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ABSTRACT
The rate at which new products go into decline and extinction is a worrisome trend among professional marketers. More worrisome is the fact that hitherto, giant firms are fast loosing their dominance in the market. Among manufacturing firms operating in the country and Rivers State in particular only few have been able to weather the storm of competition. Hence, the aim of the study was toexamine the role of effective brand management in the distribution of household product, especially in Unilever Nigeria Plc.in Port Harcourt. Using a well-structured questionnaire, data was obtained from the staff of Unilever Nigeria Plc. Port Harcourt. The data was analyzed using percentage and chi-square to test the hypothesis. The result of the study showed that the company employed more female workers than male in the marketing/distribution department; Majority of the workers were in the age bracket of 24 – 35 years and have more of married staff than single. Most of the workers HND/BSC holders which implied that the company has a more skillful workforce and the workers are paid (salaries) according to their qualifications. The study revealed that Unilever uses individual branding system to market its products. With this policy, the reputation of the company does not suffer if any of the product or brand fails.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page – – – – – – – – – – –
Certification – – – – – – – – – –
Dedication – – – – – – – – – – –
Acknowledgement – – – – – – – – –
Abstract – – – – – – – – – – –
Table of content – – – – – – – – – –
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY – – – – – –
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS – – – – – –
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY – – – – – – –
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS – – – – – – – –
1.5 TEST OF HYPOTHESIS – – – – – – – –
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY – – – – – – –
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY – – – – – – – –
1.8 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY – – – – – – –
1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS – – – – – – – –
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 INTRODUCTION – – – – – – – – –
2.2 WHAT IS BRAND MANAGEMENT – – – – – –
2.3 EFFECTIVE BRAND MANAGEMENT – – – – –
2.4 BRANDING STRATEGIES – – – – – – –
2.5 ROLE OF BRAND MANAGEMENT – – – – – –
2.6 CHALLENGES FACING BRANDING – – – – – –
2.7 IMPORTANCE OF BRAND MANAGEMENT IN DISTRIBUTION
OF HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS – – – – – – –
2.8 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC
2.9 FACTORS OF EFFECTIVE BRAND MANAGEMENT – – –
2.10 IMPACT OF EFFECTIVE BRAND MANAGEMENT IN
THE DISTRIBUTION OF HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS- – – –
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 INTRODUCTION – – – – – – – – –
3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN – – – – – – – –
3.3 POPULATION OF THE STUDY – – – – – – –
3.4 SAMPLING AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUES – – – –
3.5 SOURCES OF DATA COLLECTION – – – – – –
3.6 METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION – – – – – –
3.7 METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS – – – – – – –
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
4.1 INTRODUCTION – – – – – – – – –
4.2 PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA – – – – –
4.3 TESTING OF HYPOTHESIS – – – – – – –
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
5.1 INTRODUCTION – – – – – – – – –
5.2 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS – – – – – – –
CHAPTER SIX
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
6.1 SUMMARY – – – – – – – – – –
6.2 CONCLUSION – – – – – – – – –
6.3 RECOMMENDATIONS – – – – – – – -¬
REFERENCES- – – – – – – – – – –
APPENDIX- – – – – – – – – – –
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.10 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
One element that has undergone tremendous change in the past decade is branding, labeling and packaging. According to Rahim, (2002) liberalization by allowing for easy imports of printing technology, made a vast difference of packaging and branding simplistic. Almost primitive packaging has given way to vibrate. Colourful labels with more pictures. Packaging is also no longer meant merely for storage. The label nowadays addresses concerns about the product, ingredients self life and so on (Rahim, 2002). According to Rahim (2002), packaging is now more a component of the brands image than ever” and carton have given way to sleek pouches, sachets and plastic containers; “therefore, we can define packaging as all activities of designing and producing the container for a product. The container is called the package.
Branding is a major issue in product strategy; perhaps, the most distinctive skill of professional marketers in their ability to create, maintain, produce and enhance brand. Branding is the art and cornerstone of marketing. The American Marketing Association (2000) defines a brand as a name, term sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of their competitors. Thus, a brand identifies the seller or maker.
Branding has nothing to do with the design of a product which includes both the intrinsic and intrinsic qualities of a product that is packaging textile, colour, names, tastes and so on. Branding is in fact the composite of the activities in establishing brand name, brand marker, copyright and the like.
In the absence of branding, there cannot be any better described marketing; therefore, when branding, labeling and packaging came, it became so strong that today hardly anything goes unbranded. For example, salt is packaged in distinctive manufacturers containers or sacks, arranges are stamped with growers names, common-belt and nuts are packaged in cello plain with distributors label and automobile companies, spark plugs, tyre bear a separate brand name from the auto makers.
The brand name and trade marks provide legal protection of improving product features which will otherwise be copied by competitors. Moreover, branding gives the seller the opportunity to attract a loyal and profitable set of customers and also gives sellers some protection from competitors greater control in planning their marketing-mix.
All these makes companies to spend a lot on branding labeling and packaging with the sole aim of product differentiation and identification; thereby, changing the taste of customers and making good sales turnover.
1.11 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS
The problems that Unilever Nigeria Plc is currently facing is that management are adopting new competitive strategies to one another. In the midst of these competitive strategies, a large number of consumers are getting confused about which brand to deviate to as the different appeals are targeted at wooing them. Also, some household products in Unilever Company enjoyed large patronage at its introductory stage and quickly declined in sales as the competition got tougher. This made factories to shut down and subsequently resulted to loss of jobs with the attendant suffering of the immediate families of the workers of the firms. This has affected the country’s Gross Domestic Product (G.D.P). and also caused societal tension and unrest.
It is in the light of the above problems that the researcher sought to investigate the place branding occupies in the distribution of consumers products and their performance in the market.
1.12 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The study examine the role of effective brand management in the distribution of household product of Unilever Nigeria plc in Port Harcourt. Specifically, the study sought to:
- Ascertain how brand management affects product distribution in the market.
- Find out the role that branding, labeling and packaging play in enhancing consumer patronage to effect sales turn-over.
- Identify the challenges facing distribution of Unilever products.
The study is intended to enlighten the manufacturers of the prominent places branding occupies in the performance of household consumption. Many firms have lost some of their customers due to inability to distribute effectively and lack of effective management.
This research work is therefore aimed at educating the brand management on the strategies that will command patronage and fast distribution of Unilever household products.
1.13 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following questions shall be used in the course of this research study;
- To what extent does effective brand management affect the distribution of household?
- To what extent does Unilever Nigeria Plc. face challenges in the distribution of household product?
- To what extent does product of Unilever Nigeria Plc. face early decline in the market?
1.14 TEST OF HYPOTHESIS
Ho: There is no significant relationship between effective brand management and distribution of household product
H1: There is a significant relationship between effective brand management and distribution of household product.
1.15 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study will add greatly to the adoption of brand management strategies of some firms in Port Harcourt. The result of this study would aid in other research efforts and will also aid students who will like to enquire more in other aspects of brand management and distribution.
This will to an extent reduce the early grave that some products have seen.
1.16 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study was carried out in Port Harcourt Rivers State among distributing arms of Unilever Nigeria Plc. These distributors are those partnered with the registered company called Unilevers.
1.17 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
Ordinarily, a research of this nature should pose some challenges. A major challenge faced by the researcher was the uncooperative attitude of some respondents, who felt that information given would be used as a competitive weapon by their competitors.
Secondly, though Hokafor (1995:40) points that it is not a good writing style for a research to complain about lack of time, money, and literature.
1.18 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Manufacturer: An entity that turn raw material into finished goods.
Brand:Stanton (1981) a brand is a name, term, symbol or special design or some combination of these elements that is intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or a group of sellers.
Branding: This is the act of identifying ones product through a name, mark, sign or symbol or a combination of these.
Brand management: This is continuously evolving and as the economy changes, it requires new approaches and different ways of thinking.
Distribution: Is the process of making a product or services available for use or consumption by a consumer or business user, using direct means or using indirect means with intermediaries.
Household Products: These are those items we use mostly on daily bases like kitchen items, garage, bathroom, parlor, bedroom etc. They can be edible products, or goods and product used within households they are the tangible and movable.
Management: (Industrial Relations and human resources terms) the members of the executive or administration of an organisation or business. Secondly, management is the technique practice, or science of managing. This implies that management is all about the skillful or resourceful use of materials, time etc.
Product: According to Courtland (2000), a product is a bundle of benefit or a bunch of utilities offered at both sides of the exchange relationship.