CHAPTER TWO OF THE EFFECT OF ADVERTISING ON CONSUMERS BRAND SELECTION ( A STUDY OF SELECTED MARKETING COMPANIES IN NIGERIA)

                              LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

2.1  Introduction

Advertising is one of the most effective tools of marketing. According to Stanton (2001), advertising is an exercise in information, persuasion and influence. Its aim is to reinforce positive behavior or change a negative behavior towards a product. Promotional activities include; Advertising, Publicity, Personal selling, Public relations, Sales promotion, Trade fairs and exhibitions etc..

Predominantly, in this chapter, discussions are concentrated on advertising. Here, effort is made at reviewing various authors’ comments in specific areas intended to be covered. Many authors and individuals who have carved a niche in advertising have said many things, which are considered useful in this study.

2.2 Concept of Advertising 

“Advertising presents the most persuasive selling message to the right prospects for a product or service at the least possible cost.”  In the words of Kaufman (1980), “advertising is not chemistry, with rules and laws that, if followed with reasonable precision, will lead to predictable results every time.  Advertising is not a panacea that can restore a poor product or rejuvenate a declining market; it is not a substitute for sound business judgment nor is advertising merely the words and pictures that appear in newspapers and magazines, on billboards and on television screens. These are the means or the media that advertising uses to communicate its information about products, services, and ideas to people: information designed to persuade them make buying or action decisions. Advertising is the art and business of persuasive communication” Jefkins (2007).

Nwaizugbo (2004) defines advertising as a process of presenting a product or idea to a person or group of persons, some openly sponsored message (oral or visual) about a product or seller. This message which is being presented is known as advertising.  He submitted that advertising is the means by which we make known what we have to sell or what we want to buy.

In other words, the British Code of Advertising Practice (as adapted from Dogudge, Aug. 2009 APCON Seminar), defines advertising as a paid-for communication addressed to the public or a section of it, the purpose of which is to influence the opinions or behavior of those to whom it is addressed.  Whereas, Kotler & Armstrong (2007) see advertising as any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, or services by an identified sponsor.

To Anyacho (2007), advertising is a form of communication through the media about products, services, ideas paid for by an identified sponsor. Wright, Winter & Zeigler (2000) see advertising as a powerful communication force and a vital marketing tool, helping to sell goods, services, images and ideas (or ideals) through channels of information and persuasion. By this definition, it’s noteworthy that advertising never sells products but helps to sell products.

2.3  Types of Advertising

There are six main categories of advertising according to Bello Ayuba (2009) and these are:

1.      Consumer advertising

2.      Industrial advertising

3.      Trade advertising

4.      Retail advertising

5.      Recruitment advertising

Consumer Advertising:  There are two types of goods bought by  the public, consumer goods and consumer durables, which together with consumer services are advertised through the media addressed to the appropriate social grades. 

The media of consumer advertising will tend to be those with wide appeal and even when more specialist journals such as women’s  magazines are used, they will still have large circulations.   The primary media of consumer advertising are the press, radio, television, exhibitions and sales promotion Bello Ayuba (2009). 

Industrial Advertising:  This is aimed at promoting sales of equipment and services used by industry.  Such equipment is machinery, tools, vehicles, specialist consultancy, finance and insurance.  The media used will consist of trade and technical journals, technical literature and catalogues, trade fairs or exhibitions, direct mail and technical demonstrations and seminars.

Trade Advertising:  This addressed to distributors, chiefly wholesalers, agents, importers/exporters and numerous kinds of retailers, large and small.  Goods are advertised for resale.    Under press or direct mail is commonly used here.   Occasionally, commercial television time may be bought to tell retailers about new lines or retailers may be mailed to tell them that consumer-advertising campaigns are about to appear on TV.

Retail Advertising:  Here, we have a form of advertising which lies between trade and consumer advertising.  The most obvious examples are those for department stores and supermarkets, but it can include the advertising conducted by any supplier including a petrol station, restaurant, or insurance broker.

Retail advertising is also aimed at selling goods, which are exclusive to the shop.  Some distributors are appointed dealers for certain makes, e.g., Peugeot cars, Coca Cola, etc..  Retail advertising is confined to local media.

Financial Advertising:  Financial advertising induces those banks savings, insurance and investments.  In addition to advertising addressed to customers or clients, it can also include company reports, prospectus for new share issues, record of investments in securities and other financial announcements.

Recruitment Advertising:  This form of advertising aims to recruit staff and may consist of run on classified advertisements or displayed classified, although other media such as radio and television are sometimes used. Recruitment advertisement is mainly of two kinds that inserted by employers, whether identified or suing box number, and that placed by employment or recruitment agencies, which have been commissioned to fill vacancies. 

The media of recruitment advertising include national newspapers, magazines, trade  and professional journals, etc.. The aim  of recruitment advertising is to attract the largest number of worthwhile applications at the lowest possible cost.  Bello Ayuba (2009).

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