Evaluation of marketing communication strategies of corporations in Tanzania: a case study of four commercial banks (NMB, NBC, CRDB and stanbic bank)

This study aimed at researching effectiveness and integration of marketing communication strategies employed by corporations in Tanzania especially in the banking sector, with CRDB, NBC, NMB and Stanbic Bank (T) Ltd as a case study. The study tried to answer the following research questions: Do banks design and implement marketing communication strategies in an integrated manner and are those strategies effective? What attracted the customers to the banks? Which bank has been relatively more successful than others and in which ways do the banks communicate to its customers? The study was descriptive in nature with some elements of exploratory research. Questionnaires were administered to randomly sampled customers of the banks as well as staff of the banks. The analysis was done mainly using the SPSS statistical package. The study established that CRDB and NBC have been relatively exemplary in communicating positively with their customers and that most customers willingly chose to join those two banks and were happy with the services. On the other hand, NMB and Stanbic Bank retail customers were either forced to join the back due to the monopoly or did so as a result of employers’ pressure. It has also revealed that the banks are aware of the IMC concept though they do not practice it. The study concludes that banks in Tanzania still need to harmonise their marketing communication strategies and hence an advice to the management of the banks to plan and implement their marketing communication strategies in an IMC manner.