MASS MEDIA ADVERTISING AND CONSUMER PREFERENCE DECISION (CHAMPION BREWERIES PLC, UYO)
ABSTRACT
This research project is a study on Mass media advertising and consumer preference decision, Champion Breweries Plc, Uyo. To achieve the research objectives the survey design was conducted and sample and sampling technique was used to draw a sample size of fifty (50) and self developed questionnaire forms was personal administered by researcher. The data collected were analyzed using sample percentages and frequency tables, the finding revealed that, testing hypothesis one (1) it was discovered that there is no significance relationship, testing hypothesis two (2) the findings revealed that there is level of significance also hypothesis three (3) revealed that there is no significance relationship. The following objectives were achieved; to measure the extent to which advertisement influences the behavior of consumers of champion beer, to ascertain if a consumer good can overcome competition without advertisement and to determine if advertisement increases consumer’s preference of a particular product to other. The findings recommended that regular and consistent up-to-date training on product information should be given to the advertising agency so that they will have the current knowledge and skills to handle the adverts. The findings finally recommended that champion breweries plc should get back to their intensive and aggressive advertising practice to keep their peace of growth.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page – – – – – – – – – i
Declaration – – – – – – – – – ii
Certification – – – – – – – – – iii
Dedication – – – – – – – – – iv
Acknowledgements – – – – – – – v
Abstract – – – – – – – – – vi
Table of Contents – – – – – – – – vii
List of Tables – – – – – – – – x
CHAPTER ONE- INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction- – – – – – – – 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem – – – – – – 4
1.3 Objectives of the study – – – – – – 5
1.4 Research questions – – – – – – – 5
1.5 Statement of hypotheses – – – – – – 5
1.6 Significant of the study – — – – – – 6
1.7 Scope of the study – – – – – – – 6
1.8 Limitations of the study – – – – – – 6
1.0 Definition of terms – – – – – – – 7-8
CHAPTER TWO – LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction – – – – – – – – 9
2.2 Conceptual framework – – – – – – 9-10
2.2.1 Advertising: an overview – – – – – 10
2.2.2 Advertising functions – – – – – – 11-12
2.2.3 Purpose of advertising – – – – – – 12
2.2.4 Types of advertising – – – – — – 12
2.2-5 Classification of advertising – – – – – 13
2.2-6 Advertising plans – – – – – – 14
2.2.7 Advertising strategy – – – – – – 14-18
2.2.8 Overview of advertising media – – – – – 18
2.2.8-1 The media mix – – – – – – – 18
2.2.8-2 The electronic media – – – – – – 18-20
2.2.8-3 The new medium – – – – – – – 21
2.2.8-4 A brief look into the structure and regulatory
controls of the advertising industry in nigeria – – 21
2.2.8.-4 The advertiser – – – – – – – 22
2.2.8-5 The advertising agency – – – – – – 23
2.2.8-6 The consumer decision process – – – – 23-24
2.2.8-7 steps in the consumer decision making – – – 24
2.3 Review of empirical literature – – – – – 24-28
2.4 Theoretical framework – – – – – – 29
2.4.1 Aida model – – – – – – – – 30-32
2.4.2 The Hierarchy of effect model – – – – – 32-34
2.4.3 Magic bullet theory (hypodermic needle) – – – 34-35
CHAPTER THREE – RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction – – – – – – – – 36
3.2 Design of the study – – – – – – 36
3.3 Population of the study – – – – – – 36
3.4 sample technique and sample size – – – – 36
3.5 Sources of data – – – – – – – 36-37
3.5 Method of data collection – – – – – 37
3.7 Data analysis technique – – – – – – 37
CHAPTER FOUR-DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
4.1 Introduction – – – – – – – – 38
4.2 Discussions of findings – – – – – – 46
CHAPTER FIVE-SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary of findings – – – – – – 48-49
5.2 Conclusion – – – – – – – – 49-50
5.3 Recommendation – – – – – – – 50-51
References
Appendix
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 INTRODUCTION
The business environment is becoming sophisticated day by day and as such, decision-making is becoming more and more challenging and risky. Business organizations are failing due to poor decisions. Investors are losing their money and are unhappy. They are being discouraged and this is quite unhealthy to the economy. In some other instances, organizations are springing up in great numbers; some are successful in the marketing of their products and services, while others are still akin to the barber’s chair syndrome where all is motion but no movement; struggling to reach their target audience. Consumers are also faced with the challenge of choice making due to indecisiveness, skepticism, indifference and confusion which are among the key sales killers in business world.
Advertising is any paid form of non-personal communication about an organization or its product to a target audience through a mass/broadcast medium by an identified sponsor. It should be observed that for any promotional activity to be called advertisement it must be paid for.
In the real sense, it is the method used by companies for creating awareness of their products, as well as making new products known to the new and potential consumers.
This research work however, centers on the impact of advertising on consumer purchase decision. This work will shed light on how advertising can really affect a consumer’s buying decisions in a growing economy like that of Nigeria and how successful advertising can keep businesses going even in the midst a tough competition.
More so, advertising as a promotional tool also tends to remind, reassure and influence the decisions of the consumers because an advertisement itself enlightens, educates, and persuades consumers on their acceptability of the product offering.
Advertisement in such a media as print (newspaper, magazines, billboards, flyers) or broadcast (radio, television) typically consist of pictures, headlines, information about the product and occasionally a response coupon. Broadcast advertisement on the other hand consists of an audio or video narrative that can range from 15seconds spots to longer segments known as infomercials, which generally last 30 to 60 minutes. (Busari 2002)
Advertisements can also be seen on the seats of grocery carts, on the wall of airport walkways, on the sides of buses, airplane and train. Advertisements are usually placed anywhere an audience can easily and/or frequently access visual and/or video. (Busari 2002).
Advertisers creates advertisements with a variety of objectives in mind. They may have the ultimate goal of getting people to sample a product, or persuading them to take an action (Jones, 2002). Significantly, the media is the carrier of advertising messages from the sender (Advertisers) to the receiver (Target Consumer) (Hansten, 2009). The impact of such advertising is to persuade the consumer’s purchasing power (Abiodum, 2011). Majority of adverts use appealing images and persuasive words as a code to convince individual’s perception about the product. Persuasion has been defined as human communication that is designed to influence others by modifying beliefs, values or attitudes (Oberholzer et al., 2008). This method of persuasion in advertising is based on reflexive purposes of imitation and the desire to be what is in the advert (Yelbert, 2010). Consumers are exposed daily to adverts of persuasive nature (Blake et al., 2013).
Advertising plays a vital role in shaping dreams and aspirations and helps customers take conscious product and brand decisions. Often, advertisement with endorsements creates easy remembrance for the customer’s for the advertised product. The customer tends to associate the brand with the celebrity and can easily register the brand in their mind (Ingavale, 2013).
Perceptually, the role that advertising play in consumer’s culture is why it is necessary to research on the impact of advertising on the consumer’s purchase decisions. William Bernbach, a U.S. advertising executive states that “Advertising is not a science. It’s a persuasion. And persuasion is an art” (Encarta Student [DVD], 2009). The promotion practice of advertising is strategically used to “induce consumers to purchase goods and services” (Robbs 2009). Measuring the influence of advertisement in consumer brand preference is very essential for every marketer. If advertisement does not create any positive change in consumers’ brand preference, all the resources such as money, time and efforts spent on advertisement will go in vain (Ingavale, 2013).
Consumer behaviour can be defined as the process and activities people engage in when searching for, selecting, purchasing, using, evaluating, and disposing of products and services so as to satisfy their needs and desires. Most advertising agencies try to understand the mood and desires of their target market in their approach to advertising (Pope, 1983). A 1986 research, by Hill and Gardner on people and advertising shows explicitly that, consumers consciously or unconsciously utilize the buying process to manage their moods. The basis of this is to search for emotional stimulation which is an important motivation for individuals when selecting products to consume (Hill and Gardner 1986). “The most common types of appeal are based on price or value; quality; star identification; ego; fear and/or anger” (Jones, 2002). Often, advertising agencies through their adverts, seek to build a lasting relationship with people. As a result, they find ways to turn one-time purchasers into lifelong customers (Robbs, 2009).
In the book “Contemporary Advertising”, Buvee and Arens classify advertising based on four factors. The factors are target audience, geographical area, medium and purpose (Buvee & Arens, 1992: 8-14). Robbs, in His review “Advertising”, identifies two broad categories of adverts. They are; Consumer advertising and Trade advertising (Robbs, 2009). According to Robbs, consumer advertising is directed at the public whiles Trade advertising is directed at wholesalers or distributors who resell to the public (Robbs, 2009). This research however, is concerned with consumer advertising, the form of advertising that is targeted directly to the consumer. Increasingly, advertising has become an inevitable strategy used to promote a product, business, or event to attract and increase public interest. Consumer promotions involve the extensive use of techniques, such as “sampling of goods and services, to encourage the trial of products” (Robbs, 2009).
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
This research basically seeks to identify the level of impact adverts have on the consumer’s decision to buy or not. In order to stimulate and elicit positive response from the target audience, effective market research must be undertaken on consumer behaviour to gather vital information about them. These information includes their preference, age, buying habits, who makes the buying decisions and others (Tuckwell, 199).
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This study is guided by the following objectives.
- To determine the role of advertisement in marketing of consumer goods
- To understand consumers’ views and or opinions towards advertisement of consumer products in general and champion beer in particular.
- To measure the extent to which advertisement influences the behavior of consumers of champion beer.
- To ascertain if a consumer good can overcome competition without advertisement
- To determine if advertisement increases consumer’s preference of a particular product to others
- To ascertain which medium of advertisement will make greater impact in advertisement of consumer goods
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
This study seeks to address the following questions:
- Is advertisement an effective tool in marketing of champion beer or just a mere exercise?
- To what extent do other promotional activities undertaken by the company impact positively on the consumers of the product?
- Are there steps taken to ascertain the impact of advertisement of champion beer on consumers?
- Has advertisement improved consumer preference for the product to other beers?
- Has the company been able to overcome competition through advertisement?
- Did advertisement play any role in defusing the bad publicity that was associated with too much intake of beers?
MASS MEDIA ADVERTISING AND CONSUMER PREFERENCE DECISION (CHAMPION BREWERIES PLC, UYO)
