ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to evaluate Social Media as a Vehicle for Effective Advertising. Specifically, the study will look to see if customers are aware of the transformational use of social media advertising. The study also investigates if social media advertising is envisioned to deliver dependable and cost-effective means of reaching out to stakeholders, as well as long-term business-customer relationships. Also, consider if the new advancements of Web 2.0 and the Semantic Web present an opportunity for consumers and advertising to interact constructively and meaningfully to each other’s advantage. Finally, provide methods in which social media advertising might influence a prospective buyer on a similar product. The survey descriptive research design was used in the study. The poll yielded a total of 141 valid replies. The findings demonstrated that student-customers had understanding of the transformative application of social media advertising based on the responses received and assessed. Furthermore, social media advertising is intended to give dependable and cost-effective means of reaching out to stakeholders and establishing long-term business-customer relationships. Finally, the new advancements of Web 2.0 and the Semantic Web allow consumers and advertisers to interact constructively and meaningfully to each other’s advantage. The report also suggests that advertisers accept consumers’ thoughts and aspirations since it will tremendously effect and benefit their product, especially as social media evolves and changes brand communication. Producers should also be aware of the type of brand influencers they utilize to promote their product.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Nowadays, social media is an integral part of a person’s life. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkIn have an increasing user base. It is estimated that approximately 500 million individuals use social media (Ostrow, 2010). Marketers have been drawn in by the expanding number of social media users. Marketers have acknowledged the importance of social media marketing in their marketing communication strategy. Furthermore, social media allows businesses to engage with their customers. These encounters assist marketers in determining client demands and gaining an understanding of their market. Key commercial aspects of social media enable users to assess items, make recommendations to contacts or acquaintances, and broadcast any transactions made via social media. Social media may have an impact on purchasing behavior in any service or product. Quality, brand, advertising, and pricing all have an impact on customer decisions. The interaction between social media and consumer decision-making demonstrates that social media influences consumer advertising attitudes, brand attitudes, and purchase intentions. It will not necessarily influence customer decisions, but it may have a mediating impact (Taining, 2012).
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Marketers all over the world are increasingly concerned with how to use social media advertising to build brand recognition, brand image, and equity (Alhaddad, 2015) in ways that recognize audience preferences and maximize value for their brands and enterprises. Over the past several decades, social media platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook have transformed the way individuals engage with one another.The human aspect of online interactions demonstrates people’s participation in social activities and the establishment of various groups based on their tastes, hobbies, and educational levels rather than advertisers’ assumptions on consumer profiles. Students from one institution, for example, may be related to one another by attending the same school, but people who meet online may have similar interests. As a result, advertisers make an effort to target adverts to those who are interested in their products.Because of the demanding and changing nature of audience brand preferences, considerable changes in consumer decision-making and purchase behaviors have occurred. Brand material can no longer be forced down the throats of unwilling customers. For example, social media platforms are examples of consumer-generated media, which consumers actively initiate, create, use, and circulate to educate one another about products, companies, services, personalities, and concerns (Blackshaw & Nazzaro, 2006). However, due to the rapidly changing audience preferences shown by a survey of consumers, current technologies such as social media should be used to match market products and align them with consumer brand preferences such as those of students. Brand preferences appear to be increasing in complexity (Schultz, Don, & Martin, 2011b). Because customers are bombarded with information, marketers can get through their filters by recognizing a claim or making claims about their services or goods that are highly penetrative (Silverman, 2001:95). One method that marketers utilized to reach customers was to access their brand preferences via social media advertising. However, there is little understanding of how social media advertising effects brand choices, particularly those of higher education students (Jiang, Ni, & Srinivasan, 2014). The issue thus resides in the product’s target audience’s preferences. On the one hand, marketers all over the world are increasingly concerned with leveraging social media advertising to build brand recognition, brand image, and brand equity (Alhaddad, 2015) in ways that capture customers’ preferences and maximize value for their brands and enterprises. Audiences, on the other hand, have used social media’s interactive capabilities to become more demanding of marketers and service providers, greatly individualize their tastes, and caution and educate one other on items.As a result, audiences are using social media platforms to supplement their information search, aid in decision-making, and promote sensible buy transactions in ways that potentially leverage their purchasing power. As a result, the study “An Assessment of Social Media as a Vehicle for Effective Advertising” was necessary.
1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The primary objective of this study is as follows
- To examine if customers have knowledge on trans-formative use of social media advertising
- To examine if social media advertising is conceived to provide reliable and cost effective methods to reach out to stakeholders, durable business–customer relations
- To examine if the new advancement of Web 2.0 and the Semantic Web provides a chance for consumers and advertisers to interact constructively and meaningfully to the benefit of each other.
- To recommend ways social media advertising can influence a prospective customer on a similar product
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following questions have been prepared for this study
- Do student-customers have knowledge on trans-formative use of social media advertising?
- Is social media advertising conceived to provide reliable and cost effective methods to reach out to stakeholders, durable business–customer relations
- Does the new advancement of Web 2.0 and the Semantic Web provides a chance for consumers and advertisers to interact.
- Are there ways social media advertising can influence a prospective customer on a similar product
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The significance of this study cannot be underestimated as:
- This study will examine social media advertising and its influence on audience preference of similar product
- The findings of this research work will undoubtedly provide the much needed information to government organizations, brand influence rs and academia
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study will examine Social Media as a Vehicle for Effective Advertising. It will also examine, if customers have knowledge on transformative use of social media advertising and if social media advertising is conceived to provide reliable and cost effective methods to reach out to stakeholders, durable business–customer relations. Hence will be narrowed down to university student who consume Bigi drinks
1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
This study was constrained by a number of factors which are as follows:
just like any other research, ranging from unavailability of needed accurate materials on the topic under study, inability to get data
Financial constraint , was faced by the researcher ,in getting relevant materials and in printing and collation of questionnaires
Time factor: time factor pose another constraint since having to shuttle between writing of the research and also engaging in other academic work making it uneasy for the researcher
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
social media: a collective term for websites and applications that focus on communication, community-based input, interaction, content-sharing and collaboration.
advertising: the activity or profession of producing advertisements for commercial products or services.
product: an article or substance that is manufactured or refined for sale.
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