The influence of integrated marketing communications on the growth of SMEs in the rural areas of Kwazulu-Natal

Abstract

Integrated marketing communications (IMC) activities assumed by entrepreneurs and business owners is a study field with vast prospects for academics, practitioners, and small business planners to explore, especially the understanding and use of IMC by entrepreneurs and small business owners. This study investigated the views and use of IMC by small business owners in a midsized metropolitan area in a largely rural region for their business ventures. The aim was to establish understanding of the influence of IMC in business as well as assessing the various methods of message development utilized by entrepreneurs and small business owners and the extent of their knowledge about target audiences. The rationale of the study was to promote research in new ways and strategies to communicate a company’s offerings to customers as they have become very sophisticated and stringent when it comes to their decision-making when buying goods and services. The aim of the study was to analyze the influence of IMC on the growth of the SMEs in the rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). A quantitative research method within a descriptive research approach was adopted for the present research study. Structured questionnaires were distributed to SME owners in four rural areas of KZN: Eshowe, Mbazwana, Nkandla, and Ulundi. The research population was various SMEs owners in the aforementioned areas. The sample size of 250 was the number of questionnaires distributed to the SME owners that were available to the researcher as well as the research assistants. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 24.0 software was used to analyze the results of the study. Pretesting of the questionnaire was done to ascertain the validity of the study. The main objective of pre-testing is ensuring that the questions being asked accurately reflect the information that the researcher desires. Findings of the presented study indicated that IMC are of paramount importance in the growth of SMEs and are just not an optional extra. SMEs that do not use or fail to implement IMCs to increase efficiency and growth are always bound to fail within the industry. The efficiency and guaranteed results in implementing IMCs compared to traditional communication methods prompted this study to conclude that IMCs are one of the most important tools in the growth of SMEs