EFFECT OF TELE ADVERT ON THE NATURE AND PATTERN OF CONSUMERS PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING

ABSTRACT

This work reports the results of an experiment carried out among consumers of three competing brands of toothpaste in Lagos Metropolis. The study examined the effect of tele advert on the nature and pattern of consumers psychological functioning with particular reference To the role of advertisements in forming and preventing cognitive dissonance of the consumer, the relationship between advertisement and impulsive purchase decision of consumers and the impact of different television advert on consumers perception about deceptive advertisements The study was anchored on the “associationist bond concept” which is alternatively called the principle of “connectionism” developed by Thorndike. Data were collected from 600 respondent randomly selected unsuspected consumers in an experimental set up. Result reveals significant positive correlation between advertisement and impulsive purchase decision of consumers. Also, result indicated that visual cognition was higher among young adult irrespective of their gender when they are exposed to tele-adverts.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND TO STUDY

Considering the dynamism and complexity of the world,t he 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.

However, the consumer perception challenge is the first and greatest hurdle that advertisers must cross. Perception guides all activities of the consumer from the people he associates with to the product he buys. In the business world, it has always been what people say about a product or service and not what the marketer says. How a consumer perceives each of the different brands in a category, determines which brand he chooses. So many companies spend so much money on advertising, sales promotion, point of purchase displays and other marketing communications only to discover that many people don’t even remember the product or the promotion. On the other hand, whether consumers ultimately purchase the marketer’s brand also depends on whether the promotion and marketing communication variables facilitate purchasing

Advertising is an instrument of information and persuasion. As per one definition “Advertising is the non-personal communication of information usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature about products, services or ideas by identified sponsors through the various media” (Bovee, 1992).The informative role of advertising consists in provision of information about products, features, functions, specifications and prices to prospective buyers. Due to ignorance of advertising, they may purchase an inferior product, pay higher prices, or worse still, may not even know the variety of products that exist. This increases the short-run propensity to consume by informing buyers of the various bargains available. Besides, it is also true that consumer spending declines when the normal advertising flow is cut-off. By advertising the goods, a manufacturer comes in direct touch with the consumers.

Banking upon this information, the manufacturer can directly sell to the customers.

The number of middlemen, whose margins increase the price for the consumers is consequently reduced.

Advertising ensures better and improved quality of goods to consumers at cheaper rates. Since advertised goods promise a certain quality which has to be maintained and further mass advertised goods are produced and distributed in large quantities, thus reducing the production cost per unit (due to economies of scale).

Goods are generally advertised with brand names. When an advertisement appears with a brand name, it imprints an image of the product in minds of the consumer. If the use of the advertised product confirms their expectations, a repeat order is expected and the product will earn a favourable image and good reputation. Thus, the manufacturer is prompted to maintain and if possible, improve the brand quality so that the confidence of consumers is maintained. Else, the brand will lose market share. Advertising creates the desire to possess better and newer items by educating the buyers about better life-style. Advertising gives a direct stimulus to consumer which in turn prompts the producer to produce more and better quality. On the other hand, advertising acts as a mirror that shows the country’s way of life. It is in fact a running commentary of the way people live and behave. Advertising and selling have played an important part in expanding the economic system by stimulating consumers into buying more. Advertising makes people work harder than they otherwise would. This has had the effect of raising the aggregate level of the economy. In the long run, advertising has probably played a major part in making people favourably disposed towards high levels of consumption and in creating new products and ideas. Thus, advertising also increases the employment levels, directly and indirectly. Advertising reduces the risk of innovation. The cost of innovation can be more than recovered by the sales which advertisements may generate and encourage manufacturers to undertake research and development. The revenue through subscriptions is quite inadequate to support the publication of newspapers, magazines or TV channels. Advertising revenues, in fact, provide a greater support to viable functioning of these media.

EFFECT OF TELE ADVERT ON THE NATURE AND PATTERN OF CONSUMERS PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING