Exploring marketing accountability and credibility within Sasko Bakeries
Pheko, Tholoana (2009-03)
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: “Haphazard”, “uncommercial”, or perhaps “unaccountable” are some of the terms frequently used to describe the marketing function. Most marketers are faced with immense pressure to boost their marketing effectiveness and measurement. The pressures include the need to reduce the inaccuracy of marketing decisions, increase customer profitability, recognise new potential revenue prospects, calculate future sales performance, and ultimately ascertain marketing’s value to the rest of the organisation (Binet & Field 2008:11).
In the pursuit of marketing accountability, credibility and profitability, this thesis will explore the avenues available in ensuring that marketing is viewed as adding value to the organisation. To attain this objective, investigative and qualitative research will be conducted. The qualitative methodology utilised in this study is a two-pronged approach; namely, primary research and secondary research. The primary research is achieved through in-depth interviews with seven members of the senior and middle management team of Sasko Bakeries, a division of Pioneer Foods (Pty) Ltd. Secondary research, on the other hand, is conducted by means of a broad literature review that provides essential insight into marketing measurement, accountability, and credibility.
The study firstly, provides an orientation to the scope of the study and covers the introduction to the research problem, research objectives, and research propositions, as well as clarifies the key concepts used in the study. Secondly, the study identifies the key critical marketing metrics that will ensure the correct characteristics of the marketing function are being measured. Aspects of marketing accountability, credibility and metrics are then subsequently reviewed. Thirdly, the study discusses the research design and methodology and consequently provides an analysis of the data gathered from the in-depth interviews. Lastly, the study wraps up with final thoughts and recommendations.
The recommendations provide a framework for planning a highly effective marketing dashboard. Marketing dashboards connect data points in a manner that enables marketers to observe how any one marketing action affects the entire organisation. Moreover, marketing dashboards are a collection of critical indicative and prognostic metrics, arranged in a way to promote the recognition of patterns of business performance (LaPointe, 2007:27). Essentially, dashboards go beyond purely attempting to balance financial success with perceived business processes in order to generate growth. Sasko Bakeries is well-poised to implement dashboards; which will offer key decision-makers with the capability to relay and analyse large patterns of information, in order to gather new insights and pave the way to marketing accountability and credibility.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: “Wild”, “sonder handelsgees”, of dalk “onberekenbaar” is net ‘n paar van die terme wat dikwels gebruik word om die bemarkingsfunksie te beskryf. Die meeste bemarkers is onder geweldige druk om hul bemarkingsdoeltreffendheid en meetbaarheid te versterk. Hierdie druk sluit in die behoefte om die onnoukeurigheid van bemarkingsbesluite te verminder, klant winsgewendheid te vermeerder, nuwe potensiële inkomste vooruitsigte/moontlikhede te idientifiseer, toekomstige verkope te bereken en om uiteindelik vas te stel wat die bemarkingsfunksie se waarde vir die res van die organisasie is (Binet & Field 2008:11).
In die soektog na bemarking rekenpligtigheid en geloofwaardigheid en winsgewendheid, sal hierdie tesis die verskillende beskikbaare moontlikhede ondersoek wat kan verseker dat die bemarkingsfunksie beskou word as waardevol vir ‘n organisasie. Om hierdie doelwit te bereik, sal ondersoekende en kwalitatiewe navorsing aangevoer word. Die navorsingsmetode wat gebruik was in hierdie is twee-ledig; naamlik primere navorsing en sekondere navorsing. Die primêre navorsing is bekom deur intensiewe onderhoude te voer met lede van die senior en middelbestuur span van Sasko Bakkerye, ‘n divisie van Pioneer Foods (Edms) Bpk. Sekondêre navorsing was aangevoer d.m.v. ‘n breë literatuur studie wat die noodsaaklike insig lewer in bemarking meetbaarheid, rekenpligtigheid en geloofwaardigheid.
Eerstens, voorsien die dokument oriëntasie vir die omvang van die studie en dit dek die inleiding tot die navorsingsprobleem, navorsingsdoelwitte, en navorsingsvoorstelle. Dit verduidelik ook die konsepte waarna verwys word in die studie. Tweedens indentifiseeer die dokument die sleutel, kritiese bemarking maatstaf wat sal verseker dat die korrekte karaktereienskappe van die bemarkings funksie gemeet word.
Aspekte van bemarking rekenpligtigheid, geloofwaardigheid en meetbaarheid word dan hersien. Derdens, bespreek die dokument die navorsingsontwerp en metodologie en voorsien dan ook ‘n ontleding van die data wat versamel was d.m.v. die onderhoude.
Die dokument sluit af met finale gedagtes en aanbevelings. Die aanbevelings bied ‘n raamwerk vir die beplanning ‘n hoogs effektiewe bemarking instrumentbord of paneelbord – die padkaart vir bemarking rekenpligtigheid en geloofwaardigheid. Bemarking instrumentborde verbind data punte op so ‘n manier dat dit bemarkers in staat stel om waar te neem hoe enige bemarker se aksies die hele organisasie affekteer. Bemarking instrumentborde is ‘n versameling van ‘n kritiese, aanduidende en voorspellende maatstaf, geranskik in ‘n manier wat die herkenning van die patrone van besigheidsverrigtinge bevorder. Hoofsaaklik gaan instrumentborde verder as om net finansiële sukses met besigheidsprossesse te balanseerd gepositioneer om sodoende groei voort te bring. Sasko Bakkerye is goed gevestig om instrumentborde te implementeer; dit sal sleutel besluitnemers die vermoë en geleentheid bied om patrone van informasie deur te gee en te ontleed, sodat nuwe insigte bekom kan word om die pad vorentoe uit te lê vir bemarking rekenpligtigheid en geloofwaardigheid.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/80643