JACKSON Prince Femi
Department of Marketing, Faculty of Administration and Management
Rivers State University Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt
ebiuwouj@gmail.com
DIDIA James U. D
Department of Marketing, Faculty of Administration and Management
Rivers State University Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt
IBAMA-HAMILTON Edith-Onajite Lolia
Department of Marketing, Faculty of Administration and Management
Rivers State University Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt.
Abstract
This study investigated the association between product differentiation and customer retention of private media establishments in Rivers State. Product differentiation was the predictor variable.
Customer retention was the criterion variable and was measured with brand trust, switching barrier and customer loyalty. The research tested 3 alternate hypotheses in order to establish the association between product differentiation and customer retention of private media establishments. The study adopted an explanatory research design. The Population of the study comprised fifty (50) private media establishments in Rivers State as enlisted in the Rivers State yellow pages. The study adopted a census.
Two (2) respondents were drawn from each of the private media establishments in Rivers State, making a total of hundred (100) respondents. Categories of respondents were the marketing managers and sales managers of private media establishments in Rivers State. Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation was used to test the hypotheses at the secondary level of analyses. The study found positive and statistically significant associations between product differentiation and customer retention. The study concludes that product differentiation significantly relate to customer retention of private media establishments in Rivers State; and recommends that managers of private media establishments should effectively differentiate their product in view of its strategic role in driving customer retention.
Keywords: Brand trust, customer loyalty, product differentiation, customer retention, switching barrier.