EXTENT OF UTILIZATION OF INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES BY MANUFACTURING COMPANIES IN ANAMBRA STATE
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Background to the Study
Manufacturing companies are the main instrument for rapid growth, structural change and economic sufficiency of the Nigeria nation where they increase the avenue for employment, helps boost agriculture, and increase foreign exchange earnings of the nation. Globally, manufacturing companies are acknowledged as generators of significant economic growth and business development, therefore how innovative and creative manufacturing companies owners and managers are inappropriately combining, coordinating and utilizing integrated marketing communication strategies will have great impact on their companies’ product services and by extension, on product market share. This again could pose challenge to competing companies across market in the country and in Anambra State in particular. Manufacturing companies exist to convert raw materials, components or parts into finished goods that meet customer’s expectations or specifications. They employ a man-machine set up with division of labour in a large scale production. Sodebom and Teal (2012) defined manufacturing companies as a series of interrelated activities such as operating, inspection, 2 transportation and storage taken to accomplish the prime objective of converting raw materials into quality finished goods. Prior to the oil boom of the 1970’s, manufacturing companies contributed approximately 10 percent to Nigeria’s economic output. Thereafter decreased revenues from oil caused manufacturing companies relative Gross Domestic Product (GDP) share to decline, however growth in the sector continued at a slower rate. Similarly, since a peak of 7.83 percent was attained in 1982, the contributions of manufacturing companies as a share of total economic output in Nigeria generally declined. Many factors have contributed to the variation in manufacturing companies share through time, many of which show both the vulnerability of the manufacturing companies to global economic pressures, as well as the impacts that policy changes can have in reshaping the companies. This implies the need for a policy shift from oil to manufacturing. As noted by Freeman (2012), manufacturing companies must embrace integrated marketing communication strategies if they hope to attract more customers for increased sales and productivity, and chances of survival in global market is guaranteed. Marketing performance is central to the success of today’s fast moving competitive markets when manufacturing companies that are in 3 different parts of the country especially those in Anambra State can contribute to marketing development of the area. Integrated marketing communication strategies (IMCS) are many and varied therefore the extent each is utilized by business owners and managers of manufacturing companies in the given area to communicate the value of a product or service to customers, for the purposes of selling the product or service and the need to attract more viable customers have become complex in recent times as a result of integrated marketing communication strategies which have become the trend. Integrated marketing communication strategies (IMCS) according to Fill (2016) are strategic marketing processes specifically designed to ensure that all messaging and communication are unified across all channels and are centered on the customer. Integrated marketing communication strategies (IMCS) refer to the creation of a unique valuable marketing position involving different sets of activities in order to achieve marketing objectives. These are used practically to offset the weakness of one medium by the strength of another medium with elements synergized to support each other and create greater impact. There are a number of IMCS that could be utilized by manufacturing companies so as to enhance their performance. Anyanwu (2012) identified five major IMCS these according to Anyanwu include advertising, public 4 relations, sales promotion, direct marketing and personal selling. Undoubtedly, the utilization of these IMCS would go a long way to ensure that information about the existence and operations of manufacturing companies is widely and effectively disseminated to relevant groups in the society. Advertising is a marketing communication that employs an openly sponsored, non- personal message to promote or sell a product, service or idea. In the opinion of Haugh (2009), advertising is any paid form of nonpersonal presentation and promotion of an organization’s ideas, goods and services by an identified sponsor to a target audience through the mass medium including television, radio, outdoor displays, newspapers, magazines, direct mail and signs on mass transit vehicle. The fact that advertising is a form of communication that attempts to influence the behaviour of a defined target audience. Any message developed and placed with the ultimate intention of persuading a group to take a specific action (such as buying a product) can be considered an advert to make sales. Manufacturing companies benefit from advertising as it helps the public to recognize their brands. Sales promotion uses both media and non-media marketing communications for a predetermined, limited time to increase consumer 5 demand, stimulate market demand or improve product. Egede (2011) posited that sales promotion is a direct inducement that offers an extra value or incentive for a product to distributors or ultimate consumers with the primary aim of creating immediate sales. It includes a wide range of tactical marketing techniques such as money-off (coupons or at point-of –sale), bonus offers (buy one, get one), refunds and rebates, combined offers, sampling, premium, loyalty scheme and compensations. It is a short- term tactic to boost sales and provide added value or incentives to consumers, wholesalers, retailers or other organizational customers to stimulate immediate sales to the public. Manufacturing companies have an opportunity to make this relationship stronger through integration of other marketing communication strategies specifically direct marketing strategies that can contribute to higher sales performance. Direct marketing explicitly certifies transmitting a promotional message straightly to customers rather than via a mass media. It is intended to establishing and utilizing a direct association between manufacturers and their customers. Direct marketing utilizes customer direct (CD) channels or routes, direct mail, catalogue, telemarketing, interactive TV, kiosks, website and mobile devices to market goods and services to consumers without going through the middleman (Kotler & Keller, 2013). Direct marketing 6 seeks to target individual customers with the intention of delivering personalized messages and building a relationship with them based on their responses to the direct communications. Manufacturing companies benefit from direct marketing as it helps them tailor messages to identified customers and others who are likely to demand their products and services. Public relations is a systematic effort by a company to identify, create, promote and sustain a favorable relationship and goodwill capable of portraying the company in a good light with its publics. Public relation is an indirect promotional tool whose role is to establish and enhance a positive image of an organization and its products/services among its various publics (Kotler & Keller, 2013). Personal selling is a two-way stream of communication linking a consumer and a trader, designed to persuade an individual’s or group’s buying decision. Personal selling is a face to face communication and interaction between the potential seller and buyer managed by the former with a view to persuading the latter to buy the offer. It involves interpersonal or person to person approach to communications (Anyanwu, 2012). Manufacturing companies have benefited from this strategy as it helps in developing customer’s relationship by maintaining contact between sales to 7 ensure that customers consider their company’s when planning their next purchase. The application and utilization of IMCS provide sellers, suppliers, organizations, managers, owners, individuals and manufacturing companies numerous opportunities. According to Chaffey, Ellis-Chadwick, Mayer, and Johnson (2010), manufacturing companies require large markets, distribution channels, advertising media and abundant platforms for sales transactions. Manufacturing companies stand to gain more by utilizing opportunities derived from IMCS in view of their limited resources and strong competition (El-Gharry, 2012). Despite the invaluable contributions of manufacturing companies to economic growth in developing countries, Aganga in Adeloye (2012) noted that their contributions to the GDP in Nigeria is relatively low as a result of major constraints and challenges in their operations. Such constraints and challenges include rapid changes in the nature of business and form of business communication such as advertising and a shift from product to customers. There have been changes in businesses and marketing practices as a result of challenges from external forces like technology, the internet and globalization. Manufacturing companies also faced problems of coordinating of their marketing communications strategies in order to deliver 8 a clear, consistent, credible and competitive message about themselves and their products (Govoni, 2014). Although it can be agreed that the performance of the manufacturing sector is being adversely affected, some companies in the sector have, in their own diverse ways adopted some integrated marketing communication strategies that have enabled them survive stiff competitions over the years. However, the utilization of IMCS is still hindered by poor awareness of companies, level of education and status (Suhr, 2010). One factor that could easily come into focus in the context of utilization of IMCS by manufacturing companies is status of the executives of the these companies. The executives of these companies are individuals who see to the day to day affairs of the companies. They are either the owners of the companies or the managers who are employees of the companies. De Pelsmacker, Geuens and Van den Bergh, (2016) observed that most manufacturing companies are run by their owners while many are run by managers or executives employed by the owners. The owner benefits from the net gain of the company and has a higher level of commitment to the survival and success of the company than an employee who is more concerned with his pay. Thus, there may be a 9 significant difference in the extent of utilization of IMCS by the owners and managers of manufacturing companies in Anambra State. Another factor that could come to focus in the context of utilization of IMCS by manufacturing companies is level of education of the executives. Undoubtedly, the level of education of the executives could be a determinant factor on the extent of utilization of marketing strategies and eventually have considerable impact on the performance of manufacturing companies. For instance, a study conducted by Bhargava and Anbazhagan (2014) revealed that the level of education of managers and owners have effects on organizational performance. It was revealed from the study that managers in the medium range of educational qualification perform better compared to those in the extremes. De Pelsmacker et al (2016) also affirmed that effects of education are particularly visible when considered in a study involving management of a company. Considering that the success or failure of manufacturing companies in Anambra State to effectively market their products depend on the extent of utilization of IMCS by the executives, it is essential to determine the extent of utilization of these integrated marketing communication strategies to ensure their sustainable growth.
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