Advertising and Marketing Communication Real

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EMMANUEL TETE DARKO

Ads And Marketing Communication:

(Has TV Ad Faded in Importance?)

MVP Bonsaaso, Ghana

October, 2012

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Table of Contents Page

Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………3

Chapter 1: Introduction ……………………………………………………………….….......4

Chapter 2: Concepts Review,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,……………………………….……….5

2.1: Introduction…………………………………………………………………...5 2.1.2: Objectives………………………………………………………………..…5 2.1.3: Methodology………………………………………………………………..6 2.1.4: Findings……………………………………………………………………6-8 2.1.5: The Extent to Which The Objectives were Achieved………………….8 2.1.6: Conclusion and Recommendation……………………………………….9 2.1.7: Strengths…………………………………………………………………9-10 2.1.8: Theoretical Limitation………………………………………………….10-11 Chapter 3: Study Methodology………………………………………………………………12

Chapter 4: Findings And Discussions……………………………………………..........11-16

4.1: General Discussions of Relationships Amid

Previous Studies and Extant Study……………………………………..17-19

4.2: Limitations of The Paper……………………………………………………19

Chapter 5: Conclusion And Recommendation………………………………………….19-23

Reference……………………………………………………………………………………..24

Table of Figures Page

Figure 1: Findings of Assessment of effectiveness of marketing communication mix elements in Ethiopian service sector…………………………………………………………5 Figure 2: Findings of Quick service brands ads on TV turn off more Consumers: Percentage of surveyed consumers who rated the attributes to be very good or excellent…………………………………………………………………………………………6 Figure 3: Present Study Interview Findings………………………………………………..12 Figure 4: Variable of MARCOM Process…………………………………………………..16

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Abstract

Marketing Communications, frequently referred to as (MARCOM), in the past 7 decades was about driving messages to persuade prospective customers to act, but in recent times and with the influence of technology, it concerns dialogue with prospective customers to persuade them to act. Ads, sales promotion, public relations (PR), personal selling, direct marketing, events, sponsorships are key toolkits and the media as the channel of which space and time are purchased in delivering MARCOM. TV viewers are flooded daily with lots of ads that could whack their buying behavior. TV ads is considered as imperative in communicating consumer products since it offers significant flexibility in blueprint and targeting consumers’ compared to print media. This study responds to the gaps in the previous studies and addresses marketing communication within the framework of marketplace and models through which it functions as well as the continuous significance of TV ads. Impact of TV ads has been an issue with the emergence of contemporary interactive communication channels in business world and its significance in today’s business has become debatable in most media circle. An examination of whether TV ads have become paler will be undertaken and how marketing communication works with different tools and techniques. This paper builds on recent publication and ongoing debates from a number of practitioners and advocates of TV ads and marketing communication and contributes in diverse ways to the debates. Consumers were interviewed; secondary materials were read extensively, and literatures reviewed. This method offered appreciation in theory and relationships in data collected and contextualized the study. This study reveals that, TV ads are geared towards increasing sales and influence purchases out of curiosity. And purchases are pre determined by product awareness. Meaning when consumers are confronted with new product message they respond effectively and where less benefits are derived, there exist post purchase dissonance and bad word mouthing. It also reveals that, TV ads to a larger extent notify consumers about new technologies on the market meaning that TV ads create need recognition. It became clear from the study that MARCOM mix enables businesses to leverage the benefits from using various communication tools to create synergy to attain their set objectives. And for marketers to be successful there is the need to convey blatant, open and honest messages on their value solution propositions to their stakeholders. The study recommended that, for TV ad to be effective it needs to: have a robust but provocative thought; have clear message; contain actions that can be communicated within the allocated time and desired ambiance; have compatible format, structure and style in the commercial and with the product/service; have logo/slogan in the commercial as appropriate identifier and the brand implanted in viewers mind; possess explicit scenes, simple and singly minded; demonstrate the benefits of products that are consistent with marketing objectives and strategy statement; ensure the opening seconds attract viewers in a way that will be relevant and attractive; match the video and audio elements to avoid ambiguities; repeat important points to register the selling ideas; among others.

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Chapter 1: Introduction

Entrepreneurs, civic societies, statutory institutions and many more communicates with their stakeholders with the view to acquiring resources to perform business interventions and to distribute their value propositions. Marketing communications therefore serves as nucleus action so that there will be mutual understanding of businesses and their stakeholders. The foundation stone of effective MARCOM are target audience; communications and media, with assimilation and inter-activity as critical prerequisite and these have been subjected to technological change and have become greatly dynamic. Customers live in an information age; media already is at the global point of satiety with barely credible brands choice. As Micael Dahlen, Fredrik Lange (2009, Pg. 5), conjecture that “the three cornerstones of good marketing communications are: target audience, messages and media and that all three have been exposed to change.” MARCOM plays a crucial role for marketers, notably, generating brand awareness, persuading prospective customers to act, reinforce the benefits of brands, attract buyers, create and sustain demand for marketers’ offerings and differentiate one brand from the others. This is corroborated by Chris Fill, (2010, Pg. 9), when he summarized that the tasks of communication in exchange is “informing, persuading, strengthening and building images to differentiate goods.” Ad is a paid form of non-personal communication about a firm, and or value propositions/solutions by an identified sponsor. Advertising though a core feature of marketing communications program is not the only element. “Ad is using a paid mass media, via identified sponsor, in delivering MARCOM to target audiences.” University of Leicester, (2006, pp. 448).

The prime objective of this paper is to address the gaps in previous studies by examining the nature of marketing communication and the general dimension of promotion within the context of marketing and firm; highlighting how marketing communication works in general and how different communication tools and techniques work in particular and above all to demonstrate whether TV ads have outlive its significance. The central spot will be chapter 1 to introduce and establish the field of study; chapter 2 to review previous concepts and identify the gaps; chapter 3 shows the study design employed to arrived at the findings; chapter 4 indicates the findings and discussions of the study; chapter 5 concludes and recommends on what marketers could do.

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Chapter 2: Concepts Review

2.1: Introduction This chapter briefly considers some concepts used in the paper and reviews a number of preceding literatures to the study, particularly: Assessing the effectiveness of marketing communication mix elements in Ethiopian service sector by Rajasekhara Mouly Potluri, (2008); Quick service brands ads on TV turn off more Consumers by Gregg Cebrzynski, (2007) and Priming effects of TV food ads on eating behavior by Jennifer L. Harris, John A. Bargh, and Kelly D. Brownell, (2009) and these offer meaning to the concepts in the study. The reviews: offered a broad investigation on ads and communication and the parent disciplines provided essential conditions and body of facts for the immediate discipline; helped shape the hypothesis of the extant study; contributed in discovering what is known and what remains to be learned in the field; helped to highlight the difficulties experienced by others which saved resources, blunders and recognized ethical concerns and this did not only greatly improved the thoughtfulness of existing study but also evaluates the depth and breadth of the paper regarding the extant study; helped to formulate the thematic areas of the present study which drives the issues in the study. Subsequently the highlight will swing to the current study: Ads and Marketing Communication: Has TV ads faded in importance? Pertaining to the connection of the extant manuscript and the concept reviews. The similarity in all these studies is that the first literature review and the present study considered marketing communication effectiveness; whiles the second and third reviews were similar with the present study on the effectiveness of TV ads vis-à-vis viewers’ response in one way or the other. The previous studies descriptions included an abstract, introduction, study methods, data analysis, results and discussions, conclusions and references for the first study; introduction, findings, limited discussions and conclusion for the second and abstract, introduction, discussion of concepts, methods, results discussions, limitations and references for the third. 2.1.2: Objectives The first concept review article assessed how effective ads and personal selling are in Ethiopian Service Sector in communicating with clients aiming at unlocking solutions to advance existing communication including client satisfaction. It also aims to find the harmonization between ads and personal selling; the second review aimed to ascertain the correlation between TV ads expense by fast service chains and consumer response; whereas the third was to test the hypothesis that introduction to food ads when watching TV has the potential in contributing to obesity by causing automatic snacking of food on hand. 2.1.3: Methodology Rajasekhara Mouly Potluri, (2008) employed primary source in obtaining data and after reviewing connected literature, questionnaire circulated to 500 respondents, 30% emanates from the telecommunications in order to make the research manageable and 10% each banking and insurance, education, and hospitality industry. Data were gathered on these businesses environment on how effective ads and personal selling actions were. The respondents were selected randomly once the service type is determined by stratified sampling. Information gathered was evaluated on encoded

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rating issues and anticipated outcomes of performance supported by SPSS software package. And where 70% plus of the respondents consent to an issue it was considered as effective performance, 50% - 70%, was considered moderately effective, and less than 50% ineffective. Table was used in illustrating the findings of the study. Concerning the second review, primary and secondary sources were used. Survey was the study design used with consumers being the target population and this was contrasted with previous study. Chart was used to illustrate findings. With the third review, primary and secondary data were used in collating data to arrive at the findings. Two experiments where resorted to where in one, school children watched cartoon with either food ads or ads for other items and had snack whilst watching. In the other experiment adults watched TV program containing food ads which promote snacking and/or fun product benefits, food ads that promoted nutrition benefits, or no food ads. Adults tasted and evaluated a range of healthy to unhealthy snack foods in an actually detach test. There was pilot study, graphs, table, including examination of relationships among statistical variables used in analyzing data. 2.1.4: Findings Rajasekhara Mouly Potluri, (2008), about ads and personal selling as elements of communication mix. Figure 1: Findings of Assessing the effectiveness of MARCOM mix elements in Ethiopian service sector.

Hypothesis on How Ads Influence Consumer Behaviour

Percentage of Respondents (Number) who Asserted Premise was Effective

Percentage of Respondents (Number) who Asserted Premise was Moderately Effective

Percentage of Respondents (Number) who Asserted Premise was Ineffective

Provision of Information Ads Personal Selling

10% (50) 13% (65)

68% (340) 53% (265)

22% (110) 34% (170)

Awareness Creation Ads Personal Selling

12% (60) 5% (25)

69% (345) 51% (255)

19% (95) 44% (220)

Attitudinal Change Ads Personal Selling

8% (40) 2% (10)

67% (335) 56% (280)

25% (125) 42% (210)

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Image Building Ads Personal Selling

5% (25) 2% (10)

9% (45) 4% (20)

86% (430) 94% (470)

Enforcement of Brand Loyalty Ads Personal Selling

6% (30) 4% (20)

12% (60) 13% (65)

82% (410) 83% (415)

Integration between advertising and personal selling

13% (66) -- 87% (434)

Rajasekhara Mouly Potluri, (2008), interpreted his findings to mean ads and personal selling: proffer adequate information for clients to make an informed choice in Ethiopia; is capable of raising client’s consciousness on value proposition in Ethiopian service sector; the service sector of Ethiopia moderately influence clients attitude; the service industry of Ethiopia lacks knowledge in crafting innovative and appealing ads to woo clients; and it has less potential to build brand loyalty. Significant percentage of the respondents asserted there was an inconsistency on business information sales persons churn out and contents of ads. Concerning the second review, the findings of the study noticed a grave tumbling in consumers’ response from ads generally for quick service food chains and in an attempt to configure what might be the reason for this results, the study contends restaurant businesses are probably packing lots of information into shorter ads and are fast tracking ads when viewing programs. This is shown below. Figure 2: Findings of Quick service brands ads on TV turn off more Consumers: Percentage of surveyed consumers who rated the attributes to be very good or excellent

Attributes Being: 2007 in Percentage

2006 in Percentage

Likable 48 49 Believable 46 46 Easy to understand 59 69 Unique and Distinctive 44 51 Provision of fresh Information 39 44 Possessing Appetite Appeal 47 55 Providing Good Deals 50 53 Motivating Purchase Interest 40 44 Improving Chain’s Image 42 45 Overall Basis 48 53

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Source: Sandelman& Associates. National Sample, Jan.-June 2 007 The findings from Jennifer L. Harris et, al, (2009, pp. 411); the third review expressed TV food ads raise snack consumption and could be a contributory factor to obesity epidemic, thus frantic attempts are quickly needed to lessen unhealthy food ads to children. Further, there is the urgent need to optimize alertness of the possible usual effects of food ads on eating habit. Existing attempts in the industry to self-regulate TV food ads are not enough since it is limited to a segment of the people and that abridged experience to unhealthy food ads would be useful for everyone. It further revealed that when children are exposed to food ads their consumption of food increases by 45% whereas adults’ consumption of healthy and unhealthy snack foods increases and these increases were not conditioned by the advertised food item. The findings however contrasted those food ads that contain nutrition message could be a limiting factor to automatic consumption, and this was demonstrated by the connection between hunger and consumption. Nutrition-focused ads notwithstanding did not influence the healthiness of food eaten. 2.1.5: The Extent to Which The Objectives were Achieved The objective of evaluating the effectiveness of ads and personal selling on their own with the view to influencing buyer behavior was greatly achieved by the study since both tools were found to work effectively in providing information, changing consumers’ attitudes and creating awareness. In addition, Ads was found to build corporate image, whereas sales persons could not attain that. However, both tools could not prove effective in enforcing brand image. Rajasekhara Mouly Potluri, (2008), found that ads offer satisfactory information for clients in their buying decision process, raises buyers’ consciousness on marketers’ offerings, and affect clients’ attitude towards brands. Regarding the harmonization of ads and personal selling objective, it was achieved due to the respondents’ assertion that there existed discrepancies on commercial information sales persons deliver and contents of ads and that when the two elements are integrated in communication its effectiveness is most likely to be suspect. The goal of the second review was significantly achieved since the trend of correlation between TV ads expense by fast service chains and consumers’ response was established to be inversely related for most of the attributes used relative to the previous year. That is huge TV food ads expense had low percentage rating in response by consumers. The third review’s objective was greatly achieved by the study because it established a positive correlation between consumers viewing food ads and eating habit and that watching food ads contributed in more eating habit by viewers. The first concept study focused on the Ethiopian service sector; the second on service industry where fast food brands TV ads was the spot light and the third concentrated on the ads industry with emphasis on TV food ad 2.1.6: Conclusion and Recommendation Regarding evaluation of ads and personal selling effectiveness as elements of MARCOM mix, the first previous study opines both tools are moderately effective in

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offering information, awareness creation, and attitudinal change; and less effective in improving firm reputation as well as enforcing brand loyalty; whereas ads and personal selling when blended together provide contrasting messages to clients in Ethiopia service sector. And that integrating ads and personal selling is ineffective in terms or attaining desired results. And in the second previous literature, Gregg Cebrzynski, (2007, pp. 4), rankings details 2007 by Sandelman and Associates, a national research firm that specializes in restaurant traffic trends contended that customers are less attentive to TV spots and less appreciate what they view. It also concluded, ads rankings in general for the first half of 2007 tumbled vis-à-vis the preceding year for all except one of one attributes. The study recommends that restaurant businesses need to craft innovative content to capture buyers’ interest; interpreting this to mean that clients are observing less difference among competing ads of restaurant businesses and further recommended that businesses need to think out of the box and design novel models in promoting value propositions. The third previous study concluded by demonstrating the influence of food ads to prime automatic eating behaviors and thus affect more than brand preference alone. 2.1.7: Strengths The strengths of all previous studies under review appropriately recognized the works of others used in their study. Data collection and analysis procedures and sample frame for the first previous study was explicit with clear abstract and introduction. The use of table made the findings more clearly to be evaluated by others. Concerning the second study, findings were related to previous study to determine the trend and that was meaningful and recommendation to deal with issues raised in the study was significantly blatant. The introduction was not vague and chart was used to present the findings which make examination by others to be less difficult. On the third study, the abstract and introduction were not ambiguous and met the requirement of the study. Methodology employed in collecting data was scientific since real time experiments to test the hypothesis were done. Multiple experimental scenarios were adopted to check on the consistency of the results and this makes the study’s methodology very robust irrespective of its shortcomings. For example differing hypothesis were tested on children and parents in different environment and different background. The use of graphs, tables and examination of statistical variables relationships clearly indicate the vigorous methods employed. For the study to admit the possibility of some weaknesses that has the potential to affect the results is a big plus and this was illustrated in page 410 of the article; where the authors posit that a drawback of the results like any other experiment at the laboratory, is global exposure to ads stimulus happen in broad range circumstances, plus the difficult to judge whether other environmental variables (e.g., watching with others, watching at different times on daily basis, or for further purposes) less affected the results. The authors had strong conviction on the validity of their study since to them there was a natural imitation of TV viewing situations as much as probable and that gives them the confidence to justify that. The admission of the study of possible limitations informed the suggestion it made for further study in the future. This is why Jennifer L. Harris et, al, (2009, pp. 411) posited that “additional study is needed to verify that prime snacking against nutrition

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profits and not other features of the ads, as well as specific types of foods, activated the effects on consumption habits. Additionally, the messages in food consumption ads are moreover possible to generate dominant ramifications on consumption, which might profitably be evaluated in further study”. 2.1.8: Theoretical Limitation The inability of the author of the first previous study to assess the effectiveness of communication mix elements in the Ethiopian service sector created a gap, the findings of the two elements of the communication mix contained serious inconsistencies in the analysis. For instance, Rajasekhara Mouly Potluri, (2008) was silent on the percentage of personal selling that was effective and did not segregate the effectiveness percentage from the moderate effectiveness regarding provision of information in his analysis. Where these constructs have been separated in ads column, the inability of the study to identify its strengths and weaknesses, and make recommendations for further investigations is a critical limitation. For the second study to assert in page 4 of the article that it was difficult understanding why clients believe ads was ineffective in enhancing clients understanding is a weakness to the findings since one could deduce that clients were contacted in gathering the data and the reasons could have been elicited from them. This could mean the data gathered was not extensively discussed and that there could have been a hitch in the quality of the instrument used. The study did not point out other ads channels that consumers perceive had excellent and favorable response which has tremendous potential to capture and sustain consumers’ interest and capture attention. The materials, techniques and approaches used were indeed ambiguous and that has the prospect for one to doubt the conclusions. And the inability of the study to identify its strengths and weaknesses, and make recommendations for further investigations is a critical limitation. The discussion of the findings was extremely limited. The third previous study did not point out other ads channels that consumers perceive had excellent and favorable response which has tremendous potential to capture and sustain consumers’ interest and attention capture. The study sampling procedure was vague since enough light had not been shed on the random technique used. For instance in experiment one school children were recruited to understand the influence of TV ads on them, but how they were recruited was not mentioned in page 406 of the paper. The first experiments had two component, participants in the first component did not receive any compensation for participation whereas the second component’s participants benefited from the compensation which could conditioned the results attained. Notwithstanding this, there was no explanation whatsoever for this. The extant study has the potential to partially fulfill the gaps identified in all the previous studies and that validates the study. There has not been any previous study addressing the concerns raised by the extant study regardless of innumerable studies in marketing communication and TV ads. The gaps identified by the present study would be addressed with a different approach.

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2.2: The Concept of Marketing Communication

And as said by John Egan, (2007, Pg. 1), “marketing communication is the means by which a suppliers represent themselves to their target audience with the aim of stimulating dialogue leading to better business or other relationships”. Marketing communication, alternatively called promotion is a component of marketing and is communication to targeted market segment on the entire spectrum of issues that impinge on marketers’ bottom line. MARCOM bridges the gap between a firm and its stakeholders and is the image of the firm that its audiences learn to know and respect. MARCOM goes further than these explicit communication tools. The design, price, shape, package and color of a product, and the sales point—all communicate information to customers. Thus, although the communication mix has been the chief communication action, the total marketing mix—product, price, promotion and place, need fantastic coordination in favor of utmost benefit. With this innovative communication environment, businesses need to rethink their functions of various channels of communication and MARCOM mix tools. Mass-media ads have for a longer time dictated the communication mixes of consumer product firms. Nevertheless, although TV, magazines, and other mass media continue to be central, their supremacy has become moribund. Fragmentation of markets has catalyzed in fragmentation of the media. It is imperative to enunciate that communication interfaces cannot only be flanked by the sender and the receiver of information, but also the medium as well; buyers can relate to the media, marketers can afford content to the media, whereas in a drastic different approach from conventional marketing settings, buyers could offer viable -tilting content to the channel of communication.

2.2.1: Why Marketing Communication Mix?

MARCOM mix also known as promotional mix is combining promotional and marketing actions that marketers employ to reach their audience on all issues that influence the marketers’ bottom line. This enables them to leverage the benefits from using various communication tools to create synergy to attain their set objectives. The conventional tools encapsulate ads, sales promotion, personal selling, PR, direct marketing, interactive media, events, sponsorships among others. The use of MARCOM mix demands a cautious strategic planning to guarantee reliable message. A case in point is ads in a magazine on a sale, the similes in the ads need to be consistent to what can be found at the show room itself. Majority of firms use a mixture of the communications tools to communicate with their target market with the view to differentiating their products, reminding, reassuring, informing and persuading their prospective buyers. The Internet for example offers marketers s with a novel media channel that provides an immerse prospect to combine all communication mix tools with its infinite potential communication benefits.

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Chapter 3: Methodology

In addressing the topic of the paper, primary and secondary sources were explored to validate and generalized the upshots. Unstructured interview was used on 20 consumers to ascertain their attitude towards TV ads. Intercepted interview where consumers were stopped at a super market and interview requested was employed. Interviewees were informed on the purpose and participation was voluntary, the respondents were assured of confidentiality of responses. Open-ended questions were used with the view to allowing respondents to respond in their own words and more importantly to disclose on how they think about TV ad rather than measuring how many people think in a certain way. Fourteen (14) out of twenty (20) respondents constituting about (70%) when asked about their attitude towards TV advertising agreed that TV ad is geared towards increasing sales and nothing more. Also, when posed whether TV ad influences them to purchase things they have not originally planned to buy, they contended that ‘Yes ad influences things they buy and it happens out of curiosity (Impulse buying) which creates the desire for them to buy. And it is after consumption that you notice the benefits highlighted were not derived. When the remaining six interviewees were asked about their attitude towards TV ad, they contended that TV ad in most cases notify them on new technologies on the market on products they already possess but differ in functions, prompting them to ascertain more information by contacting relevant channel intermediary. They further contended if they are satisfied with product information gathered, they purchase. When asked whether ad influences them to purchase unplanned items, they contended, they evaluate products against others before purchasing. They were quick to add that they do not buy out of curiosity since they are interested in the benefit that could be derived from consuming the product.

Qualitative and quantitative view from secondary sources were examined, measured, compared and contrasted; tables and pictorial representation of trends were used to make findings and discussions meaningful. Informal discussions with colleagues and tycoons were also employed to illicit related information to enhance the quality of the study. Improving the findings reliability and validity, data gathered were not stage-managed, market history did not prejudice the findings, previous concepts were reviewed to unlocked gaps in the previous studies and offered opportunities for future research, relationships among the previous and extant studies were established, data were edited to reduce errors in presentation and explanation, disclosure control measures were applied to protect disseminated data to maintain confidentiality of respondents. Combining qualitative and quantitative approaches from primary and secondary sources within one research project: helped to make the results valuable for different audiences and avoided certain ethical risks; made audience had a feel of the topic and ensured flexibility; provided a richer, contextual basis for interpreting and validating results; reduced cost. The ethical issues in this study were strictly checked by School of Business, AIU Hawaii and all materials and data sourced were accordingly accredited one can affirm the paper was greatly ethical with enhanced quality for generalization to all markets.

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Chapter 4: Findings And Discussions

The study revealed14 out of 20 respondents constituting 70% when asked during the interview about their attitude towards TV ad agreed TV ad is geared towards increasing sales. Also when posed the question about whether TV ad influences them to purchase unplanned products, they contended ad influences their purchases and it happens out of curiosity (Impulse buying) which creates the desire for them to buy. And it is only when you have consumed the items bought that you got to know that the benefit highlighted is not derived. 30% (6) of the respondents when asked about their attitude towards TV ad contended TV ad in often brings to their notice about new technologies on the market regarding products they already posses which differ in functions. This has the potential of prompting consumers to search for more information. The study revealed when consumers are satisfied with product information gathered it powers them into purchase action. When asked about whether ad influences them to purchase unplanned items, 30% of the respondents contended they evaluate products before purchasing. They quickly added they do not buy out of curiosity since they show interest in benefits to be derived from the product. This is illustrated in the table below.

Figure 3: Present Study Interview Findings

Consumers’ response on their attitude towards ads.

Percentage of Respondents (Number)

Ads Increase Sales 70% (14)

Ads influence unplanned purchases 70% (14)

Ads create need recognition 30% (6)

Products are evaluated before purchase 30% (6)

Source: Developed for this study Impulse buying on the part of some consumers due to TV ads indicates they were unaware, thus their purchase decision is pre determined by product awareness thus creating product knowledge. This implies when consumers are confronted with new product message, they respond effectively to it. It should however be noted that it is not always the case that consumers respond to new information and their curiosity makes them like the product. If the advertised benefits of products are not derived, post purchase dissonance emerges and this could results in bad word mouthing. Marketers could risk losing their account base if a small percentage of their client base bad mouths them. From this finding it is clear that TV ads create need recognition since there is an awareness of a desired state and the actual condition. It is imperative to assert that once there is an attempt to find more information about the functions of the advertised products then the search for information has been fulfilled which is the second stage of the consumer purchase model. TV ad clearly has not faded in importance and seems not to demise now, rather, the medium continuous to be more lively and robust with regards to usage by marketers since TV audience/viewers have significantly massed up irrespective of the strong emergence of internet viewing and ads. Ralph E. Hanson (2010, Pg. 6) enunciate that “we no longer rely just on conventional media to engage in the various levels of communication. While television continues to be significant, it is increasingly being supplemented by channels that allow us to engage in multiple level of communication at once.”

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Alas marketers are placing fewer premiums on TV ads due to compelling factors and this is dramatically changing the dynamics of communication channel of marketers to audience; for instance retailers are increasingly mounting pressure on entrepreneurs to re-allocate scarce marketable resources to sales promotion and this is anticipated to generate instantaneous sales. Technology has also not helped the situation and is rather intensifying the pressure on marketers to crowd out TV ads. Online global audience is growing at an exponential rate and this is rendering TV ads meaningless gradually. And as posited by David Meerman Scott, (2011, Pg. 5) “Prior to network, marketers had barely two important preferences in attracting attention: buy costly ads or find third party ink from media. Nevertheless the web has altered the regulations, the web is not TV. Firms that appreciate the fresh directions of marketing, build bonds unswervingly with clients.” Marketers’ online ad budget is growing because online customer base is growing at an increasing rate. Essentially, with internet being a powerful interactive tool to communicate value proposition, buyers are appreciating the medium can be relied on to initiate orders and receive response in a timely fashion. Online ads like interstitial (ads that pops up whiles awaiting downloads) can be infuriating and problematic than benefit. There is also a shift from depending on ads-focused loom, which stress TV to solve communication challenges; rather firms are using more cost effective and targeted promotional tools like event marketing, direct mail, sponsorship and the internet in building their communication blueprint. Most firms are relying on buzz marketing; a good example of this is, viral activities are diffusing images or comic stories more or less at the work place. This word of mouth has largely affected the significance of TV ads. Marketers are demanding immerse accountability from their ads agencies and some are tying sales, market share and ability to make profit to agencies remuneration and this has compelled most agencies to consider cost effective options to TV ads. Regardless of the efficiencies of TV ads in getting to mass market, it is less cost effective medium for marketers’ ads, emanating from airtime cost and quality commercial production and this has the latent to crowd out small and micro enterprises from the marketplace. Unlike radio ads that offer soaring scale of listeners selectivity and geographical coverage of several channels; geographical discriminating with regards to TV ads will be less feasible for local marketers. Notwithstanding, the degree of audience selectivity is limited vis-a-vis other media type that could precisely target the segmented market. Attracting prospective customers to focus on TV ads during a commercial break is extremely difficult since most viewers attention from personal experience are diverted, thus the product message being put across is not heard/viewed. Fast-tracking ads (zipping) when viewing pre-recorded programs and swapping in between varied channels (zapping) during ads have equally worsen the significance of TV ads. When TV ads are long and predictable it facilitates zapping amid consumers, but media houses are employing subtle ways to avoid this and attract audience attention by previewing the next show or limiting concluding images at the close of programs, other programs commence with action-packed prior to starting. The fact still remains that most viewers are not interested in ads when watching TV programs. TV ads do not have long life span it contains fleeting messages relative to magazines that can be kept for reference purposes. And this is corroborated by Mohammed Ismail El-Adly, (2010, Pg. 1), as he posit that “TV ads evading actions is a grave concern for advertisers. According to him, , Tom Rogers the architect of CNBC in

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1989 and presently in charge of TiVo cautioned the attendees of the Association of National Advertisers Conference in October 2008 that: TV industry will in the years ahead run into an ads predicament more brutal compared to the global economic crisis. There exist enough notice about TV ads evading and the rising endemic of quick forwarding during ads and if businesses refuse to speedily come to terms with the solutions to TV ads evading, most audience probably might quickly forward best part of TV ads.” http://www.ijbssnet.com/journals/1.pdf Imperatively, TV ads may not be appropriate for industrial and specialized products and it is extremely difficult to get it right and confirm whether it has worked effectively due to its non-interactive nature. Instructively almost all TV programs including ads are simultaneously on the internet and can be viewed online, in view of these TV ad is likely to augment buyers’ visitation online. Thus technology facilitates the co-existence of both media and has become companion and converged that thought. According to Mike Proulx, Stacey Shepatin, (2012, Pg. 11) “Forrester research reports that a survey of close to 3,000 US online adults revealed that 48% claim to use personal computer while watching TV to chat, browse, or research what they are watching.” With this revelation how can TV ads fade out? If TV ads has faded, why is there so much of it? TV ad is used extensively not only for consumable display but for manufacturing and business-to-business ad and it is extremely difficult to fathom why all over ad continues to receive huge resource funding since it is believed it does not :necessarily encourage customers to take action, influence purchases. And how and why ad works is not clearly known because of varied positions on this. It will be objectionable to assert that ad works effectively in all situations; rather it functions effectively depending upon the content in a particular way within some parameters and in specific product. Millions of TV viewers are bombarded daily with hundreds of ads and this potentially clouts their purchasing behavior. Marketers rely on TV ads: to communicative to target market vis-a-via print media; are cost effective, a case in point is, 2 minutes spot on TV network get prospective customers and the unit cost per buyer is considerably low; to reach a mass market; offer immerse artistic elasticity and create probable dramatic, realistic illustrations of value propositions; super- impose themselves on viewers and expose prospective customers to millions of commercials within a financial year; serves as a catalyst in building and enhancing corporate reputation including entrenching corporate brand in the minds of customers; are received in homes in an amusement mood when constructed to the highest professional standards; can be repeated to the level where viewers have the benefits of the message; are useful tools in building and sustaining brand in a competitive and turbulent environment.

Not all the benefits highlighted about TV ads are realizable since in some cases an element of distortion could be embroiled in it. For example, it is in the light of this, “Food and Drugs Board of Ghana banned all ads of herbal drugs and traditional medicine on TV and radio stations including public places.” Daily Graphic, (2008, pp. 54). The Board believes there is an element of distortion in their messages and that ad drugs and medicines should be done in a decent, honest, truthful and legal manner. As a result of this, any individual or group of persons intending to make any ads regarding herbal drugs and traditional medicine should notify them for approval and failure to do this attracts prosecution.

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Regarding how MARCOM works, the study found that successful marketers are those that convey unambiguous and honest messages on their value solution propositions to stakeholders. Often marketers make errors in communicating due to cultural disregard of other markets, thinking successful communication content and strategy in one market can be up scaled irrespective of the cultural background. For example in the Peoples Republic of China, red and white symbolize happiness and sorrow respectively and fabrics of these colors are wore in events of wedding and funeral correspondingly, these colors and their meaning in China contrast that of Ghana where red and white fabrics are rather wore during funeral (red) and wedding (white) respectively. Thus a successful marketer who has promoted for example a fabric in Ghana replicates same communication in China is most likely to be less successful. “Procter & gamble blundered whiles selling Camay in Japan. It aired fashionable European ads showing a lady bathing, the spouse entered the bathroom and touched her appreciatively”. http://sudiptaroy.tripod.com/dissfin.pdf.

Launching a new product at an erroneous time will not achieve the desired result, as time is crucial when it comes to product launching. It also found that, marketers’ communications start from the sender to the receiver and the sender is the inventor of the message and in practice agent does it for senders. The exact information and thoughts senders desire to communicate is the message; the channel of communicating is the media; the prospective buyers are the recipient of the message. Ideally it is anticipated that this process works perfectly, rather, there could be hitches here and there and communicating to target market has always been a challenge, however, luminary marketers will find a way of communicating effectively and as posited by Larry Percy, (2008, Pg. Xii) “Marketing communication should be able to communicate under the most adverse conditions”. Usually the marketer is the sender of the message and in this scenario the mobile phone firm; encoding is the process of transforming ideas symbolically to represent a product and communicate the message (Mobile phone) and this could be done by marketers ads agent or an in-house ads department of the firm; the visual images and words that the marketer diffuses about the mobile phone is the message; the media constitutes the channel of communicating the message to the prospective buyers; and the course prospective mobile phone buyers employ to consign connotation to words and visual images encoded by the marketer is decoding; recipient is the prospective mobile phone buyer who receives the message; reactions is the response of the mobile phone prospective buyers after phone information exposure; when buyers communicate back to the marketer it constitutes feedback; whereas noise is the interference of new and old information through the process. This is Illustrated below.

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Figure 4: Variables of MARCOM Process

Source: Developed for this paper

4.1: General Discussions of Relationships Amid Previous Studies and Extant Study

The findings of the first literature review indicate that 13% and 87% of respondents assert blending MARCOM tools is effective and less effective respectively. The significance of this is that blending the MARCOM tools is most likely not to attain marketers’ intent for doing so, rather when used singularly has the potential to attain fruitful results. This defeats the potential for marketers’ intent to leverage the strengths of these tools to create synergistic benefits. The study boundary was extremely limited and since the data analysis had some inconsistencies, generalizing the findings will require answering whether expansion of sample size would change the findings that integrating ads and personal selling will be ineffective? Or will the same sample size with same constructs/attributes when applied to different sectors in different location will achieve different upshots? It concentrated on only two tools notably ads and personal selling and did not acknowledge varied ways to reach varied markets. Whereas the extant study focused more on all marketing communication actions/tools employed by

Recipient

(Buyer)

Encoding Sender

(Marketer)

Decoding Message

Communication

Channels

Noise

Reaction Feedback

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marketers in reaching their target audience and also accepts and mentions differing ways for marketers to reach their target markets. Whiles the extant study thinks and offer pragmatic scenarios about harmonizing these tools for effective competitiveness, the first did not. The similarities between the two studies include: asserting that the tools inform, remind, and influence buyers.

Regarding the second concept review, TV is fading in significance since all the attributes measured tumbled in percentage in 2007 against 2006. And can this finding be generalized judging from the limitations contain in the study? Particularly when method used was not indicated in the article and there was no suggestion on any attributes or new attributes for further investigation, and since the sample size of the study is not known it will be extremely difficult to ratify the conclusion made by the study. Again other channels of running ads to be obtained higher percentage of the attributes was not mentioned and that would have given a comprehensive picture of how much score others would have obtain to fairly assess the real performance of TV ads. These findings cannot be stretched to cover other sectors like the manufacturing and agriculture in differing locations due to varied business dynamics. Regarding the third review, since some participants were compensated and others were not without any reason made the findings to be suspect and the results are possible to have been conditioned. The conclusion to some degree was definite since the methodology contained grave loopholes that could affect the objectivity of the findings. For example parents responding to questionnaires not in the presence of the researcher, children left together to view TV ads all could result in subjectivity of the findings. Socio-cultural traits could impact on the response of buyers on TV ads and in experiment two of the study the socio-cultural background was key in testing the hypothesis whereas this was completely ignored in experiments one and with this scenario there could be the temptation to downplay the results, particularly when both experiments had identical findings. Owing to the weaknesses contained in the methods used in gathering data drawing findings and conclusions, critical question that need to be asked is will these findings and conclusions stand the test of time when generalized?

The second and third concepts review established less identical findings regarding whether TV ads has faded in importance and there appears to be contrasting findings. The methodology in data collection and analysis in the third concept review seems robust and makes its findings relatively reliable to the first. Whilst the second concept review affirms huge TV food ads do not receive high response ratings by consumers, the third contrast that, by contending that viewers increase their consumption rate significantly and the present findings corroborate the third upshot on consumers responds regarding that TV ads influence their attitudes, offer valuable solution proposition information, creates awareness and build corporate image and reputation. Whiles the extant study contends that TV ads build, enforce brand loyalty and creates need recognition, whiles the second and third concepts review did not. It is imperative to opine that the extant study acknowledges there could be critical distortions in the contents of messages advertised on TV and unattainable benefits purported to be

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derived when certain products are consumed may be misleading, whereas previous literature studies reviewed were silent on that. The extant study made more comprehensive recommendation that the second and the third did not make in ensuring and enhancing TV ads effectiveness, which industry TV ads is most likely to function effectively and why? The present study methodological skills in data collection and analysis were different and possess strong diverse methods than the previous with its findings being more robust to rely on. Not only this but also the well craft out abstract and introduction with fantastic conclusion and recommendations place the extant study ahead of others. These variations are understandable because the objectives for all the studies (both current and previous) were different.

4.2: Limitations of The Paper

This study was inhibited by couple of factors owing to choices made, this included: the inability to use survey questionnaire in obtaining data, probably the findings could have been different; industrial markets participants were left out in the study due to time, finance, accessibility and material resources and this could affect the generalization of the findings to other markets. Topics covered, stakeholder reached; business practice observed; locations covered were all limited. And it is envisaged that extensive works have been done in other areas where the study did not covered. New theories have to be measured to determine replicability of the study or to come out contrasting findings. In general, the limitations of the paper were generally defeated and that provided opportunities for further study. Notwithstanding, frantic efforts were made to guarantee the quality of the study. The above limitations have the potential to guide new studies in future.

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Chapter 5: Conclusion And Recommendation

The study in examining the nature of marketing communication and how it works as well as demonstrating whether TV ads have outlive its meaning divulged that conveying clear and sincere message on products to target markets has the potential to make marketers successful; and marketers need not disregard cultural variations in crafting communication content and strategy when operating in differing target markets. It also found that, marketers’ communications start from the sender to the receiver and the information senders communicate is the message; the channel of communication is the media; buyers are the recipient of the message. The process may not be that smooth since there could be bottlenecks in doing so but astute marketers could easily surmount and execute them effectively. Marketing Communications for a couple of decades was crafting persuasive messages to potential customers to respond but in contemporary times it involves dialogue with probable customers so they can respond favorably and this has been spearheaded by new knowledge. Astute marketers have realized communicating with consumers and promoting their solution propositions is fast changing. The crumbling of mass market, the growth of technologies that has offered prospective buyers immerse power over the communication route, the brisk advance of internet and electronic business , evolution of cross border trade and global market insecurity have all contributed to marketers perception on how to approach communication with customers at the marketplace. Marketing communication messages have been severely been affected by technological force because customers’ sensory organs for processing information themselves have not been spared, hence customers need to be engaged with outstanding messages if marketers want to make sustainable communication impact. Ads, sales promotion, personal selling, PR, direct marketing, events, and sponsorships.etc. are tools in marketing communication it is imperative to assert that the design, price, shape, package and color of a product, and the sales point—all communicate to customers and there is the need for coordination among the mix to derived the utmost benefit. Juggling around with media functions as well as marketing communication mix roles has become inexorable amid the turbulent communication environment as a result of this, the supremacy of TV, magazines, and other mass media though continue to be central has become less significant and fragmentation of markets has fragmented media-space. The application of marketing communication mix requires a wary strategic planning to assure a reliable message, and most firms employ a mixture of tools to reach their target markets hoping to differentiating their value propositions, reminding, reassuring, informing and persuading their prospective buyers. Appraising all potential contact ends with prospective customers and understanding how marketing communication works is most likely to influence marketers’ budgeting decision. Identifying target audience, establishing communication goals, crafting message, selecting media channel, deciding sources of message, and eliciting response will enable marketers to effect great communication to the targeted markets and this will result in purchase which is the bottom line of all these; thus, creating awareness, knowledge, liking, preference, conviction, and purchase.

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Moreover, it was found that TV ad has not discolored in importance; rather, the medium maintains its robustness and liveliness regarding its use by marketers and TV audience has appreciably massed up despite the surfacing of internet viewing and ads. TV viewers are flooded day after day with hundreds of ads which clout their purchasing actions and influence consumers’ attitude, offer solution information, creates awareness, builds corporate image and reputation and creates need recognition. There could be critical distortions in the contents of messages advertised on TV and unattainable benefits purported to be derived when certain products are consumed may be misleading. Impulse buying on the part of some consumers due to TV ads demonstrates their ignorance and this confirms their purchase decision is pre determined by product awareness, therefore creating product knowledge, meaning when consumers are faced with new message, they respond effectively to it. Nevertheless consumers do not always respond to new information and their interest makes them like the product. If the advertised benefits of products are not derived, post purchase dissonance emerges resulting in bad word mouthing. Marketers could risk losing their account base if a segment of their client base bad mouths them and statutory organization could legislate to curb this mischief on the part of some marketers. Unfortunately some marketers place less premium on TV ads owing to some compelling factors and this is dramatically changing the dynamics of communication channel to audience. As a result, channel members are increasingly pressurizing marketers to re-allocate rare marketable resources to sales promotion in anticipation to boost sales. Technology is equally pressurizing marketers to crowd out TV ads. Online audience is growing at significant rate and is gradually rendering TV ads meaningless. TV ads may not be appropriate for industrial and specialized products and it is extremely difficult to get it right and prove its effectiveness due to its non-interactive nature. Instructively almost all TV programs including ads are simultaneously on the internet and can be viewed online, in view of these TV ad is likely to augment buyers’ visitation online. Technology has therefore facilitated the co-existence of both media. Additional studies in the future could also examine the effectiveness of TV ads in the industrial markets and another important bearing for further research could examine TV ads in the context of mobile commerce.

Recommendations

For TV ad to be effective it needs to: have a central, stronger but provocative idea; have

clear message; contain actions that can be communicated within the allocated time and

desired atmosphere; have format, structure and style that is compatible to each other in

the commercial and with the product/service; have logo and or slogan in the commercial

as appropriate identifier and the brand implanted strongly in the viewers mind; possess

pictures that are explicit, simple and singly minded; contain words that reinforces the

pictures and the copy structured to maximize the impact of the visuals; demonstrate the

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benefits of the products and it should be consistent with the marketing objectives and

strategy statement; ensure that the opening seconds attract the viewers in a way that

will be relevant and attractive to then and the product; match the video and the audio

elements to avoid ambiguities; repeat important points to register the selling ideas;

among others. There is no one ad that fits all cases, because the intentions could be

different in all situations. Any ad objectives should encompass some or all of the

following: market penetration (reminding and reinforcing), market development, brand

and product awareness, growth in sales, competitive positioned i.e. offensive or

defensive advertising, demand driven, and finally promoting product and organization.

There is the need for businesses to shun away from surmounting instant consciousness, image, or preference concerns in their targeted market, since such advance to communication contains limiting factors notably expense, time and messages becoming detrimental to the communication objectives. And rather consider communication process as managing the consumer affiliation ultimately at the pre-purchasing, purchasing, using, and post-purchase stages. As a result of customer differences, communications programs have to be built for precise segments, niches, and still to persons. With the fresh interactive communications technologies, marketers need to ask "How do we contact our customers? And how can we be reached by prospective buyers? Therefore, the MARCOM procedure needs to begin by appraising every prospective touch points that prospective customers possibly will have with the business and its brands. For instance, a buyer of a new mobile phone could engage in internal search provided s/he has product information stored in memory and depending on their ability to motivation and ability levels as well as the opportunity to process whatever information s/he possesses and also external search i.e. acquiring product information from outside sources such as reading articles and ads, trade reports, visiting web sites, among others. These searches are done not only when need recognition is activated. The mobile phone firm needs to appraise the extent to which these communications experiences will impact at differing buying process levels. This appreciative is most likely to influence marketers in their allocation of their communication budget more prudently.

For a marketer to be able to establish an effective communication with the target

market, the following could be adhered to: Identification of the target audience;

establishment of communication goals; crafting of a message; selection of media

channel; decide on the message basis; and elicit response. With regards to identifying

the target audience, the marketer need to commerce with a blatant target audience in

mind being it prospective buyers and, or existing customers; buying decision influencers

or buying decision makers. These persons or group of persons, and or institutional

buyers will impact on the marketers choice on what, how, when, where and who to

communicate? The next step is determining the communication goal, and purchasing

which is the upshot of buyer decision making process needs to be the prime goal.

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Understanding the present position of targeted audience and the level of stage they

need to be relative to the buyer-readiness stages-consciousness, understanding, liking,

inclination, passion, and buying. The targeted audience may not be conscious of the

value propositions or may have a limited knowledge about the value solution

propositions, thus there is the need for the marketer to create alertness and knowledge.

Marketers need to integrate their communication channels as much as they are

employing communication mix to reach their target markets, this is to eschew MARCOM

hodgepodge of customers. That is avoiding a situation where Mass ads speak on a

product, with sale promotion sending a diverse indicator, and product labeling creating

still a different message, and firm’s sales brochure saying somewhat unusual, with the

business's Web site seemingly out of sync with all. For us as marketers we need to

constantly remind ourselves as to how to reach our customers effectively and vice

versa. There are varied ways and opportunities for interacting with customers and

offering them the needed message about value propositions; the need however

understands how to blend the various communication tools to communicate

meaningfully. An effective application of communication mix demands that firms

discover the appropriate mixture of communication instruments and systems, define

their functions and the degree to which they can be applied, and synchronize their

application to use. To achieve this, marketers need to understand the communication

tools they possess and how they can be applied meaningfully. A considerable number

of entrepreneurs has adopted communication mix to their communication strategy and

planning especially in marketing consumer services, products and business to business.

A shining example is Unilever Ghana Ltd runs ads on ‘lifebouy’ via radio, TV, daily

newspapers and online, in addition to this, the multinational blue chip firm engages in

sales promotion where customers who buys one product gets another for at zero cost,

sponsors school programs like general hand washing with lifebuoy and sanitation and

promote their brand (lifebuoy), do publicity when the company’s representative is on any

program and in a couple of times had organize sports competition among communities

with the view to promoting lifebouy. Marketers assign building and maintaining brand

identity and equity as a key reason for adopting communication mix, and this demands

the construction of recognized brands that battles for the consumers mind. The adoption

of communication mix is emerging as helpful weaponry that offers marketers unique

competitive advantage at the marketplace.

Although contemporary medium like the web has unique characteristics relative to

conventional media, we need not inevitably focus our communications exclusively on

contemporary media. Instead marketers need to blend and put together original and

conventional media and leverage their merits to create synergy. A considerable number

of buyers continue to spend precious time in the real-world relative to the virtual world,

so offline communication of marketers’ actions of a web site is central. It is equally

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essential to promote mixed-mode purchasing. A case in point is, a buyer intending to

procure a laptop and viewing an ad on TV for a particular brand that generates product

knowledge of the and also sighting an ad in a print media directing him/her to the firm’s

web site for additional action or information.

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http://sudiptaroy.tripod.com/dissfin.pdf

http://www.academicjournals.org/AJBM http://www.ijbssnet.com/journals/1.pdf