thesis
The impact of marketing consultancy on small/medium sized firms
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Abstract
This study looks at a programme designed to influence the
practice of marketing planning in small/medium sized firms
and analyses the impact of marketing planning on the firms
when they are provided with such a plan. The study confirms
that the incidence of marketing planning in small firms is
very low. The results suggest that an evaluation of the
programme based only on producing a plan and then
implementing it, is inadequate. The real effect of the
exercise is also its impact on knowledgeability within
firms. Involvement of firms in the marketing planning
process increases awareness and knowledgeability of
marketing planning. It is argued that the effect will result
in the gradual adoption of formal marketing planning by
firms. Not only does the experience increase
knowledgeability, but the results also indicate that the
value of marketing planning to a firm is related to
knowledgeability. Firms regard the exercise as valuable if
it has had a positive impact on their understanding of
marketing and strategic issues. More importantly, increased
knowledgeability encourages firms to implement more of the
recommendations contained in a plan, which can lead to
better performance. The results also indicate that the
marketing consultant can have an important role in fostering
strategic orientation and marketing awareness in managers of
small/medium sized firms. The effectiveness of the programme
depends greatly on both the performance of the consultant
who prepares the plan and the way the scheme operates