DETERMINING THE EFFECT OF ADVERTISI NG MEDIA ON CHILDREN, A

STUDTY OF CONFECTIONERY INDUSTRY

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Advertising is the art of arresting the human intelligence just long enough to get money from it

(Blore, 2000). Adverts are part of our daily lives whether you realise it or not. Every day we meet

them at every turn and in different forms. Advertising as a tool of communication mix is a part of

the corporate strategy as the long term. It is also addressed at the operational level directly across

the product life cycle. Effective management of marketing communications by a firm has a

significant impact on its operations in a highly competitive environment. There are many definitions

of advertising, but what they have in common is a communication between sponsors and to whom

are the products or services offered through any medium with commercial aim (Vysekalová, 2011).

It is a tool of marketing that disseminates information about a brand which is aimed at a large

number of people at the same time using purchased space or time in various mediums.

Media generally defined, is, the main means of mass communication, especially newspapers, radio

and television regarded collectively; the reporters, journalists among others working for

organizations engaged in such communication. The first recorded usages of mass media as a term

was in 1923, in Advertising & Selling. Here, mass media is loosely defined as “representing the

most economical way of getting the story over the new and wider market in the least time”.

Therefore advertising media selection is the process of choosing the most cost-effective media for

advertising, to achieve the required coverage and number of exposures in a target audience. In
marketing and advertising, a target audience is a specific group of people within the target market at

which a product or the marketing message of a product is aimed at (Kotler, 2000). Discovering the

appropriate target market or markets and determining the target audience is one of the most

important activities in marketing management (Niewenhuizen et al. 2000). Target audiences are set

to focus on different groups and may be adults, teens, children or even preschoolers. It is essential

to become familiar with your target market, their habits, behaviours, likes, and dislikes. Fill (2005)

says that advertising is viewed together with customers‟ experience and also recollection of the

brand”. It means that the role of feeling that customers get from advertising is essential for building

brand awareness and brand strength. Consequently, advertising is said to have an impact on the

consumers‟ behaviour and personal attitudes towards the product or service”. The interest

stimulated by the commercials will determine the level of customers‟ involvement in purchasing

process: high or low” (Evans et al. 2006). The advertisement content and appeal can be stimuli for

the watchers to pay attention to the message, process the information, compare it with what the

other companies in the same marketing niche are saying, and finally make a decision concerning the

product or service.

The confectionery industry is made of firms that produce based on two broad and somewhat

overlapping categories, bakers' confections and sugar confections. Bakers' confections are sweet

foods that feature flour as a main ingredient and are baked. Major categories include cakes, sweet

pastries, doughnuts, scones, and cookies. Sugar confections include sweet, sugar-based foods; this

includes sugar candies, chocolates, candied fruits and nuts, chewing gum, and sometimes ice cream.

The target audience for the confection industry are mostly children but all ages are inclusive.

Advertising as one of the activities of external marketing “whether it is on an international, national,

local or direct basis, is important, as it can influence audiences by informing or reminding them of

the existence of the brand, or alternatively by persuading them or helping to differentiate a product

or organization from others in the market” (Fill, 2005). This means that an advert will stir up
feelings which the ultimate desire will be a like and inspire purchases, and will be beneficial for

both producers and consumers as it educates them on the uses of the product.

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT

The American Psychological Association is joining the debate on the potentially harmful effects of

advertising on children by recommending that the government restrict marketing to those younger

than sev en or eight because they are unable ''to recognize advertising's persuasive intent.'' Children

rejoice over eating candy for instance, and prefer it to any other useful foods. Several studies

document that young children request more junk food which is defined as foods with high-caloric

density but very low nutrient density after viewing commercials. Children nowadays are addicted to

watching television mostly, and viewing posters and various billboards put up at almost every

corner in Ghana and now the internet, adding up to the digital age.

They try to read the information written or implied by the advert or brand and associate it to

however they understand it. Therefore, this research work seeks to address the problem that most

children in Ghana are experiencing as they are being exposed to various advertising media and to

examine the effects of them on the children for their craving for confections and how it affects their

eating habits. Also, it will address the spending on purchases of these confections by children in

Ghana.

1.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The general objective of this study is to find out about advertising media and the extent of its effects

on children in the confectionery industry in Ghana.

The study will be guided by the following objectives:

 To investigate the most known advertising media to children in Ghana

 To find out if children recognise adverts on confections in Ghana

 To identify the negative impact on the behaviour of children

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

In relation to the objectives of the study, the following research questions will be asked:

 What are the most known advertising media to children in Ghana?

 Do children recognise adverts on confections in Ghana?

 What negative impact exerts on the behaviour of children in Ghana?

1.5 LITERATURE REVIEW

With regards to literature, the study will examine advertising definitions and various media

concepts, and discuss factors relating to effects of advertising and how firms can frame strong but

less aggressive adverts. The literature review will examine studies conducted on advertising, citing

from authorities in advertising media and tapping into contemporary and historical advertising

research.

1.6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

1.6.1 RESEARCH DESIGN

For the purpose of this research, an exploratory research design will be adopted by the researcher to

execute the research. Hair, Bush and Ortinan (2006) postulated that exploratory research refers
research intended to develop initial ideas or insights and to provide direction for any further

research needed; it is a preliminary investigation of a situation. Alternatively, the researchers

Dillon, Madden and Neil, (1993) also said that exploratory research is a research design that

provides managers with ideas and insights about broad and/or vague research problems. Based on

all this information about exploratory research, the researcher believes it would be an appropriate

research design to use in the conduct of this work.

1.6.2 RESEARCH POPULATION

The population under consideration for this research work will be students of basic schools.

Population is defined as the entire group under study as specified by the objectives of the research

project (Burns & Bush 2000).

1.6.3 SAMPLE SIZE

The sample size refers to a selection of respondents from the population under consideration for the

research. According to (Burns & Bush 2000), a sample is a subset of the population that should

represent that entire group. They also said that a sample begins with a population definition. A

sample size of sixty consisting of (40) pupils of Primary school and twenty (20) pupils of Junior

High school would be chosen using the convenience sampling technique.

1.6.4 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE

Convenience sampling will be used in the selection of the sample size for this research.

Convenience sampling is used in exploratory research where the researcher is interested in getting

an inexpensive approximation of the truth. As the name implies, the sample is selected because they
are convenient. This nonprobability method is often used during preliminary research efforts to get

a gross estimate of results without incurring the cost or time required to select a random sample

(Wong 1999).

1.6.5 SOURCES OF DATA COLLECTION

In this research, both primary and secondary data will be collected. Secondary data will be collected

initially to gain an insight into the research problem, and subsequently aid in the structuring of the

data collection tool for the gathering of primary data. Aaker, Kumar, & Day (1995) state that

primary data refers to “original data” whilst secondary data refers to data that were collected by

persons or agencies for purposes other than solving the problem at hand. The researchers would

obtain primary data through the data collection instrument of the questionnaire whilst secondary

data will be obtained from books, journals and the internet.

1.6.6 DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT

In this research, the data collection instrument to be used is a questionnaire containing designed

using a likers scale on a range of 1-5 measuring “strongly agree” responses to “strongly disagree”.

The questionnaire will help in obtaining quick and relevant responses that can aid in arriving at a

premise as far as the objectives of this research are concerned.

1.6.7 DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION

Data gathered from this research work will be analysed using quantitative tools and techniques.

Descriptive statistical tools such as percentages, frequencies etc. will be adopted to conduct the

analysis whilst the data will be presented using tables and charts.
 1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

1.7.1 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study will be restricted to the advertising practices specifically adopted by confectionery firms

in Ghana. This is because the concept of advertising is vast and broad and cannot be exhausted in

this research. However, the researcher seeks to identify and investigate into the advertising practices

of confectionery firms in Ghana.

1.7.2 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Like all other research, there are bound to be some limitations and constraints. The researchers

anticipate the following constraints:

 The limited number of researchers resulted in the selection of a sample size consisting of sixty

(60) respondents, which is an inadequate representation of the selected population

 Time constraints may also limit the extensiveness of the research conducted

 Due to an absence of funding, the research will be funded by the researchers who are students

 A comparative case study will have done justice to the research topic, but the lack of resources in

terms of personnel and financial resources will result in the selection of basic schools of normal

standard.

1.7.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study when completed will be significant for the following reasons:

 It will serve as a source document that can be relied upon for reference and citation and can

engender debate on the conceptual of advertising

 It will act as a framework that can be relied upon by other researchers and students
 It will close the issue gap and context gap that exists as far as studies on advertising of

confections in the Ghanaian context is concerned

 The findings will be relevant for industry practitioners and human resource managers in policy

formulation as far as advertising are concerned.

1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

Chapter one introduces the research and comprises the background of the study, research problem,

research objectives, research questions, overview of literature review, research methodology, scope

and limitations of the study and significance of the study.

Chapter two will present a review of relevant literature in advertising and media selection.

Chapter three will entail the methodology that will be used to conduct this study. The research

design, population, sample size, sampling technique, sources of data collection and data collection

instruments will all be evaluated. Methods of data analysis and presentation will be discussed as

well.

Chapter four will deal with the data presentation and analysis of findings.

Lastly, Chapter five will comprise the summary of the research work, implications,

recommendations and directions for future research.