Project Abstract

Abstract
Product management plays a crucial role in the marketing of banking services, as it involves the planning, development, and marketing of a bank's products and services to meet the needs of customers effectively. This research project focuses on the role of product management in the marketing of banking services, with a case study of First Bank Aba Branch. The study aims to explore how product management strategies impact the marketing of banking services and how these strategies contribute to customer satisfaction and loyalty. The research methodology involves a mix of qualitative and quantitative approaches, including interviews with product managers, marketing managers, and customers of First Bank Aba Branch. Additionally, surveys will be conducted to gather data on customer perceptions of the bank's products and services. Data analysis will involve thematic analysis of interview transcripts and statistical analysis of survey responses to identify key themes and patterns related to product management and marketing effectiveness. The study hypothesizes that effective product management practices positively influence the marketing of banking services, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. By understanding the needs and preferences of customers, product managers can develop and promote banking products and services that resonate with target customers. This, in turn, can enhance the bank's competitive position in the market and drive business growth. The findings of this research project are expected to provide insights into the importance of product management in the marketing of banking services, particularly in the context of a specific branch of First Bank. Recommendations will be made for improving product management practices to better meet customer needs and enhance marketing effectiveness. The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on product management in the banking sector and provides practical implications for bank managers and marketers seeking to enhance their product offerings and customer relationships. Overall, this research project sheds light on the critical role of product management in the marketing of banking services, offering valuable insights for banks looking to improve their product development and marketing strategies to drive customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Project Overview

INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Product management embraces the task of adjusting the product throughout its life to match the ever-changing demands of the market place. Too many organizations make the mistake of thinking that consumers fed and act as they do ad share their wants. The job of managing a product, then is one of constantly monitoring the market and adjusting the products to meet the markets needs and wants. The better the product matches the needs of its market, the more successful it is likely to be.

Today, as product and service become more, and more commoditized many organization are moving to new level in creating value for their customer. To differentiate their offers, they are developing and delivering total customer, experience, whereas product are tangible and service are intangible, experience are memorable, whereas product and service are memorable when as product and service are external, experience are personal and take place in the minds of individual consumer. Organization that – market experience realize that customer are really buying much more than just product and service.

For a product to successful gain acceptance in the market environment a well organized product development and management must be there product management is the process of tilling the proposed product to the requirement and opportunities of the market (Rewold etal 2017) product management, involves the process of anticipating the needs of the market place initiating action towards the identification and production of product and service which will best satisfy the needs and wand of the trapped market environment. Product management is internal factor in an organization. A product once, it is commercialized face the problem of management. The firm is not alone in the industry and its competitor will want to enter the market, if the product proves successful. It therefore, follows that the firm must manage it product right from the introduction state till the maturate or even declining stage (Buzzell 2017).

Product management is however, characterized by danger and uncertainties. The danger may be in washing financial and human resource with achieve success protection and market acceptance the uncertainties arise as to whether the product will service, face much competition or die on the introduct Anyanwu (2013). Managing the product variable embraces planning and or service to be marketed by the company. The product mix element constitute the most important it is thus produce that every producer tries to conceptualize in the form most desired by the consumer in order to satisfy his needs for proper management of product, the organization must consider all the internal factors of the organization (Dick Barry 2011). This is because this factors will determine the success of the product in the marketing environment. In product management process, the product life cycle provide useful information on how to apply the principles of marketing and management in organizing and in carrying out that activities that will successfully market the product. If a firms fact to manage its product, it plan, to fail in launching its, product. There are reasons why product fails in the marketing environment.

They are as follows

1. Lack of distinctive advantage in product performance and price

2. Over estimation of the target market which may result in low demand

3. Inability to utilize company strength to capture profitable opportunities

4. Unpredictable change in consumer preference for goods and service

5. Product which facilitate competitive entry into the market by competitor,.

6. Lack of support from the marketing intermediaries.

In order to avoid the above mentioned area, the firm must consider and evaluate the product satisfaction and acceptance in such a way that favours the consumer and the organization in general. (Anyanwu 2013) in managing a product especially in marketing Bank service, the function varies from organization objective to the other. But the basic functions in managing a product are the same with the principle function of management as it is stated in the management field. But the different is that product management are guided toward developing are organizing a successful product that will gain acceptance in the marketing environment the following are the basic function of product management.

PLANNING FOR THE PRODUCT
Planning is the first product management function on which the other take bearing. It refer to as forecasting the product future circumstance and requirement, dealing product objective, and determine product to be followed and set product standard- planning in product management plays an important role because it determine the successful of the product in the marketing environment

ORGANIZING THE PRODUCT
How to accomplish, the goal is the next this organizing the product is the process of dividing and evaluating the product attribute and successfully accomplish the stated product objective. Controlling the product ad the environment controlling the product is the process of ensuring that the product objective are reached and deviation from planning for the product are corrected controlling could be effective. When report are got from the marketer and sales representative regarding area of deviation for correction purpose (Anyanwu 2013). However, the organization must understand and monitor the actors and forces that effect the environment before organizing and co- ordination the product management process. This is because the environment is a very dynamic one and it needs a well organized structure, before any marketing activities can gain acceptance to the environment.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
First bank has been making relentless efforts towards the management of product in Aba, Abia state, yet many of the products managed have all been able to satisfy the need of their target customer. As a result of this, these product do not receive adequate patronage and resources wasted. This affects bank profit negatively. Moreover, there are many hard nuts to crack in the management of product which make it difficult for management to introduce new product even when old ones lack patronage- and this effects the ratio at which first bank manage product and hence slowness in generating income.

Again, some of the target customers are not aware of the existence of some product of the bank which make such products lack patronage and even when patronized only a few people patronize them. Hence banks effort in their management becomes futile. Furthermore, customer of the bank are not adequate educated on the product managed and some bank staff are not properly equipped on the marketing of financial service which makes it possible for profitable opportunities to be grasped in the bank such lack of education readers bank effort fruitless and resources used in managing such product wasted. Finally, some management of banks find it difficult to segment market for their product in that the product go to wrong of the market where the product receive little or no demand which in the end readers banks effort unprofitable.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The rationale befriend this study is to examine different product of the first bank are discover for they are managed. Other objectives are as follows:

1. To find out the difficulties environment in the process of product management in first banks.

2. To discover whether banks customer are really satisfied with bank products or not are why?

3. To find out how best customer of the banks can be educated on the use of the bank product and how best to get them known about the existence of such products.

4. To discover how best banks products market can be segmented for fruitful virtues.

5. To determine the effect of product management bank on profitability

6. To determine if management of bank products leads to increased product qualify.

7. To offer possible solutions/ suggestion for addressing such problem and /or make recommendation that may lead to better bank customer relationship, increase customer satisfaction and bank profitability for brighter future.

1.4 FORMULATION OF HYPOTHESIS
In the process of consulting this research, the following hypotheses have been stated.

Hypothesis I

Ho: First bank products do not satisfy customer basic at least          

Hi: first bank products satisfy customer basic at least

Hypothesis II

Ho: the major problem encountered in product management is not wrong segmentation of target market

Hi; The major problem encountered in product management is wrong segmentation of target market

Hypothesis III

Ho: Effective management of bank product result increases profitability in banks

Hi: Effective management of bank product do not leads to increase profitability.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study will in a great way be of significance to the bank mangers, customers, individual wishing to engage themselves in banking business, unemployed graduate, government and corporate organization in Aba. To the government the result of the study will not only enable them find out a well defined administrative strategies and management problems of the bank firms of various state, but also would act as a panel to solving similar problems of government.

To the customer, it will expose them to the various marketing strategies that will lead to optimum banking business and high light problems facing the bankers so to prefer a better solution, it will also expose the advantages they stand to benefit from the bank service patronization. To the corporate organization and other people or individual wishing to engage themselves into banking business, the study will enable them adopt the policy of consumer banker satisfaction as much as possible. And also the possible suitable management procedure that will help them operate at the long run, since this is the motive behind every business .

To the students, the study will enlighten their minds on the great importance of product to an effective and efficient marketing strategy through the roles bank services plays in the finance sector. Finally to the research, the study will enhance an indepth knowledge of product management marketing strategy, the management and operations while to the customer, to appreciate the marketing means through which they reach them and perhaps bear with them whether they live stock of expectation to problem beyond their control.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This research work encompasses product management in all first bank in Aba as at date. Taking four branches of the bank in Aba in Abia state as a case study. The effort they make toward managing such product and problems they consider in doing.

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
BANK: Any person who carries on banking business and includes a commercial bank, an acceptance house, discount house and other financial institution.

PRODUCT MANAGEMENT: The tasks of adjusting the product throughout its life to match the ever- changing demand of the market place

MARKTING: The sensing and serving of consumer needs through an exchange relationship aimed at creating value in form of profit and satisfaction to the consumer.

MARKETING SEGMENTATION: The process of dividing the total heterogeneous market for a product into several submarket or segments each of which tends to be homogenous in all significant aspects.