ABSTRACT

The aim of embarking on this study was to provide a well detailed account on the Influence of Advertisement on Consumer Behavior using Isiama Afara Community as the case study. The Researcher used survey Research Design in the collection of the data. Because it is easier to sought peoples opinion using Questionnaire. Stratified Sampling Method are used to get the sample size for this study is 200 .Data gathered from the study were analyzed, tested and interpreted using sample percentage frequency table. The researcher was able to find out that majority of the respondents own television set and view the Milo product advert. The theory that led support to this work is cultivation theory. The researcher therefore recommends that adverting should be real and interesting so as to call and retain prospective buyers for the advertised product. And also the manufacturers of Milo beverages should try as much as possible to make their advert consistent in order to increase awareness an more patronage for consumers.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

All over the world people and companies utilize advertising to good advantages in the keen competition encounter in word regional and local markets, business men are aided by the sales producing force of advertising.

Not only that skillfully planned and directed advertising not only at home but also abroad over come prejudice combat, foreign competition, establish new habit, build good will creates employment increase productivity multiply sales and thus, lay a solid foundation for sustained economic development of any country, one analysis contend that advertising is one of the most powerful socializing force in culture. Advertising sells more than product. It sets image, value, goods and concepts of who we are and who we should be. It shapes our attitudes and our attitudes shapes our behaviour. Ahunaya 2004 70.

Advertising power goes beyond the selling of goods, it promotes a consumer life style a global culture that centers on material things. A television commercial normally says and now a few words from our sponsors are companies or individual that pay to have their product advertised, while the few words our sponsor sponsors are companies or individual that take pay to have there product to be advertised, while the few words our sponsor have become a deluge sponsor still financially support the newspaper and radio. Encyclopedia 195.

According to the Encyclopedia, American 204 Advertising began around 3200 Bc when the Egyptian stenciled inserption the names of kings on temple being built. Later they wrote run way slave enouncement on Papyrus sign boards were placed outside doors in Greece and Egypt around 1500 B. c perhaps the most important Event in history of advertising was the printing of the Gutenberg Bible about 1450 to 1455. The first time that western man used the principle of moveable type in about 1477 in London, the first printed advertisement in English announced a prayer book sale the first newspaper advertisement appeared on the back paper of in London newspaper in 1625. The easily town crier was also a medium of advertising.

Advertising has since than been seen to help in economic development in ways of creating jobs sponsoring sports, and the art helps to provide affordable media which encourages competition improves product keep price low and enable people to make informed buying choices Eluwa 2005: 44.

According to Rosson Blatt 1977 advertising is the voice of business such that when it is heard, business is said to have been spoken.

All over the world today, advertising seems to have been recognized as an important tool, which facilitates the sale of products and strengthens consumers preferences. Manufacturers who continuously work for the sale of their product tends to see advertising as an indispensable tool. In Nigeria for instance, advertising has been employed vigorously on nonprice completion to promote the image of competing product brands.

This largely had to the establishment and growth of many industries of which Milo was not left out. Fortune started to smile to these Milo companies at most Nigerians started consuming Milo and this accounted for the existence of many more of such companies in the country.

However, with the recent down ward changes in the economics fortune of the nation and her people those Milo companies are being faced by declining patronage to scramble for consumers whose finances and depressed and this in turn has led to stiff competition and cutthroat advertisement as each manufacturer of different brands of Milo wants to out do the other to gain control of a large sparer of the market in order to sustain itself in business. As a result of the need to communicate to the consumers information about a particular products personality and features becomes imperative the manufactures in order to accomplish the task of reaching the consumers uses advertising to inform them about the product, the charges it has made and persuade them to buy the products.

However, manufacturers cannot win the consumers over successfully, or make them prefer their brand of product if the brand dose not live up to the expectation of the products advertisement Haller 1977 criticized the power of advertising claims in selling a product. He observed that when the product feature seem very small or the claims exaggerated the consumer may change his or her mind not to by that brand anymore he further remarked that a product will only remain the darling of the consumers, if it matches up to the claims in the advertisement and meet the consumers taste, needs and expectation.

Other critics of advertisement, uphold that adverts hamper consumer choice as large advertiser uses their power to limit the options to a few will advertised brands. However, consumer choice and preferences for brands may be informed by a combination of varied factors including advertising.

This study seeks to examine primarily the impact of adverts and other factors such as quality, price, proximity, availability group influence e.t.c has on consumer purchasing behaviour thus the main question is can adverts influences the consumer and make him or her switch from one brand to another.

1.2 Statement of the Research Problem

Critics claim that advertising manipulates us into buying things by playing on our emotions and promising greater status social acceptance and sex appeal there is no doubt about the fact that this new and other like it would advertising affect the consumers of Milo beverage. Historically, companies and even professional advert people have questioned or misunderstand the effectiveness of advertising series of market research studies however offered dramatic evidence to the contrary the evidence includes better awareness familiarity and over all impression of products.

Advertising as a major means of selling goods, product and services in Nigeria and all over the world is faced with lots of challenges owing to the development of advertising in Nigeria and challenges associated with rending services customers have so many complaints ranging from awareness to feedback.

Therefore, this study is an attempt to examine critically the rate of influence of advertisement on consumer of Milo beverage.

To determine the rate at which they are influenced by advertisement on Milo beverage.

To determine the level of acceptance of advertisement aired by Abia state television on Milo product.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The study had the following objectives

1. To determine how Milo product advertisement affects the consumers that make use of it
2. To know the extend Milo product advert affect the consumers
3. To find out the level of frequency of exposure of Abia state television commercial to advertisement on Milo product.
Finally this study will proffer solution on most effective means of handling advertisement to meet modern day challenges as well as handle some peculiar circumstances

1.4 Research Questions

1. To what extent has Milo product advertisement affected the consumers that make use of it
2. To what extent has Milo product contributed towards the attitudes of the consumer
3. What is the level of frequency of exposure of Abia state television commercial to advertisement in Milo product.