MARKETING ORIENTATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN CROSS RIVER STATE

Abstract

This study examined marketing orientation and the development of small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) in Cross River State. It specifically sought to determine the effects of
customer focus, product innovation, competitor analysis and integrated marketing
communication on the development of SMEs in Calabar. The study adopted cross-sectional
survey research design. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain primary data from
318 operators of SMEs in Calabar. Descriptive statistics were applied for data analysis and
interpretation, while the hypotheses developed for the study were tested using multiple
linear regression in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 23). The findings
of the study revealed that customer focus, product innovation, competitor analysis and
integrated marketing communication had significant positive effects on the development of
SMEs in Calabar. Hence, the study recommended the following, among others: operators
of SMEs in Nigeria need to commit to the principle and practice of customer sovereignty in
their operations by ensuring that goods and services they offer are tailored to satisfactorily
meet customers’ needs on a consistent basis while maintaining a viable relationship with
customers for the long term; SMEs should commit to continuous product innovation by
conducting trend analysis in order to provide products that align with customers’
requirements and offer the most benefits to customers, thereby encouraging customer
satisfaction and loyalty; and it is imperative for operators of SMEs to harness the potential
of periodic competitor analysis to design and implement marketing campaigns to counter
competitors’ actions, attract customers’ patronage and capture substantial market share.