The Relevance of Advertising as a Determinant of Customer Patronage in the Fast Food Industry
Chapter One
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The following objective in carrying out this research:
- To determine how advertising has affected the decision, selection and choice made by customers between Early fast food and chiky.
- To determine if taste alone affects the customer choice of either of the two.
- To find out if taste variable also affects the choice made by the customers of both products.
- To know if advertising affect the customer determinant and choice of either Early or Chiky in other to know if selling price for each determine its determinant.
- To identify what special features are contained in the advertising massage carried out for either Early or Chiky and how they affect customers.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
Our focus in this chapter is to critically examine relevant literatures that would assist in explaining the research problem and furthermore recognize the efforts of scholars who had previously contributed immensely to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps.
REVIEW OF CONCEPTS
The concept of advertising
According to Gillian Dyer, quoted in Ezianioma (2010, p. 1), advertising means “drawing attention to something”. According to Benson-Eluva (2005, p. 3), “advertising is non-personal way of communicating information that is paid by the sponsor through various media”. In Starch Nnanyelugo (1995, p. 11), advertising is “a type of public relations designed to encourage people to buy products”.
The Genesis and growth of advertising
The origin of advertising cannot precede the emergence of mass communication media. This is because advertising is essentially an attempt at mass communication. However, advertising using various forms of notices on rocks and buildings has been traced back to ancient Greek and Roman merchants who carved some trademarks in clay, wood or stone and hung them in front of their shops in the same way that we use in today’s tables. They used those signs to convey to their prospective customers the goods they had to sell including their prices and some other important information. In those days, they also made graffiti on the walls of their small shops to indicate the type of products available to their customers. Over time, advertising began to become a serious business and it was not long before people began to offer themselves as advertising specialists. The earliest known record of an advertising agency dates back to 1786. The newspaper quickly became a dominant advertising medium until the advent of television in the 20th century. With the opportunities that digital communications offer, just starting to realize that there seems to be a lot of change to come yet.
Benefits of Advertising
Proper advertising has a huge impact on the sales of products, which is why companies spend a lot of money to make an effective advertisement. Obviously, there are many benefits or advantages to advertising.
- Advertising informs people about different products and services.
- Advertising on non-commercial issues such as AIDS and POLIO can help educate people and keep them informed of related programs and events.
- For advertisers, advertising can help attract a large number of potential customers and have a positive effect on their products and services.
- Advertising can create a brand name for the product being promoted.
- Advertising can lead to direct customers in the form of feedback
(www.benefitsandadvantages.com⁄general⁄advantages–of–advertising.html. 2010)
Functions of advertising
According to Bovee and Aren(1986) cited in Ozoh (1998, p.13) the functions of advertising can be categorized as marketing, communication, education and social.
Marketing: Advertising sells a product, a service or an idea to the target audience.
- Communication: It serves to communicate information and messages to people thereby providing consumers with the buying information they need.
- Education: advertising imbue its audience with quality of “psychic mobility.” Through advertising consumers horizon are stretched beyond their immediate physical and mental confines such that they become aware of new consumption alternative.
- Social function: It has the capacity to do other things than sales like it promotes and advocate social value such as those bordering on sustainable development, child welfare, disease prevention etc
Advertising media
According to Amey (2013), advertising media are the means to transmit the message of advertisers to the desired class of people. It is also the channels or vehicles by which an advertising message is brought to the notice of the prospective buyers.
Types of advertising media
According to Ozoh (1998, p.46) advertising media can be classified into two broad categories; Schema media and Theme media
Scheme media
Some individuals have used the terms, “above–the–line media and below –the–line ” to categorize the two types of media
Under the theme media (above-the-line) are the following Newspaper
Magazine Radio Television Bill board etc
Types of scheme (below–the–line media) include the following
Pelmets
Calendars Stickers Others
ADVERTISING IN NIGERIA
Advertising in Nigeria is considered one of the first forms of mass communication, like town-crying. Town-criers were used in the dissemination of information on important ceremonies and in intertribal wars, disasters, marriages, births, deaths and so on. Town-criers are still used in many villages in Nigeria today to convey important information. The Town-crier is paid in kind to effectively structure and disseminate its message, at the right time and to the right audience. Another common advertising medium in Nigeria in the early days was the street vendor. Hawkers advertise their products by proclaiming product names and glorifying the attributes of such products. Despite its advertising validity, the oldest form of mass communication was soon put aside for modern mass communication in the media, which proved to be more powerful in the face of growing commercial growth in the delivery of advertising messages and a wider reach of the public .
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried out to examine the relevance of advertising as a determinant of customer patronage in the fast food industry. Customer distributors and the management and relevant staff of both early and chiky fast food in owerri metropolis form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of thirty-six (36) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only thirty (30) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 30 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
SUMMARY
In this study, our focus was to examine the relevance of advertising as a determinant of customer patronage in the fast food industry early and chiky fast food in owerri metropolis as a case study. The study specifically was aimed at determining how advertising has affected the decision, selection and choice made by customers between Early fast food and chiky, determine if taste alone affects the customer choice of either of the two, find out if taste variable also affects the choice made by the customers of both products, know if advertising affect the customer determinant and choice of either Early or Chiky in other to know if selling price for each determine its determinant, and identify what special features are contained in the advertising massage carried out for either Early or Chiky and how they affect customers.
The study adopted the survey research design and conveniently enrolled participants in the study. A total of 30 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondent are drawn from the customer distributors and the management and relevant staff of both early and chiky fast food in Owerri metropolis.
The findings of the study revealed that the customer in Owerri indicates that the price of chiky is higher than that of early. The study also revealed that advertising helps to create awareness of both products. Customers are more satisfied with the advertising that leads to purchase of chiky than Early
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the findings, recommendation were made, Both companies should engage in advertising strategies that are relevant and other promotional activities that appeals to customers for efficient and relevant goals achievement. The two companies should maintain continuous availability of their products. Early fast food should reduce the price of their product order to attract more customers. Early should look into the advertising that leads to more purchase of their product. If the above suggestions and recommendation are relevant and efficiently implemented both companies will experience a profound change in their advertising performance and customers will be better served. Both brand should try as much as possible to lower the price of their service to take into account all their target consumers and not consider advertising as the main reason for price increases. Advertisements must be genuine and attractive in order to attract and retain potential buyers for the advertised product. Also, both brands should try as much as possible to make their ads consistent in order to increase customer awareness and loyalty. Further more, both brands should also extend radio and television advertisements to billboards, posters and brochures so that advertising messages reach a large number of people as they however have been doing.
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