THE RELEVANCE OF SALES PROMOTION AS AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR MARKETING NIGERIAN BOTTLING COMPANY PRODUCTS
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Introduction
The world of business today calls for a great sophisticated competitors producing similar products. Sales promotion being and essential ingredient in any marketing economy is defined as a promotional method using special short term technique to persuade members of a target market audience to respond or undertake certain activity in favour of the marketer of it product. Dr, Pemberton (2010) reasoned that sales promotion selves as a means of giving buyer incentives to make immediate purchase or to switch from one brand to the other by so doing introduce free ticket in his own company so that people should try his product or even be coming regular consumer which the ticket at the end of the promotional period was redeemable according to Daniel suggested that a properly planned and implemented sales promotion has been known to be an effective driving force in increasing the market shares and building up sales volume of product. The development of industrial sector has given rise to more dynamic marketing environment by so doing, the world of marketing has undergone tremendous changes and lras, increase in complexity since. Sales promotion has been the major factor stimulating sales of a product; it is one of the major parts of marketing communication mix. Marketing and its function has changed rapidly in the past few years as values, resources, technologies and other factors charges and varieties of strategy has also been put in place to meet marketing goal.
The advent of technological development has been a significant force in driving market product to a greater height. Kotler calls for more than developing a good product, pricing etc. modern marketing strategies emphasize on the designing and dissemination of information about the products existence, features, every company is charged to perform the role of a communicator promoter which they should lay emphasis on sales promo activities which are adequately baked by other promotional tools. Apart from sales promotion there are other promotion mix like advertising personal selling, public relations and publicity manufactures, who want to win the mind of the buyers of their products and drive away the interest those consumers over competitors products, usually adopt marketing concept that sees the interest and satisfaction of the consumers as a focal point for any reasonable promotional strategies activities are those avenues which firms get its change to communicate with potential customers to beat that drum about a product cannot properly survive without adequate awareness about its existence and that bring about rapid patronage more so, considering the relevance of sales promotion as an effective tool for marketing Nigerian bottling products from Stanton suggestion, one may conclude that Nigerian bottling company product cannot be properly patronized or sort for as a case may be without proper sales promotional activities or awareness of the said product base on this, the question is how effective is sales promotion in the sales of products (coca-cola in particular).
The NBC derived its source from coca-cola international. It was established by John Pemberton. He is a pharmacist and has operated in Nigeria since the Nigeria bottling company (NBC) was commissioned first at Aapa in Lagos. It has the largest plant of all the branches of NBC. The branches Inchide Enugu, Onitsha, Owerri, Jos, Ibadan, Aba, Maiduguri etc.
1.2 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM
The problem of the study is to examine how effective sales promotion is in marketing and sales of coca-cola products.
If they continue to adopt sales promotion will it increases branch awareness, attract new users or buyers of their product, stimulate repeat purchase of their products finally, the problem presented in this work is to find out
- How often is sales promotion used as marketing tools.
- To help scrutinize the obstacle that militates against effective usage of sales promotion as a marketing strategy.
- To access the level of satisfaction from the marketing activities being carried out in Nigeria bottling company.
This era of business competition ushered most business organization to adopt most effective promotional tools in marketing their products. The Nigeria bottling company has tried to adopt sales promotion and other promotional activities in the sales of their products. Though sales promotion have been the most effective tools used of the sales force, producer and products. Sales promotion offer incentive of buying their product like giving free drinks, and their prices that could be won during their promotion period, they have been large sales of coca-cola product due to product performance and sales promotion they gain competitive advantage over their competitors.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The objective of the subject matter on the effect of sales promotion include the study to bring to haughty how a good communication an cordial industrial relations provide harmonment engender peace in an organization and contribute effectively and efficiently the growth of an organization in the company under review.
The objective of the study include in following:
- To find out if sales promotion increases sales of Nigeria bottling company products.
- To find out the effect of sales promotion on sale of NBC products.
- To find out whether sales promotion attract new buyers of Nigeria bottling company products.
1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
Ho: Sales promotion activities have no significant relationship with the sales of the product.
Hi: Sales promotion activities have significant relationship with the sales of the product.
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
This aspect of the research work involves research question, which will serve as a guide to solve the research problem.
- Is sales promotion used by Nigeria bottling company as a marketing strategy?
- Is sales dependent on sales promotion?
- Does sales promotion really act as a tool in motivating customers?
- How often is sales promotion used as a marketing tools?
- Does sales promotion really help to facilities introduction of a new product in the market?
- How can sales promotion attract new customers?
I.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study when successfully carried out and supervised will go a long way to offer practitioners, experts and scholars in marketing communication a lot of information on promotional mix decision as well as operation of sales promotion.
This study is expected to provide information to the Nigeria Bottling company to achieve their target goal. It will help them to know while they should continue to adopt sates promotion and its positive effect in marketing their products.
The findings of this study will become an academic input and should therefore constitute a useful and interesting text in the library. The study will help the manager of the Nigeria bottling company not only to know the effect of sales promotion in sales of their product but also its application in marketing finally, the study is carried out as a partial fulfillment of the aware of OND degree in Business Administration of which without being successful carried out will hinder degree certificate,
1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
This study is focus on sales promotion in the marketing of consumer goods in one particular company, Nigeria bottling company in Uyo depot. The study is limited to staff of Nigeria bottling company, Uyo depot involve in promotion marketing and consumers within Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
External bodies may not be required due to time constraints and other factors that include:
Time the research work is only limited to a semester, hence the problem of time is even more amplified when considered that the researcher had to attend to other aspects of her study other than the research work since both academic studies and research. work run concurrently low literacy level of some of the respondent which they may find it difficult to give information about themselves while others may give wrong information about themselves which makes questionnaire difficult to complete,
Finally, so many literatures have not been written on sales promotion as effective tool, for marketing consumer products.
1.8 DEFINITION OF MAJOR TERMS
- Sales Promotion: This consist of any consumer or trade programs that add tangible valve to brand of that consumer an trade program in order to stimulate sales and create more awareness of such program.
- Sales: This involved in giving a product to a buyer for exchange of price paid on that product.
- Marketing: This is the management process responsible for the identifying, anticipating and satisfying customers wants profitably.
- Product: A product is anything tangible and intangible that is offer to the market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption that might satisfy a want o[ need.
- Consumer: A consumer is a person that buys goods from the producers whole seller and retailers for final consumption.
Tool: this is referred to as an equipment, machineries or measures that will be used to achieve an objectives or aim.
