Integrated marketing communications, brand equity, and business performance in micro-finance institutions: An emerging market perspective

ABSTRACT

The study investigates the role of integrated marketing communications (IMC) and its effect on brand equity (BE) and business performance (BP) in Ghana’s microfinance institutions (MFIs). A total of 407 key staff of MFIs were surveyed using a questionnaire. Purposive sampling technique was employed to select respondents. Partial Least Squares (PLS) was used to test the hypothesised relationships between the constructs in the study. The results indicate a significant positive relationship between IMC and BE on one hand; IMC and BP on the other; and BE and BP. Finally, the study found that BE mediates the relationship between IMC and BP. The study provides a useful guide to strategy in marketing communications by delineating the crucial role that IMC plays in brand performance.

KEYWORDS:

• Brand equity
• business performance
• Ghana
• integrated marketing communications
• microfinance

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.