Juqu, Thando Buhle2024-09-192024-09-192022Juqu, Thando Buhle. (2022). Church brands and management styles: The case of South African Protestant churches [Master’s dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WireDSpace.https://hdl.handle.net/10539/40967https://hdl.handle.net/10539/40967A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Strategic Marketing (MMSM) to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022Protestant church brands continuously fail to recognise that their brands are indeed brands. South African church brands have continuously been accused of engaging in activities that detract and decrease their customer bases. Their roles are to ensure that the customers’ needs are met and are satisfactory. This study aimed to measure the perceived relationships between brand management and other variables such as customer loyalty and consumer behaviours. Do church members and other stakeholders agree that church brands are brands and attest to this statement by identifying as customers to the brand? Guided by the positivism approach and descriptive research design, the study utilized a self-administered questionnaire to collect data from a sample of 171 respondents who were members of the South African Protestant churches. The study established that communication remains a key pillar to the growth and sustenance of any relationship. The study further proved that proper befitting brand management styles play a role in the growth of brands. Under the agency theory, the study highlighted that these customers need to be noticed and heard by protestant church brands. About Thirty six percent (36.3%) of respondents highlighted that brands did not communicate internal issues and scandals. The study further cited poor brand management and the lack of communication, and that a decrease in brand management led to detracting customer loyalty and brand trust, putting these non-profit organisations at significant risk. The study concluded that adopting proper management styles and CRM activities and observing proper brand management styles in these protestant church brands allows brand growth. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by enriching the theoretical scope of theology and brand management in the context of protestant church brands. This ultimately leads to custodians of brands becoming great stewards of the branden© 2022 University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.BrandsChurch brandsManagement stylesProtestant churchesSouth AfricaUCTDSDG-16: Peace, justice and strong institutionsDissertationUniversity of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg