CUSTOMER PERCEPTION ABOUT INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES AT SBC BEVERAGES LIMITED

ABSTRACT

In today’s global market characterized by fierce competition, high dynamism, and high volatility, organizations are trying their best to find the most efficient way to get their message to customers. Integrated marketing has thus become the strategic approach used to coordinate the various activities of marketing communication. The study was conducted to analyze customers’ perception about integrated marketing communication activities at SBC Beverages Limited. The descriptive design was employed for the study. The target population for the study included customers of SBC Beverages Ltd. The simple random sampling method was used to select 195 respondents. Questionnaire was the main data collection instrument for the study. It was found that customers were aware of integrated marketing communication activities (advertising, personal selling, sales promotion and public relations). It was also found that customer perception of integrated marketing communication was slightly good. It was further revealed that the there was a positive relationship between integrated marketing and consumer behaviour and decisions. Finally, the model summary showed that Integrated marketing (Public Relations, Advertising, Personal Selling, and Sales Promotion) explains 41.3% per cent of the variance in predicting the dependent variable (Consumer Buying Behaviour and Decisions). It was therefore concluded that integrated marketing communication activities has an influence on consumer behaviour and decisions. The study therefore recommended that the company engage in constant marketing research (say monthly, quarterly, semi-annually) geared towards understanding consumer behaviour, especially their perception in relation to integrated marketing communication.