Product Innovation and Marketing Performance of Brewery Firms in South East Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between product innovation and marketing performance of brewery firms in South East Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was used and questionnaire served as the instrument of data collection. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentage, and mean statistic. Pearson product moment correlation coefficient (at 0.05% level of significance) with the aid of SPSS version 21.0 was used to test the hypotheses. It was discovered that there is significant relationship between improved product size and customer patronage; improved product size significantly relates customer retention; improved product quality significantly affects customer patronage; and there is significant association between improved product quality and customer retention. The study concludes that the achievement of customer patronage, and customer retention in organization is dependent on how an organization innovates its products (through size and quality); hence innovation contributes to improve sales performance. It was recommended that manufacturing firms should periodically improve on product quality so as to enhance patronage and retention of customers. Also, production of various sizes of product should be encouraged to allow customers have the opportunity to make a choice based on their income.