Green Promotion Practices and Competitive Advantage of Milk Processing Firms in Central Region Economic Bloc, Kenya

Abstract

In today’s dynamic business environment, competitive advantage is increasingly recognised as a multi-dimensional construct encompassing cost efficiency, differentiation, innovation and market responsiveness. The objective of this study was to establish the effect of green promotion practices on competitive advantage of milk processing firms in the Central Region Economic Bloc, Kenya. The study was anchored on the Resource-Based Theory. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design. The study location was the 10 counties that form the Central Region Economic Bloc. The target population was the milk processing firms licensed by the Kenya Dairy Board and which have operations within the Central Region Economic Bloc. Data from the Kenya Dairy Board as at August 2025 indicated that there were 55 milk processing firms operating within the bloc. A census of the target population was conducted. Data collection was done using a structured questionnaire through drop and pick-up later method. The respondents were persons in charge or heading the marketing function within the milk processing firms due to their knowledge and expertise in the variables under study. Data analysis was done using linear regression analysis. The response rate of the study was 83.6%. Results indicated that green promotion practices had a positive and significant effect on competitive advantage of the milk processing firms (B = 0.639, t = 6.793, p = 0.000). This led to the rejection of the null hypotheses of the study, which stated that green promotion practices have no statistically significant effect on competitive advantage of milk processing firms in Central Region Economic Bloc of Kenya. The study concluded that green promotion practices have a positive and statistically significant effect on competitive advantage of milk processing firms in Central Region Economic Bloc. Based on these findings, the study recommends that milk processing firms should prioritise strategic investment in credible green promotion initiatives and integrate environmental communication into their overall marketing strategies. It further recommends that policymakers, including the Kenya Dairy Board, the National Environment Management Authority and the Kenya Bureau of Standards, should strengthen policy frameworks, eco-labelling standards and consumer awareness programmes to support effective green promotion, while industry associations should facilitate capacity building and the dissemination of best practices in sustainability communication. Future research should employ qualitative or mixed-methods approaches and replicate the study in different industries and geographical contexts.