THE EFFECTS OF MARKETING COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SMES) IN POLOKWANE

Marketing communication is seen as a vital activity for the survival and success of SMEs. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of marketing communication on the performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Polokwane, South Africa. SMEs are regarded worldwide as the cornerstone for economic development since they are established to foster any country's economic growth and development. However, SMEs are faced with business marketing problems that lead to their downfall, which should be seriously considered because it adversely affects the positive impacts of the SMEs. The study adopted the survey method, distributing 412 questionnaires to SMEs operating in Polokwane. Sales promotion was found to be the most used form of marketing communication. It was found that there is a positive correlation between marketing communication strategies and the SMEs'performance, and that some marketing communication elements affect sales increase, customer relationships, customer loyalty and profitability.