THE APPLICATION OF ELECTRONIC MARKETING IN THE BANKING SERVICE

Introduction

1.1 Background Of The Study

E-marketing in Nigerian banking sector is an aspect of electronic universe in which messages and information streak across the continent or around the world at the speed of light. It is a place where you can find facts, meet customers, transact business, receives customers complaints, and handle them, meet thousand of their things without ever leaving your home o office.

Marketing activities is as old as man lives. The development of marketing started many years ago. The history behind the development made us understand that there is an era where marketing activities were less regarded forgetting it is the hallmark of every business growth.

Customers’ needs were not investigated, the marketers were not train and no attention paid to them. Firms can produce whatever they want (sales oriented) and force them to the customer through untrained entities. Till the recent time where the customers orientation became the order of the day, but still, the marketers even when they were paid preferential care were found on the road every day by day to have transaction with the customers out there. This has hindered effectiveness; marketing has gone beyond the face of walking under the sun day by day in search of customers and their needs to be met. Therefore, the idea of e-marketing set in, where too many things can be done without coming under the sun. The introduction of this course is a realm of myriad opportunities destined to forever alter the way marketing transaction in the banking sector is done. Also the problem facing E-Commerce and the prospects in the banking sector will be pointed out.

1.1.1 Profile Of The Company Of The Case Study

The accident life of Fidelity Bank has been over taken by the new consolidated foundation. Legally, the new and enlarged Fidelity emerged on 23rd December 2005. When court approval was obtained for the merge of Fidelity Bank Plc with the Old FSB International Bank and Manny Bank Plc. The fusion of the operation of the three banks did not materialize until January 2, 2006, when the Governor of the central Bank of Nigeria announced (a day earlier) The banks that scaled the capitalization hurdle and licensed operate in the country. The strategies rationale for merger of the three banks was to bring together banks of complementary competencies to create value in a vastly changing financial services market place

Prior to the pronouncement of the approved 25 commercial banks by the CBN, Governor, the operating environment was very different in many respects. Post consolidation, the industry has been laden with challenges of integration (process staff, technology and products) and customer growth. Our bank has had its close of these challenges. The integration challenges having been summoned and a one of the fastest growing banks, our institution is poised to deliver even better results in the year ahead. It is in this regard that we are confident that the result of the year to come would be more impressive because our bank has not yet fully leveraged on the synergies of the consolidation.

Objectives Of The Case Study

1. Considering the need to grow the economic base of the nation through the liberalization of market forces and this development of the small and medium scale enterprises (SME). Fidelity Bank has the objectives to provide peculiar services to a core of specialized clientele
2. To have a retail-banking infrastructure that will enable her serve chosen market.
3. To build small companies to big and big ones to bigger, Boldeer better and confident to competence all areas of their business.

Achievements Of The Case Study

So far, from the above listed objectives, the fidelity Bank Plc achieved the following

a. She has been able to deploy electronic touch point like Automated Teller machine (ATM) and point of sales terminals to complement the brick and mortar branches. The introduction if the “Fidelity Mobile Banker” an SMS product which enables the customer to track movements in his account through the mobile phone. Also is the saving package (save right) Fidelity Annual Report (2006)

1.2 Statement Of Problems

This areas helped us focus on the problems facing banking growth and causing setback to them thereby identifying e- marketing as it is the hallmark of all profit oriented organization. The problems and prospects of it and suggestion on its uses in the banking industries and other growth oriented organization for innovation.

1. Lack of Knowledge of e-marketing in the Nigerian Banking sector led to recession in its development.
2. Subjection of marketers to working over times limited their technical process towards exploring the idea.
3. Isolation of marketing activities in the on line business hinders banks productivities.
4. Denial of marketing professional position brought about stunted growth in its operations.

1.3 Objective Of Study

Every research work of this kind must have an objective, and these are:

1. To identify the impact of e-business in the banking sectors.
2. To discover why the marketing activities fail in online sector.
3. To find out how e-marketing system can be adopted in the banking sectors.
4. To outline the activities of e-marketing proper and its usefulness in the banks.
5. To know if there is a way marketing job can be restricted to banking on line marketing and sales on it without facing the challenges of the scorching sun in the field.
6. To suggest a usable pattern to protect or secure the e-marketing activities in the banking sectors and other industries.

1.4 Research Questions

We are able to focus on the direction to the solicitations of the problems stated above in1.2. To achieve this, the research questions are formulated. Also it was used to formulate the hypotheses that were tested. Thus, we have;

1. Does banks make use of electronic marketing?
2. Does banks understand what e-marketing stand for?
3. Does your bank know the relevant of this system?
4. Does your bank allow her marketing personnel to work on the idea?
5. Are marketers well treated or motivated to provide the needed result?
6. What is the impact level your bank have made so far relating on the traditional method of sourcing customers?
7. What steps has your bank taken to upgrade her performance and productivity?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

Research hypothesis was drawn from the research questions asked in the previous page. We have two types of hypothesis:

The Null Hypothesis (Ho) says there is no difference while the Alternate (Hi) says there is a difference. Thus we have:

1. Hoi = Lack of knowledge of e-marketing in the Nigeria Banking sector does not lead to recession in its development.
   Hii = lack of knowledge of e-marketing in the Nigerian banking sector leads to recession in this development.
2. Ho2 = Subjection of marketers to working over time does not limit their technical prowess towards exploiting the idea.
   H12= Subjection of marketers to working over time limited their technical prowess towards exploiting the idea.
3. Ho3 = Isolation of marketing activities in the on-line business does not hinder banks productivity.
   H13 = Isolation of marketing activities in the online business hinders banks productivity
4. Ho4 = Denial of marketing professional position does not bring about stunted growth in its operations.
   H14 = Denial of marketing professionals’ position brought about stunted growth in its operations.

1.6 Significance Of The Study

Significance of e-marketing in the banking sector in Nigeria cannot be overemphasized especially in the areas of this study to the banks and other industries which lower growth to the use of computer of on-line in their marketing duties ie. (usage scale businesses).

1. It will enhance the productivity and performance of the business expectations.
2. It is also a prerequisite to the students or the researcher for the award of the Higher National diploma Certificate.
3. It will help ascertain some of the problem lingering or hampering the effective functioning of e-marketing in the banking industries. It will create room for mental alertness to the society technological advancement and consciousness in technology.
4. Finally, it is an avenue for further researcher where necessary to other scholars like me.

1.8 Definition Of Terms

Banking Sector:

Banking Units, environment where transactions are made to satisfy both the customers and the shareholders.

Consumers:

The end user of such products achieved by the bankers.

Customers:

Are the immediate clients to the banker

E-marketing:

An aspect of e-commerce and marketing is a systematic way of discovering the demands of the consumers and preferring solution to it with satisfaction to the firm itself. E marketing is then the electronic device in the internet through which marketing activities streak across nations at the speed of light.

E-Mail:

The Telecommunication equivalent of the ordinary posted services which delivers letters houses and offices.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol):

Helps in file transfer to any location you want.

Internet:

A medium through which the globe is researcher with one message at a time and with ease and low cost

On- Line Business:

The means of reaching the world as to business unit in the Internet

Personnel setting:

Face to face interaction of a market with the customer or consumer

Telnet:

Helps you to log on to a remote computer to search library and catalogues, explore information system using menus and so on.