009-0176-7 Wikipedia_Ibadan. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibadan Wikipedia_Ijebu-Ode. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ijebu_Ode Wikipedia_NBC. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_Bottling_Company P-ISSN 2695-186X Wisdomlib (2026). Significance of Ibadan, Nigeria https://www.wisdomlib.org/concept/ibadan- nigeria Yuen, K., & Chan, H. (2022). Strategic Product Positioning and Return Purchase Intentions in Asian Retail Markets. Asian Journal of Marketing Research, 16(1), 33–47. https://www.ijournalse.org/index.php/ESJ/article/view/2038 Zeithaml, V. A., Bitner, M. J., & Gremler, D. D. (2017/2022). Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus Across the Firm (7th ed./8th ed..). McGraw-Hill. https://www.mheducation.com/highered/product/services-marketing-zeithaml-bitner- gremler/M9780078112102.html Zhang, L., Wang, Y., & Chen, Z. (2024). Customer Satisfaction Relationship Between Strategic Marketing and Loyalty. Journal of Strategic Marketing Studies, 18(1), 55–70. https://drpress.org/ojs/index.php/ajmss/article/view/17530 Zhang, L., Wang, Y., & Liu, Q. (2024). Strategic Marketing and Customer Retention. International Journal of Retail and Marketing Research, 9(2), 41–56. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/379424871_Research_on_Marketing_Strategy _Management_based_on_Customer_Retention Zhang, L., Abhijit, K., & Dhakir, D. (2024). Marketing Strategy and Customer Retention in the Retail Sector. Prestige Journal of Business Management, 5(1), 20–34. https://prestieesci.com/journal/index.php/PJBM/article/view/46

More Articles from IIARD INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Impacts of Agricultural Interventions and Projects (2005-2025) on Agribusiness Participation and Income-Generating Ability of Farmers in Nigeria

Author: H. Sallawu, S. Adebonojo, E. A. Agboola, R. O. Akande, B. A. Kadiri, A. Abdullahi, R., A. Lasisi, F. Muhammed, O. R. Ogunbukola, S. A. Olanrewaju, M. A. Olatunde, S., Salam, A. O. Sanusi, J. C. Uwakwe, and J. N. Nmadu