Assessing the Effectiveness of Product Branding on Consumer Behaviour in the Bottled Water Industry: A Case Study of Bigtree Beverages, Lusaka District

The paper assesses the effectiveness of product branding on consumer behavior in the bottled water industry, with a case study of Bigtree beverages’ Vatra mineral water, in Lusaka district. In commoditised categories such as bottled water, branding serves as a primary differentiator. This study examines how brand elements, marketing communication, and awareness influence consumer behaviour in Zambia. A mixed-method survey was administered to 40 consumers and 10 marketing staff of Bigtree beverages, to assess product branding of Vatra mineral water. Likert-scale items measured perceptions; open-ended responses provided qualitative depth. Vatra achieved 80% brand awareness and 80% satisfaction, with packaging and social media as key drivers. However, loyalty remains price-sensitive, and slogan recall is weak. Staff overemphasized technical credentials while consumers prioritised visual cues and word-of-mouth. It can be concluded that branding significantly affects purchase intent, but emotional resonance is underleveraged.