ABSTRACT

            The study focuses on the impact of effective public relations practice in the marketing expansion of banking services in Enugu metropolis. a case study of All State Trust Bank Plc operating in Enugu state. It aims at identifying the areas of potential problems in order to enable corrective measures to be taken. Although All States Trust Bank plc maintains a corporate affairs department that performs public relation functions, yet the management is not happy because the bank does not have good image, in the opinion of it’s customers.

            It was based on this that the research decided to embark on the present study, with the following objectives in mind;

i)                    To determine whether All State Trust Bank considers as important the public relations policy of the organisation as strategic.

ii)                  To determine whether All States Trust Bank plc communicates effectively major policy issues to its publics.

iii)                To ascertain and discuss whether public relations activities of the bank has any significant impact on the existence, growth, profitability and survival of the bank.

iv)                To make appropriate recommendations based on the findings.

Both primary and secondary data were used. Some high – ranking executives of the bank were interviewed. The information gathered from the were quite helpful in pursuing certain areas of inquiry and which later formed the basis for construction of the questionnaire and the formulation of hypothesis.

The questionnaires was meant for two categories of respondents as follows: the staff and management of All States Trust Bank, the customers of the bank. The questionnaire was structured to contain both the multiple choices and the open – ended questions.

Major findings of the study were:

a)                  The management of All States Trust Bank does not considers as strategic the impact of public relations on its customers.

b)                  There is no effective communication between All States Trust Bank and its customers.

c)                  The public relations department of All States Trust Bank is not adequately funded.

d)                 The company does not meet the expectation of its customers in services delivery.

Base on the findings the following recommendations were made

i)                    The management should consider the public relations practice of the bank as a strategic decision.

ii)                  The public relations departments should be adequately funded.

iii)                The bank should organized on regular basis customers forum/meeting so as to meet the expectation of the customers.

The study occludes that effective public relations is a necessary ingredient for the survival and continued relevance of an organisation.