Factors Affecting Consumer Perception Towards Bottled Water In A.A. The Case Of Aquaddis

There has been a high influx of many brands of bottled water in the Ethiopian market over the decade but a few have been competitive. This work was carried out to determine the factors that affect the perception of consumers on the performance of bottled Water Companies. The study takes both qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed. A sample size of 279 respondents was selected from different cafeterias and restaurants using a non-probability convenient sampling as it is relatively quick, convenient, and less expensive for collecting data (Sekaran and Bougie, 2009). The work was analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and regression analysis. The factors, brand image, taste of the bottled water, perceived price, promotional activity and packaging attribute; taken as the factors which influences the perception of the consumers'. In general all the five variables have a positive impact on consumers' perception as per the study however, Price, is the least factor to influence on customer choice of bottled water, when comparing with the remaining factors, beside this taste of the water was the strongest factor on consumer perception to choose a specific brand. Consumer perceived price as over rating therefore taking price as one of the competitive strategy, despite of the least correlated with consumer perception, regarding handling of packaging, the shape is one of the influential attribute in consumers' perception. Consumers', the taste of bottled water also the influential factor of perceptual process for most of the respondents; The outcome of the study also registered clearly that the electronic media advertisement, influences the choice of many consumers as to what brand to purchase. This evidently applied to those who are not strictly adapted with a particular brand. A few consumers of bottle water are strong patrons of the brand; so it is a more influential on the demand side of the market. Promotional activity of AQUADDIS also used as a tool to attract the consumers, but it is not presented timely and in attractive way as most of the respondents feedback. Therefore the company has to work on the promotion intensively to be more addressable and attractively. One of the aims of the study was to assess the effect of brand image of bottle water on customer loyalty. It was therefore realized that branding is the complex collection of everything the consumer will want in bottled water. In view of this, AQUADDIS bottle Water Company has to adopt a holistic management approach of ensuring that both the content, the packaging of their products as well as their customer service are excellently pursued. It was also revealed in the vi | P a g e study that consumer response or feedback after using consuming the water product is very vital to brand performance. The perception of the consumer on the brand of any product cannot be taken for granted if a company is to achieve competitiveness. As per the finding, AQUADDIS is the second most preferable water following YES water, as both are a forerunner on packaged water industry and being a forerunner and availability also a factor for purchasing a bottle water