Application Of Marketing Control Techniques In Manufacturing Firms

INTRODUCTION
-establishing standard
-measurement of performance and
-correct of deviations
Standards may be in the form of short term goal and long term objectives
which should be measured against actual result and corrective action should be
taken when necessary. When actual performances deviates greatly from annual
plans, the corrective plans may be to adjust objectives and long term objectives
which should be measured against actual result and corrective actions. Would be
taken when necessary. Where actual performance deviates greatly from annual
plans, the corrective action may be to adjust objectives and goals by making them
realistic and attainable.
A number of techniques have been developed overtime and these are readily
used in marketing management across the globe kotler[1980;640-644]broadly
classified marketing control process into four categories namely;
1. Annual plan control; sales analysis; marketing ratio analysis; market share
analysis and consumer attitude tracking.
2. Profitability control; consisting of effort to determining profitability of
different products, territories, trade channel and consumer groups.
3. Efficiency control; means determining more efficient ways of managing
sales force advertising, sales promotion and distribution.
4. Strategies control; consists of efforts aimed at periodically examine whether
a company basics strategratics marched to its opportunities.
Marketing control techniques as a component of the marketing information
system must be able to provide information to management about performance.
Interestingly, a good management will like to know which product sales and
highest and why, whether the product is profitable; what is selling and at what cost.
very often; the traditional accounting report are usually of little help to the manager
;a company account might be showing an overall profit arising from the business.
Without specifying which of the centre is doing very fine and which is not?
A detailed breakdown of firm’s sales records can be very useful and
informative such breakdown can update marketing executives who have been out
of touch. Additionally, routine sales analysis prepared weekly; monthly or even
yearly may show trend thus permitting marketing executing to check their basics
assumptions about performances, [kotler1986].

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE STUDY
The important of marketing control techniques in the efficient management
of companies cannot be over stressed.
Thus in the word of Mocker [1972:2] marketing or management control is a
systematic effort to set performances standard with planning objectives, to design
information feedback system, to compare actual performances with those per-
determined standard, to determine whether there are deviation and to measure their
significance, and also to take any action necessary to ensure that all corporate
resources are being used in the most effective and efficient way possible in
achieving corporate objectives.
This view was also supported by Udeagha (1999:281) when he defined
management control as consisting all the measures undertaken by an organization
to measure performances against standard to ensure that the planned organization
activities objectives and goal are achieved.
Notwithstanding the positive views; expressed by these two authors above,
evidences abound that most of the companies do not apply marketing control in
their day to day operations.
This view was expressed when Kotler (1980:729) argued that in spite of the
need for effective marketing control; many companies have inaugurate control
procedures. He recent further to argue that many companies fall to compare them
price with competition to analysis warehousing and distribution costs, to analysis
the cause of returned merchandize, to conduct formal evaluation of advertising
effectiveness, and to review their sales-forces reports.
The negative attitude of some companies towards the application of
marketing techniques control for their operations as pointed in one of the major
factors that stimulated to researcher to embark on this study. The ideas was to find
out whether Enemite Limited as a roofing sheet manufacturing company based in
Enugu applies the concept of marketing control in its operation and the findings of
the study to make some recommendations.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The researcher work was embarked upon to achieve the following objective
i. To investigate to what extent manufacturing firm time formal plans for their
activities.
ii. To determine whether the application of marketing control has any effect on
the achievement of the corporate goals and objectives of their organization
iii. To find out the specific area where the application of marketing control are
necessary.
iv. To determine the various marketing control techniques available in their
company.
v. To determine whether the application of marketing control techniques
enhance a firm’s competitive position.
vi. To ascertain the most frequently used marketing control techniques among
manufacturing firms.
vii. To make recommendation based on the findings of the researcher work that
will ensure improved productivity and efficiency.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research question is formulated by the researcher in line
with the objective of the study. The researcher questions includes
1. To what extent has manufacturing firm made formals plans for the
activities?
2. What effect has the application of the marketing control on the achievement
of the corporate goals and objectives of the manufacturing firm?
3. In what specific areas do your companies apply marketing control?
4. What are various techniques used by the manufacturing firm in the
marketing control activities?
5. In what ways can the application of marketing control techniques enhance a
firms in the manufacturing firms?
6. What are the most frequently used marketing control techniques used by the
manufacturing firms

1. 5 SIGNIFICANCES OF THE STUDY
The main purposes of this study is to investigate the application of
marketing control techniques in manufacturing firms in Enugu east local
government area and determine whether it’s one is prevalent among firms. The
study will also attempt to find out it control techniques which will be made
between the firms based on their types and size defined by the annual sale level or
turnover. Information generated in this study will be immensely helpful to
marketing executives of Emenite Limited Enugu in the control of marketing
programmers in terms of sales goal and objectives, cost and the exploitation of
opportunities available, marketing manager should be able to check their basics
assumptions about performance.
Furthermore marketing manager will be in a position to determine problems
area which would have been submerged and this proffer solution that will improve
performances. It will also benefit the researcher as it is a partial fulfillment for the
award of an ordinary b.sc degree in the field of study. It has also added to the
existing literature in the field.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of the study is the research boundary emphasis is laid on the
application of marketing control techniques in manufacturing firms in Enugu east
local government area with a view of finding out how this concept has been
applied’ it has on productivity. And so on. The scope of the study is limited to
manufacturing firms in Enugu east local government area; especially Emenite
Limited a leading roofing sheet in manufacturing firms.

1. 7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
Hardly would a research study be concluded without the constraints in a
country such as our where bureaucracy and redtaplism act as constraints in the
flow of information, and where there is inaccuracy of constraint related to the data
system would includes
– Low quality data and inadequate recording devices
– Lack of standardization in data recording and formats
– Lack of incentives and motivations
– Budgetary limitation
– Privacy of information consideration
– Inadequate data collection and handling procedures