EXTENT OF UTILIZATION OF ADVERTISING AS A MARKETING COMMUNICATION STRATEGY BY MANUFACTURING COMPANIES IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

The need to improve and ensure effective marketability of products of manufacturing companies necessitated this study on the extent of utilization of advertising as a marketing communication strategy by manufacturing companies in Anambra State. One research question guided the study and two null hypotheses were tested. Descriptive survey research design was employed for the study. The population consisted of 298 executives (managers and owners) of registered manufacturing companies in Anambra State. The entire population was studied without sampling because the size was not too large.The instrument for data collection was a researcher developed questionnaire titled “Marketing Communication Strategy Questionnaire(MCSQ)”.The questionnaire was validated by three experts. The internal consistency of marketing communication strategy questionnaire (MCSQ) was established using Cronbach alpha and reliability coefficient value of 0.86 was obtained. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research question while t-test and ANOVA were used totestthe null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings of the study revealed that manufacturing companies in Anambra State utilized advertising to a moderate extent. It was recommended among others that business educators in  tertiary institutions should be innovative in their instructional delivery by exposing their students to all components of  marketing communication  strategies to enable them successfully operate their own small and medium scale enterprises after graduation.

Key words: Advertising, Manufacturing Companies, Utilization.