ABSTRACT

This study investigated the influence of brand trust on brand switching behaviour among undergraduate consumers of fast food products in Umuahia metropolis. Four objectives were set out which are, to determine the influence of brand awareness on brand switching behaviour among undergraduate consumers in the study area; determine the influence of brand association on brand switching behaviour among undergraduate consumers in the study area; determine the influence of perceived quality on brand switching behaviour among undergraduate consumers in the study area; and to determine the influence of brand loyalty on brand switching behaviour among undergraduate consumers in the study area. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for this study, with a population of two hundred and fifty (250) undergraduate consumers of fast food products in Umuahia metropolis. The study employed the use of self-prepared four point rating scale questionnaire to obtain information from undergraduate consumers  of fast food brands in Umuahia Metropolis. It was a finite population. Simple descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentage, and mean was used to analyse respondents’ personal data and research questions while Spearman’s rho Correlation coefficient was used to test the hypotheses. The result on the demographic data showed that most respondents (54.0%) are female, most respondents (59.4%) are between 20 and 25 years, nearly quarter (24.6%) of the respondents are in 200 level, majority of respondents (43.9%) are from Hospitality and Tourism Management, overwhelming majority of respondents (92%) are from Michael Okpara University, Umudike. The results on the what influence has brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality and brand loyalty has on brand switching behaviour showed a strong positive influence on brand switching behaviour among undergraduate consumers in the study area. In conclusion, the study explores the factors influencing brand switching behavior among undergraduate consumers of fast food products in Umuahia metropolis. The study recommends that fast food companies should invest in marketing strategies that enhance brand visibility, particularly on social media platforms where undergraduate consumers are most active.