Evaluating Sustainable Marketing Strategies Against Product Counterfeiting: Assessment among Drinking Water Companies in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Abstract

The study attempted to evaluate the effectiveness of sustainable product strategies employed by drinking water businesses in Tanzania's Dar es Salaam in countering product counterfeiting, which undermines consumer safety, brand image, and competitiveness in the market. Specifically, the study aimed to determine the contribution of sustainable product strategies, examine the effect of sustainable pricing strategies, and identify the contribution of sustainable promotion strategies on product counterfeiting. Quantitative methods were employed. The relationship between independent variables and counterfeiting of products was tested using non-parametric analysis techniques like Spearman's rank correlation, and Kruskal-Wallis tests followed by polynomial regression. The results showed sustainable product strategies to have no notable effect on counterfeiting with coefficients of -0.828 (t = -0.361, p = 0.719) and 0.119 (t = 0.385, p = 0.701) respectively. Sustainable price strategies reduced counterfeiting considerably with coefficients of 6.496 (t = 6.773, p = 0.000) and -0.722 (t = -5.931, p = 0.000), indicating that reflective and fair value pricing inhibits buying counterfeit considerably. Economic promotion strategies were not huge, and the 0.050 (t = 0.113, p = 0.910) and 0.099 (t = 1.589, p = 0.114) coefficients were reported. According to the research, sustainable pricing is the best strategy, and product and promotion strategies require complementary interventions. Firms are advised to adopt prioritized pricing interventions, add authenticity characteristics, and increase consumer awareness to avoid counterfeiting.