CHAPTER
TWO
LITERATURE
REVIEW
This chapter will be concerned
with the review of those relevant and related texts whose authors have contributed
to the issue and perspectives of television advertising and product adoption by
consumers. Hence, the following will serve as the heading for the view of
literature.
2.1 Product adoption in the plastic market:
The plastic industry in
Nigeria has witnessed different categories of adopters who have manifested
different attitudes toward the different plastic products in the market.
Since the
introduction of plastic product like chairs, plates cups, tables etc in the
early 1868 by different plastic industries like Leo-plast, KGM, Lion-king, Themoline
etc Nigerian consumes have manifested different characters towards these
products, and the attitudes of these consumers corresponds to the different
categories of adopters.
Umeh and Umanta (2002) called the
first adopters the innovators. They said that these are consumers who are
venture-some always willing to try new products. They are also ready to bear
the risk e.g. financial and social risks of trying the new products. They
constitute about 2 ½ % of the market. Within the year of
introduction of plastic products, especially chairs, most consumers were very
ready to adopt the products without really evaluating the quality, fancy or the
durability of the product. Most of these adopters were ready to bear the
financial risk of buying the products probably because of their need for the
product or their social status which does not allow them to evaluate the
products before buying them.
As there continue to be new
introduction of different plastic products and the emergence of more plastic
industries in the market, consumers began to be more critical and comparative
of the quality, fancies and the durability of the plastic products by the
different plastic industries. This now gave rise to another category of
consumers in the plastic industry and this group could be referred to as the
early adopters. Umeh and Umanta (2002) note that, this category of consumer
adopts new products early but carefully. They are guided by respect and are
greatly respected in the social group. Marketers often influence this group of adopters
in order to increase the adoption of their product.
Presently, the large number of plastic products by
different plastic companies brought the consumers to the level of critical
scrutiny. Most of them see and regard some of the plastic products as inferior
and others are superior and more durable which may be because of the
effectiveness of the advertising used by the different plastic industries. This
group of adopters is the late majority unlike the early majority. Thus, for Odimegwu,
the late majority represent about 34% of the market. They are
characteristically skeptical and are initially doubtful in their approach to
innovators. Their adoption to innovation may be due to social pressure. Consumer
finds it difficult to adopt new plastic products that are not part of the first
three products that was introduced in the market. If they must adopt the
product, they must have been pressured so much.
Finally, the
adoptions of a particular plastic product in the Nigeria market now depend on
how much the consumers know about the product. These consumers who buy because
others are buying are called the laggards. According to Umeh and Umanta, these
categories of adopters are suspicious of innovation and innovators. They are
often older and are at the lower end of the social and economic class. They are
tradition bound and believe something is only worth using when others people
are using it.
2.2 Impact
of Television Advertising on Product Adoption:
According to Onyeka (1999),
television advertising has a peculiar quality that makes it more result
oriented and profitable than other advertising media. It has an audio-visual
impact which is to say that the audience can view it and the same time hears about
the product being advertised. It is enough to say that, television advertising
has an element of dramatic performance in the screen which is designed as both
an educating and entertaining process because, while entertaining the audience,
the advertisers also unveils some message which they intend to pass across to
the prospective consumers/ audience.
Okereke (1999) notes that, this
peculiar feature of television advertising makes it the most viable medium of
advertising. With its clever nature and entertaining programmes, the
prospective consumers are often induced even against their plans to buy a
product.
The point here is that, unlike in
other media of advertising like radio, billboard, newspaper etc, television
advertising gives adequate representation of a product. It demonstrates the usage
and the benefits of a product and this often arose in the mind of the consumers
the feeling to patronize the product. The consumers are persuaded to visualize
in their mind the taste of a particular product in the case of an edible
product. They are also made to have a feeling of the comfort of service in the
case of product that is not edible. All these help to induce the consumers and
make them patronize a product.
Also, televisions advertising often
present a product as being inevitable and essential for the consumers to buy.
Onyeka (1999) noted that, television advertising present new life impression of
a product with its colourfulness and movement combined. This shows that
television advertising gives the prospective consumers adequate knowledge of a
product and also makes them believe that such product has an inevitable essence
and the impression which is created in their mind about the product becomes
lively, realistic and convincing.
In agreement with the above views,
Odimegwu (2000) notes that, unlike in radio and other advertising media,
television advertising re-assures the potential consumers of the reality,
usefulness and benefits of the products being advertised. The prospective
consumers are made to have abstract feelings of the product and this
intensifies the urge in them to buy the product . This shows that, television
advertising has a convincing strategy which induces the consumers to adopt a
product.
It is also important to notes that,
not all television advertising process are effective and efficient. The success
of any television advertising in promoting product adoption depends on how well
it is packaged by the advertisers and for it to be yielding, it must be based
on certain dramatic performance that are capable of enticing the consumers and
making their mind up for the product being advertised. This is why companies
have failed to realize the essence for which they invest in advertising. They
record less sales margin than even those companies that produce less quality
goods. The problem being that their advertisers have failed to structure their
advertising programmes in such a way that it will be reflective of what the
consumers need and what they may wish to see in a product.
Thus Okechukwu (2001) notes that,
the success of any television advertising lies on the ability of the advertiser
to develop programmes that are demonstrative of the ideal nature of a product,
its benefit and quality make-up, which will propel the consumers to buy the
product. Also, the colourfulness and attractiveness of the presentation gives
the product an edge over its competitors in the market.
It doesn’t go without saying from
the above views that television advertising is an effective and more viable
advertising medium. If it is well packaged, it promotes sales increase a
company’s profit margin and increase consumers adoption and constant patronage.
2.3 Employing
Advertising in a Competitive Industry:
Advertising according to Chukwuokolo (2000:52) plays
significant roles in competitive industries. For him, without the use of
effective and efficient advertising media, a company can easily loose out their
competitive irrespective of their product quality.
Therefore, to benefit from this
significant impact advertising on product adoption or consumer patronage,
certain techniques must be used to make sure the advertising package or
programme stands the taste of time and also measure effectively in the
competitive market. First, the advertising programme must be reflective of the
consumers’ needs and expectation. It has to be convincing and inducing as to
make the consumers develop confidence in the product,
According to Anibueze (2001:83), for a company to out
weight their competitors in the consumer market, their advertising network and
programmes must be colourfully presented. The advertising process employed must
be subtle, logical and attractive. It must be constantly presented in order to
create an indelible impression in the mind of the consumers. The point here is
that, to have a profitable advertising programme that can suffice the competitive
nature of the market, a company must maintain regularity and consistency in
their advertising process and programme. The media selected for the advertising
process must be strategic as to capture all the target market or consumer.
Again, the population who should benefit from the product being advertised must
be taken into consideration in the advertising programme. The dramatic
performance involved in the advertising programme must capture the test, the
fashion and the expectation of the target consumers. This is why Ikeogu
(2003:11) states that, an advertising process or programme is efficient and
effective if it is strategic, logical and reflective of the taste, fashion and
needs of the target consumers.
Similarly, the difficulties involved
in having an effective and efficient advertising lies in the fact that most
company lack the resources to embarks on strategic advertising while some that
have the resource do not channel it properly when it comes to the issue of
advertising. Another problem been that, most of the advertising agencies cannot
develop a well structured and inducing advert programme that will be very
profitable due to lack of advertising experience.
For Igbafen (2001), advertising is
very important to the growth of a company especially in competitive industries
but the efficiency of any advertising network or programme lies in, first, the
ability of the company to sponsor a very strategic advertising that is
information and inducing. Second, the ability of the advertising agencies to
develop a strategic well structured and well packaged advertising programme.
In the same way, what makes the
process sweet and encouraging is that, if after presenting the advertising
programme, the company witness large turn-out of consumers that adopts their
product against those of their competitors.
Secondly,
the company becomes re-assured that, their products have gathered more
popularity among their competitors in the consumer market.
According to Toye (2003) he noted
that, strong emphasis usually made by advertisers on the importance of the
goods and services being advertised often urge potential consumers to believe
that the use of the product is inevitable. Also, attempt to persuade the
audience that a product statue is like no other brand will position it in their
mind that the product is the best. It is obvious from the above view that
advertising helps to persuade the consumers and make them believe that a particular
product is the best when compared to its substitute. This is very important
because the aim of every business is turn-over, knowing fully well that without
consumer patronage, producers can hardly produce nor make profit out of the
capital they invest in the production process. This is to say that advertising
is very essential in every competitive industry and it helps a company to
maintain the position of product in their market.
2.4 Criteria
for Effective Television Advertising
Television advertising unlike any
other medium of advertising has certain criteria that makes it effective and
result oriented. According to Igbafem (2002), an effective television
advertising must be ethical which must not be against public morality, this means
that a given television advertising must be structured in such away that, it
respects the cultural values and ethical orientation of the social environment
of the consumers it intends to capture.
For a particular television
advertising to really induce the consumers to patronize a product, it must not
antagonize the people’s belief and moral orientation. For instance carrying out
a television advertisement of beer and other alcoholic drinks in the Northern
area of Nigeria will instead of inducing the consumer makes them hate the
product being advertised. This links Idoanuka (2001) which argued that, an
effective television advertisement must be censored by the Nigeria advertising
association to make sure that, it has the required standard of advertising
recognized by the society. And one of the standards is that, it must be
truthful. The advertising message presented by the advertising programme must
be a true representation of the quality of the product being advertised, its
uses and price. This is because, if the consumers in the long-run discovers
that the products being advertising has a different content from what the
advertising programme claims, it may discourage them to patronize the products.
Also, Okolie (2002) identifies the
criteria for effective television advertising the following word: An effective
television advertising must present a good image of the product being
advertised. It must reflect the current trend of taste and fashion of the
targeted consumers, above all, it must be consumer friendly as to arise their
interest and urge to buy the product.
It is also important to note that,
advertising is a two-way thing. While it helps to induce the consumers, it must
also be profitable to the organization. Hence, for Adler (2001), an effective
television advertising must be profit oriented and must be structured and
programmed in such away that, it will help to increase the company’s profit
margin. This is because where a given television advertisement increases
consumers adoption but does not promote the profit of a company, then, it is
not effective and result oriented. Also, according to Chukwuokolo (2000) states
that, effective television advertising must be in consonance with the provision
of the consumers’ protection agencies and the Nigeria standardization of
organization. This is to properly evaluate the product being advertised and
also convinces the consumers that the product is a standard product and can
meet their taste, need and fashion.