Review of Communication and Media Studies

Vol. 3/No. 2 May 2018, pp 82 - 96 May 2018 82

Consumer Perception of the Advertising Media for Coca - cola

Products in Port Harcourt

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Umor Francis Ebenezer & Blessing German

The study examined consumer perception of the advertising media for Coca - cola products in Port
Harcourt. The study adopted the descriptive survey design. A sample of 400 subjects was randomly
drawn from the population of 5000. Questionnaire was used as the instrument for collection of data for
the study. Survey research design was also adopted to gain access to the population, the data gathered
from the field were analyzed using descriptive statistics that is , the use of simple frequency tables,
percentages and weighted mean scores (WMS) computed a from - point Likert-scale questions in the
instrument. The findings of this study indicated that, the consumers perceived the use of bill board as
advertising media by Coca cola based on the fact that the messages were clear and understood,
indelible in their minds ,attracts customers and demonstrates them on how to use the products, the
same applies to the use of electronic media. They also held the view unanimously that ,the use of
social media for Coca cola advertisements rested on the fact that they are convenient, quick and
cheap. The study recommended that companies and advertising agencies should pay attention to
consumer's needs such as taste , preference, interest and values so as to convince them to go for the
products and to adopt appropriate media for advertisements to reach the people.
Key Words: Consumer perception, Advertising, Media, Coca-Cola products, Port Harcourt

i
Introduction

Advertising is a form of marketing communication with the purpose of encouraging or

persuading an audience who could be readers, viewers or listeners, sometimes a specific group
to continue with, or take up some new actions (Udoudo, Arugu & Ikems, 2016). Product
advertising is generally considered the most effective form of marketing mix. A majority of
product advertising features slogans that the audience can easily relate to the product.
Advertising is primarily a means by which producers or manufacturers communicate to
prospective buyers about the existence of the products or services via the mass media. Jefkins
(1995), observes that, advertising has become an integral part of today's marketing scenario. He
maintains that in earlier times, advertising was not given as much emphasis as it is given today.
According to Gupta (2005) “advertising is the dissemination of information concerning an idea,
service or product to compel action in accordance with the interest of the advertiser. These
interests may include buying, selling or image building”. Advertising is a mass communication
tool which is essentially paid for by a firm or an individual whose ultimate purpose is to give
information, develop attitudes or induce actions, that are useful to the advertiser. In essence,
advertising presents and upholds ideas, commodities and services of a recognized advertiser
which serves as a communication link between the producer and the potential buyers. It gives
the information to the world, and buyers who are interested in getting information about a
product and the manufacturer. Advertising however, may be taken as one of the most efficient
means of
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Umor Francis Ebenezer lectures at the Department of Mass Communication, Rivers State University. Blessing German is a
postgraduate student, Department of Mass Communication, Rivers State University.
 Consumer Perception of the Advertising Media for Coca - cola Products in Port 83
Harcourt

reaching people with the product information, by presenting a mass persuasion apart from
disseminating information to the prospective buyers about the product and the producer.
While creating awareness and popularity, it seeks to persuade. The awareness and persuasion
can cover various aspects of the lives of its buyers. Advertising also is at the heart of the
marketing strategy for most consumer goods. Of all marketing instruments, it is renowned
for its long lasting impact on viewers' minds as its exposure is much broader (Kakte, 2003).

There are companies and business organizations in the market place that supply goods and
services. On the other hand, the masses make a lot of potential consumers of goods and
services. These consumers at all times search for products via the appropriate mass media
they frequently exposed themselves due to the perception and gratifications they derive from
such exposure, (Musa,2016), These products that can satisfy their basic needs like housing,
food and clothing tend to enhance their lives. There are other products in the market place that
are not so fundamental to life. Such products hardly fall within the orbit of the common man
are thought to purchase. Advertising plays a role in the marketing of each category of goods.
To the must-have goods, advertising enables the consumer to make a choice among existing
brands; it provides information relating to product availability, location, and cost. To the set
of products, advertising stirs up the latent drive for a product in a potential consumer that
stems from his conscious or unconscious needs and contributes to his purchasing action
(Weigold & Aren, 2008).
Owing to the barrage of brands competing for consumers' attention advertisers no longer rely
on product differentiation based on functional attributes. Such attributes no longer create
the lasting identity advertisers desire for their products.

Marketers consequently attribute certain characteristics to their products that can arouse some
emotions in the consumers that read, hear or behold the advertisement,(Jalees,2006), the
marketer succeeds in creating an emotional link that connect the consumer and the product
together. Advertising methodically uses such emotional/psychological appeals to win
consumers over an attempt to corner the available market for a product. The concept of
perception correlates with the process by which consumer selects organizes and interprets
information to make meaning of something. It is the individual's innate way of appreciating
products or services via the mass media. According to Arens et al (2008), humans are not
limited by their physical senses. They are equally affected by feelings and interest. Each
individual uses some psychological screens to appraise, sift and customize information
about products and services through the medium or media that best suit them. Result –
oriented advertising endeavors' to penetrate the perceptual /psychological screens to register
favorable impression in the potential consumers. Belief s and attitudes shape the consumers
perception of the product. They are factors that are difficult to change since they stem from
the individuals' personality and lifestyle. Consumers weigh down belief- discrepant
information. At bets they tend to selectively retain or distort the information to align it with
held beliefs.

There are fundamental factors that influence consumers' perception of advertising media for
Coca cola products. Such factors include: cost, nature of the products, credibility, quality and
branding, (Smith, 2003). Consumers compile good or bad experience in their memories that
serve as reference point to help organize them in similar situation. The experience influences
their perception of products. They tend to avoid or accept products according to the
experience they have of it.
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Statement of the Problem

The consumer voluntarily or involuntarily undergoes a sequence of processes that enable
them to make the choice of advertising media they tend to expose themselves to. This
choice of media helps them to select the appropriate media they perceive as good, reliable
and present correct information about the products. This means that, the consumers are no
longer passive but active in the selection of the media they tend to expose themselves
especially to the advertisement of coca cola products. Most companies and advertising
agencies have failed to monitor the demographic and psychographic characteristics of the
consumers'.
This abrupt negligence has led to untold down turn in sales and even loss of money and
customers. Also, attention has not also been given to the factors that influence consumers'
perception of the advertising media for coca cola products. This is the core area this study
seeks to find answer to.

Objectives of the Study

The specific objectives of the study are
to:
1. ascertain the perception of consumers as of the use of bill board as an advertising
medium by Coca cola.
2. investigate the perception of consumers of the use of electronic media.
3. find out the perception of consumers of the use of social media for Coca cola
advertisements.
4. find out which medium influences the perception of consumers the most?

Research Questions
From the foregoing, therefore, the following research questions were
raised:
1. To what extent has advertising influenced the perception of consumers of the use
of bill board?
2. What are the factors that influence the perception of consumers of the use of the
electronics media?
3. What is the perception of consumers as regards to the use of social media for Coca
cola advertisements?
4. What are the advertising media mostly used by Coca cola company to make its
product known?

ii
Literature Review
This study was hinged on two theories, that is, the Uses and Gratification theory and
Individual Differences Theory. The idea that media use depends on the perceived
satisfactions, needs, wishes or motives of the prospective audience member is almost as old
as media research itself as audience are often formed on the basis of similarities of individual
need, interest and taste. Many of these appear to have a social or psychological origin and
typical of such “need” are those for information, relaxation, companionship, diversion or
“escape”. Audience for particular media and kinds of media content can often be typified
according to such broad motivational types (McQuail, 2005).

This line of reasoning belongs to a research school and orientation known as the “Uses and
C onsumer Perception of the Advertising Media for Coca - cola Products in Port Harcourt 85

Gratification Theory”. It originated out of the search for explanation of the great appeal of
certain staple media contents with the question being: Why do people use the media, and
what do they use them for?

The Uses and Gratification theory originated from the functionalist perspectives on mass
media communication. The maiden research dates back to early 1940s and focused on the
reasons for the popular appeal of different radio programmes, especially “soap operas” and
quizzes, and also looked at daily newspaper readings (Lazarsfield & Stanton, 1949). These
studies gave some startling findings, for instance, that day time radio soap operas although
often dismissed as superficial and mindless stories to fill time were also found significant by
their (women) listeners as a source of advice and support, a role model of house wife and
mother or an occasion for emotional release through laughter or tears (Warner & Henry,
1948). In a similar study on newspaper audience, it was also discovered that these were more
than just sources of useful information, but also important for giving readers a sense of
security shared topics for conversation and a structure to the daily routine (Berelson, 1949).

In the same vein Ndolo (2006) citing Katz, Stanton & Lazarsfield (1974) summarized the
major tenets of the Uses and Gratification theory as concerned with:
1. The social and psychological origins
of
2. Needs which
generates
3. Expectations
of
4. The mass media or other sources which lead
to
5. Differential patterns of media exposure(or engagement in other activities) resulting
in
6. Need gratifications
and
7. Other consequences, perhaps mostly unintended
ones.

Ndolo (2006) further adds that it is a theory that is audience-centered for it asks what
people do with the media rather than what the media do to people. Some of the adult needs
satisfied by the media include surveillance, excitement, guidance, relaxation, tension
reduction, social integration, entertainment; escape self and personal identity, social contact
and information acquisition.

On the other hand, Hassan(2013) posits that, the Uses and Gratifications theory “arose out of
studied which shifted their focus from what the media do to the people to what people do
with the media”. The 'Uses' approach assumes that audience are active and willingly
expose themselves to the media. The uses of mass media are dependent on the perception,
selectively and previously held beliefs, value and interest of the people. The term
'Gratifications' refers to the rewards and satisfaction experienced by audience after the use
of the media; it helps to explain motivations behind media use and habits of media use.
Three distinct groups of Uses and Gratifications studies can be distinguished. The first of
these groups conducts inquiries into the range of satisfaction derived from mass media
consumption of the messages and information. Second group looks at the social and
environment circumstances that are responsible for people turning to the media in the
first place. The third looks at the needs audience members are attempting to satisfy. Uses
and gratification theory attempts to explain the uses and functions of the media for
individuals, groups and society in general. There are three objectives in developing uses and
gratification theory:
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1. To explain how individual use mass media messages and information to satisfy
their needs.
2. What do people do with the
media?
3. To discover underlying motives for individuals media
use.
4. To identify the positive and negative consequences of individual media uses as at
the core of uses and gratification theory lays the assumption that audience member
actively seek out the mass media to satisfy individual needs.

The Uses and Gratification theory finds deep expression here. This is because it helps in
expanding and explaining the phenomenon that individual needs, interest, predisposition,
beliefs, norms, values and attitudes influence consumers' perception of the advertising media
for coca cola products.

The psychological approach to understanding communication effects gave rise to many

theories among which an important one is the individual difference theory. As a different,
thus individuals will react differently to a particular media. Melvin Defleur and Everette
Denis (1960), gave the individual different theory a great boost. Such reactions are based
on the individuals own characteristics. Besides, when information flows to individuals, each
human being brings a unique pattern of predispositions to mass communication. An
individual's needs, attitudes, prior beliefs and other cognitive and emotional states play an
important part in screening and selective to what they read, listen to, or watch. Besides,
Klapper (2002) says it also means that the pattern of understanding and interpretation of one
person may be different from that of another who is attending to identical media content.
Thus, recognition of individual differences was an important factor leading to differences in
the impact of media output on different individuals. Besides, it also recognizes the existence
of different social categories of audience and with different effects of the media output. The
theory also recognizes the existence of different impact on social and cultural groups. The
individual difference theory finds expression here and becomes imperative because it helps
to explain the rationale behind the different consumers' perception of the advertising
media for coca cola products by Port Harcourt city.

Consumer Perception
Consumer perception refers to the process, way , by which consumer select, organize, and
interpret stimuli into a meaningful, consistent and coherent picture of a product. Consumer
perception has strategy implication for marketers because consumer make decisions based on
what they perceive rather than on the basis of objective reality. Consumer stimuli from the
environment are based on the interaction of their expectations and motives with the stimulus
itself. According to Chris Blank (2008) consumer perception applies to the concept of
sensory perception to marketing and advertising. Just as sensory perception relates to how
humans perceive and process sensory stimuli through their five senses. Consumer perception
pertains to how individuals form opinions about companies and the product they offer
through the purchase they make. They also use consumer perception theory to develop
marketing and advertising strategies intended to retain their customers and attract new ones.

Role of Consumer Perception

Consumer perception plays roles in advertising which are as
follows:
C onsumer Perception of the Advertising Media for Coca - cola Products in Port Harcourt 87

Influencing Perception: Consumers continually combine all the information they have
gathered about a company to form decision about whether the company offers value. More
so, consumer perception is an approximation of reality “consumer Behavior”. By Atul
Kr.Sharma. companies attempt to influence the perception of reality, sometimes through
playing tricks and manipulation but often just by presenting themselves in the best possible
light. For example advertising often trumpet the quality and convenience of a product,
hoping to foster a consumer perception value, which can pay off with increase sales.

Reaching Consumers: The key factor in influencing consumer perception is exposure, the
more information consumer have about a product, the more comfortable they can buy the
product. As a result company do all they can to publicize their offering. To influence
consumers' perception, a company must not only expose its product to consumers, it also
makes it product stand out from others.

Risk Perception: Consumer risk perception is another factor company must take in to
consideration when trying to encourage buying behavior. The more risky a preposition is, the
more difficult it gets to the consumers to act. If consumers aren't familiar with a brand of
product, they can't assess the risk involved;

Customer retention: Successful company don't relax once a customer makes purchase, they
continue to foster the perception that results in profitable behavior. Once consumer has tried a
product, the task becomes to maintaining a good reputation and establishing brand loyalty.
Offering superior customers' service is an effective tactic because it maintains the perception
that the company cares about its customers' best interest.

Stages of Consumer Perception

There are four distinct stages of consumer
perception:
Sensation: Sensation describes what occurs when a person's sense are initially exposed to the
external stimulus of a product or brand advertising. The sensory receptors of a consumer are
engaged by product or brand cues through sight, sound, taste and texture.
Attention: Attention occurs when a person lingers and gives mental processing capacity to
the external stimulus from a product or brand. Selective attention is when a consumer focus
his attention to messages that are consistent with its attitudes, beliefs and needs. When a
product is not consistent with these stages, the consumer will withdraw attention.
Interpretation: Interpretation comes when a person assigns a meaning to the sensory
stimulus from a product brand. Understanding is aided by expectations and familiarity. A
consumer keeps his memory to retrieve previous experience with the brand.
Retention: The consumer perception process is the retention stage. It marked by the storage
of a product or brand information in long-term and short-term. The advertising goal is to
provide positive stimulus in the proceeding stages that translate into the consumers
storing the information about the product or brand into long –term.

Media forAdvertising
The electronic media used in advertising include radio, television and internet. Of all radio is
the most popular. An effective radio advertisements hit the listeners (consumers) with a
punch that is surprising and relevant. Radio has a unique feature that showcases
music, drama
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programmes, news and talk shows that draws the attention of the listeners to the radio station.
The radio station that presents programmes that wins the attention of the listeners or audience
enjoys wider listenership. So, advertisers tend to place their advertisements on the medium or
media that enjoy greater or wider circulation (chinedu,2000). Radio advertisements offers an
excellent combination of reach and frequency. The average adult listens more than three
hours a day, radio builds a large audience quickly and a normal advertising schedule easily
allows repeated impact on the listeners. Also , specialized radio formats, with prescribed
audiences and coverage areas, enable advertisers to select the market they want to reach a
specific sex, age group, ethnic or religious background, income group, employment category,
educational level or special interest,.(Hasan,2003).

Finally, radio offers its reach frequently and selectively at one of the lowest costs per
thousand and radio production is in expensive. National spots can be produced for about one-
tenth the cost of a television commercials.

On the other hand, television has a number of television stations. Television advertising has
been in fact replacing radio advertising. But even so, radio advertising has its own place and
is still alive, contrary to the expectations that radio advertising will be completely
replaced. However , the fact remains that radio advertising expenditures are being curtailed in
the make of television advertising which has become very popular,(Ndubuisi,2010).

Today, the medium of television is available to advertisers in two principal forms: Broadcast
and cable television. Broadcast television reaches its audience by transmitting
electromagnetic waves through the air across common geographic territory while cable
television reaches its audience through wires either strong form telephone poles or laid
underground.

It is interesting to note that, television advertisements have immense impact, no other

medium can ever compete with television as far as effective presentation is concerned.
Computer graphics has made it more effective. It arouses interest of the consumers in the
product or service. Television commercials and sponsored programmes have a great amount
of impact which is visual appeal to the sight of the consumers who tremendously see and
believe the product, also observe how the products are made, displayed and used as well as
the notable benefits,(Nworgu,2010). Television advertising notwithstanding offers an
immediacy that other forms of advertising cannot achieve, displaying and demonstrating
the product with sound and full colour right before the customers eyes,(Hasan,2013).

In the same vein, television advertising permit infinite original and imaginative appeals
through the various facets of television commercials-sight, sound motion and colour. Since
the public considers television the most authentic and influential medium, it offers advertisers
and consumers the prestigious image of appreciating Coca cola products.

Billboard advertising plays a very important role in the commercial world. Business men and
women in world pay great attention to the use of billboards in advertising their products and
services to the esteemed public and consumers.
Okon (1998) sees bill boards as a large outdoor printed design aimed at disseminating useful
information about the use of products or services by a company or business outfit. They are
placed strategically at specific locations to attract the attention of the public to the
Consumer Perception of the Advertising Media for Coca - cola Products in Port Harcourt 89

advertisements.

The billboard advertising considers a clear and impactful advertisement in marketing. Things
that make their research unique is that it attempted to explore the current status of this form
of advertising that whether it is still an effective medium on which the company should trust
to invest or not if it does, it identifies the current factors that are still relevant and may
contribute success of any particular organization.

Billboard advertising places an important role and it should place at moment. It is the best
way for introducing or advertising business products because it is an easiest way marketing
tool to communicate with different people. It catches the consumers' attention whether the
target audience gives important on billboard or not. It brand image, celebrity and customers
attention. In most cases, they are placed in the metropolitan or city where passengers and
pedestrians walking or crossing the roads can see and fix their eyes on them, read them and
understand the graphic or pictorial representation of the products or services. Nwachukwu
(2006), asserts that bill board as an advertising media plays a fundamental to manufacturers,
advertising agencies because they capture the attention of the people quickly and make
them understand the messages easily about the products and services. The messages remain
indelible in their mind and as they watch them, it makes them to go for the product
irrespective of the cost involved.

Of the phrase used often in this internet era is social media. Ndeze, Nwodu and Nwodu
(2015) conceptualize social media as internet based tools and services that allow users to
engage with each other, generate content, distribute and search for information online.
Quite unlike the traditional mass media, social media do not only provide people with
information but allow the end-users to interact and share ideas with other users in a web like
arrangement. Prominent among these online sites are Facebook, you tube, twitter, linked in,
blogs, my space that have contents based on user participation and user-generated content.
Similarly, companies and advertising agencies have adjusted a bit to meet up with the current
trend of communication technologies so as to reach the people at the possible time and
convenience.

Wolfsfeld, Seger and Sheafers (2013) asserted that products, services and other vital
information are advertised on the social media platforms. He went further to state
unequivocally that, Jumia as a company operates on time and displayed its product to the on-
line users and their prices. Consumers and the public make subscription and the goods are
delivered at one's door step.
Buttressing this position, Olley and Ekhareafo(2013) reinters that, companies and advertising
agencies had made tremendous advancement and profitability as well as so many customers
because the use of the social media platforms has been able to facilitate feedback from the
companies and customer. It has also fostered cordial interpersonal relationship between the
manufacturers, sales companies and their customers as well as the public.
Through social media consumers can share experience, opinion and knowledge, they can
interact easily with one another through online social media (Huang &Chen 2006), online
interaction and recommendation influenced consumer's product choice (Senecal and Nantel
2004).social media advertising provide ideal platform between an organization and its
customers
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Finally , the use of the social media have displayed banners which are cheap and appealing
compared to the traditional or mainstream media that are completely expensive and lacked
immediate feedback. It also cuts across all strata of the society who are exposed to the social
media platform at a particular point in time to see about the products and services.

Factors Influencing Consumers' Perception of Advertising Media for Coca Cola

Products Knowledge about the characteristics of various consumer public has been one of
the objectives of consumer research from its earliest beginning media research provides
information on demographic characteristic of the audience reached by specific newspapers,
magazines and radio or television programmes. It is very necessary to have an in depth
knowledge of the personality of intended consumers' since it helps to enhance sales and
media reach; (Sampson, 2010). In line with the factors influencing consumers' perception of
advertising media for coca cola products, Chukwuma(2015) asserted that, consumers hold
different views and perception for media advertisements for coca cola products. He holds
further that, certain prevailing factors informed consumers' perception towards media
advertising for coca cola products which include the beliefs, interests, values and attitudes
towards the media and the products. Emeka (2010) reiterated that, the time a particular
medium places the company advertisement go a long way to encourage attention to the
product or service. He stressed further that whenever a particular medium advertises its
product or service at peak time during network news when every household is at home, such
advertisement will get to almost everybody but when it is done in the morning and after when
people are not around, the message will not get to a large number of people and it will not
produce a positive result and feedback.

Also, Bright (2014) avers that convenience and accessibility draws the attention of the
consumers to be exposed to coca cola products because they are better displayed and
presented for them to see. Asemah (2013) buttressed further that, quality programmes,
popularity of the media and large number of audience, credibility as well as visual effects
encouraged consumers to choose a particular medium amongst others, while crosier (1990)
posits that cost and nature of the products necessitate the consumers to appreciate a particular
medium to expose themselves with. The positive or negative perception consumers hold
towards certain media influenced their predisposition towards advertisements in their media.

Empirical Review

A study entitled “Audience Perception towards Indomie Television Advertisements among

Lagos Residents” and carried out by Adebayo(2012) found that television was the preferred
medium to present advertisements to children and that interest, attitude, beliefs, values and
predispositions were relevant psychological factors that influence audience perception
towards Indomie television advertisements.

The survey research which used the questionnaire and structured interview for data collection,
sampled 250 respondents from Lagos metropolis. The advertisements encouraged parents to
pay much attention in preparing Indomie noodles for the children as breakfast. It
recommended that Indomie noodle should modify its language, style and jingles to meet the
needs of the consumers.
Consumer Perception of the Advertising Media for Coca - cola Products in Port Harcourt 91

In a study entitled “Port Harcourt Residents' Perception of Mobile - Phone advertised

Products” Tamunoibuomi (2014) found that Port Harcourt residents preferred television as
the best medium as the products advertised on television are demonstrated for
believability and practicability.

According to the study, people are awash with incessant bombardments of the advertisements
via television especially Nigeria Television Authority and Rivers State Television where
mobile phone products of different kinds - Nokia, Samsung phones etc have hit the market.
These messages have influenced the attitude and behaviour of the people in a way that, it has
made them go for the product because to them, it is meant to promote their social status, for
social interaction, business transactions, for fun and for academic purposes. Some of them
both old and young have resorted to several means to raise money to buy the product at all
costs because they feel it will give them satisfaction. Statistics has shown that Port Harcourt
being an industrialized and commercial city has attracted so many people who lived to earn a
living for themselves through the sale of GSM phones of all sorts have been on the increase
on daily basis due to advertisement on Nigeria Television Authority and River State
Television (Tamuno, 2016).

Although some see it as expensive particularly the poor masses but the privileged and the
wealthy men and women purchase the phones and use them for pleasure or for business
transactions. Today, in Port Harcourt, even in every street, both the rich and the poor, old and
young are found with one kind of phone or another, all in a way to communicate one's idea,
feelings and information to friends, parents and other colleagues in the work places. The
study concluded that, industries and companies should study the psychographics and
demographics of audience which would help in ascertaining the nature of their audience,
nature of product to be advertised and the appropriate media they are exposed to. This will
enable them to maximize results via its messages which in turn will expand the business
organization, provide profit and maintain brand loyalty. To this end, this study finds
expression in the present study that certain factors will be unravelled that make the
consumers prefer one medium to another in terms of advertising Coca cola products in Port
Harcourt.

iii
Methodology
Survey method was considered as the most appropriate for this study. The sample size for
this study was 400 using simple random sampling. The instrument for data collection was
the questionnaire. The reliability of the instrument was carried out and tested using the
Pearson Product Moment Correlation. Data gathered from the field were analyzed using
both the descriptive and inferential statistics – simple frequency tables, percentages and
weighted means score (WMS) computed from a five –point scale Likert – type questions.

iv
Data Presentation and Analysis
Research Question one
To what extent does advertising influence the perception of consumers of the use of bill
board as an advertising medium by Coca cola?
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Table 1: Perception of consumers of the use of billboard as an advertising medium by

Coca cola
S/N Perception . SA A U D SD WMS Decision
1. The messages are 100 50 20 5 25 3.98 Accepted
clear and easily
understood
2. It is indelible in 80 90 10 10 10 4.1 Accepted
the eyes of the
people
3. It is attractive to 70 70 30 10 20 3.8 Accepted
the people
4. It is credible 85 55 40 18 2 3.92 Accepted

The data in the table above shows that the respondents unanimously accepted that messages
displayed on billboards are clear and easily understood, indelible, attractive to the sight and
credible.

Research Question 2
What factors influence the perception of consumers of the use of the electronic media?

Table 2: Factors that influence consumer's perception of the use of electronic media
S/N Perception SA A U D SD WMS Decision
1 They are credible 120 50 20 8 2 4.4 Accepted
2 They are 100 60 30 7 3 4.24 Accepted
demonstrated for the
customers to see
them.
3 They attract the 80 70 25 20 5 4 Accepted
attention of the
customers.
4 They are repeated for 130 40 20 6 4 4.44 Accepted
message emphasis.

Also table 2 shows, the respondents all agreed that, the prevailing factors that influence
consumers' use of electronic media are credibility of channel, demonstration of products
for easy use, attractiveness of messages to the customers and repetition of messages for
emphasis.

Research Question 3
What is the perception of consumers of the use of social media for Coca cola
advertisements?
 Consumer Perception of the Advertising Media for Coca - cola Products in Port Harcourt 93

Table 3: The perception of consumers of the use of social media for Coca cola advertisements
S/N Perception SA A U D SD WMS Decision
1 They elicit quick 120 50 20 6 4 4.4 Accept
feed back
2 They are 100 60 25 10 5 4.2 Accept
convenient
3 They are fast 80 50 30 20 20 3.8 Accept
4 They are less 130 40 20 7 3 4.44 Accept
expensive.

As table 3 shows, the respondents agreed completely that, the use of the social media for
Coca cola advertisement is preferred because messages on social media elicit quick
feedback, are convenient, fast and less expensive.

Research Question 4
What are advertising media are mostly used by Coca cola company to make its products
known?

Table 4: Advertising media mostly used by Coca cola company to make its product
known.
S/N Perception SA A U D SD WMS Decision
1 Television 140 30 20 7 3 4.49 Accept
2 Radio 100 60 30 8 2 4.24 Accept
3 Social media 80 60 40 10 10 3.95 Accept
4 Bill boards 130 40 20 7 3 4.44 Accept

As table 4 shows, the respondents also unanimously agreed that the advertising media
mostly used by Coca cola company to make its products known are television, radio, social
media platforms ( face book, twitter etc) and billboards with television and billboards having
the highest appeal. The respondents unanimously agreed that the advantages of these media
greatly make Port Harcourt consumers repose tremendous confidence in Coca cola products
and even make them patronize its products and encourage their friends, families and loved
ones to keep pace with and maintain brand loyalty to Coca cola products. This is the reason
the Coca cola company has a very large size of the market among its competitors.

iv
Discussion of Findings
The findings of the study also showed that uses and gratification theory and individual
differences theory were relevant to the study because they identified core personal
characteristics such as needs, attitudes, beliefs, taste and perceptions that shape consumers'
perception of advertising media for Coca cola products in Port Harcourt.
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Umor Francis Ebenezer &Blessing German
2
94

This corroborates the position of Blank (2008) that consumers have preference for a
particular medium which advertises the products or service because of the prevailing interest,
values and beliefs and the satisfaction they derive. Also, advertising has been noted by
Asemah (2011) to reach the prospective customers and influence awareness and attract the
consumers to patronize the goods and services being advertised via the appropriate media.

Hasan (2013) opines that, in planning advertising campaigns, several steps are employed
which include situation appraisal, strategic planning, creative planning, generic strategy,
brand image strategy , product positioning and media planning. The idea agrees with
the fact that, advertising helps to inform the consumer and generate demand. It is
designed to create a favourable attitude and acceptability. It also assists in persuading
people about products, services and helps them to make informed decisions. The
findings also show, as Sampson(2010) and Chukwuma (2015) assert, that consumers
hold different views and perceptions towards media for coca cola products.

v
Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations
This study examined consumer perception of advertising media for Coca cola products in
Port Harcourt . A sample of 400 subjects was randomly drawn from the population of
5000. Questionnaire constituted the instrument for data collection. The data gathered from
the field were analyzed using descriptive statistics that is, the use of simple frequency
tables, percentages and weighted means (WMS) computed from a five-point Likert –type
questions in the instrument. Out of the 400 distributed copies of questionnaire, only 200 were
returned and this figure was used for the analysis.

The findings showed that the consumers television, radio, the social media and billboards
are the most used advertising media for Coca cola products with television and billboards
having the highest appeal..

From these findings, we conclude that no company can make headway or progress without
involving in intense advertising campaign. This is the reason Coca cola company takes
advertising as a fundamental tool in the marketing of its products to Port Harcourt residents.
In a bid to achieve a better result, companies in designing their advertising campaign
must consider certain factors such as the nature of the product, the time to present the
message, the cost and the appropriate media or channel to reach at least significant audience
so as to get them exposed to the advertisements.

From the conclusions, these recommendations are put forward:

1. Companies should employ professional advertisers to design their advertising campaigns
for them so as to get the desired results.
2. Companies should pay attention to consumer needs such as taste, preference, interest
values etc so as to convince them about the existence of their products/services.
3. Companies should pay priority attention to these important factors before embarking
on
 Consumer Perception of the Advertising Media for Coca - cola Products in Port Harcourt 95

advertising campaigns such as: cost, audience, size, appropriate media, nature of products,
nature of competition, size of the market, time allocation. This is because they are
determinants of advertising campaign success.
4. Companies and advertising agencies should adopt the combination of traditional,
mainstream media and below- the- line- advertising techniques to market their
product/service.

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