Does corporate reputation affect brand preference? Application to the soft drinks industry in Egypt

Researchers have acknowledged the importance of corporate reputation amongst different fields of study. Scolars addressing corporate reputation in the field of marketing have acknowledged corporate reputation has a positive effect on customer loyalty and satisfaction. However, there is limited research tackling brand preference and also these studies mainly tackled developed markets. The relationship between corporate reputation and brand preference is the focus of this research. The researcher focuses on the soft drinks market in Egypt; to examine whether a significant relationship exists between corporate reputation and consumer brand preference. The researcher used the dimensions in RepTrak™ Model which are: Products and Services, Innovation, Performance, Citizenship, Governance, Leadership, and Workplace. The sample was 247 respondents mostly Egyptians middle class aged 21-29 years old. Data analyses have been conducted using selected statistical tests such as normality, autocorrelation and multi-co linearity tests to achieve the research objectives and answer the research questions. The findings showed that there is a positive significant relationship between brand preference and corporate reputation dimensions. At the end the researcher provides recommendations for further use of the model identified and areas where future research is needed.   Key words: Corporate reputation, corporate reputation management, brand preference, stakeholders, soft drinks industry.