BRAND PERSONALITY AND CUSTOMER LOYALTY ON FOOD AND BEVERAGES AMONG STUDENTS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF BENIN.

This study investigated the impact of brand personality on customer loyalty in the food and beverage sector among University of Benin students. A total of 400 undergraduate students participated via a structured questionnaire distributed through Google Forms. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis to assess the influence of four dimensions of brand personality excitement, competence, sincerity, and innovation on customer loyalty. The findings revealed that brand excitement, competence, and sincerity have a statistically significant and positive effect on customer loyalty, whereas brand innovation does not significantly influence loyalty. Based on these results, the study recommends that food and beverage companies focus on developing engaging, reliable, and authentic brand experiences to enhance customer retention among university students.