Marketing communication methods used by Namibian clothing and textile SMEs : a case study of SMEs operating from Katutura and Khomasdal incubation centers

Abstract

The study aimed to determine the marketing communication methods used by Namibian clothing and textile SMEs operating from Katutura and Khomasdal Incubation Centres. A quantitative methodological approach was followed in this study. The sample comprised 45 SMEs with business operations at Katutura and Khomasdal Incubation Centres. A simple random sampling method was selected as the researcher made use of an SME name list provided by the City of Windhoek. A structured questionnaire was used to collect research data. Cross tabulations, correlations and descriptive analyses were used to analyse the research results. The 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‟. It is recommended that the City of Windhoek should create incentives for current SMEs operating from Katutura and Khomasdal Incubation Centre to leave the incubation centre for new upcoming SMEs. Further research is necessary to establish the reasons why SMEs do not grow as expected and graduate from the incubation centres. Further research is also necessary to determine challenges faced by Namibian SMEs when considering which marketing communication methods to use. The conducted research recommends that different media houses be approached to design and determine special marketing packages for SMEs. Special SME development or advert sections can be negotiated with newspaper outlets. The major limitation of this study was that it was confined to clothing and textile manufacturing businesses.