The Role of Digital Corporate Communication in Enhancing Customer Engagement and Building Trust: A Case Study of Kenya Power and Lighting Company

##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.sidebar##

Published
https://doi.org/10.71064/spu.amjr.2.2.2025.435
Download
PDF
Statistic
Vol. 2 No. 2 (2025): Special Issue - African Multidisciplinary Journal of Research (AMJR) - 2025

##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.main##

Samuel Karanja Chege
St. Paul's University

Abstract

Digital transformation has made it necessary for corporate communication in organizations to shift in a bid to enhance customer engagement with brands. For companies providing essential services, such as electricity, like the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC), strategic and effective communication is not merely a branding exercise; it is a crucial element of ensuring operational efficiency, mitigating potential crises, and maintaining a positive relationship with the customers and communities they serve. The objectives of the study included: to examine the types of digital platforms used by KPLC and the influence they have on customer engagement on the Company’s products and services, to find out the impact of the digital communication strategies used by KPLC on customer satisfaction, and to assess the digital communication reach of KPLC communication channels and the influence it has on customer experience. The study adopted KPLC as a case study and was guided by the Uses and Gratifications Theory complemented by the Social Exchange Theory. The study adopted a quantitative methods approach of data collection and analysis. The study sample included 50 targeted customers who have engaged with the organization on digital media. The findings demonstrate that SMS remains a vital communication channel for Kenya Power customers, aligned with global trends in utility sectors where rapid transactional updates are essential. However, the uneven user experience across channels suggests a gap in integrated digital communication management, echoing literature advocating for a unified digital customer service framework to enhance satisfaction and trust. It is expected that the findings of this study will have far-reaching benefits for the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) by providing it with data-driven insights into the effectiveness of its digital communication strategies, enabling the Company to refine its approach, improve customer engagement, and enhance overall operational efficiency as well as KPLC’s customer experience. 

##plugins.themes.academic_pro.article.details##

How to Cite
The Role of Digital Corporate Communication in Enhancing Customer Engagement and Building Trust: A Case Study of Kenya Power and Lighting Company. (2025). African Multidisciplinary Journal of Research, 2(2), 213-242. https://doi.org/10.71064/spu.amjr.2.2.2025.435

How to Cite

The Role of Digital Corporate Communication in Enhancing Customer Engagement and Building Trust: A Case Study of Kenya Power and Lighting Company. (2025). African Multidisciplinary Journal of Research, 2(2), 213-242. https://doi.org/10.71064/spu.amjr.2.2.2025.435

References

  1. Blau, P. M. (1964). Exchange and power in social life. Wiley.
  2. Borden, S. L., & Scheufele, D. A. (2001). Communication strategies for public utility crisis management. Journal of Public Relations Research, 13(3), 179-200. https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532754XJPRR1303_02
  3. Brodie, R. J., Hollebeek, L. D., Jurić, B., & Ilić, A. (2011). Customer engagement: Conceptual domain, fundamental propositions, and implications for research. Journal of Service Research, 14(3), 252-271. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670511411703 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670511411703
  4. Communications Authority of Kenya. (2024). Quarterly Sector Statistics Report Q1 2024. Nairobi: CAK.
  5. Cornelissen, J. (2017). Corporate communication: A guide to theory and practice (5th ed.). Sage.
  6. Cropanzano, R., & Mitchell, M. S. (2005). Social exchange theory: An interdisciplinary review. Journal of Management, 31(6), 874-900. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206305279602 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206305279602
  7. Gefen, D. (2002). Customer loyalty in e-commerce. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 3(1), 27-51. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17705/1jais.00022
  8. Grunig, J. E. (2002). Excellence in public relations and communication management. Routledge.
  9. Grunig, J. E., & Hunt, T. (1984). Managing public relations. Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
  10. Heath, R. L. (2020). Strategic communication in power utilities: Best practices and lessons. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 14(2), 101-115. https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2019.1589921
  11. Hollebeek, L. D. (2011). Demystifying customer brand engagement: Exploring the loyalty nexus. Journal of Marketing Management, 27(7-8), 785-807. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2010.500132 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2010.500132
  12. Homans, G. C. (1958). Social behavior as exchange. American Journal of Sociology, 63(6), 597-606. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/222355
  13. Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges an opportunities of social media. Business Horizons, 53(1), 59-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2009.09.003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2009.09.003
  14. Katz, E., Blumler, J. G., & Gurevitch, M. (1973). Uses and gratifications research. The Public Opinion Quarterly, 37(4), 509-523. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/268109
  15. Kenya Energy Regulatory Commission. (2023). Annual Sector Report. Nairobi: KERC.
  16. Kietzmann, J. H., Hermkens, K., McCarthy, I. P., & Silvestre, B. S. (2011). Social media? Get serious! Understanding the functional building blocks of social media. Business Horizons, 54(3), 241-251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2011.01.005 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2011.01.005
  17. Malthouse, E. C., Haenlein, M., Skiera, B., Wege, E., & Zhang, M. (2013). Managing customer relationships in the social media era: Introducing the social CRM house. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 27(4), 270-280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2013.09.008 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2013.09.008
  18. Mayer, R. C., Davis, J. H., & Schoorman, F. D. (1995). An integrative model of organizational trust. Academy of Management Review, 20(3), 709-734. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/258792
  19. Men, L. R., & Tsai, W.-H. S. (2012). How companies cultivate relationships with publics on social network sites: Evidence from China and the United States. Public Relations Review, 38(5), 723-730. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2012.04.003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2011.10.006
  20. Ou, C. X., & Sia, C. L. (2010). Uncovering the role of intermediaries in social interaction-based diffusion. Information Systems Research, 21(3), 565-587.
  21. Prahalad, C.K., & Ramaswamy, V. (2004). Co‐creation experiences: The next practice in value creation. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 18(3), 5-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/dir.20015
  22. Rawlins, B. L. (2008). Measuring the relationship between organizational transparency and trust. Public Relations Journal, 2(2), 1-21. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10627260802153421
  23. Ruggiero, T. E. (2000). Uses and gratifications theory in the 21st century. Mass Communication & Society, 3(1), 3-37. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327825MCS0301_02 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327825MCS0301_02
  24. Sashi, C. M. (2012). Customer engagement, buyer–seller relationships, and social media. Management Decision, 50(2), 253-272. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251741211203551 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/00251741211203551
  25. Tang, W., & Qiu, L. (2016). Digital communication strategies and service recovery in utilities. Journal of Service Management, 27(5), 609-628.
  26. Van Doorn, J., Lemon, K. N., Mittal, V., Nass, S., Pick, D., Pirner, P., & Verhoef, P. C. (2010). Customer engagement behavior: Theoretical foundations and research directions. Journal of Service Research, 13(3), 253-266. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670510375599