Student Perception of the Effectiveness of Advertising on Reality TV; Using Big Brother Titan as a Study
Abstract
This study investigated student perception of the effectiveness of advertising on reality tv, using Big Brother Titan as a study. The study evaluated three specific objectives which include the perception of the audience about the Big Brother Naija reality television show, Discover the content of the Big Brother Naija reality television show that captures the audience’s interest most and the factors responsible for the growing popularity of Big Brother Naija reality television show amongst its audience. For this study, a survey research strategy was adopted, and a questionnaire was created to collect the demographic and socioeconomic data from the research participants. To facilitate easy interpretation and inference, the numerical data collected from the study’s respondents were analysed using SPSS23 and given as percentages. According to the conclusions from the provided data, it was discovered in this study that the Big Brother Naija (BBN) reality television programme makes housemates popular and appeals to modelling and advertising contracts. The Big Brother reality TV programme also offers monetary rewards to the contestants who live there. The reward money and gifts given to the victors give the roommates the financial means to start or continue their lives. So, the popularity and financial benefits are desirable elements that entice housemates to join the programme and the producer to start and maintain the BBN show. The majority of the audience of the BBN programme feels the programme does not teach valuable lessons on life and love to the audience as claimed by others because the behaviour that the housemates portray on television is highly anti-social and inimical to the cultural values of Africans. This group of audience, therefore, believes public romance and sex in the open should not be part of the lessons that young Africans should be teaching their audiences to learn. Appropriate conclusions and recommendations were made based on the analysis carried out in this study.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
When reality television shows first appeared on our television screens in the 21st century, they quickly attracted and kept viewers. Today, it is customary in Nigeria to watch one reality show after another on television stations airing either locally or through terrestrial broadcasting institutions. These programmes, which portray live unscripted and unedited motion pictures, have undeniably become more and more popular. Reality television shows are here to stay based on the frequency with which people discuss their material. The networks are being overtaken by reality television, which is having an even greater impact than conventional television(Allan, 2018).
For many of its viewers, particularly the young and female segments of the population, reality television has developed into some form of addiction over the years. Reality television programmes are becoming a mainstay of television programming, claims Arah (2017). Many factors influence how many people watch reality TV. According to Arulchelvan (2019), a draw of reality television is that it “helps viewers to feel important because watching ordinary people on the programme allows them to fantasise that they may attain superstar status by being on television. (Arah, 2017).
The majority of international television programming now consists of reality-based programmes. Reality-based programmes have dominated television programming in the twenty-first century thus far, as anyone who has watched events on television for the past five years may easily agree (Aubrey et al., 2020). Reality television has dominated mainstream television programming for the past few years and offers relatively cheap entertainment (Conteh, 2021). Without a doubt, reality TV has turned into a pastime that many television stations now rely on to attract enormous audiences and commercial sponsorship. Television programmes like the FOX-sponsored American Idol, the Delta State Government-sponsored Delta Talent Quest, Star Quest, Gulder’s Ultimate Search, MTN’s Project Fame, Glo’s Naija Sings, ABC’s The Bachelor, GTBank’s The Debator, NBC’s The Apprentice, Maltina’s Family Dance All, and even cable programmes like MTV’s The Real World continue to regularly take over television stations’ timeslots. American Idol on FOX is the most-watched non-sports programme in network history and was the most-watched programme overall for the full 2004–2005 television season (Nielsen Ratings, 2005). In Africa, viewers of the DSTV satellite channel’s Big Brother Africa programme enjoy great popularity(Conteh, 2021).
Nowadays, a lot of reality television is aimed at young people, many of whom are students. These viewers frequently identify with the individuals in the shows and may view some of them as role models. Many of these young people, many of whom may be college students, would not be able to tell the difference between reality television and the actual world(Deller, 2020). For instance, a large number of students from Nigerian universities pack audition rooms for reality television shows because they are desperate for the instant recognition that these shows will bring them. These young people just anticipate success as a result of their talents, which reality-based programmes reflect, rather than seeing success as a process that must be trained for. As shown in the auditions for shows like Glo Naija Sings, Star Quest, and others, they also give the kids a platform for showcasing and catapulting them into overnight celebrities (Deller, 2020).
Globally, reality television is gradually winning over television networks and marketers. Today, reality television is broadcast in a variety of formats on televisions in different households due to the low production costs and large viewership numbers. The interactive features of the broadcasts, which allegedly allow viewers to actively affect the events seen on television, accentuate the “genuine” drama of the programmes. In a variety of reality television programmes, including Big Brother Africa, MTN Project Fame, Maltina Family Dance All, West African Idol, and the Gulder Ultimate Search, viewers are invited to participate in making unknown contestants into celebrities so they can experience the glamorous life of fame, success, and celebrity(Deller, 2020).
A reality television programme, for instance, claims to not “act out” unfolding events; rather, everything that occurs is “unplanned” and “genuine,” yet it is documented so that viewers can watch continuous or live happenings as they happen. There are no actors here; only young individuals competing for the top prize of the reality programme, who most likely live in the same area. The setting varies depending on the theme of the reality programme. As a result, issues arise because some people think reality television promotes laziness. Some people may also regard television reality programmes as an additional way to exploit the susceptible minds of the shows’ young viewers without suffering any unfavourable moral consequences. Another problem is the obsession with fast celebrities. Many young people are now finding their hidden abilities and using reality television as a platform to become famous with little to no effort(Deller, 2020).
Statement of the Research Problem
Big Brother Naija 2021: Shine Ya Eye, one of Nigeria’s most popular reality television series, came to an end on Sunday, October 4, 2021, with Hazel Oyey Onou, commonly known as White money, being declared the winner. The 71-day run of the edition started on July 24(Ogunnubi, 2021). A tantalising ninety (90) million USD grand prize was awarded to the victor. This includes a cash prize of thirty (30) million dollars, funds in an Abeg digital wallet, bitcoins donated by Patricia, a two-bedroom apartment from RevolutionPlus Property, an SUV from Innoson Motors, a trip for two to Dubai, a weekend getaway to Seychelles from Travelbeta, and several other consolation prizes. In the wake of the closing ceremony, the organisers of the show, Multichoice company revealed that a whooping three point five (₦3.5) billion was used in organising the 2021 edition(Ogunnubi, 2021).
Surprisingly, the audience’s interest in the show was the highest of everything mentioned above. The host of the programme, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, asserts that the 2021 season earned approximately 1 billion votes. Throughout the show, the traditional media, and particularly social media, was inundated with posts complaining about the issue. On Sunday, October 4, one of these authors was offline all day and turned on his cell data two hours after the ceremony ended. The first thirty news stories that appeared on his social media feeds were about the concert. The computer system should have typically given posts about football on the author’s timeline priority as he is a football enthusiast. Nonetheless, there were more Big Brother Naija posts than there were about Liverpool’s game versus Manchester City that day. This begs the question of why audiences are more drawn to reality television shows like Big Brother Naija and others. It is based on the above premises that the researcher sought to investigate student perception of the effectiveness of advertising on reality tv, using Big Brother Titan as a study.
The Objective of the Study
The main objective of this study is to investigate student perception of the effectiveness of advertising on reality tv, using Big Brother Titan as a study. Specific objectives of this study include to:
- Find out the perception of the audience about the Big Brother Naija reality television show.
- Discover the content of the Big Brother Naija reality television show that captures the audience’s interest most.
- Ascertain the factors responsible for the growing popularity of Big Brother Naija reality television show amongst its audience.
Research Questions
The following research questions came up in this study:
- What is the perception of the audience about the Big Brother Naija reality television show?
- What content of the Big Brother Naija reality television show captures the audience’s interest most?
- What are the factors responsible for the growing popularity of Big Brother Naija reality television show amongst its audience?
Significance of the Study
The prevalence of reality television programmes in Nigeria today, which has sparked debates regarding their meanings, perceptions, etc., makes this study crucial. This paper makes important advances in theory, application, and research. The results are anticipated, theoretically, to confirm prior hypotheses and ideas in the field of television influence/affect, perception, and reality television studies. Without a doubt, the study will add to the body of knowledge already available on reality television and its consequences, notably in the areas of perception and television influence. Hence, it has been objectively proven how university students view reality television programmes. Researchers now have actual data they can use, analyse, or try to duplicate in their research. Furthermore, it is anticipated that television producers, especially those of reality television, will interpret this study as an exposé of how their shows are influencing viewers.
With this study, viewers who are consuming television programming will better comprehend their role in the television production process because they will learn how reality television shows affect people’s lives based on the comments gained from the study’s findings. The study’s findings, which demonstrate how television and reality television affect the lives of children and wards, should be of interest to parents in light of the achievement of the study’s aims.
Scope of the Study
This study focused on investigating student perception of the effectiveness of advertising on reality tv, using Big Brother Titan as a study. The study also discusses how students view the Big Brother Naija reality TV program, the elements of the programme that most intrigue viewers, and the factors that have contributed to the program’s increasing popularity with viewers.
Limitations of the Study
The researcher struggled to get the episodes of the reality television programmes that were the focus of the study since the television stations wouldn’t give them the necessary data or information. Even the creators of reality TV shows were initially cautious before agreeing to only share the chosen episodes for analysis. The way the respondents responded to the researcher as the questionnaire was being delivered to collect the data was another important challenge. The researcher had to beg and convince a lot of the respondents that their replies would be kept confidential.
Definition of Terms
Reality TV/Reality Television: – a sort of television programme that is occasionally created in seasons and features contestants who are not always actors. It is also a form of programme that, for the sake of entertainment, places real people in genuine situations.
Reality Programming: – This is the practice of television and cable network stations scheduling reality television shows on a daily, weekly, or season-long basis.
Programme Schedule: – This is a daily schedule of television or broadcast programmes that have been arranged into time slots for airing to the intended audience.
Gratification: – This is a daily schedule of television or broadcast programmes that have been arranged into time slots for airing to the intended audience.
Organization of the study
There are five chapters in this study, the first of which discusses the background, statement of the research problem, aims, research question, and research hypotheses as well as the study’s significance, scope, and limitations. Chapter 2 contains conceptual, theoretical, and empirical reviews. The study methodology is covered in Chapter 3. This chapter covers the research design, the study’s population, the sample size and methodology, the data collection source and method, the study’s instruments, the data analysis method, and the validity and reliability of the study.
References
- Nwafor, K. A. & Ezike, M. O. (2021). Viewership of big brother Africa reality television show and its influence on the moral conduct of undergraduate students in Ebonyi State university, Abakaliki, Nigeria. Global Journal of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, 3 (5), 1- 15.
- Odutuyo, A. (2019). “CAN Calls for Boycott of BBNaija Show, Tags it Evil”. Legit.https://www.legit.ng/1349939-can-calls-boycott-bbnaija-show-tagsevil.html. “Things People Hate about Big Brother Naija” Nigeria News. 31st July 2019. https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com. PopOtiqn.d.
- Ogunnubi, O. (2021). The psychology of BBNaija explained. This Day. (online version). Retrieved from https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2021/10/05/thepsychology-of-bbnaija-explained/.
- Ogunnubi, O., & Akinlolu, A. (2020). Soft Power or Wasteful Entertainment?; Interrogating the Prospect of Big Brother Naija. The Common Wealth Journal of International Affairs,109(1): 71-85. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00358533.2020.1717088. PM News. (2019).
- Pahad, A., Karkare, B. & Bhatt, M. (2021). Influence of reality television shows on society. Indian Journal of Applied Research, 5 (4), 703 – 705. 174 GVU Journal of Communication Studies, Vol. 5, September 2022 https:journals.sau.edu.ng/index.php/sjmas.
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