This chapter contains an extensive coverage for discussion, interpretation and validation of the survey results. Further, the chapter delineate
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
5. This chapter contains an extensive coverage for discussion, interpretation and validation of the survey results. Further, the chapter delineates the discussions on the part of study limitations and prospectus for future research, and leads to a broad conclusion at the end of the chapter.
5.1. Discussion
The purpose of the discussion is to interpret and describe the significance of your findings in light of what was already known about the research problem being investigated and to explain any new understanding or insights that emerged as a result of your study of the problem. The discussion will always connect to the introduction by way of the research questions or hypotheses you posed and the literature you reviewed, but the discussion does not simply repeat or rearrange the first parts of your paper; the discussion clearly explain how your study advanced the reader's understanding of the research problem from where you left them at the end of your review of prior research level.
5.2. Conclusion
The conclusion is intended to help the reader understand why your research should matter to them after they have finished reading the paper. A conclusion is not merely a summary of your points or a re-statement of your research problem but a synthesis of key points.
5.3. Managerial Relevance
Write here an account of the managerial relevance of your study. Just to revise the one mentioned in chapter 1 in light of the findings of the study.
5.4. Scientific Implications
Write here an account of the scientific implications of your study. Just to revise the one mentioned in chapter 1 in light of the findings of the study.
5.5. Limitations and Scope for Future Research
Every study has limitations. Study limitations can exist due to constraints on research design or methodology, and these factors may impact the findings of your study. However, many researchers are reluctant to discuss the limitations of their study in their papers, feeling that bringing up limitations may undermine its research value in the eyes of readers and reviewers.
You may choose to conclude the section by making suggestions for further research. Although your study may offer important insights about the research problem, this is where you can address other questions related to the problem that remain unanswered or highlight previously hidden questions that were revealed as a result of conducting your research. You should frame your suggestions by linking the need for further research to the limitations of your study [e.g., in future studies, the survey instrument should include more questions that ask…"] or linking to critical issues revealed from the data that were not considered initially in your research.
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CHAPTER 5
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
5. This chapter contains an extensive coverage for discussion, interpretation and validation of the survey results. Further, the chapter delineates the discussions on the part of study limitations and prospectus for future research, and leads to a broad conclusion at the end of the chapter.
5.1. Discussion
The purpose of the discussion is to interpret and describe the significance of your findings in light of what was already known about the research problem being investigated and to explain any new understanding or insights that emerged as a result of your study of the problem. The discussion will always connect to the introduction by way of the research questions or hypotheses you posed and the literature you reviewed, but the discussion does not simply repeat or rearrange the first parts of your paper; the discussion clearly explain how your study advanced the reader's understanding of the research problem from where you left them at the end of your review of prior research level.
5.2. Conclusion
The conclusion is intended to help the reader understand why your research should matter to them after they have finished reading the paper. A conclusion is not merely a summary of your points or a re-statement of your research problem but a synthesis of key points.
5.3. Managerial Relevance
Write here an account of the managerial relevance of your study. Just to revise the one mentioned in chapter 1 in light of the findings of the study.
5.4. Scientific Implications
Write here an account of the scientific implications of your study. Just to revise the one mentioned in chapter 1 in light of the findings of the study.
5.5. Limitations and Scope for Future Research
Every study has limitations. Study limitations can exist due to constraints on research design or methodology, and these factors may impact the findings of your study. However, many researchers are reluctant to discuss the limitations of their study in their papers, feeling that bringing up limitations may undermine its research value in the eyes of readers and reviewers.
You may choose to conclude the section by making suggestions for further research. Although your study may offer important insights about the research problem, this is where you can address other questions related to the problem that remain unanswered or highlight previously hidden questions that were revealed as a result of conducting your research. You should frame your suggestions by linking the need for further research to the limitations of your study [e.g., in future studies, the survey instrument should include more questions that ask…"] or linking to critical issues revealed from the data that were not considered initially in your research.
References
1) Acs, Z. J., & Audretsch, D. B. (2005). Entrepreneurship, innovation and technological change. Foundations and Trends in Entrepreneurship, 1(4), 1–65.
2) Adams, C. (2015). Understanding integrated reporting: The concise guide to integrated thinking and the future of corporate reporting. Do Sustainability.
3) Adler, P., & Kwon, S. (2002). Social capital: Prospects for a new concept. Academy of Management Review 27(1) 17-40.
4)
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SAMPLE ANNEXURE
,
1
How the Quality of Branding Can Affect the End
Buyers’ Loyalty: Saudi Telecom Company
Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
BY
OSAMA ALSHAER (ID: S199633839)
Supervised by:
Dr. Karim Fraj Garrouch
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL SCIENCES
SAUDI ELECTRONIC UNIVERSITY 2020
2
Declaration Certificate
The work entitled, ‘‘How the Quality of Branding Can Affect the End Buyers’ Loyalty: Saudi
Telecom Company’’, embodies the results of the original research work carried out by me in the
College of Administrative and Financial Sciences, Department of Business Administration Saudi
Electronic University. This research work has not been submitted in part or full for the award of
any other degree at SEU or any other university.
Date: 15 April 2021
Osama Alshaer
Place: Jeddah
3
Acknowledgement
I would like to acknowledge and sincerely thank my family, my teachers and supervisor, Saudi
Electronic University and all the study participants who helped me to complete the project
successfully.
4
Table of Contents Declaration Certificate …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7 Chapter 1: Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8
1.1. Background …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8 1.2. Competition in the Telecommunications Industry ……………………………………………………. 9
1.3. STC’s New Branding Campaign …………………………………………………………………………. 11 1.4. Problem Statement ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 15
1.5. Research Aim ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 16 1.6. Research Questions…………………………………………………………………………………………… 16
1.7. Hypotheses ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 16 1.8. Research Objectives …………………………………………………………………………………………. 17
1.9. Project Rationale ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 17 1.10. Overview ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 18
Chapter 2: Literature Review ………………………………………………………………………………………. 19 2.1 Branding ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 19
2.2. Brand Equity …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 21 2.3. Brand Awareness ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 22
2.4 Perceived Quality ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 23 2.5 Brand Association …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 23
2.6 Brand Loyalty …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 24 2.7. Influence of Brand Experience on Customer Loyalty ……………………………………………… 25
2.8. Impact of Brand Identity on Brand Awareness ………………………………………………………. 26 2.9. The Impact of Brand Image on Brand Loyalty and Perceived Quality ……………………….. 28
2.10. Saudi Telecom Company and the Telecoms Industry ……………………………………………. 29 2.11. The STC Brand in Relation to Customer Loyalty …………………………………………………. 30
Chapter 3: Methodology …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 33 3.1. Quantitative Research Methodology ……………………………………………………………………. 33
3.2. Survey Design …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 33 3.3. Sample Selection and Inclusion ………………………………………………………………………….. 34
3.4. Research Strategy …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 35 3.5. Theoretical Concept ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 35
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3.5.1 Model ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 36 3.6. Data Collection ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 37
3.7. Reliability and Validity Data ……………………………………………………………………………… 38 3.8. Data Analysis ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 38
3.9. Ethical Considerations ………………………………………………………………………………………. 38 3.10. Limitations of the methodology ………………………………………………………………………… 39
Chapter 4: Results ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 41 Chapter 5: Discussion ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 47
Chapter 6: Conclusion and Recommendations………………………………………………………………… 62 6.1. Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 62
6.2. Recommendations ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 64 References ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 66
Appendices ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 74 Appendix A: Questionnaire ……………………………………………………………………………………… 74
Appendix B: Graphical representation of the responses ………………………………………………… 76
Index of Figures
Figure 1: The Saudi Telecom Sector (Al-Aali, A. and Kamel, 2015) ……………………………………. 9 Figure 2: Revenue trends in the Saudi telecom sector between 2000 and 2017 (Statista, 2016) …. 9 Figure 3: Telecommunications sector statistics 2013 – 2019 (TRA UAE, 2019 cited in Mordor Intelligence, 2021) …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 10 Figure 4: STC Logo before and after (Armin, 2020) ………………………………………………………… 12 Figure 5: Interbrand's rebranding of STC (Eye of Riyadh, 2020) ……………………………………….. 12 Figure 6: Branding impact on customer loyalty model …………………………………………………….. 37 Figure 7: Structural Equation Model of the Variables ………………………………………………………. 45 Figure 8: STC has a very good image ……………………………………………………………………………. 47 Figure 9: As a customer I am generally satisfied with STC’s services and products ………………. 48 Figure 10: Materials associated with STC are generally visually appealing …………………………. 49 Figure 11: STC generally has useful products ………………………………………………………………… 50 Figure 12: I have had a lot of memorable experiences with STC ……………………………………….. 51 Figure 13: Thinking about STC brings back good memories …………………………………………….. 51 Figure 14: I would recommend STC to other people ……………………………………………………….. 53 Figure 15: STC puts customer satisfaction first ………………………………………………………………. 54 Figure 16: STC plays an important role in digital empowerment in the GCC region ……………… 55 Figure 17: STC is a company that promotes the interests of the youth ………………………………… 56 Figure 18: STC’s products can meet the current market demand ……………………………………….. 57
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Figure 19: I am confident in STC’s products and services ………………………………………………… 58
Index of Tables
Table 1: Characteristics of Respondents. ……………………………………………………………………….. 42 Table 2: Reliability Tests of Items ………………………………………………………………………………… 43 Table 3: Total Variance Explained ……………………………………………………………………………….. 44
7
Abstract
Background: Saudi Telecom Company (STC) is the leading telecommunications company in
Saudi Arabia and a leading company in the Gulf region. Due to the rapidly evolving and
competitive nature of the telecommunications sector, customer retention is a major objective of
STC. It has been seeking to achieve this goal with a rebranding campaign which it initialized in
2019.
Purpose: This research aims to use the case study of STC to understand how the quality of
branding can affect the end buyers’ loyalty.
Methodology: To understand the correlation between branding consumer loyalty, a model was
developed on the basis of previous literature. The model aimed to conceptualize the interaction
between the variables brand awareness, brand image, brand identity, brand loyalty, and perceived
quality to show how the quality of branding impacts customer loyalty. Consequently, a
questionnaire was devised to test a series of hypotheses in relation to the model using excerpts
from the ATC-PSQAL Perceived Quality and Kayaman and Arasli's Brand Image Measurement
Scale (2007), a Customer Intimacy Scale by Mulia et al. and a Customer Brand Identification scale
by Büyükdag and Kitapci. The questionnaire was distributed among 367 participants located in
Saudi Arabia. The data was then undertaken a quantitative analysis using Stata to test for the
postulated hypotheses.
Findings: It was found that the aforementioned variables had some direct or indirect relationship
on brand loyalty with the exception of brand awareness. The model was therefore largely shown
to be accurate with exception of brand awareness. Contrary to the literature the findings show that
familiarity or high levels of recognizability alone is insufficient to guarantee branding success.
This lack of correlation between brand awareness and brand loyalty may be particular to the
telecommunication sector. Companies should understand the correlations between variables as
applicants to the sector they operate in. Within the context of the research, it will be therefore
necessary for STC to carefully formulate an effective branding identity rather than banking on
brand awareness to accomplish customer retention.
Keywords: Saudi Telecom Company, STC, telecommunications, branding, brand loyalty, brand
awareness, brand image, brand identity, perceived quality
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Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1. Background
Branding is widely recognized as the primary tool that organizations can use to achieve a
competitive edge in the market. This is because firstly the advances in technology make it
increasingly easier for upcoming competitors to copy the quality of established industry players.
Secondly, superior attributes, such as the quality of a product are only contributors to an
organization’s competitive strength if they are acknowledged and internalized by the customer,
which is achieved through branding. As such, businesses that are conscious about branding seek
to leave a memorable impression on their customers and the public at large.
The concept of branding implies a set of functional attributes and symbolic values,
branding being the process of associating the attributes with the product to add value to it (Knox
and Bickerton, 2003 cited in Hakala, Latti and Sandberg, 2011, p. 448). In other words, it is about
communicating and celebrating the most interesting truth about a good or service in a way that the
world can appreciate (Keller, Marino and Wallace, 2016, p. 24). As well, it can be simply described
as the art of aligning what the company wants people to think about it and vice versa (Baer cited
in Keller, Marino and Wallace, 2016, p. 24). Branding success, therefore, depends on saliency,
differentiability and intensity, and on the trust attached to its associations (Kapferer, 2004 cited in
Hakala, Latti and Sandberg, 2011, p. 448).
It is important to note that branding is not only done with a view of boosting sales but also
due to the need to retain customers. Increased competition as a result of increasing globalization
means that companies have to fight harder to retain customers than ever before. Branding helps
the organization to remain visible and reposition itself as times change and new competition
emerges. Therefore, for an established company like Saudi Telecom Company (STC) it is crucial
to ensure that its branding effort resonates with the current expectations by the consumers.
9
1.2. Competition in the Telecommunications Industry
The telecommunication sector in the GCC countries, and more specifically, in Saudi
Arabia is fierce and involves only three dominant industry players, which are only STC, Mobility
and Zain, as seen in Figure 1.
Figure 1: The Saudi Telecom Sector (Al-Aali, A. and Kamel, 2015)
In addition to this, revenues have overall been rising over the recent years. This makes the
telecommunications sector an extremely lucrative field, but also one which is highly competitive
as few dominant players vie for market share and exploit opportunities quickly as they arise,
therefore consistently pushing technological advance and customer-orientation to new levels. The
competitive nature of the industry has forced STC into a branding offensive.
Figure 2: Revenue trends in the Saudi telecom sector between 2000 and 2017 (Statista, 2016)
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Figure 3: Telecommunications sector statistics 2013 – 2019 (TRA UAE, 2019 cited in Mordor Intelligence, 2021)
The Saudi Telecom Company (STC) was established in 1998 as a government owned
telecommunications service provider. The 23 years old is currently worth SR 58,949m (STC,
2021) company. On the corporate strategy level, the company has undergone a number of
campaigns and initiatives aimed at repositioning it on both the domestic and the global stage.
Among these programs is the DARE (Digitalize STC, Accelerate core assist performance,
Reinvent customer experience at world-class standards, and Expand aggressively in scale and
scope) initiative, for which it signed more than 25 agreements with several global IT firms, such
as Cisco, Ericsson, Huawei, and Nokia, in October 2019 (STC, 2021). As part of this strategy,
STC also launched its 5G technology in 2020.
STC has a strong brand but so do many other telecommunication companies with a strong
presence in the Gulf region. Büyükdag and Kitapci (2021) showed how the top 100 most valuable
companies are faced with the enormous challenges of retaining their position in the ranking they
hold. The same applies to STC. STC may enjoy a leadership position in the telecommunications
market at present but needs to continuously reinvent itself to be able to maintain that position. A
look at the history of the top 100 rankings of the most valuable brands in the world shows that
there is considerable turbulence at the top. and that their success is more fleeting than is often
assumed.
11
Currently, STC is a leader in the telecommunications industry in the Saudi market and is
fifth in the Arabian companies listed in the stock market (Arab News, 2020). This translates to
rank 335 on the international stock market. Other telecommunication companies like Etisalat
otherwise called Mobily enjoy a substantial market presence in the ME region especially in the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) and in Saudi Arabia (PR News Wire, 2020). Mobily has a net worth
of about $5.2 billion and is also customer centric (PR News Wire, 2020). Mobily is a worthy
competitor against STC with a brand purpose of customer experience focusing on how technology
enriches people’s lives through a Smiles loyalty scheme and a Together Matters tagline.
Therefore, for STC to ensure consumer retention, it must position its brand well within the
market. Through brand positioning, refers to the act of designing the company’s offer and image
so that it occupies a distinct and valued place in the target customer’s mind (Anandan, 2009, p.
147). The relationship between marketing and brand positioning is such that the latter determines
the former’s activities and programs that the company should do or not do regarding its marketing
process (Ukaj, 2016, p. 53). Through brand positioning, the brand of the company is fixed on the
mind of the customers in a bid to differentiate the company’s identity and image from that of
competitors (Keller, 2002 cited in Ukaj, 2016, p.53).
1.3. STC’s New Branding Campaign
When Saudi Telecom Company decided to revamp its brand in 2019, it was the second
such announcement in two decades, the prior rebranding campaign having been undertaken in
2007. Both campaigns have been undertaken during critical periods of restructuring of the
telecommunications sector. In 2007, the company lost its state monopoly to the telecommunication
sector in Saudi Arabia. However, rather than being pushed into decline, the company decided to
go into the offensive by successfully internationalizing through the acquisition of significant
market share in Malaysia, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and a number of
other Asian and African countries (Al-Aali and Kamel, 2015; Reuters, 2011; Arabian Business,
2007).
Since then, however, the telecom market has evolved considerably where new services and
trends have emerged accompanied by rapidly rising demand, such as mobile wallet services, 4g
12
and 5g connectivity, and others. It is in the face of these developments that STC has sought to
reposition itself as a force of digital innovation.
Figure 4: STC Logo before and after (Armin, 2020)
Figure 5: Interbrand's rebranding of STC (Eye of Riyadh, 2020)
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In both these phases, back in 2007 and now since 2019, STC has faced threats against the
loyalty of its customers due to changes in the company’s business environment. Whereas in 2007,
the loss of the monopoly meant that customers were free to choose from new industry rivals, the
diversification of the sector of today has made it possible for tech-savvy start-ups which are able
to secure sufficient funding to capture market share on the basis of first-mover advantage. These
two incidents have shown that STC understands the importance of matching its operations and
strategic pursuits with robust marketing.
As a consequence, STC’s branding is not only important to achieve profits and recognition
on the market but also as a strategic tool to retain its customers while converting new ones. As
such, the operational target of branding can be summed up as achieving great customer
satisfaction, which is normally successfully attained when exceeding the customer’s expectations,
as well as cultivation of a positive brand image.
STC spells out its vision which is at the heart of its brand as “we are a world class digital
leader providing innovative services and platforms to our customers and enabling the digital
transformation of the MENA [Middle East and North Africa] region” (STC, 2020). With regards
to customer satisfaction, STC is a customer centric company providing consumers with ICT
solutions and digital services including telecommunication, IT, financial technology, digital media
and cybersecurity.
As an indicator of the superior customer satisfaction STC provides, it was voted most
valuable amongst telecommunication companies in the ME region. As such STC’s customers feel
they purchase what represents value. The company is estimated to be worth about US$9.2 billion
(STC, 2021). In the ME region, the company falls slightly behind Aramco and ADNOC in brand
finance but is ranked to be the 2nd fastest growing brand of the largest 20 global
telecommunications company. STC has since earned an AAA ranking (STC, 2021). As such, what
the consumers feel and think about a company’s products and services is important.
In 2019, STC launched a new branding policy- the unified brand along with a DARE
strategy that aligns with the company’s strategy for digital transformation and customer experience
enrichment. Apart from a new logo and new and different social media presence, STC defined a
range of values associated with its recent rebranding campaign. According to STC’s CEO Al
14
Nasser an important focus of the company’s branding strategy is “digital transformation and
innovation”. This new branding effort is in line with the company’s ventures into the digital
payments sector, entertainment, new media while staying abreast with the fast transformations in
the communication and technology sector (Alsaeed, 2019). In addition, STC seeks to “enable
entrepreneurship”: An important aspect for STC’s branding is the emphasis on helping start-ups
in establishing themselves by providing the telecommunication products that they require.
Furthermore, STC seeks to enhance the lives of its customers. Lastly, STC seeks to provide an </p
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