AN ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF MARKETING SEGMENTATION ON PRODUCTION PLANNING IN AN ORGARNISATION

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Market segmentation is a vital issue in marketing strategy. Therefore, marketing segmentation is the sub-dividing of a market into district subset of customers where any subsets may conceivably be selected as a target to be reaching with a district marketing mix.  Kotler (2008) opines that market is a place or a geographical area where buyers and sellers meet and function, goods and services are offered for sale and transfer of ownership of title occur. The aggregate market is so huge that any single market needs to capture only a small portion of it to be very successful hence, the strategy employed.  Limsitursti (2009) define marketing strategy can be viewed as the techniques, styles and way that a distributing, developing and selling of their products in order to attract the attention of its customers.  It is interesting to note that, each major variable, for the entire firm’s offering requires careful research and studying before short and long term marketing plans can be evaluated. Therefore, the needs for this study goes a long way in re-organization that people as buyers and customers differ in their need, taste, family and cultural background, motivation lifestyle, and attitude towards products and purchases.  It is relevance to the present time in that, this set of buyers should process distinguishing characteristics so that they may be used  as marketing targets product are positioned to meet segment customer need, and a marketing mix appropriate to a particular segment may selected . Kotler (2008) in his view, market segmentation offers an efficient way for marketers to plan for attaining the desire goals and set objectives.

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

One of the obstacles that often lead to businesses failure is the inability of some marketing executives to formulate, plan their strategies, they operate without taking into cognizance the factors or the element both internal and external to the forms which they operate. This research work is primarily concerned with studying marketing company has given and how market are been segmented in order to improve. Its operational performance thereby providing the consumers with adequate products as to how, where, what or getting them.

1.3     OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The importance of market segmentation in any business organization cannot be over emphasized. Every business organization is faced with the impact of selecting a suitable market of that will be follows to entire effective marketing penetration.

The following are the objectives of this study

a.     To determine the most effective segmentation strategies to used in an organization

b.    To identify the requirements for effective market segmentation

c.     To establish the bases of segmenting a answer market.

d.     To identify what the requirements and what customers wants in each market for its uses.

e.     To determine the benefits of market segmentation to the consumers and the organization at large.

f.    To solve the problems of segmenting a market

1.4         STATEMENT OF THE HYPOTHESIS

The following hypothesis was formulated for this project work.

Ho:  that, the impact of market segmentation does not affect the overall performance of an organization.

Hi:    that the impact of market segmentation has a greater advantage on the overall performance of an organization.

1.5         SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study would serve as first hand information to those in production department of the relevance of segmenting a market for their various users of their product.

The relational of every organization is to maximize profit and satisfying consumers through the society.

Market segmentation will serve as eye openers to those in the marketing field of identify their potential consumers at wherever they reside.

This study will guide and instruct consumers of what and how they produce their products and where they can meet them.

1.6    SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this study is narrowed to segmenting of consumers market on which emphasis is placed on a contemporary market and  consumer market. This will also covers those in marketing department in the organization used as a case study.                                           

1.7            LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

During the course of this study, there were some problems encountered                which stood as limitations to the research work.

TIME

Time is a very important factor in our day activities in that it waits for no one. Therefore, the little time space available for the researcher to carry out this study was a limitation to the study.

FINANCIAL

Due to this subject matter, all photocopies, typing, transportation to keep this study is constraint but it did the little possible with the available money.

RESPONDENTS

When gathering and collating the questionnaires, some respondents filled the form correctly while other damaged it due to negligence, some are unwilling to co-operate with the researcher.

SUPERVISOR

My supervisor, being loaded with work apart from supervising this project work and the task of administrating the department, may not always be at my disposal due to her work.

1.8            HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE CASE STUDY

United wire production limited, Kaduna is Liability Company.  The company was incorporated in March 1977, and started commercial                                         production in October 1979, and has been in full products since January, 1980.   United wire products limited in currently set up to produce different sizes of wire, Nail, Barbed wire chain link fencing wire.  In 1981-82 the company underwent an expansion exercise involving the introduction of two new product lines soft building wire welding electrodes. it is the only company in the northern states producing welding electrodes. In 1985, a Gal vanishing plant was added to the product line of the company. The company at that time was first to manufacture Galvanized wire which is a raw material required for the production of barbed wire, chain link fencing wire and galvanized welded mesh. The successes recorded above have not only made the company the leading wire manufactures in other states but also one of the leading in the country as a whole. The  request for the setting up of united wire products limited was made by a delegation form international wire corporation which has its registered office at panama, with the co-operation of northern Nigeria investments limited, Kaduna, 3 other Nigeria were initiated to form the shareholder of the company. The initial paid up share capital of the company was N600, 000 which was held as follows:                                                            Na. International wire co-operation                                    24, 000

     b. Northern Nig. Investments Ltd                                     180, 000

     c. Balm Holding Ltd                                                        100, 000

     d. Alh. D.H. Abdu                                                             40, 000

     e. Alh. Sani Bakori                                                            40, 000

          Total                                                                           600, 000

The composition of the above holding could be diagrammatically represented thus:  The company’s present manufacturing facilities consist of the following:

-         Complex wire during plant with automatic cooling devices.

-         Roofing nails manufacturing machinery with allied processing lines.

-         Barded wire making machinery with automatic roll following devoices.

-         Machinery for the manufacture of gala vanished chain link fencing.

-         Complete nail making plant.

-         Wire drawing and pot annealing equipment for production of soft binding wire.

-         Complete wire for the manufacture of electric is welding electrodes.

-         Complete plant for the manufactures of galvanized wire.

1.9     DEFINITION OF TERMS

The most requiring ones are hereby identified for the purpose of reader’s guidance and better understanding.

1.     Market: A market is an area which the aggregate of forces or auditions results in decision that satisfies demand by the transfer of good and service.

2.     Marketing: This refers to the performance of business activities that direct the flow of good and service form producer to consumer or user.

3.     Segment: district identified part of market.

4.     Market segmentation: Is the process of dividing the total heterogeneous markets for a production into several sub-markets or segments and each of which tens to homogenous tends homogenous in all significant aspect.

5.     Homogeneous preference: Reveals a market where all the consumers have almost the same preference.

6.     Differentiated Marketing: A form goes after a market segment and developed the ideal offer and marketing mix.

7.     Geographical Variables: this has to do with region, nation, state, local government districts etc.

8.     Demographic variables: It has to do with age, sex and occupation etc.

9.     Behavioral Variables: This refers to the benefit, user, status, readiness and purchase occasion etc.

10.    Psycholograhics Variables: This is concerned with life style,personal, social status and motivation etc.

11.    UNPL: United wire products limited.

12. Price: This means the monetary value of product or services.

13.  Place: This means all the possible distribution channels to flow in                order to meet target.

14.  Strategy: the cruciall techniques with which a company hopes to       achieve its long run consumers and profit objectives in a peculiar competitive environment.

15.  Product: Its anything that com be offered to the market for acquisition, attention, used and consumption that may satisfied a n

16.   Marketing Strategy: Set of policies that guides the company’s marketing objectives

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