How Brand Preference Shapes Brand Loyalty of Milk Powder Through Young Consumers’ Eyes: The  Moderating Role of Health Consciousness

Disputable information circulated through mass media on contamination of imported milk powder with hazardous chemical compounds is common at present that challenges consumer brand preference and brand loyalty. Though these two concepts seem highly correlated, adequate empirical studies have not yet explored with respect to the Sri Lankan market in young consumers’ health consciousness grounds to see the probable effect. Therefore, the present study aims to bridge this knowledge gap by focusing on the Sri Lankan milk powder market. Data were collected from Sri Lankan young consumer group (n= 100) via an online survey. The relationships among variables were tested using Structural Equation Modeling via SMART PLS 3 software. The analysis found that brand preference (T= 4.006, P=0.000) and health consciousness (T= 3.824, P=0.000) significantly and positively influenced consumer brand loyalty of milk powder while health consciousness (T= 2.158, P=0.031) significantly moderates the relationship between brand preference and brand loyalty. Hence, the study suggests manufacturers and marketers the importance of focusing on the health consciousness of young consumers to enhance and maintain brand loyalty while increasing the revenue of a particular milk brand.