THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PROMOTIONAL MIX ELEMENTS IN THE TELECOMMUNICATION SECTOR OF NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
Promotion is a key element in marketing. Successful promotion is the third essential ingredient or element in
marketing strategy. Prospective buyers must learn about both the products distinctive want satisfying
characteristics and its availability. Establishing and maintaining communications links with target market
segments are main tasks assigned to promotion. Promotion is a component of the 4ps that make up the marketing
mix by far the most effective.
Pride and Ferrell (2008) defined promotion as a communication that builds and maintains favourable
relationship by information and persuading one or more audiences to view an organization positively and to
accept its products. According to them, promotion informs potential customers about the product.
What it is, what it does; how it can be use and where it can be purchased.
Kotler and Keller (2008) peruse promotion as the means by which firms attempt to inform persuade and remind
consumers –directly or indirectly about the products and brands they sell. Promotion represent the voice of the
organization and its brands and are means by which its can establish a dialogue and builds relationship with
customers.
Stanton (1981) defined promotion as the design and management of marketing b sub system for the purpose of
informing and persuading present and potential customers.
Ekakitie (2010) sees promotion as the systematic design and communication of product(s) ideas, knowledge and
attribute to identified market segment with a view to eliciting customer response through the use of appropriate
communication medium and technology. Me Neal (1966) defined promotion as any communication activity
whose purpose is to move forward a product, service or idea in a channel of distribution. He added that
promotion is used by marketers to inform consumers of the availability and attributes products and at certain
times.
Achuba and Osuagwu (1994) perceived promotion as the art of transmitting information for marketing purposes.
It is the process of establishing communication relationships between a marketer and its publics. Dean (1946)
defined promotion as the flow of persuasive communication between the firm and various selected audience.
Kotler (1997) asserted that modern marketing calls for more than developing a good product/service and pricing
it attractively and marketing it accessible to target customers. Companies must also communicate with their
customers.
Aluko (1998) described promotion as those activities that are designed to bring a company’s goods and
services to favourable attention of customers. He also asserted that promotion is characterized by product
information function, company sales effort to current and prospective customers among others. Odugbesan
and Osuagwu (1996) perceived promotion as those decision and methods of communicating all aspects of the
organization’s product and services to reach the target consumer or audience.
With the various definitions of promotion given above, the literature review will further be enriched with a brief
history of the Nigerian telecommunication industry in recent times. This will thereafter be followed by various
methods of promotion and it various application in the telecommunication industry.
