Marketing Planning As A Strategy For Efficient Business Performance (A Case Study Of Unilever Nigeria Plc Lagos)

Project and Seminar Material for Marketing

Abstract

The study research on marketing planning as a strategy for business performance in Nigeria organization. Case study of unilever Nigeria plc Lagos. In any business organization, marketing is very important aspect of entice activities and therefore proper planning and control have to be given to it so as to ensure effect and efficient maximization of profit which is the most important objective any business organization. Marketing meaning may be part of overall business plan or may be separate from overall plan and assign to specific segment or department in an organization (usually marketing department) so as to ensure efficiently maximization of marketing objectives in sales oriented organization. It was concluded that market planning complement the efforts of each other toward the marketing strategy for efficient business perform in an organization, marketing planning also serve as a major role in a firm over all marketing strategy o marketing efforts. Marketing planning goals for the effective use of organization resources. It also recommended as a function designs incentive pay plan to not only motivate and reward fraut line staff but also to align marketing activities with corporate mission.

Chapter One

Introduction

1.1 Introduction to the Study

Marketing planning is a very vital and important management function in every organization in Nigeria.
Simon (2000) asserted that marketing process can be realized by the marketing mix and the last of all the proves is controlling what have been planned. Establishing targets or standard in an organization in terms of marketing of its products and service is done in the marketing functions.

Marketing planning is inter- woven into the management function in the organization to ensure effective and efficient maximization of profit which of course is the most important aim of any organization. Marketing planning can be define as a management function which involves setting goals and developing specific activities, procedures and schedules for meeting the organization marketing target. Marketing planning is and important aspect in business organization because it land down ways in which the profit maximization of the business organization. It is also process on how a very good arrangement is to be made regarding effective and efficient distribution of goods and services for consumers to be reached satisfaction and for substantial profit to be made by the organization, marketing activities must b properly planned. The marketing plan could be short term medium and long term. A business tape of planning to be se: term of the periods it will cover.

Marketing planning may be port of an over all plans business plan or may be separate from every all plans and assign to a specific segment or department in an organization. (Usually marketing department) so as to ensure effective and efficient realization of marketing objectives. In sales oriented organization marketing planning function designs incentive pay plans to not only motivate and reward frontline staff fairly but also to align marketing activities with corporate missions.

Marketing planning also involves collection, classification, analysis and interpretation of information observed through consumer’s feeling concerning the organizational product. The marketing manager goes market to gather information regarding competitor’s actions and what were the views held by the consumers of the organization so as to be able to plan and forecast on how best to achieve the organization objectives. The marketing planning is used to determine how the members of the public should be aware of organization product coping with trade promotion and improvement of sales. Marketing planning is used to chance effective achievement of the organization goal which includes profit maximization, organization growth, etc.

1.2 Statement of Problem

The focus of the research is to identify marketing planning as a strategy for business performance in the organization using unilever Nigeria plc as a case study.

Hence in the course of the study effort has been made to find solution to the following research problem:

What is the relationship between marketing planning and business performance?
What are the aims and objectives of marketing planning?
What is the marketing strategy used in planning?
Contribution of marketing planning to business process?

1.3 Aims and Objective of the Study

The aims and objectives of marketing planning as a strategy for efficient business performance in an organization in Nigeria as the following:

To enable the organization achieve its sc objective
To has a perspective of the future and provides the basic direction guidance for marketing activities
To set of controllable variable that a firm uses to influence the buyer response.
To creation of a metrics frame work to monitor marketing performance and then develop and utilize marketing dash boards to manage marketing performance.
It enables the organization goals to be realistic through necessary performance made against future challenges.
It enables provide opportunity to beat competitors.

1.4 Significant of the Study

The study will be beneficial to student of finance and management courses who intend to carry out similar research work on the subject matter. It will be useful to business organization to understand what marketing planning is all about and to afford them the knowledge on the challenges faced in marketing planning and ways to over come those challenges. It is also useful to the government as it will make them understand better the way marketing activities is been carried out for them to really ascertain their tax liability.

1.5 Scope of the Study

The research focus on marketing as a strategy for efficient business performance in an organization in Nigeria using unilever as a case study.

The research is case study in nature so that scope was established for the study to ensure proper investigation.
The entire department in unilever Nigeria plc Lagos will be involved in this research work.

The study also covers the various measures that have been taken and the measure that are being taken in the present in solving the present challenges and offering solution to them.

This research work will also cover Lagos metropolis like Oregun, Ikeja, Victoria island, Oshodi, Ketu, etc. as a strategy for business performance in the organization in Nigeria using Unilever as a case study.

1.6 Limitation to the Study

No matter how one try to put all effort on a research study, there will be some constructions which will limit the proper attainment of the research objectives. This study is no exception.

The major constrain is the time available for the study is so limited that is not enough for the study of sufficient finance also have effect on the write up.

However despite all this limitation effort has been made to ensure that limitation did not hinder effective completion and quality of the research work.

Solution to the Limitation

Due to the importance of research work, marketing planning as a strategy in Nigeria, most especially to the case study unilever Plc, Lagos

The financial constraint need to be tacked with urgently, which lead to raised funds through borrowing from friends and also some additional contribution from one of my relative who stay in Ibadan, Oyo state.

Also, the information gathered by the researcher from the respondent are not sufficient, some information are obtained from internet also some textbooks was consulted from the library in order to get some facts about the importance of marketing planning as a strategy in Nigeria which later be reference.

Despite all these challenges, the research believes that this research work will achieve the desire objective.

Chapter Five

Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation

5.1 Summary of Findings

Marketing planning was defined as a management function which involves setting goals and developing specific activities, procedures and schedules for moneting the organization marketing targets. The key to organization task is to determine the need and want of target market and delivery satisfaction more effectively than competitor.
In the course of the study the meaning of marketing planning was discussed. The aim and objectives of the moneting planning was also highlight.

Findings

It was discovered that.

Marketing planning is an essential part of marketing function
Management must take the issue of marketing planning services
For any marketing activities to succeed it must have been planned early
Marketing manager is saddled with the responsibility of planning marketing activities.
Marketing planning is face with some challenges with hinder effective performance of these activities.

5.2 Conclusion

In conclusion, marketing planning is an important management function which other function depends on it all other function are perform effectively and marketing planning is done wrongly all the efforts, time a:cci finance use o other function will have been wasted thus marketing planning is an important aspect of any management function in any organization.

Data collected in the course of this study was classified analysis in tabular form to explain the data collection in a more simple form for reference purpose.

Lack of proper marketing planning hinder the marketing performance of the organization and reduces effectiveness, proper marketing planning should be made viable in the organization to ensure effective utilization of organization resources.

5.3 Recommendations

Based on the finding the following recommendations were made.

Marketing planning should be used in all marketing function so to be carried out effectively
Marketing planning should be used in all marketing functions so as to ensure effective use of resources
The challenges facing marketing should be solve so as to enable the planning to work.
Management should make marketing planning a priority to obtain the best practice in marketing

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