ABSTRACT

The primary aim of this project is too critically’ examine how the Significance of Product Quality in the Marketing of Soft Drink. To achieve this aim, Coca-Cola Bottling Company is chosen as a study. Among other things to examine comprehensively are the various activities in significance of product quality, so as to enable the researcher come up with conclusion and recommendation. To be able to conclude and recommend effectively relevant literature review were consulted. This was to ensure an up date of facts and data available. This fact helped to broaden the scope of the researcher knowledge of the topic under research. Questionnaires were administered to staff and consumers of the company under study and the reason is to enable the researcher to have a deep insight into the significance of product quality in the market of soft drink. Chapter three (3) of this research deals with data collection, research design, population of the study, sample procedures and method of data analysis. Chapter four (4) deals with the analysis of data. This was based on the analysis of the questionnaires and the objective and procedures of product quality. Chapter five (5) conclusion and recommendation conclusions were based on the findings and discovered from the literature review and data collection review, while the recommendation were based on the generally accepted principles and procedures appropriate under the particular situation.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Product is one of the four elements of the marketing mix, in which an organization is built. The question here is “what is it that called a product?” according to the Kotler (1990) a product is anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, and use as consumption that might satisfy a need. It includes physical objects, services, person, place, organization and ideas. The significance of product quality in the marketing of soft drink, calls for competition, challenges, especially when aggressive selling promotional activities is on longer effective in strategies marketing. Consumers have realized that most advertising message is deceptive. It is on this basis that the research would want to appreciate the claim that successful firms are always linked with successful product.

However, the success of a manufacturing business is the quality of its product. The fact is that consumers nowadays are so complex that they have graduated from the era of product concept and selling to the era of consumer oriented concept otherwise known as marketing concept. Fundamentally, the social and economic justification of the existence of business is its ability to satisfy its consumer. A company meets its basic responsibilities of society through the medium of its product quality (or services). Unless they fulfill this mission a firms should not exist.

In view of this study want to appraise the significance o product quality in the marketing of soft drinks using Coca Cola Bottling Company Plc Benin City as a case study.

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Product quality occupies a central position on the attainment of objectives of manufacturing organization.

So for such an organization to remain in business challenges of other competitions of similar product it must direct its activities towards improving the quality and to meet the need of customers.

However, the quality of coca cola product should be capable of encourages the customers to sales market. Also, the quality of the product and consumer satisfaction and desire.

The study therefore wishes to look at the question of what makes up product quality and its significance using coca cola bottling as a case study.

The following research questions shall explain the thrust of the study.

1.     Does the quality of coca cola product has any effect on the sales of the product?

2.     Does the quality of coca cola compete favourably with other competitor product in the same soft drink 
industry?

3.     Does the quality of coca cola product satisfy the consumer’s desire?

1.3   OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objective of the study is to examine the significance of the product quality in the marketing of soft drink. Before now product quality was not conceived by the consumer of the product as important this was the era of product concept. Thus little or no reference is made to the quality of the product to be assumed. In view of this research hope to achieve the following objective:

1.     To create in the mind of manufacturers that product quality is the brain behind their organization’s success or failure.

2.     To create awareness in mind of consumers about the organization about the significance of product quality.

1.4   STATEMENT OF THE HYPOTHESIS

Hypothesis One

Ho: The quality of coca cola product does not in any way have an effect on the sales of product.

HI:    The quality of coca cola product has an effect on sales of the product.

Hypothesis Two

Ho: The quality of coca cola product does no compete favourably with other competitors.

HI:    The quality of coca cola product competes favourably with other competitors products in the same soft drink industry.

1.5   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

It is expected that the research will be of 
significance of the following:

1.     The findings arrived at, this work will not doubt be found useful by various manufacturing firms especially Coca-Cola Bottling Company Plc.

2.     The following will go along way in lifting and refreshing the mind of manufacturers to improve on the quality.

3.     The findings will also make manufacturers to be aware of gain/benefit in the application of product.

1.6   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study covers both the staff and customers of Coca Cola Bottling Company Plc Benin City. 
In the course of this study questionnaire should be distributed to those categories of people. And also to covered in the study issue like product classification, now product development, product life cycle

1.7   DEFINITION OF TERMS

Product: Product is anything that can be offered to a market for attention use or consumption that might satisfy a want or need. It includes physical object, services, person, place or organization and ideas. 
Services: Services is any act or performance that are partly offered to another that is essential intangible and does not result in the ownership of any thing, its production may not be tied to a physical product. 
Product Concept: It holds the consumers will favour those products that are widely available and how ion cost. Manages of production efficiency and wide distribution coverage.

Marketing: It can be defined as the set of activities that facilitate exchange with ultimate purpose of satisfy human needs.

Brand Loya1ty: It can be defined as an active support by consumers in continuity consumption of a particular brand in the face of consumption by other branded substitutes. Such loyalty is often subjective on subconscious.

Brand: Branding of a product is usually an important variable in marketing. It is a way of differentiating a company product from those of competition product. The America Marketing Association Committee defined a brand as a name, sign, symbol design or some combination use to identify the product of the one firm and to differentiate from competitive offering. This is to group all customers more from one hand to the other as a result of a serious competitive with each other.