EFFECT OF MARKETING PLANNING AND CONTROL ON A COMPANY’S PRODUCTIVITY IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET (A STUDY OF 7’ UP BOTTLING COMPANY, ABA, PLANT)

ABSTRACT

Business organizations operate in an environment characterized with competition and change.  This research therefore, is the study of the effect of marketing planning and control on a company’s productivity in the face of the competition.  In the research process, the study hypothesized that the application of marketing planning and control does not facilitate the growth of a firm. However, the study adopted a sample size of 250 through a population of 700 target respondents.  Questionnaire was the major research instrument for primary data collection while spearmen rank-order correlation was adopted for testing the study hypothesis.  The study however, concluded that marketing planning and control not only enhance organizational growth and productivity, but contemporary marketing.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page - - - - - - - - - i

Declaration - - - - - - - - - ii

Certification - - - - - - - - - iii

Dedication - - - - - - - - - iv

Acknowledgement - - - - - - - - v

Table of Contents - - - - - - - - vi

List of Tables - - - - - - - - viii

Abstract   - - - - - - - - xi

CHAPTER ONE   

1.0  INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Background of the Study - - - - - 1

1.2 Statement of Problem - - - - - - 3

1.3 Objectives of the Study - - - - - - 3

1.4 Research Questions - - - - - - 4

1.5 Statement of Hypotheses - - - - - 4

1.6 Significance of the Study - - - - - 5

1.7 Scope and Limitations of the Study - - - 5

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 6

2.1 Definition of Planning - - - - - - 6

2.2 Nature of Marketing Planning - - - - 7

2.3 Elements of Marketing Planning - - - - 16

2.4 Types of Marketing Planning and Control - - 18

2.5 Benefit of Marketing Planning - - - - 20

2.6 Why Marketing Plans Fail - - - - - 21

2.7 Situation Analysis as an Aspect of Marketing Planning - 22

2.8 Marketing Control Process:  A Practical Approach - 25

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 30

3.1 Population Description - - - - - - 30

3.2   Population of Study  - - - - - - - 30

3.3   Sampling Plan  - - - - - - - 30

3.5 Sample Size  - - - - - - - 30

3.6   Data Collection Procedure - - - - - 31

3.6.1   Instrument - - - - - - - 31

3.6.2 Sources of Data - - - - - - - 32

3.6.3 Validity and Reliability  - - - - - - 32

3.7 Data Analysis and Hypothesis Testing  - - - 32

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS 33

4.1 Some Statistical Explanation - - - - - 33

4.2     Testing of Hypotheses - - - - - - 46

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 49

5.1 Summary of Findings - - - - - - 49

5.2 Conclusion - - - - - - - - 50

5.3 Recommendations - - - - - - 50

Bibliography - - - - - - - - - 55

Glossary

Questionnaire

LIST OF TABLES

Table 4.1: Allocation of the Questionnaires and Returns - - 34

Question 1: What is your Sex? - - - - - - 35

Question 2: What is your age? - - - - - - 35

Question 3:  What is your year of service? - - - - 36

Question 4: What is your present position in the company? - 37

Question 5: Is your company profit oriented? - - - - 37

Question 6: What are the methods of planning idea open to your

company? - - - - - - - - 38

Question 7: Can effective marketing planning and control

account for the success of the organization to

achieve productivity? - - - - - - 39

Question 8: How has the implementation of your company’s

policies come to influence production? - - - 39

Question 9: How do you motivate your employee to give their best? - 40

Question 10: Can a defect in a planning process result to it’s failure?   - 41

Question 11: What strategies does your company adopt in

locating target markets? - - - - - 41

Question 12: When a plan has effective control and implementation

can it enhance productivity? - - - - - 42

Question 13: What are the bases of your product planning policy? - 43

Question 14: Is your company a product leader or follower? - 43

Question 15: Should planning and control for promotional activities - 44

continue even when demand exceeds capacity? - 44

Question 16: Does effective planning and control facilitate

company’s profitability? - - - - - 44

Question 17: Is the company planning and control process

affected by government policies? - - - - 45

Question 18: Is your company planning, control and productivity

affected by the present economic condition? - - 45

CHAPTER ONE   

1.0    INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Business organization operates in an environment where competition and change are consistent. For any organization to survive in such competitive economy, marketing planning and control is highly needed.

Marketing planning is one of the aspects of practice of marketing and it is action oriented. It helps to bridge the gap between where we are and where we want to be considering environmental changes (Okafor, 1998). And is only when a plan is made and implemented that control can be affected. Therefore, control comes before plans; plan serve as the bedrock for the development of control.

Kalu (2005) stated that in a modern economy, business organization operates in a dynamic and competitive environment in which the rate of change is not consistent. Thus, the rationale for planning is to reduce the level of uncertainty by anticipating changes and providing for them. He further stated that a company that is not planning is believing that the future activities will not change.   

In contrast, a firm that tries to anticipate how its environment is changing stand a much better chance of prospering. Planning could be formal or informal, formal planning can yield many benefits for all types of company, large and small, new and mature, it encourages systematic thinking. It forces the company to sharpen its objective and policies which lead to better co-ordination of company efforts and provide cleaner performance standard for control.

Okafor (1998) is of the view that control based on plans by arguing that it is only when managers have planned, that they use this plans to serve as standard to measure the attainment or non-attainment of the goals and objectives of the firm. Before the development of controls, marketing managers are expected to examine how well the plans are made.

Marketing planning as the process of deciding in the present what to do in the future which requires that organization reconciles its resources with its objectives and the alternatives course of action that are open to it, planning bridges the gap between where we are and where we want to be.

Marketing plans on beautiful paper tends to be useless, unless they can be put into practice. Planning is usually connected with control function.

1.2 Statement of Problem

Marketing planning is futuristic. And nobody can predict the future with certainty. The marketing environment with its dynamic and competitive nature is constrained of numerous problems (Inyanga, 2004).

This has made it difficult to design competitive strategies, marketing efficiency and productivity. This research is poised to; determine how to adapt to change in consumer behaviour, technology, public policy`` etc. (Agulanna et al, 2003); as the major problems encountered in marketing planning. To adapt therefore, the study will advocate strategic marketing planning  and its significance in enhancing competitive advantage and long-term productivity (Porter, 1980).     

1.3 Objectives of the Study

Generally, the essence of this study is to evaluate and find out the role of marketing planning and control play as tool for the growth of organization in more specific terms, it shall;

Ø ascertain the role of marketing planning and control play in achieving a given profitability goal of a firm.

Ø find out the degree of marketing planning in the growth and survival of the firm in a competitive environment.

Ø identify at any point in time within the organization where the responsibility of any set objectives is being deviated from plans.

1.4 Research Questions

a) Does the application of marketing planning and control facilitate the growth of a firm?

b) Is marketing planning and control an effective tool in achieving corporate profitability goal?

c) Does marketing planning and control contribute to the survival of the firm?

d) Does marketing planning and control in an organization change as the environment changes?

1.5 Statement of Hypotheses

Ho₁: The application of marketing planning and control does not facilitate the growth of a firm.

Ho₂: Marketing planning and control is not an effective tool in achieving given profitability goal.

Ho₃: Marketing planning and control is not necessary for the survival of a firm.

1.6 Significance of the Study

This study is significant in several ways not only to Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc Aba Plant, but to every firm that operates in a liberalized and developing world economy. Thus, the study is meant to explore and unveil the difficulties inherent in planning as well as expose the benefit firms would derive when they effectively and efficiently apply marketing planning and control, this study will aid as many are interesting in examining the concept of marketing planning and control.

1.7 Scope and Limitations of the Study

The role of marketing planning vary from one firm to another as the case may be, the study is carried out with the Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc Aba Plant, as case study, during the course of investigation, things were not that easy for the researcher and she encountered some limitations and they include;

Bad roads was an aspect the researcher found difficult due to the high rate of bad roads in Abia state, especially in Aba.  Secrecy of information and responses is yet another problem areas encountered during this study.

Finance is another limitation due to economic hardship in the country, the researcher found it difficult to get enough money to cover some of the essential costs involved in a study of this nature.

Lastly, time was a limited factor vise-versa with other demands of attending to lecture and preparing for exams.

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