Marketing Activities and Covid-19: A Mediating Role of Performance of Micro Enterprises in Southeast of Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The study examines the relationship between marketing activities and COVID-19 as a mediating role of performance of micro enterprises in Southeast of Nigeria. Materials and Method: The applied survey research design with close ended questionnaire which was administered to the respondents who were the owners of micro enterprises in South East of Nigeria. The variables used were wearing of mask, hand washing with water and sanitizer, staying at home and keeping social distance which were used as measures of COVID-19 and marketing activities were measured with price, product, promotion and place while performance were measured using expansion, survival, number of employees, and capital employed. The population of the study is the entire micro enterprises in Southeast of Nigeria and the sample size of 389 was derived using Taro Yamane formula. The variables were tested for reliability and result showed that all the variables were reliable. The study used Partial Least Square Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) to test the hypotheses and to determine if there is an effect of independent variables on dependent variable. Results: COVID-19 is significant in enhancing performance of micro enterprises in Southeast of Nigeria and marketing activities is significant in solving COVID-19 problem by Micro enterprises in Southeast of Nigeria while marketing activities is insignificant in achieving performance by Micro enterprises in Southeast of Nigeria. Conclusion: The study recommended that Micro enterprises in Southeast of Nigeria should continue to apply price concept, product concept, promotion, and place strategy in conducting their activities since it helps in solving the problem of COVID-19 and minimize the rate of spread of the virus since marketing activities are conducted by observing the government policies of COVID-19.