ABSTRACT

            Communication is perhaps the most important human survival skill because we all need it to maintain contact with the world.  This research study focused on the nature, process, channels, and barriers in communications and their effect on the effective marketing of Hi Malt.  The researcher made on indepth study of the various marketing communication tools.  The study also considered the various media through which sales messages get to potential and prospective consumers, and the impact of there messages against the background of competitive product brands.

            To accomplish the purpose of this research, related literature on the subject were viewed.  The researcher made use of both primary and secondary data.

            The analysis of our data revealed that consumers and aware of the presence of Hi Malt in the market.  Semantic barriers, choice of media and appeal to the wrong target market reduce the impact of marketing communication activities.  It was also reverted that Hi malt  as an indigenous malt drinks in Nigeria does not enjoy an impressive marketing share of the malt drink market.  Furthermore, the findings revealed that the image of consolidated breweries plc is a major influencing factor in the sale of Hi-malt.

            In the light of the researcher findings, appropriate recommendation were made to enhance the impact of marketing communication on the marketing of Hi-malt message in terms of semantics and the adoption of the universal Malt battle type packaging the researcher advocated into use because in many cares the image of the product and the organization are interwoven, and the both plays symbolic role.  However, marketing communication as used in this study is as relates to communication between the marketing organization and their various external publish.  Essentially, a marketing organization needs some elements of marketing communication to inform and educate members of its target audience about the existence of its goods & series and to persuade them to patronize it of to develop favourable attitude and opinions towards it.  Over the years in Nigeria, companies have been known to continually desistretegies to survive in their various markets.  This has become more imperative because of me easing competition between companies whose aim is to gain better market share and stars in business.  Te situation is not helped by the economic recession of the recent past years.  As long as the economic wheel of the nation turns, new products are introduced into the market in various shapes and sizes to compete for a place with the already existing products, some of the products enjoy a sizeable shares of the market, other do not.  The question then arises as to how to stimulate demand for their product.  While these may be other tractors that influences demand for a product and hence its level of consumption, marketing communication plays a vital role in stimulating demand.  In many cases, there have been barriers where they exists and reverse them to make for more effective marketing.

            Consolidated Breweries plc, the organization responsible for the manufacturing, developments distribution, sales and marketing of Hi-malt (the drink brand of our study0 was incorporated in 1991.  This company was born through the merging of two breweries namely Eastern Breweries and continental Breweries.  The head quarter of this company was at Lagos and it also has a branch plant at Awo-Omma in owner Imo state of Nigeria . they have their depot to various states in Nigeria which Enugu is one of them.  It is from there breweries that two brands of product are produced namely Hi-malt and “33” export lager beer are manufactured and distributed to every hook and Granny of the country.  The collective success of the two brands in eh product portfolio has been responsible for the company’s strength an towering statue.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1              BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Communication is fundamental to the existence of every individual, group or organization.  It is so vital that without it no individual, group, product or organization can succeed.  To my mind communication exists as a major indispensable human need because people need to communicate with others in order to share information, ideas, experience and feelings.