ABSTRACT
Consumer satisfaction is the economic justification for the existence of any business. Hence for any business to exist, survive and grow, the same plan must be strategic. So, this research work was carried out on the strategic marketing planning as a means of achieving increased, market share in competitive market. (A case study of Nigerian MSMEs). In this research, we have treated these headings as follows. The problem statement which result as an increase in the competitive market of Nigerian breweries. So, the researcher is interested in finding out the reasons for achieving market share in competitive market. Review of former works showed a gap in knowledge between strategic marketing practice and performance of small and medium enterprises in Nigeria. The research focuses on testing the relationship between strategic marketing practice and MSMEs performance in Nigeria. The evidence collected from 234 samples of MSMEs operators and owners showed a strong relationship between strategic marketing and competitive performance of MSMEs, measurable in terms of sales, market share, profit and growth. This implies the need for MSMEs in Nigeria to improve on their strategic marketing content towards ensuring higher competitive performance.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
Businesses at all levels are growing in leaps and bounds, expanding their competitive landscape within Nigeria economy and presenting more difficult environment for firms to operate successfully. Profit maximization goal becomes more of a difficult task for business to achieve within such a growing competitive environment. Profit maximization has been identified as a broad goal upon which general performance of any business can be assessed and measured (Alao and Odunmbaku, 2012). The authors buttressed that measure of performance level in a business is usually expressed in terms of profit maximization, which is contingent upon the attainment of other specific goals including customer satisfaction, high sales volume and market share increase. Strategic marketing offers a competitive value for every firm operating in a complex marketing environment towards ensuring that set objectives such as increase in customer satisfaction, market share, sales volume and profitability are achieved (Alao and Odunmbaku, 2012).
It has been identified that MSMEs in Nigeria are strongly challenged with their limited capability to addressing low level of performance in the growing competitive market environment over the years in spite of large financing of the sector by government (Safiriyu and Njogo, 2012). One major factor militating against every MSME operation is the propensity to achieving improved competitive performance. The problem of low rate of survival in the sector has equally been attributed to poor strategic marketing capability (Ayanda and Labara, 2011), that could position them to perform well amidst competition. MSMEs operating in the Nigeria’s competitive environment are currently faced with the prevailing competitive nuances characterized by global competitive pressure, having some resultant effects on their growth and performance (Business Day, July, 2014).
MSMEs as a critical sector of every economy, is naturally faced with limited resource capability, lesser market experience, and competitive strength, therefore their relative performance level has not reached the expected contributory economic measure in the developing countries (Siu and Bao,2008). In Nigeria, poor performance-based issues in terms of low sales level, production inefficiency, poor quality of products and services, low level of profitability and poor growth are hallmarks in MSMEs operations (Osuagwu, 2004). Given the performance indicators, the complex nature of the contemporary competitive landscape within which MSMEs operate need to be understudied vi-a-vis strategic marketing practice and their expected performance level. However, previous work has not succinctly established whether there is a significant relationship between strategic marketing and competitive performance of MSMEs in the competitive landscape of Nigeria (Ayanda and Labara, 2011).
Marketing is the hallmark around which business strategies revolves on A.I Okafor (1995:6) defined it as all profitable human activities undertaken by the firm towards the creation of satisfied customers
Kotler (1989), defined strategic as game plan to get there
Glueck, (1976) defined strategic plan as a unifies comprehensive and integrated plan to achieve organizational goal objectives.
Business strategies from the focal point and basis of strategic marketing decision unfortunately, most business have failed, products non – existing, goals and objective unattainable simply because they neglected strategic marketing.
Strategic marketing decision is of vital importance that its absence in any organization will not go down well with such an organization. It helps to manage business environment and the changed, which are inevitable it takes an organization from where it is today to where it wants to be tomorrow. Proper strategic marketing decision turns a company from being reactive to being practice in the face of events and situation.
Strategic marketing planning differs from company to company. It all depends on the market and business environment. Firms therefore, should adopt to the changing market conditions and at the same time face the need for creating an “anticipative “rather than a reactive managerial system. They should search for ways to handle an increasingly complex technology, unstable environment, competitors in the light of their goods and services and offering so, given the environment rapid change, a static environment can no longer be feasible.
Firms should think of moving from stagnant bureaucracy to adoptive firm under extreme dynamism.
1.2 Statement of problem
They should consider the marketing strategies of their competitors, their strengths and weakness and then develop a sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) that will enable them outweigh their competitors where there is no sustainable competitive advantage; the organization will not go far.
Every business organization operates among other competitors in the market in order to increase or maintain its market share and organization would have to establish a good marketing strategy to survive intense competition and maintain sales projections and targets. The study intends to examine the extent of relationship between strategic marketing and competitive performance of MSMEs operating in Nigeria, and answer The study is expected to expand on the key relationships of some intervening variables not covered by previous authors, which constitutes a gap in knowledge.
1.3 objective of the study
the researcher is interested in finding out the reasons for achieving market share in competitive market. With the following objectives of the study which shows that the study aimed at:
- To determine strategic marketing affects firms performance in a competitive market
- To determine the strategic marketing plan of the firm
- To determine the extent of relationship between strategic plan and firm’s competitive performance
1.4 Research question
This research seeks to answer the following questions
- Does strategic marketing affects firms performance in a competitive market ?
- What is the strategic marketing plan of the firm?
- What is the relationship between strategic plan and firm’s competitive performance?
1.5 significance of the study
The study intends to examine the extent of relationship between strategic marketing and competitive performance of MSMEs operating in Nigeria. The clear goal is to contribute to the body of knowledge.
this subject matter is important with respect to:
The researcher embarking on the study serves not only as challenge to the academic pursuit of the researcher but also as a source of widening the educational horizon of the researcher.
The managers and policy makers will have an insight on how important strategic plan is for firm’s existence
For future study and knowledge: The research work will serve as a stimulant to other thesis for other researchers
1.6 scope/ limitation of the study
This work will focus on SMEs in Nigeria with special interest in Nigeria brewies
As in every research work, time factor, financial factor and limited information because of issue of national security was some limiting factor of this research work.
1.7 Organization of Study
This work will be in five chapters, chapter one will deal with introduction, background to the study, statement of problem, objective of the study, hypotheses of the study;
Chapter two focused on the related literatures, empirical review, theoretical framework and conceptual framework of the study.
Chapter three will deal with methodology employed for the work including research design, population, sampling technique
Chapter four will be about the analysis of findings and rest of the work
Chapter five summarized the work and made some recommendation for further study on the subject matter.
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