ABSTRACT
The study
aims at integrating the organizations activities and focuses on the needs of
the market place. However, it is basically concerned with prediction of sales
of product among other things. As long as problem exist within the marketing
system the need for research cannot be over simplified in marketing. Before
customers’ needs and wants can be met organizations must find out: who these
customers are? What they want or need? How they want them? etc. This obviously
brings about the study into the topic: Role of Marketing Research in Gaining
Market Share.
Market share
is however, a very vital aspect of organizational growth. It is an indicator of
the success of a company’s marketing policy.
The
fundamental problem faced by organisations is the challenge and difficulty of
market penetration and the difficulty of organizations in gaining market share
due to lack of useful information, thus the objective of this research work is
to identify the purpose and the effectiveness of marketing research in gaining
market share in an organization.
The research
work adopts primary and secondary data. The primary data is basically through
the mode of a well prepared close – ended questionnaire answered by 40 Globacom
staff at Globalcom headquarters, Lagos and 60 Globalcom subscribers at Ojodu,
Lagos. The secondary data used are materials adequate to form good value
judgment of the work. Amongst which are materials gotten from Globalcom
library, internet and website browsing, journals, magazines and literature
review gotten from newspapers and textbooks.
The study
noted that marketing managers should make it a point of duty that their
products are accepted without which chances of survival are very slim. Thus,
marketing research is an enabling tool for solving marketing problems as well
as a vital tool for gaining market share.
In
conclusion, it was deduced that organization can achieve and attain their
objectives as well as increase their market share through the effective use or
marketing research.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Title Page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
Abstract v
Table of Contents vi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 3
1.3 Objective of Study 4
1.4 Research Questions 4
1.5 Research Hypotheses 5
1.6 Significance of the Study 6
1.7 Scope of the Study 7
1.8 Limitation of the Study 7
1.9 Historical Background 8
1.10 Definition of Terms 11
References
14
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction 15
2.1 Definition of Research 17
2.2 Definition of Marketing
Research 19
2.3 Reasons for studying
Marketing Research 20
2.4 Application of Marketing
Research 24
2.5 Marketing Research Process 28
2.6 Marketing Research:
Measuring Marketing Productivity 38
2.7 Market Share 40
2.8 Marketing Research and
Globalcom‘s’ Market Share Acquisition and Development
46
2.9 Organizational Chart of
Globalcoms Limited 49
References 50
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction 52
3.1 Research Method 52
3.2 Research Design 52
3.3 Data Collection Instrument 53
3.4 Population 54
3.5 Sampling Decision and Procedure 54
3.6 Method of Data Collection 55
3.7 Re-statement of Hypothesis 56
3.8 Data Treatment Techniques 56
References
59
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
4.0 Introduction 60
4.1 Data Presentation and
Analysis 60
4.2 Hypothesis Testing 76
4.3 Interpretation and
Result/Conclusion 83
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION
AND RECOMMENDATION
5.0 Introduction 84
5.1 Summary of Findings 84
5.2 Conclusion 85
5.3 Recommendations 86
5.4 Suggestion for Further
Studies 87
References 88
Appendix A: Questionnaire
Cover Letter 90 Appendix B: GLOBALCOM Staff Questionnaire 91 Appendix C: GLOBALCOM Subscriber Questionnaire 94
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND OF STUDY
Marketing
managers often commission formal marketing studies of specific problems and
opportunities. They may request a market survey, a product preference test, a
sales forecast by region, or an advertising evaluation. It is the job of the
marketing researcher to produce insight into the customer’s attitudes and
buying behaviour. Kotler and Keller(2006)
Marketing
research department play crucial roles within the organization especially when
it comes to gathering and dissemination of vital information that would in the
overall be of immense assistance to the marketing goals and objective of the
organization.
According
to Abu Zekeri(2008), It is very important to note that marketing embraces
different activities such as: finding out what consumers needs and wants are,
planning and developing suitable products or service that will satisfy those
needs and wants, determining the best way to price, promote and distribute the
want and satisfying product or service without hurting the organization. Marketing
research is very needful for us to carry out these activities.
Marketing
mix elements has several activities or decisions to be made under it. These
decisions are product decisions, pricing decisions, distribution decisions and
promotion decisions, this decisions could be effectively made with the aid of
authenticate information which could only be gotten from marketing research.
An
important task of marketing research is to assess the efficiency and
effectiveness of marketing activities. According to Kotler and Keller(2006),
there are complimentary approaches to measure marketing productivity, they are;
marketing metrics to access marketing effect and marketing mix modeling to estimate causal
relationship and how marketing activity affects outcome. Further discussions in
the course of this project will give us clear insight to the approaches to
measure marketing productivity. Marketers frequently asked questions that
warrants the need to imbibe the use of
an effective marketing research to answer these questions. Questions
such as:
(1) How can we spot and choose the right
market segments?
(2) How can we differentiate our offering?
(3) How should we respond to customers who
buy on price?
(4) How
can we compete against lower-cost, lower- price competitors
(5) How can we grow our business?
(6) How can we build stronger brands?
(7) How can we keep our customers loyal?
(8) How can we measure the payback from advertising,
sales, promotion and public relations
All the above questions are culled from
Kotler and Keller (2006).
Market
Share is an indicator of the success of a company’s marketing policy, the
company that has the largest share for a geographical market is said to be the
market leader in that market, the importance companies attach to market share
varies accordingly to business culture. In United
State of America (USA), Canada and many
European countries, companies tend to focus on profit although market share is
a key factor to determinant of profit. In Japan on the other hand market
share can be more important than profit. Encarta ® 2009.
According
to Kotler and Keller(2006) company sales do not reveal how well the company is
performing relative to competitors. For this purpose, marketing management
needs to track its market share.
However,
market share is the proportion of total sales of a product or type of product
by a company in a given market. It can be calculated in terms of value or units
sold. Encarta ® 2009.Further discussions in the course of this project work
will reveal in detail the relationship between marketing research and market
share as well as the role of marketing research in gaining market share.
1.2 STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
The
research is undertaken in assessing objectively how organizations have been
utilizing marketing strategies and programmes in gaining market share.
The
study makes to attempt to answer the question often posed to organizations on
how they have used their existing and new product to effect the ever changing
business environment .One of the fundamental problems that prompt my interest
to research into this project topic is the challenge of market penetration i.e.
Why does new organizations with same product find it difficult to penetrate
into the market? What are the reasons for the difficulty in market penetration?
Another
fundamental problem that prompted my interest to research into this project
topic is the question of Why some organizations have more market share than
other organizations in an existing market. However, this research study is also
to give answers to questions usually possed to marketing managers in organizations.
Answers to questions like how true is it that marketing research is responsible
for high market share?
1.3 OBJECTIVE
OF THE STUDY
The
research work is designed to achieve the following objectives:-
1. To identify the purpose and
effectiveness of marketing research in an organization.
2. To identify the impact of information
on organization’s marketing decision making.
3. To determine the different forms of
marketing information available to an organization.
4. To examine the effect of marketing
research on sales volume.
5. To investigate the relationship between
marketing research and gaining market share.
6. To determine the cost and benefit of
marketing research.
1.4 RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
Some
of the questions that led to this research work can be highlighted as follows:
1. Why the need for effective marketing
research in an organization?
2. In what manner do marketing research
affects a company sales and profitability?
3. How can an organization improve upon
the effectiveness of its marketing research?
4. How justifiable is the cost of
marketing research in an organization?
5. To what extent is marketing research
reliable in gaining market share?
Therefore,
for organizations to remain in business and more profitable, they must be more
aggressive in their marketing promotional mix strategies.
1.5 RESEARCH
HYPOTHESES
The
following tentative statement can be related to the work study and will be
tested later.
1. Ho
= Marketing research do not increase
sales volume.
H1
= Marketing research increase sales
volume.
2. Ho
= Marketing research do not lead to
increase in market share.
H1
= Marketing research lead to increase
in market share.
3. Ho
= The cost incurred by most organization
on marketing research does
Not
justify its purpose.
H1 =
The cost incurred by most organization
on marketing research justify
its purpose.
1.6
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Effective
marketing research to a marketing manager as well as an organization cannot be
disregarded or over-emphasized for these enable, proper decision to be made in order to achieve the aim and objective of
the organization.
Among
the significant benefits derived from effective marketing research includes the
following:-
· The basic purpose of marketing research
is to provide information of data for the purpose of assisting the management
in making better and reasonable decision within the domain of their
responsibilities.
· It also provide a chance for the
marketing manager to widening his existing level of knowledge by providing such
vital information which is required for investigation.
· The essence of this research study is
also to provide relevant information that give an insight into the relationship
between marketing research and market share
· This research study will also produce
an insight to customer’s attitude and buying behavior and how marketing
managers can channel it towards maximizing market potential.
The
contribution of this research to the advancement of academic knowledge is that
it will be a foundation for further research studies into the relationship
between marketing, marketing research and market share. This research study
will also be of use to future researchers wishing to use information gathered
in the course of this research for further research study.
1.7 SCOPE
OF THE STUDY
This
project work is designed to be a wide range of activities as related to
marketing research in an organization. It will go a long way to look at how
effectively marketing research is being conducted by marketers in Globalcoms
Ltd.
The
project work coverage area for this research study is at Globalcom’s corporate
Headquarter, Mike Adenuga’s Tower, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.
The
scope will also cover the reasons for studying marketing research, application
of marketing research and marketing research process.
In
conclusion, the scope of this research project is how effective marketing
research is used to achieve profitable consumer response. This research will
cover applicable strategies and the possible impact of effective marketing
research on consumer response. Information will be sought from past literature
(like textbooks and related topic project) and field work (like questionnaires,
personal interview etc)
1.8 LIMITATION
OF THE STUDY
In
carrying out this research work, some difficulties were encountered which are
listed below:-
(a) Unwillingness on the part of the Globalcom
Ltd Nigeria. Management to disclose that might be of importance because the
company believes they are too vital to be released to a student researcher
(b) Non-challant attitude of some workers
of the company in answering relevant questions that pertains to the case study
is one major difficulties and constraints of the work.
(c) Financial difficulties and time
constraints were major problems faced in the course of writing this project work.
1.9
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF GLOBALCOM NIGERIA (GLO).
“We
set out from the onset, to build a network that is not only as good as our
competitors but the best. We are determined to be world class, pure and ple.
Our vision is to build the biggest and the best network in Africa”
(Dr Mike Adenuga Jnr, Globalcom C.E.O).
Globalcom
Nigeria Ltd. is associated with Globalcom limited company. Globalcom is a Nigeria multinational telecommunications headquarter
in Lagos Nigeria. Other Globalcom registered
offices are: 54, Saka Tinubu street
- Human resource office, 38, Saka Tinubu street-
Administrative office, 21, Adeola Odeku Street- Finance/Sales Glo world Head
office. The Central Warehouse is situated at Oregun Ikeja, Lagos
with over 100 outlets and offices allover Nigeria,
over forty offices in Ghana
and over 30 offices in Benin
Republic.
Glo
is a privately owned telecommunications carrier that started operations on the
29th of August 2003. It currently operates in 4 countries in West
Africa namely Nigeria, Republic of Benin,
Ghana and Ivory Coast. Globalcom
is known throughout Nigeria
and the world at large in the telecommunication industry.
The
company’s vision is to build Africa’s biggest and best telecommunication
network, while their company’s mission is to deliver world class
telecommunication solutions and services to all sectors of our society –
business, corporate, government, public and private in a manner that will make
each and every Nigerian rule his/her world.
Globalcom
Nigeria is the second
carrier in Nigeria, occupies
second position in the GSM sector of telecommunications’ market in Nigeria.
The total subscriber’s base of Globalcom is over 30million.
Globalcom
Licenses covers:
■ Digital
Mobile License (GSM)
■ National carrier License (fixed and
fixed wireless)
■ International Gateway License (Regional
and international calls)
The
above Licenses will enable Globalcom Nigeria to offer voice data and
multimedia services to every type of consumer, sub-service provider or
enterprise. It has 4 major business unit which are: Glo Broad access (fixed and
fixed wireless), Glo Gateway and Glo 1 submarine cable.
Through
the above business unit activities, Globalcom Nigeria aims to optimize it
market share and continued existence to bring about survival throughout these
economic hazards and inconsistencies with the physical and skilled human
resources available to its high quality products and services, high standard Integrity,
efficient management and accurate sales-forecast, as well as access to the
technical know-how of its technical advisers or expatriate.
GLOBALCOM NIGERIA PRODUCT AND SERVICES sold are:
→ BROAD ACCESS:
Landlines phones, ISDN (PRI) lines, leased lines, pre-paid
landline phones, Centrex, ADSL, voice and data services ( GPRS, EDGE
& HSDPA) pre-paid and post paid.
→ INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY
→
FIBRE OPTIC: For long distance international calls.
→
GLO1 SUBMARINE COMMUNICATIONS CABLE
Other
services of Globalcom include:
٭ Virtual
Private Network
٭ 3G Service
٭ 4G
Long Term Evolution (LTE)
٭ Business Solutions
٭ Mobile Money Transfer
Globalcoms’
product range comes as either prepaid product or postpaid.
GLOBALCOM WORKFORCE, STAFF STRENGHT AND
STAFF TRAINING
Globalcom
Nigeria staff strength is over 4,000 and over 200 expatriates inclusive. Continuous
attention is given to training and development. Globalcom also uses training
facilities through the cooperation of technical advisers. Below is Globalcom
Ltd company structure:
As
a company, Globalcom recently made history as the first single company to build
an $800 million high capacity fiber – optic cable, known as Glo 1. It is the
first successful submarine cable from the United
Kingdom to Nigeria; and it will decrease telecom
process and provide excess bandwidth to all the cities connected to the cable.
This historical initiative will also improve teleconferencing, distance
learning, disaster recovery and telemedicine among other benefits.
As
part of giving back to the community in which it operates, Globalcom Nigeria sponsors the national football teams and
premier leagues in Nigeria
and Ghana.
In
2010, Globalcom sponsored the African Handball tournament in Benin Republic
as well as the biggest cultural festival (FITHEB) held in Benin republic. Globalcom has also
sponsored the annual confederation of African football (CAF) awards since 2005.
Finally
apart from aiming to be the most socially responsible citizen in all its host
countries, Globalcom aims to be recognized as the biggest and best mobile
network in Africa.
1.10 DEFINITION
OF TERMS
MARKETING: - “this is a social and managerial
process whereby individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through
creating and exchanging products and values with others” Kotler, P. and
Armstrong G.,Principles of marketing
Singapore: Pearson Education, Inc., 2001.
RESEARCH: is the systematic, objective and accurate
gathering of relevant information and collating, analyzing and interpreting
data in a manner that will make it easier for the management to make useful
decision.
MARKETING RESEARCH: “is the systematic and objective
search for and analysis of information relevant to the identification and
solution of any problem in the field of marketing.” Green, P.E. and Tull, D.S.,
Research for Marketing Decision S., Englewood Cliffs, N.J:Prentice
Hall Inc. 1990.
MARKET SHARE: is the proportion of total sales of a
product or type of product by a company in a given market. It can be calculated
in terms of value of units sold. “Market Share”.Microsoft, Encarta (R) 2009
.Redmond, WA.Microsoft Corporation,2008.
SAMPLING: is the method by which subsets of population
are studied and results obtained from them is used to make inferences about a
total population.
CHI SQUARE is a statistical test commonly used to
compare observed data with the data we would expect to obtain according to a
specific hypothesis. That is, sum total
or the squared difference between observed (o) and the expected (e) data
divided by the expected data in all possible categories. X2 = (O – e) 2/
ei
ISDN: (International
Standard Digital Number.) is a number used to identify standard in global
system mobile.
GPRS: (General Packet Radio Services.) is a
packet-based data service for wireless communication services that is delivered
as network overlay for GSM, CDMA,(Code Division Multiple Access) and TDMA.(Time
Division Multiple Access)
GSM: (Global System for Mobile Communication.)
this is a wireless telephone system that allows devices to carry multiple
messages, data, sounds, pictures, motion at an incredible speed.
EDGE: (Enhanced Data Rates for GEM Evolution.)
is a backward compatible digital mobile phone technology that allows improved
data transmission rates as an extension on top of standard GSM. EDGE is also
considered as 3G radio technology.
ASDL:
(Advance Digital
Subscriber Line.) it’s a technical term used to describe a digitally enhanced
lines.
HSDPA: (High Speed Down link Packet Access)
it is a telecommunication technology that is used to boost the downlink to
14mbps.
2G (2nd Generation).This is a telecommunication
technology that are capable of providing wireless networks to carry voices,
limited data, and short messaging services, they emerged in the 90’s when
mobile operator developed two computing digital standard namely CDMA, TDMA.
3G: (3rd Generation.) is part on the GSM family, it
is an upgrade that provides a potential three fold increase in capacity of
GSM/GPRS networks
4G: (4th Generation.) is a “last Mile” broadband
wireless access an alternative to cable modem, telephone company digital
subscriber lines. It is the latest generation of digital standards.
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