ABSTRACT

Nigeria marketing managers do not need more information but better information in providing superior value and satisfying consumers. Marketing research could be conceived as the planned collections, analysis and reporting of data for possible application to a specific marketing situation and for this study, this is applied to the area of product development. This, however, entails the development of products to the requirements and opportunities of the market. This study identifies among others that poor marketing research has resulted in the inability of a firm to plan, develop appropriate product and this leads to decrease in Company's market share.  In other words, this study becomes relevant in investigating and evaluation of the impact of marketing research efforts of firms toward products planning. The research methodology involved primary and secondary sources of data, where questionnaire and oral interview were employed as data collection technique. The chi - square (X2) statistical method and percentages tables were used in the testing of Hypothesis and analysis of data respectively. The result reveals that the entire three null Hypotheses were rejected for the alternative. The study finally recommends among others that companies need information at almost every turn in order to provide superior value and satisfaction to consumers.

TABLE OF CONTENT

COVER PAGE - - - - - - - - i

CERTIFICATION - - - - - - - ii

CLARIFICATION - - - - - - - iii

DEDICATION - - - - - - - - iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT - - - - - - v

TABLE OF CONTENT - - - - - - - vi

LIST OF TABLES - - - - - - - - ix

ABSTRACT - - - - - - - - x

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study - - - - - - 1

1.2 Statement of Problem - - - - - - 2

1.3 Objective of the Study -- - -- - - - 3

1.4   Research Questions - - - - - - - 4

 1.5 Research Hypothesis - - - - - - - 4

1.6 Significance of the study - - - - - - 5

1.7 Scope of the study - - - - - - - 6

1.8 Limitation of the study - - - - - - 6

1.9 Operational definition of terms - - - - - 7

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1   INTRODUCTION - - - - - - - 8

2.1.2 Marketing Research: issues, concept and strategies.- - 9

2.1.3 Basic Research Issues - - - - - - 14

2.2 Nature and Meaning/Definition of the Study - - - 16

2.2.1 Historical Development of Marketing Research in Nigeria - 17

2.3 The process of Marketing Research - - - - 18

2.3.1 Impact of Marketing Research - - - - - 21

2.4:  Limitation of Marketing Research in Product Development 21

2.5 Problem of Information Generation For Research - - 24

2.6   Product Development Strategy -- - - - - 26

2.7 Rationales behind new product failure in the market - - 28

2.8 Importance of Pre and Post Test in Product Development - 29

2.9 Product Development and Research Policies and Strategies - 31

2.10 Product Planning and Development Process - - - 32

2.11 Product Planning Defined - - -- - - 34

2.12 Importance of Product Planning - - - - - 36

2.13 Relationship between product planning and product life cycle 37

2.14 Strategies for managing the cost implication of - -- 38

marketing research

2.15 Limitation to dependency in marketing research - - 39

information for product development

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design - - - - - -- - 41

3.2 Source/Selection of data - - - - -- - 41

3.3 Sample size determination of the population - - - 42

 3.4 Sample Technique - - - -- - - - 43

3.4.1 Sampling Procedure - - - - -- - 43

3.4.2    Sampling Method - - - - - - 43

3.4.3 Design and Administers of Questionnaire - - - 44

3.5 Data Analysis Technique/ Statistical tools - - - 45

CHAPTER FOUR

PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

4.3 Testing of Hypotheses - - - - - - 53

4.3.1 Hypothesis One - - - - - - - 53

4.3.2 Hypothesis Two - - - - - - - 54

4.3.3 Hypothesis Three - -- - - - - - 54

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary of findings - - - - - - - 56

5.2 Conclusion - - - -- -- - - - 57

5.4 Areas of Further Research - - - - - - 58

APPENDIX

REFERENCES

LIST OF TABLE 

Table 4.1 Analysis of distribution and collection of questionnaire - 46

Table 4.2: Extent of relevant of definition of marketing research - 47

objectives to organisational performance

Table 4.3: Assessment of the synergic relationship between research - 48

and product planning

Table 4.4 Impact of Research Efforts towards product performance - 49

Table 4.5: Assessment of research activities of Nigerian - - 50

manufacturing firms.

Table 4.6: Extent of marketing research efforts on product planning - 51

effects of sales volume of a firm's product.

Table 4.7: Consumer Research Interview - - - - - 52