advertising agencies. In doing so
subject to good research results, an
organization has an option to use
many advertising channels.
Some of the popular advertising
channels include, print & broadcast,
motion pictures, brochures &
booklets, posters and leaflets, bill
boards among others.
Just as advertising is paid, PR
(Public Relations) is not paid for
directly but is equally expensive.
In Kenya there are many PR firms,
some established and others referred
to as “brief case”. There is also
Public Relations Society of Kenya
which guides their operations.
A corporate need to have a
strategy of interface with the
Public Relations is a strategic
communication process. This
helps to build mutually beneficial
relationships between organizations,
customers, target market and
stakeholders at large.
Just as in market research, PR
encompasses anticipating, analyzing
and implementing public opinion
attitudes and issues that might
impact for good or ill on the
operations of a company.
In other words PR is the art and
technique in promoting goodwill
for an organization in its operating
environment and the chosen target
market.
In Kenya, most of the public relation
activities revolve around press
releases, speeches, seminars, annual
shareholders meetings, donations
to charitable organization and
marathon runs and walks.
In all these activities the
(shareholders) customer is the
main focus. Most companies have
marketing information systems that
supplement research.
The marketing information
systems are designed internally by
a company. They develop systems
to collect information for the
market daily and use them to make
decisions. The information for
marketing information system is
these days obtained from various
websites, government report
observations, and surveys e.t.c.
As for market research it is a harder,
expensive and time consuming
level. This is so because research is
specific and it is meant to study a
specially identified problem and
a special report is brought to the
management from the exercise.
Market research is more involving
in terms of resource and time. It
is more than a simple survey and
observations.
As a matter of fact, the definition
of market research is that it is
a systematic design, collection,
analysis and reporting of data
and findings relevant to a specific
marketing situation facing a
company.
This therefore means that the
numerous surveys and opinion
polls that we keep getting are not
market research. These are simple
sensational surveys to create
discussion that might lead to
research on the subject matter.
First of all they collect limited
sample and extrapolate it to the
entire population. Some of them do
come up with questionable survey
results and term them as research
findings.
All these marketing functions like
PR, advertising, research and media
revolve around the customer. Their
focus is the target market.
In an organization these marketing
activities call for strategic budgeting
and expenditure. The expenses must
eventually generate returns for
the company in the form of sales
revenue. This subsequently turn to
budgets and call for expenses and
they also justify increase in sales
revenue and goodwill. Therefore,
‘‘The corporate
governance,
corporate strategy and
marketing department
which host marketing
activities must work
together for the
benefit of customers
and stakeholders’’
they fall in a major department in an
organization.
The normal organizational structures
that have Finance, HR, Operations,
Marketing, and Production among
others must interface for the benefit
of the organization’s mission and
vision. All the departments must
work in harmony and have goal
congruence.
The corporate governance, corporate
strategy and marketing department
which host marketing activities must
work together for the benefit of
customers and stakeholders.
In conclusion, corporate governance
at the board of director’s level is
involved with oversight of their
future. As the boards of directors
oversee marketing functions, they
also oversee all other departments.
Corporate governance and
marketing are responsibilities of all
stakeholders.
The corporate governance has the
roles of fiduciary responsibility,
duty of care, and oversight of an
organization or body corporate. Both
marketing and corporate divisions
have customers and stakeholders as
their major concerns.
Felix Okatch is a Multilateral Trade
Expert, Marketing Author, and
Business Consultant. You can reach him
via mail on: [email protected].