The Journal of Accounting and Management, Vol 8, No 2 (2018)

Abstract

The study aimed to determine the marketing communication methods used by Namibian SMEs operating from the Katutura and Khomasdal Incubation Centres. Marketing communication methods are advertising, sales promotion, personal selling, direct marketing and public relations, which are introduced later in this dissertation.  A quantitative methodological approach was followed in this study. The total population of 45 SMEs which operates from Katutura and Khomasdal Incubation Centres completed the questionnaire.

The conducted research indicated that the top five most regularly used marketing communication methods are direct sales, ‘word-of-mouth’, point of sale materials; networking and newspaper advertisement. The least regularly used marketing communication methods are YouTube, television, direct mail, press releases and coupons/ vouchers. Networking was the second most important and effective marketing communication method. Trade shows was the third most-preferred marketing communication method and the reasons advanced were ‘it gives me the opportunity to talk to and interact with my customers’.  The conducted research shows that lack of manpower and being understaffed are major challenges when SMEs consider a marketing communication method as well as that the cost of marketing communication methods are very high and most Namibian SMEs cannot afford it.