ABSTRACT

This study examined the “Effect of promotion on customer patronage of selected electronics product among households in Abia State”.The possibilities of the dealers/distributors of electronics products not carried out marketing research in order to determine appropriate promotional tool to be employed to influence patronage and inability to study the target market or audience before carrying out promotion, propelled the study. The study specifically analyzed the effect of advertising on acquisition of customers; ascertained the effect of personal selling on sales volume of selected electronics product; determined the effect of sales promotion on market shares and ascertained the relationship between public relations and corporate image of electronics firms. Primary data was collected from fifty-seven dealers/distributors (57), and two hundred and thirty-five (235) users/customers of electronics product. Data analysis was carried out with the use of descriptive statistical tool, simple regression and Pearson correlation. The result revealed that male dealers/distributors were 43(74%) while females were 15(26%). From the users/customers perspective, revealed that 178 (76%) were males, while 57(24%) were female. The result also revealed that the majority of dealers/distributors and users/customers of electronics product in Abia state were educated with the figure of 23 (40%) and 157(67%) respectively. The analysis from the advertising on customer acquisition showed that customer acquisition was affected by 58.8% of the advertising and was significant at 5%. However, analysis from the personal selling on sales volume showed that sales volume (dependent variable) was accounted for 79% of the personal selling (independent variable), and was also significant at 5%. Furthermore, findings from sales promotion on market shares revealed that market share was affected by 87.3% of sales promotion. Also result from public relations and corporate image of the enterprise revealed that public relation has strong positive relationship with corporate image. This was shown by the correlation coefficient values of 0.601. The study recommended that more of promotional activities should be targeted towards educated customers in the state since majority fall within this category. This study also recommended that dealers/distributors of electronics product in Abia state should fashion out good sales promotion activities since it has more influence on customer patronage when compared to others promotional elements. Finally, the study also recommended that dealers/distributors of these electronic products should encouraged more patronage from the customers by embarking on more public relations activities in the state, since it is capable of influencing patronage.