"FACTORS BEHIND BRAND SWITCHING IN TELECOMMUNICATION INDUSTRY OF PAKISTAN"

Abstract

Purpose- The main objective of this study is to know the factors that motivate consumers of cellular services segment of telecommunication industry to shift from the usage of services of one network to another network. Methodology/sample- The study involved use of questionnaires covering the independent variables price, service quality, trust and dependent variable brand switching filled by 100 respondents. The respondents belonged to different age groups, income groups and cellular networks. To analyze the collected data Regression and Correlation techniques were applied. Findings- The results of the study indicated that the consumers of telecommunication industry switch to another network due to high prices. Consumers are not influenced by service quality and the trust is the only factor that helps to prevent the brand switching and make customers loyal to their service provider. Practical Implications- In this rigid environment consumers are free to choose services of any network therefore, the outcomes of the research might help the marketing department of cellular service providers to examine consumer behavior towards brand switching and this research study is also helpful for those students who have wish to conduct further research on Pakistani telecommunication industry.