1.1.
Background To
The Study
Advertising as a
concept, can be defined as a form of communication through the media about
product, services, ideas, personalities or organizations, paid for by an
identified sponsor writer Alide in Okunna (2002: 99).
Bovee and Arens
(1985) gave a more widely accepted definition of advertising as the
non-personal communication of information, usually paid for any usually
persuasive in nature about products (goods and services) or ideas by an
identified sponsor through various media. It is an exciting, dynamic, and
challenging enterprise. Its often a persuasive communication in that it tries
to persuade the reader, the listener or the viewer to take to the sponsor’s own
point of view and also to take some appropriate action. It is not personal or
face to face communication, rather it is directed to a group of people.
Advertising is
also controlled, identifiable information and persuasion by means of mass
communication media. Defined by Wrignt and Zeight (1982:10).
Gillran Dyer
says that in its simplest sense, the word “advertising” means drawing attention
to something or notifying or informing somebody of something.
According to the
understanding of Advertising practitioners council of Nigeria (APCON)
“advertising is a form of communication through the media about products,
services or ideas, paid for by an identified sponsor”.
The terms
advertising was coined from the Latin word “advertere” which mean literally
means to draw attention. This is when you are getting the evidence mind in a
product, notifying or informing somebody/people of something. There is no doubt
that advertising has brought prosperity to different countries of the world
through different means. It has helped in speeding up the introduction of new
inventions and has most importantly widened markets for mass-produced goods and
services. Consumers of industrial goods and service and all over the world
today enjoy the choice of a wide variety of such goods and services.
Advertising has
also been of immense benefit humanity and has contributed in no small measure
rapid industrialization and expansion processes all over the world. Infact,
advertising has contributed in making the world a better place to live in.
Tracing the
history of advertising however, it is evident that its practice is as old as
man. Weppner (1979) in Okunna (2002: 85) reveals that advertising seems is be
part of human nature evidenced since ancient times.
Groom in his own
view stated that “advertising” was first century AD and has been employed ever
since in one form or another”. It has no specific date, any way, but Groom
further maintains it as an instrument of marketing in the past 4000 B.C.E.
Highlighting its existence in a Nigeria advertising has been part of commercial
activities even before the arrival of whitemen remarks Abayomi in Okunna (2002:
86) Quoting Ogbodo (1990), Abayomi in Okunna pointed out the common practices
in our locality like town criers do, hawking and display of available waves
were the earliest method of advertising in Nigeria. This is still obtainable in
the free-market these days as sellers cry above their voices to draw the
attention of buyers to their waves.
The introduction
of modern advertising in Nigeria was made possible in 1859 by a newspaper
called “Iwe Irohin”. It was owned by an English Reverend gentleman known as
Henry Townsend. It was an eight page newspaper with four pages English version
and four pages “Yoruba” version. This newspaper attracted a lot of readership,
this creating space for advertisement on births, weddings and obituaries,
vacances for houseboys and maids, church activities, ship schedules and other
social events.
Abayomi in
Okunna (2002: 86) records that other newspaper such as the logos observer, the
Eagle, the Lagos critic and others joined the music. The business of
advertising enjoyed a great boast in the 1920s as notable companies such as Releigh
Bicycle, PZ, lever Brothers, Cadbury, Ovaltine and others sprang up to
patronize the services of West African Publicity (WAP) who provided advertising
services like radio and television there was a considerable advancement in
Radio/TV advertisement for over four decades. This began with the establishment
of Western Nigeria Broadcasting Services (WNBS) and Western Nigeria Television
(WNTN) by the defunct Western Religion, Okunna.
At this point,
it is pertinent to note that the practice of advertising in Nigeria has been
legalized. The legalized was masterminded by APCON which was established by
Decree 55 of 1988 amended by Decree 93 of 1992.
The APCON, as
produced by the code of advertising practice is charged with the responsibility
of among other things.
a). Determining who are advertisers
b). Conducting examinations in the
profession and,
c). Regulating
and controlling advertising in all this aspects and ramifications.
The strict
adherence to the provisions of this, code has really made advertising an
interest oriented, fascinating and fantastic professions.
In recent years,
the practice of advertising no longer enjoy its good essence. Following the
introduction of fraudulent and unethical practice in the business of
advertising the profession is fast loosing credibility and interest.
The code of
Advertising practice catalogued the essence of good advertising as outlined
below. The codes provides that all advertisement in Nigeria should;
a). Be legal,
decent, honest, truthful and respectful of Nigeria’s culture.
b). Be prepared
with a high sense of social responsibility and should not show disregard for
the interest of consumers and the wider Nigeria society.
c). Conform to
the principles of fair competition generally accepted in business and fair
comment expected in human communication.
d). Enhance
public confidence in advertising.
Unfortunately
advertisers have chosen the unethical means of practicing this profession,
neglected the good sense of advertising which revolves around social
responsibility.
In his words,
Osunbiyi (1999:27) “advertising on the whole can be rumours, ie it can be
deceptive and misleading. It can manipulate the “vulnerable psyche”.
No doubt,
advertising can be ruinous when some illegal advertisers make claims that are
untruce about a product of services.
As the consumers
of such product testifies that the claims surrounding the product are not time,
he automatically stops patronage.
Osunbiyi
(1999:31) reiterates that deception perhaps, is the worse criticism of
advertising in that it is assumed that information given is just to deceive the
public. Categorically, we can view the effect of unethical practice of
advertising from many angels.
Fort the most
part, same advertisement are deception oriented for instance, most naturalistic
hospital, both registered and unregistered, go on air or magazine pages to
advertise their products. They make false claims that they cure a lot of
ailments, when in actual sense, they may only cure, say bellyache. People rush
to by the drug or concoction and eventually worsen their earlier situation.
Close examples are two naturalistic hospitals, 8 Jemeni Street and Dr. J.J.
Ogadinma Naturalistic Hospital along Ogaja Road, Abakaliki.
A more chronic
effects of unethical practice of advertising is ‘passing off’,
Passing off is a
situation where a producer of a given product imitates, in a very close
identify, the name, colour graphic design, size and shape of a product of that
with a mark of quality, in order to enjoy plenty safes under the umbrella of
the original product.
It is a also a
form of fraud in which a company tries to sell its own product by deceiving
buyers into thinking it is another product.
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