ABSTRACT

The importance of promotional tools on performance of businesses cannot be over emphasized, reason being that promotion is the vehicle through which information about existing and new products are made known to existing and prospective customers. Hotels and fast food operators need to adopt promotional mix strategies in order to attract and retain customer, thus improving their performance level. Few studies have been done on the relationship between promotion and performance on hotels and fast food operations in Nigeria. This study, thus, sought to look at influence of promotional tools on performance of hotel and fast food operations in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population was marketing staff of hotels and fast food operating in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Simple random sampling technique was adopted with 180 respondents sampled, using Taro Yemene sampling size determination. The data was subjected into regression analysis using SPSS 20 version statistical software to analyze mean, standard deviation, correlation, ANOVA and coefficient. Correlation matrix was done to test the relationship existing between the variables and performance. The study established that predictive variables like sales promotion, direct marketing and public relations are positively correlated and significantly influences performance of hotels and fast food operations in Port Harcourt than the other two variables of advertising and personal selling. Thus, recommended that hotels and fast food operators should concentrate more on variables like sales promotion, direct marketing and public relation in addition, promotional budgets should be enhanced to further strengthen the impact of the adopted tools. Hence, the study concluded that proper and effective utilization of promotional tools influences performance (profitability) of hotels and fast food operations in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.