1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
The basic reason for this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of advertising in changing consumers behavior in the financial institutions using vitafoam Owerri as a case study.
Advertising as the case may be could be defined as the process of communicating a company's brands value proposition by using a paid media to inform, persuade and remind the consumers about an old but existing products or new products where and how then can find them (Kotler p. 2007, pg 302).
Advertising must be blended into the overall integrated marketing communication programme. Although advertising can be traced back to the very beginnings or recorded history. According to Gary Armstrong (2003 pg 143), he stated that archaeologists working in the countries around the Mediterranean sea have dug up signs and symbols announcing various events and offers.
During the golden age in Greece, town criers announced the sale of cattle, crafted items, and cosmetics. An early “signing commercial” went as follows: for eyes that are shining, for checks like the dawn/for beauty that last after girlhood is gone/for prices is reason, the woman who knows/will buy her cosmetics from Aesclyptos” modern advertising however is a far cry from these early efforts. Vita foam's advertisers now run up an estimated annual advertising bill of more that 30 million naira annually (vita foam Owerri annual report of 2009).
Although advertising is sued mostly by business firms, a wide range of non-profit organizations, professional bodies and social agencies and some financial institutions. Vitafoam Owerri also use advertising to create awareness of their various products and services and also to change their consumers negative behaviours towards their goods and services into positive behaviours.
Intact, the 27th largest advertising spenders is a non-profit organization. Vita foam Owerri uses advertising in order to inform persuade their various target markets about their products and services.
1.2 Statement of the Problems
Ineffective advertising or no advertising by financial institution has affected consumers behaviours in the industry.
This problem of ineffective and inefficient advertising ahs denied customers or clients of their required information about the operations of the financial institutions.
Also it has prevented clients, customers from having a wide range of information, knowledge of the various products offered in the industry, thereby limiting them from having any opportunity or advantage of these products in the market.
The consequences of this is that most customers or consumers are grossly unsatisfied and unaware of the products offered by the industry and this is affecting the growth of the industry and as well as dissatisfaction of consumers.
1.3 Objective of the Study
The objective of the study is to be examined critically the level of awareness that has been generated by the advertising campaign to consumers to clients of financial products.
Thus, the objectives include:
- To find out the level of advertising campaign that will help build customer relationships by communicating customer value.
- To find out the best advertising strategy to adopt in order to inform, persuade orient current and potential customers in the industry.
- To ascertain consumers perception of the strategic advertising message communicated to the target audience.
- To find out if the advertising campaign will enhance growth, development and profitability of the industry through increase of market share.
- To make useful recommendation towards effective advertising campaign in the industry.
1.4 Research Questions
- Does advertising create awareness of the company's products to customers?
- Does advertising of the company create a significant relationship between customer and the company's products?
- Does advertising helps to ascertain customers perception?
- Does advertising campaign help to promote growth, development and profitability of the industry?
- Does advertising make useful recommendation towards effective advertising campaign in the industry?
1.5 Scope of the Study
The scope of this study is centered on the effectiveness of advertising in changing consumers behavior. In order words, the bank will sue the information to evaluate the change in behavior of their customers within Okpara Avenue, Enugu state metropolis.
1.6 Significance of the Study
This study will help the vitafoam company to create more awareness of their products to their potential and intending customers. The study will also be useful to the management of vitafoam Owerri for the purpose of policy formulation and in priority setting when considering provision of facilities and infrastructures.
The study is bound to have a positive impact on the financial management of the company. It will stimulate the interest of other business who are also in the forefront of becoming the first leading foam produces in Nigeria and also direct their interest to the satisfaction of customers in Owerri metropolis.
The study will provide the researcher with opportunity to broaden his knowledge and solve the research problem. This study will contribute immensely to the stock of human and scientific knowledge.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
The limitations of this study lie in the under listed constraints.
- There were insufficient journals and textbooks on this topic which led to scanty information that subsequently affected the literature review. However, the researcher made use of the available ones.
- There was non-existence of already made research work on this topic hence the researcher encountered difficulties in the course of carrying out this research work.
- Time and duration of this project work was to short and this adversely affected the research work.
- Lack of finance was also one of the limitations faced by the researcher during the time of conducting this research work.
- Lastly, another major constraint was inadequate co-operation by the respondents which reduced the amount of data collected.
1.8 Definition of Terms
Advertising:
This can be defined as any paid form of non-personal sales presentation and promotion of ideas, goods or services by an identified sponsor (Kotler, Armstrong 2008: 42)
A Consumer:
A consumer can be seen and defined as that individual person, household, group that purchases a product for his personal use or household use, or even resells to another (Edoga p. 2002. Pg. 103)
Consumer Behaviour:
They are referred to as those negative or positive behavior attitude, characters that consumers or buyers portrays when ever a product or service is offered or mentioned to their hearing or for their patronage 9Ebue, 2002, pg. 129).
According to (Kotler, 2007, pg 421) consumer means those behavior that consumers displays in searching for a product to purchase or when ever a product is pushed to them to patronize, use them, evaluate them, dispose them.
Market Communication:
Adrika, Nnolim: (2002 pg 31) define marketing communication as an intelligent effort of a company to design and disseminate information, its products service and product content benefits to the target audience using different media channels.
Customer Relationship Management:
Kotler (2007:pg 12-13) defined customer relationship management as the overall process of building and maintaining profitable customer relationship by delivering superior quality and value to ensure customer satisfaction.
Customer Satisfaction:
Armstrong (2001, pg 214) defines customer satisfaction as the effect to which a products perceived performance matches a buyer's expectation.
Customers Perceived Value:
This means the customers evaluation of the differences between all the benefits and all the costs of a market offering relative to those of competing offers. (Nnolim 2002: pg 108).
Market Concept:
Kotler (2008: pg 10) suggests that to achieve organizational goal depends on knowing the needs and wants of the target audience and delivering the desired satisfactions better than other competitors.
Product Concept:
Adrika (2000: pg 38) defined product concept a s the idea that consumers will favour products that offers the most superior quality, product with high performance and features and that the organization should therefore devote its energy to making continuous product improvements.
