CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The basic reason for this study is to examine Marketing Research as a tool for increased profitability in service industry taking NICON Insurance Company Limited Enugu as a Case Study.

The term Marketing Research can be seen as the application of the scientific method of inquiry in helping Marketers to better understand and define their problems and find appropriate solutions to them.  It is also the systematic and objective, collection, recording, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of data needed for solving specific market problems.  It involves collecting and analyzing environmental information systematically that market opportunities would be recognized and marketing problem solved.

Marketing research can also be views as the systematic design, collection, analysis and reporting of data relevant to a specific marketing situation facing an organization.  Companies use marketing research in a wide variety of situations.  For example, marketing research is helpful when it comes to ascertaining the state of demand among consumer’s in the market.  It can equally help marketers to understand customers satisfaction and purchase behaviour, provides variable information to management for problem solving, help in assessing market potential and market share, help in measuring the effectiveness of pricing, distribution and promotion activities.  Some large companies have their own research departments that work with market managers on marketing research projects.

Good Marketing research does not only involved ordinary technical tools.  It requires cooperation between researchers and marketing managers.  Good Marketing researchers must focus attention towards marketing management and marketing research, and be sure that their researches focus on real problems.  Broad principles or laws” putting it another way, research is a planned process of conducting investigations in order to achieve a pre-determined objectives.  The objective is usually a solution to one or more specific problems or an addition to current knowledge in a particular field.

It is against this background that the researcher believes the study of this nature is necessary.   The outcome of this study will provide an adequate understanding on the application of the various marketing research to service business like NICON Insurance.

Also, this research work will help to ensure an improvement in the quality of services rendered to the customers and publics by NICON Insurance cooperation and could as well help the management draw strategy and programme which will enable them to remain competitive.

The research work will also help service organizations to understand more correctly the basic principles of marketing research and its place in service business so as to influence future marketing operations.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Inadequate marketing research affects NICON insurance corporation in the following ways:-

1. The inadequate marketing research have denied customers information about insurance corporation PLC.
2. The inadequate marketing researches in NICON have prevent potential customers valuable information regarding NICON PLC’s new ways of rendering services.
3. The inadequate use of marketing research in NICON have prevented customers from the knowledge of services rendered by NICON and have prevented them from taking advantage of it.
4. The inadequate use of marketing research have affected NICON in their quest for patronage.
5. The inadequate use of marketing research had created problems to NICON on the mode of operation of services available at the service industry for customers benefit and utilization.

1.3  OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

1. To examine critically he level of research that that been generated by the corporation.
2. To find out the medium through which the research was created.
3. To find out the different research tools compare in adequate research.
4. To ascertain customers perception of the research message, that is whether the target audience believe in the statements claims and promises contained in the result form the research.
5. To find out if the research conducted have increased the growth and profitability of the corporation.
6. To alerts customers on the services and mode of services rendered by the service industry especially the NICON insurance corporation PLC, Enugu.

1. 1. This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research work
2. 2. As a source for additional understanding of the subject.
3. 3. As a source for ideas for your own research work (if properly referenced).
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