A New Marketing Approach for Nollywood: Developing a Global Marketing Strategy

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Research methodology
Structure of results
Conclusion
Reference List

Introduction

In order to describe the research methodology for this study, it is important to state the aim. The main aim of this study is to investigate marketing techniques used in Nollywood, as well as how appropriate these techniques are in the global film market.

Secondly, the study aims at exploring new marketing techniques through which Nollywood can penetrate the global market. Within the global market, there are 160 million English speaking people of African origin, who live outside Africa, and are a significant segment of the global market for Nollywood movies. It is also important to recapitulate on background information, which shapes the research design.

As evidence in the literature review, Nollywood is the third largest movie industry in the world after India’s Bollywood and America’s Hollywood. Despite its overall position in the global movie industry, Nollywood outstrips both Hollywood and Bollywood in terms of the number of movies produced annually (Evuleocha 2008).

This is quite ironical considering that its target market is the sub-Saharan Africa, making the size of its current market far much smaller compared to market shared by its rivals. The small size of the market is necessitated by a number of factors, but mainly due to the fact that most of the movies are produced in English. In addition to this, African countries have poor economies.

This bears negatively on the development of basic infrastructure. Since the marketing and distribution of movies depends on infrastructure, marketers have to develop ingenious techniques to reach customers in remote areas. Additionally, a poor economy limits consumers buying power. Thus, marketers have to engage in marketing techniques that do not add unnecessary cost.

To achieve this, marketers engage in simple marketing techniques. This include producing and distributing of movies in DVD and VHS format as well as simple advertising techniques such as playing movie trailers in vending stores, as well as displaying simples posters in strategic locations (Chawdhury et al. 2008).

As evidenced in the literature review, marketing techniques currently employed lend themselves inappropriate in the global market. Additionally, as explained by Aderinokun (2005), Nollywood movies are themed long African traditional ideals. As such this makes the movies ideal for the African viewers.

It is also important to reveal existing Lacunas in current literature, and how these are likely to shape the research design for this study. As explained earlier, the existing marketing techniques are only relevant within Nollywood’s current market, which lies within the sub Saharan Africa.

Additionally, Nollywood is anonymous in the global film market. Since Nollywood movies are strongly themed along African traditional customs, it therefore means that marketing globally ought to target specific consumers, who have an appeal for African philosophy. A number of marketing techniques are found to help marketers willing to venture into the global market.

These include franchising marketing and distribution activities as well as network and relationship marketing (Madichie 2010). Network and relationship marketing can be achieved through film festivals and such other networking events. These enable marketers and producers not only to reach the target clients directly but also interact and gain valuable feedback (Chikweche and Fletcher 2008)

Within the literature review, it is found out that the prevailing marketing conditions can be analyzed via theory of Conjoined Analysis. The theory of Conjoined Analysis stipulates that marketing activities are preceded by an analysis of the market conditions, consumer preferences and other factors within the market, that are likely to influence marketing activities (Walters and Lancaster 1999; Kotri 2006).

In marketing of Nollywood products, marketers have identified the following conditions as prevalent. The consumer buying power is very low. As such, movies have to be cost effective. Additionally, poorly developed infrastructure inhibits the development of formal distribution channels.

Moreover, DVD and VHS players are the only forms of complementary technologies. This implies that Nollywood marketers in collaboration with producers analyze and factor in consumer preferences and other prevailing factors within the market and develop products and services that are not only of value to the consumer but also profitable to the manufacturer

The global film market is diverse and complicated. Reaching the target clients implies understanding the market, the location of the consumers and the best way to reach them (Mahajan and Banga 2006). Okome (2007) explains that there are about 160 million English speaking people of African origin living outside Africa, and that this class of African constitutes a significant part of the global market for Nollywood movies.

However, there does not exist literature that explains how marketing methods identified by Madichie (2010), Chikweche and Fletcher (2008) lend themselves appropriate in targeting the market segment identified by Okome (2007).

As such, the main purpose in this segment is to identify the most appropriate research design, which helps to explore new techniques such as those identified above with regards to marketing of Nollywood movies globally.

Research methodology

Research design

The purpose of this study is to explore the techniques used in the global movie market and the underlying market conditions. As such, this is an exploratory study. According to Clarke (2008), an exploratory study allows researchers to explore a given phenomenon with the intension of testing hypothesis, which helps researchers develop deeper theoretical insights.

Additionally, an exploratory study allows researchers to set the ground for future studies. Since this study is intended to collect information about the preferences of English speaking Africans living outside Africa as well as the most appropriate marketing techniques, the researcher will largely rely in qualitative data.

The use of qualitative data will also increase the probability if capturing unexpected information. Thus this becomes a qualitative exploratory study.

Target population

As indicated in the thesis question, the main aim of this study is to identify new marketing techniques, through which Nollywood can penetrate the global film market. Therefore, the study cannot be conducted within Nollywood’s current market structure. The target population therefore has to be identified within the global market. As such, the following target population seems relevant for this study.

The theory of Conjoined Analysis, within which Nollywood’s current market is analyzed, purports that conjoining market conditions and consumer preferences with marketing activities achieves both value to the consumer and profitability to the manufacturer (Kent 2007).

As such, it is imperative to identify the prevailing market conditions in the global film market as well as consumer preferences for the 160 million English speaking Africans living in Diaspora. As such, a significant sample of target population will constitute English speaking Africans living outside Africa.

A significant number of these live in the United States of America as well as Britain, which are two of the largest English speaking nations in the world. As such, effort has been made to identify 20 respondents living in America. The number 20 has been arrived at not because to has any significance to this study but for its manageability.

These respondents are original citizens of the following countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Liberia and Sierra Leone. According to Wilson (2005), most immigrants of African origin settle in the metropolitan areas. In his survey Wilson (2005) found out that New York and New Jersey are most popular with immigrants of African origin.

For ease of movement, the researcher has identified respondents residing in New York. Further details area available in document attached, though for confidentiality, no personal details are provided (see appendix 1). This group of respondents shall, for no special reason, be herein be referred to as “Respondents Group One”

Targeting Africans living outside Africa is vital as it would help to reveal information on consumer preferences. However, this leaves a significant part of the study unaddressed; the applicability of new marketing techniques such as relationship marketing within the global movie market. To gather information on this, it is crucial to target people who have experience in global movie marketing.

Getting in touch with this category of respondents is cumbersome due to the nature of their work. However, two senior film marketers have been identified and have agreed to be interviewed. A bigger number would have been preferable but attempts to locate and organize interviews proved futile. The two marketers have vast experience in marketing Hollywood movies in the global market.

The main aim of targeting them is to identify which marketing techniques are useful. Findings from this interviews will be analyzed Vis a Vis findings contained elsewhere in the literature review, as well as those from respondents group one. Since information retrieved from the marketers is strictly confidential, no further details are to be provided at this juncture. The marketers are herein referred to as ‘Respondents Group Two’.

Data collection

The research population is relatively small. Therefore, effort will be made to organize semi structured face to face interviews. The purpose of using semi structured interviews is to giving the interviewer suitable room to ask further questions depending on the interviewees’ responses, which might reveal astute information (Hair, Babin, Money and Samouel 2003).

Additionally, face to face interviews are likely to reveal information such as feelings and moods, which are not captured in verbal responses (Jackle, Roberts and Lynn 2006). It is possible that not all respondents are available for face to face interviews during the time of the study.

As such, an alternative form of interview has been developed in form of written questionnaires. For the purposes of this study, face to face interview is the preferred method of data collection from respondents group one.

As explained earlier, the two marketing executives identified for this study have busy work schedules. Additionally, the marketing professionals travel constantly and, as such, it would be cumbersome to track them for face to face interviews. So as not to interfere with their busy schedules, the most appropriate methods of data collection is telephone interview.

According to Holbrook, Green and Krosnick (2003), telephone interviews are advantageous since they not only help an interviewer organize for interviews over long distances, but are also reduce the chances of biased responses emanating from physical appearance. It is also possible to organize multiple interviews with the same respond, without inconveniencing him.

The assertion above indicate that this study only has one data collection tool; the questionnaire. There two types of questionnaires; one for the marketing executives and the other for African living in New York. These questionnaires constitute simple questions and are carefully designed to capture qualitative data. The questionnaires can be found in the Appendix, as appendix 2 and 3.

Prior to administering the interviews to Respondents Group One, it would be imperative to explain the purpose of the study. This, according to Blumberg et al. (2005), helps to establish rapport with the respondents as well as build a certain level of confidence and trust from the interviewees.

Time plan

Conducting the study is a laborious and time consuming task. It requires adequate preparation as well as adequate time (Robey, Boudreau and Rose 2000). As such, the whole process is designed to take 8 months, beginning September 2011 to April 2012.

Formulating the research design, together with the research questions as well as selecting the most appropriate research methodology took the first three months, such that by mid November 2011, the process of writing the research proposal had already commenced. The most demanding part is the literature review since it involves sifting through large amounts of data looking for knowledge gaps, which would form the basis of this research.

To prepare adequately, the exercise requires three months and is also combined with data collection. The purpose of combining literature review and data collection is to allow for correlation of data collected with data collection methods and fill in information gaps that might emerge (Levy and Ellis 2006). Additionally, within the last month of data collection and writing of the literature review, initial data analysis began.

This was facilitated by the need to analyze and identify correlation between the data already collected and the research objectives. Any notable deficiency in the data collected would be addressed before data collection is complete (Sekaran 2003).

The first draft, especially on literature review and research methodology ought to be ready for assessment by the beginning of March 2012. As explained by Hart (1998), researchers are advised to complete their work before schedule and submit for pre-assessment evaluation.

This allows for any discrepancies to be noted and corrected before the final draft is submitted. As such, the researcher in this study submitted the paper for pre-assessment evaluation three times before submitting the final draft.

As explained earlier, doing a research is a complicated and a multitasking exercise whose final product ought to be flawless. As such, the final product, the dissertation ought to be verified repeatedly before submission. This implies that numerous drafts have to be written, beginning with the first draft, the second daft and the final draft. The second draft allows the research to incorporate any suggestions from the supervisor.

Pre-assessment evaluation of the second draft aims at checking whether all suggestions made by the supervisor have been incorporated. The final draft is usually an improvement of the second draft. Preparing the drafts requires a lot of time, and for the purpose of this research preparing the drafts commenced in February, after completion of data analysis in January, and is to take three months.

Structure of results

As said earlier the purpose of this study is to explore the new marketing techniques through which Nollywood’s penetration of the global market for movies is made possible. With regards to this, several issues become relevant in this study. As explained by Walters and Lancaster (1999), there are a number of mediating factors that determine the usability of marketing techniques.

These include the prevailing market conditions, consumer preferences and the type of market. Walters and Lancaster (1999) theory of marketing has been found relevant in marketing Nollywood movies.

As such, it would be relevant to explore the prevailing global market conditions as well as the prevailing consumer preferences. Therefore, the study is expected to reveal the prevailing market conditions in market served by global movie marketers. The prevailing market conditions will be documented in two ways as follows;

Market conditions from the consumer perspective
Market conditions from the marketers perspective

Additionally, it is imperative to also highlight consumer preferences. This is aimed at helping the researcher gather valuable information on the nature of preferred products in the global market. As such, the findings on consumer preferences will be documented as follows:

Consumer preferences from a consumer’s perspective
Consumer preferences from a marketers perspective

The information gathered above would be crucial with reference to marketing techniques. As explained by Walters and Lancaster (1999), through the theory of Conjoined Analysis, market conditions as well as consumer preferences are crucial in determining the marketing techniques of choice. As such, the following results form a crucial part of this research:

What are the dominant marketing techniques?
Do market conditions prevail upon the techniques identified above?
Do consumer preferences prevail upon the marketing techniques identified above?

Conclusion

The paper primarily focuses on evaluating the most appropriate marketing techniques through which Nollywood penetrates the global market. Even though Nollywood is the third largest movie industry in the world, it capitalization the global market is very small. This is largely due to a number of factors such as the prevailing market conditions as well as consumer preferences.

These do have a bearing on the type of marketing techniques preferred by Nollywood marketers. Upon analysis of data, it is found out that these methods are inappropriate in the global market. As such, it is vital to research on new marketing techniques through which Nollywood can utilize to penetrate the global market.

To conduct this research, it is imperative to analyze the research aims and develop the most appropriate research methods. The main aim of this study is to explore the new marketing techniques for Nollywood. As such, this is an exploratory as well as a qualitative study. Since the study aims at utilizing qualitative data, the most preferable method of data collection is the questionnaire.

Since there are two types of respondent, there are also two types of questionnaires. The need to group respondents is necessitated by the fact that the study depends on two types of information namely market conditions as well as consumer preferences. This data is analyzed Vis a Vis data existing in the literature review before generating conclusions.

Reference List

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Chawdhury, M. et al. 2008. Nollywood: The Nigerian film industry. Harvard Business School. Web.

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