THE IMPACT OF PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES ON THE MARKETING OF GOLDEN MORN PRODUCTS IN ENUGU METROPOLIS
(A CASE STUDY OF NESTLE NIGERIA PLC ENUGU)
ABSTRACT
This study focused on the impact of promotional activities on the marketing of Golden morn product with particular note on Nestle Nigeria Plc, the objective of the study among other things include.
To know how effective each of the promotion has been increasing the beverages market share in the market.
Based on these three hypothesis were formulated each focusing on the impact of specific promotion data.  Extensive literature review on textbooks, journals and material on the area of the study was carried out while primary data were sourced from respondents, which form the sample of study.  The sample include the manage staff of the super market.
Open-ended questions in a structured questionnaire were used to collect data from respondents.  These data were presented on statistical tables after analysis and interpretation.
Based on analysis, the following findings were made.
Firslty, Golden morn has become a good beverage product that nourishes the body.
The Nestle Nigeria Plc is yet to make advertisement effective enough to create general awareness.
It was discovered that not much sales promotion has been carried out by this company.
It is strongly suggested that beverage industry should game plans that must be timely applied.
The study revealed that the promotional activities of Golden morn not only lead to increase in sales of the product but also impact, positively on the profit of the Nestle Nigeria Plc.
That the personal selling strategy used in beverage industry has much impact on customer’s disposition and patronage.
Many consumers indicated that the quality of Golden morn is high but many equally complained that the price is high compared to the other beverage in the market.
Based on the above findings the following recommendations were made.  Define its promotional objectives in order to device suitable strategies to follow.  This can only be very much possible where experts are used.
Serious effort should be made by beverage industries in using promotional activities, in using advertising apart from billboards, advertising on radio and local news papers in English and local language should be used in creating customers awareness.
The high quality product of Golden morn should be maintained and not relaxed and a good product with good promotion is easier to sell than bad product with intensive promotion as consumers look for the best quality.
If all these recommendations were carried out the company will not improve on their profit position.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
 1.1    Background of the study
Statement of the problems
Objectives of the study
Formulation of hypotheses
Significant of the study
Scope of the study
Definition of terms
CHAPTER TWO
Literature review
2.1    Nature and importance of promotional activities
Promotion objectives
Component of marketing promotion
Analysis of the various promotional tools
Promotional budget
Developing the sales promotion programme
Evaluation of promotional programme
CHAPTER THREE
Research methodology
3.1    Method of data collection
3.2    Sources of data
3.3    Research instruments used
3.4    Population of the study
Determination of sample size
Sampling techniques
Method of data analysis and treatment
Limitations of the study
CHAPTER FOUR
Presentation, analysis and interpretation of data
4.1    Presentation and analysis of data
Test of hypotheses
CHAPTER FIVE
5.1    Summary of findings Recommendations and Conclusion
 Bibliography
Appendix
CHAPTER ONE
 1.1    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
One of the major pillars of marketing is the provision of goods and services to satisfy the needs and wants of consumer at a profit to firm.  This is the provision of product for the satisfaction of consumer or customer is the focus of marketing thereby making product a fundamental tool of marketing.  But Ebue (1990:1) stated that if you produce the best product, packaged it brilliantly, price it rightly distribute it magnificently and position it to best meet the needs of customer you must have wasted all the marketing skills if nobody knows you have those things.  Your customers will only know through promotional activities.  It becomes imperative that a firm must not only create high quality goods that meet the expectations of the target market but tell success story.  That is a firm must disseminate information about the product’s existence, features, terms and benefits to the target market.
Adirika, Ebue and Nnolim (1996:35) see promotion as the component used by the organization to inform, educate and persuade the market regarding the company’s offerings:- advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, publicity and public relations are the major variable of promotional tools.
The myopic thinking in Nigeria, that the money spent in promotional activities is a waste should not crop at all, although, we are operating in a seller’s market, where companies can sell their goods and services even without adequate promotion.  There is no guarantee that such a situation will continue forever.  Promotion like distribution is one of elements of the firm.  Marketing mix and it seeks to inform the public of the availability of goods and services and their communication cycle between those engaged in production and those in consumption, the need for product promotion exist in both surplus and scarcity condition.  This is because in trying to inform, promotion can often persuade and so on be a useful means to a desirable social change if well utilized.
Modern marketing companies are increasing recognizing the value of an effective communication and promotion programme for their entire public.  This includes beverage industries.  Their product encompasses vegetable commodities that significantly affect our life’s.  According to Onah and Nnolim, (1988:9) decision with these components of promotional mix in order to accomplish the objectives of any given organization the beverage, industry for sometimes now is very lucrative, this has brought so many beverage industries into their market thus leading to competition in other to survive the competition beverage industries should pay adequate attention to the issues that involve decision making in designing an appropriate promotion strategies for survival.  It is because of the importance of promotion not only as tool for informing the company that the researcher tries to examine the impact of promotional activities on the marketing of Golden morn products.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Here, many consumers do not patronize a company’s product when they are ignorant of its existence.  Insufficient and inadequate use of marketing communication tools lead to low sales turnover, given the competitive pressure attributable to escalating cost, increased industrial concentration as the result of acquisitions and mergers, the threat of product obsolescence inherent in accelerating technological innovation.  It is clear that promotional policies have becomes questions of acute importance to manufacturer as the marketer.
There has been a sharp increase in the number of beverage product (both locally manufactured and imported) this leading fierce and cutthroat.  Infact, the creation of effective promotional strategies would be an essential step towards creating a market.
Consumers find it difficult to make repeat purchase of a product whose communication is not motivating and captivating.
Improper application of marketing strategies sometimes rob Nestle Nigeria Plc the opportunity of winning new customer for tom and Milo to be precise.
The problem goes a long way to hinder the growth of the firm if urgent solutions are not offered to deal with them.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
These objectives are:
To know how effective each of the promotions has been increasing the beverage’s market share in the market.
To know the impact of each promotion such as advertising, sales promotion, personal selling, public relation and publicity on the marketing of Golden morn product.
To know if the success of the product is due to dynamism in the company’s promotional programme.
To determine the relationship between promotion and consumers patronage of the product.
To determine the impact f promotion in creating consumers awareness on the marketing of Golden morn product in Enugu Metropolis.
Promotional activities adopted by Nestle in Enugu Metropolis increased profitability.
Ro recommend solution how to effectively use promotion in increasing sales in an organization.
FORMULATION OF HYPOTHESE
The following hypnotically statements are designed to help us in representation in both null and alternatives.
HYPOTHESIS 1
H0:   Promotional activities of Nestle Nigeria Plc do not lead to increase in demand for the product.
Hi:    Promotional activities of Nestle Nigeria Plc lead to increase in demand for the product.
HYPOTHESIS 2
H0:   Promotional activities on the marketing of Golden morn product does not satisfy customer.
Hi:    Promotional activities on the marketing of Golden morn satisfy customer.
HYPOTHESIS 3
H0:       Promotional activities on the marketing of Golden morn impact negatively on the profit of the company.
Hi:    Promotional activities on the marketing of Golden morn impact positively on the profit of the company.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Promotion is not complete until the product ends up being consumed.  The study will be of great benefit to the industry as well as individuals.  This study will help the researcher appreciate how to use promotional activities in introducing and increasing sales of any product.  It will also enable the company gain their confidence and goodwill.
This study will help the customers to improve their standard of living, as they had been made aware through promotion.  It will equally be of great benefit to readers and researchers and moreover, it will widen their scope of understanding and knowledge of promotion.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study is designed to examine promotional activities of Nestle Nigeria Plc on the sales of it’s product Golden morn.  This study is restricted to Enugu State.  It will cover the management staff and consumers that are been exposed to the product.
This study concentrated on the impact of marketing promotion on improving company’s performance with particular interest on Nestle Nigeria Plc within Enugu Metropolis.
The study intends to point out how the promotional tools techniques such as advertising, personal selling, sales promotion, public relation and publicity will be used in improving the company performance with particular interest on the marketing of Golden morn product with in Enugu Metropolis.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Promotional campaign:     This is an inter-related services of promotional activities to communicate the target group of produce change in behaviour.
Product sampling:      This is one of the effective means of giving free samples of product to consumer or offering a trial at a very low cost.  It encourages customer to buy and it also reduce price.  It is very effective for introduction of new product.
Premium offers:-       This is a product that is offered free or less than regular price in order to induce the consumer to buy another.
Coupons:   Coupons are certificating that give buyers a saving when they purchase a specified product.
Free trial: Free trials consist of inviting prospective purchase/buyer to try the product without cost in the hope that they will buy the product.
Sweepstakes:   These, sales promotion require participant to submit some kind of entry from but are purely game of chance requiring no analytical or creative effort by the consumer.
Cash refund offers (Rebates):   Cash refund offers or rebates are like coupons expect that the price reduction occur is after the purchase rather than at the retail outlet.
Patronage rewards:  These are rewards that are given to the customer/consumers because they are patronizing their product.
Point-of-purchase promotion:    The points of purchase material gets as an inducement to buy the product, it consists of display of materials and sign placed inside a certain product package.