CHAPTER ONE

1.8INTRODUCTION

All business organizations perform two basic functions we are production and marketing of goods and services ideas, events organizations, places and personalities for the satisfaction of consumer/clients wants and needs. Marketing has developed in importance and complexity. It is perhaps the most dynamic complicated and challenging function of business. Marketing develops as a society and its economy develops. Indeed more and more businessmen and organizations are recognizing that marketing is a pivotal determinant of corporate success.

Marketing considerations, acting in linkage, with the considerations of all the organic business functions play very significant roles in designing and establishing the framework for the information of corporate objectives and strategies once this has been done, marketing remains the vehicle through which corporate objectives are achieved.

Marketing is made up of all activities by which a firm adapts itself to it environment. It is one of organic functions which is vital for survival of every organization. The attention given to the theory and practice of marketing has increased in recent times. Academics, students and organizational managers have sought relentlessly for ways or approaches that will enable them understand explain and control marketing phenomena. As a result marketing has witnessed many theories, perspectives philosophies and definitions.

There are many definitions of marketing as there are textbooks on the subjects matter. Some of these definitions are as follows:

Kotler (1997) defined marketing as: “a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating offering and exchanging products of values with others”.

Starton W.J. (917) viewed marketing “as a system of business activities designed to plan, place promote and distribute other of value, wants-satisfying goods and services to the benefits of the market”.

Appleman (1973) viewed marketing as “a set of human activities directed at facilitating and consummating exchange”.

Morden (1987) viewed marketing as: “an activity directed at satisfying customer needs and wants through exchange transactions in the market.

Once an organization has applied the marketing concept to its operations, it has to find the most effective way of marketing its product. To do this, it has to find the most effective marketing mix for the product. Scheme and Smith (1980) viewed marketing mix as an organization’s bundle of utility. It is the unique combination of controllable variables that a given marketer offers to customers.

McCarthy viewed marketing mix elements by classifying them into four-product, price, promotion and place. Once the appropriate marketing mix is developed, the market has to take into consideration the environment in which the organization is operating because it cannot operate in isolation. Also, it has to think of strategies ways of marketing its products because of the dynamic nature of the environment.

MARKETING STRATEGY

How will an organization survive the challenges ahead; he has the tool in his marketing strategy whose very nature is to communicate the brands benefits and interpretation which is unique and relevant to customer needs and in so doing establish and maintain a preference in customer minds for the particular brands. To achieve this objective is fundamentally instrumental in the brands relating their overall marketing objectives.

Marketing strategy contains the mixture of marketing variables that exploit the forms most profitable and sustainable differential advantages.

Simultaneously a contingent strategy is formulated on the event the forms advantage is erased through a change in success requirements and/or competitive activities. It concerns recognition of the intensity and directions of the forces of the external environment and to adjust and adopt marketing strategies to them.

In developing marketing strategies usually in collaboration with the and agencies, cognizance must be taken care of:

(a)          The market: Size, value, region, consumption patterns, distribution patterns and competitive brands.

(b)         Competition: brand and market shares comparative advantages (if any) over company’s brand and consumer benefit.

(c)          Brand information: Using intended price segmentation performance against completion.

(d)         Marketing objectives

(e)          Brand positioning statement: this is a concise definition of what make the brand more desirable than its leading competitors.

A definition of the potential market for any product or service must be grounded upon a clear view of basic customer needs the particular product to meet or intended to meet.

Customers can be categorized in many dimensions but only those criteria which relate inn some way to purchasing behavior and which are themselves actionable use to the marketing strategist.

Behavior learning process can offer insightful direction to marketers. The key to successful marketing I tied to repeated purchase behavior. Desired behavior is ultimately reinforced by the product itself.

1.9PROBLEMS ANALYSIS

The business environment of developing countries especially Nigeia, has been described as unpredictable dynamic explosive and volatile. All these reflect rapid changes which are coupled with changing needs and wants of consumers.

The volatile marketing environment is characterized by volatile costs, reduced purchasing power, cash crunch, and shortage of raw materials low profile and increase in competition.

The company’s objectives and policies are also the problem areas that should be looked into.

The problem of competition from the rival companies. Thus, competition has increasingly become an importance factor to reckon with. Not only in terms of obvious substitute products or form firms in the same industry, but also from the products of other companies competing for consumers limited purchasing power.

This study bothers on the marketing strategy that has the tool which contains the mixture of marketing variables-exploits the forms most profitable and differential advantages. It concerns the recognition of the intensity and direction of forces of the external environment and to adjust and adopt marketing strategies to them.

Other problems are – the target market’s buying behavior the stage of the product life cycle and the character of the economy.

1.10PURPOSE OF STUDY

The purpose of this study is to identify the present stage of the product life cycle and the character of the economy. Also to identify the problem of product life-cycle strategies and suggest the best strategy for a particular stage.

1.11RESEARCH QUESTIONS

(1)         Does market segmentation strategy influence consumer purchase behavior?

(2)         What impact has promotional strategy on consumer purchase behavior?

(3)         What influence has pricing strategy on consumer purchase behavior?

(4)         What impact has distribution strategy on consumer purchase decision?

(5)         What influence has pricing strategy on consumer purchase decision?

1.12RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

H0:    Marketing strategy has relevance to consumer purchase behavior.

H1:    Marketing strategy has no relevance to consumer purchase behavior.

H0:    Defects in the product itself results in the poor performance of the product in the market.

H1:    Defects in the product itself results does not court in the performance of the product in the market provided the name has been established.

1.13LIMITATION OF SCOPE

The study will be limited by the general input of marketing strategy on product performance in the market.

1.14GUINNESS NIGERIA PLC (GNPLC)

GNPLC is one of Nigeria’s most foremost Brewing companies incorporated in 1962 as a brewer. Today it has four factories and four brands Guinness stout Harp larger beer, Malta Guinness and Satzenbran).

With indigenization decree, the company is today being managed by Nigerians who are highly vast in working experience and formal learning in the art of management. This point is significant because the key to effective management lies in appropriate education and training formally in the institution and practically in the job.

The multinational corporation of interest and relevance of this study is GNPLC with activities spanning such a sectors as manufacturing and processing technical, sales and services and Agro industries.

Its major brands-Guinness stout and Harp larger beer have continued to do well in the market. A result of marketing strategies of GNPLC its major products have been able to effectively with stand competition in that industry.

Guinness Nigeria Plc has also looked inwards through Local sourcing of eight raw material like maize and increasing cost, the marketing and financial management of the company especially continues to call for greater skills and attention.

REFERENCES

Achumba, Iheanyi C. and Linus Osuagwu (1994), Marketing Fundamentals and Practice, Al-marks Educational Research Inc., Rockhill, USA.

Achumba I.C. (1995) “Sales Management: Concepts and Strategies”. Al-marks educational Research Inc., Rock Hill USA.

Appleman (1973) “Organization and marketing functions” New York, Richard D. Irwin.

Bott, G. (1987), Practical sales management London: Pitman Publishing, P. 337.

Guinness Nigeria plc annual Report and Accountants 1990.

McCarthy (1984) “Basic Marketing” Harley Wood III, Richard D. Irwin.

Morden, A.R, (1987), Elements of Marketing, East Leigh Harts: DP Publications Limited, pp.3.

Odugbesan, Olusegun a. and C. Linus Osuagwu (1996), Distribution Channel Management, Ibadan, Nigeria: R.A. Publishers Limited.

Schewe, C. D. and R. M Smith (1980), Marketing Concepts and Applications, New York: Mc Graw Hill Book Company, pp. 1-15.

Stauton, W.J. (1981), Fundamentals of Marketing, London: Mc Graw Hill International Company pp. 5, 66.

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