Factors Affecting Market Sustainability Performance; A Case Of Ambo Mineral Water Share Company

Abstract

The expansion of bottling firms and marketing opportunities for bottled water are clear indicators that Ethiopia is a home for suitable investment opportunities in the bottled water sector. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess the factors that affecting the market sustainability performance of Ambo Mineral Water company by using multiple linear regression models, taking the four marketing mix strategies (price, product, promotion and place) as independent variables and sustainability performance as dependent variables. To achieve this objective, an explanatory research design and mixed research approach were employed. The target population of the study was consumers of Ambo Mineral Water in Ambo City. In this study, the sample size consisted of 374 customers, including two distributers or wholesalers. Sampling was selected by using non-probability convenience sampling techniques. The study used both a questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale and both open-ended and close-ended items, as well as interview data collection instruments. Bivariate Pearson‟s correlation analysis is applied to measure the strength and association between the dependent variable of market sustainability performance and four independent variables: product strategy, price strategy, promotion strategy and distribution strategy. To measure the factors influencing market sustainability of Ambo Natural spring Mineral Water and examine the effect of the independent variables on market sustainability, a multiple linear regression model was used. The result showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between market sustainability performance of Ambo Mineral Water and product strategy (CV=0.807 at P-value<0.01), price strategy (CV=0.960 at P-value<0.01), promotion strategy (CV=0.803 at P-value<0.01), and distribution strategy (CV=0.934 at P value<0.01). Finally, the study recommended that an appropriate and adequate measure of 4p‟s marketing mix strategies revised by the company for the future to sustain long-term business successes and remarkable Market sustainability performance.