Marketing model for a metropolitan local council

[摘要] English: Marketing has traditionally only been used in the private sector as a process to identify,anticipate and supply customer needs and requirements. However, when marketing is defined asthe social and managerial process by which individuals and groups can obtain those services andproducts that satisfy their needs and wants, the concept could be broadened to also include publicsector organizations such as municipalities.Marketing is a process consisting of a number of steps that has to be completed in order to reachits goal. This includes researching the target markets and environments of the organizationwhere marketing activities are to be undertaken. In this dissertation research was done for thepurpose of developing a marketing plan that can be implemented in the Western MetropolitanLocal Council (WMLC) to suit the specific needs and requirements of its customers but that willalso serve as a framework for other municipalities to develop marketing plans that are driventowards satisfying the needs of their customers. Organizations getting involved in the marketinggame should ensure that they do not concentrate solely on external marketing but that theyshould also invest in marketing to their internal customers (employees). Employees areimportant internal customers to any organization and to each other. In service deliveringorganizations such as municipalities, it is the employees of the organizations who deliver theservices to the customers and therefore their perceptions, attitudes and actions could have apositive or negative effect on customers' impressions of an organization and the services itdelivers.In an effort to develop a marketing plan for the WMLC attention is paid to the policy documentsthat affect the structures, powers and functions of municipalities and as such may have an impacton the marketing plan that can be developed for the WMLC. It was also necessary to undertakea survey of the internal and external environments of the WMLC in order to acquire knowledgeabout all the factors that should be considered in the development of a marketing plan. Thequestionnaires that were distributed to the three target markets (employees, residents and thebusiness sector) were analyzed to provide the necessary information about the perceptions andattitudes of the customers (internal and external) of the WMLC.The aim of this research was not only to develop a marketing plan for the WMLC, but also tocreate a model according to which all other municipalities will be able to develop their marketingplans suited specifically for their target markets and to achieve their marketing and ultimatelystrategic objectives. The marketing model and marketing plan developed where done so on thebasis that municipalities are service-delivering organizations. This means that it was necessaryto use the extended marketing mix for the development of the marketing plan. Othermunicipalities, therefore, only need to use the suggested framework of the WMLC marketingplan and work through the suggested marketing model in order to develop their own marketingplans.The marketing plan developed for the WMLC is an effort to not only market all the servicesdelivered by the WMLC but also to address the perceptions of the customers in an effort tochange negative perceptions moving the attitudes of customers from apathy to activeparticipation and attracting new investments for the local economic development of the area.

[发布机构] University of the Free State