Advertising Strategies And Tactics In Promoting Products

Introduction

1.1 Background to the Study

Advertisement is one of the key elements for the development, expansion, and growth of industrial sector and ultimately for the economic development. Advertising campaigns are unavoidable by consumers in the 21st century. Researchers have studied and will continue to study the effects of advertising and its influence on attitudinal change, emotions, modification of lifestyle choices and its significant role in the consumption/ usage of goods and services (Akinrosoye, 2011).

Advertising, over the years has evolved into a powerful marketing tool in modern economics; advertising plays an important role in the growth of a business. Advertising is a persuasive non-personal communication about products, services, or ideas usually paid for by identified sponsors through the various mass media. Today, we are exposed to advertisement everywhere, whether in the bus, walking round the street, on the high ways, while travelling, in the newspapers and on radio and television, SMS advert receive on our mobile phones, email advert/marketing we get in our inbox and particularly when surfing the internet or playing game apps.

Thus, advertising is one of the ingredients in sustaining business whether the company is dealing with products or services. The entire business of a commercial organization or company starts and ends with advertising. That is to say, the rise and fall of the profit of a company depends solely on the expenditure incurred by the advertiser.

However, advertising strategy and tactics might seem interchangeable, but they refer to distinct elements of an advertising campaign. A strategy is a campaign’s overarching plan, and the tactics are the specific means advertisers employ to meet the campaign’s goal (Stan, 2013). Also, advertising strategy is a plan to reach and persuade a customer to buy a product or a service (Inc, n.d).

Hitesh (2021) writes that advertising strategy can be defined as a step by step plan to reach your customers and to convince them to buy your products. A well-planned advertising strategy not only conveys the benefits of your product but will also persuade your customers to choose your product over the outcomes of your competitors.

According to Hitesh (2021), there are six (6) steps to create advertising strategies adding that creating an advertising strategy is a creative process. The first step is to determine the purpose of advertising, the second and even a crucial step in creating an effective advertising strategy is to determine the audience that you want to target using your advertising strategy i.e knowing the audience that you want to focus on makes your advertising strategy more effective.

The next important step is to determine the budget for your advertising campaign. Once product and target audience is determined, the next step that you are required to take is to choose the medium that you want to use to reach your audience. There are many advertising media such as print media (Newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, posters, banners, etc.), digital media (website advertising, social media advertising, world wide web, email advertising, youtube ads, Television ads.), direct mails, outdoor advertising ( billboards, advertising on public transportation like public buses and cabs) and radio advertising etc

The next step is to implement advertising strategy as planned. The implementation of advertising strategies is referred to as an advertising campaign. The last step is to measure the effectiveness of advertising strategy. Whether the advertising strategy was successful or not will depend on the return on investment that you get by the implementation of an advertising strategy.

On the other hand, advertising tactics are a series or set of strategic methods or actions aimed at promoting a business’ goods or services. The aim is to maximize sales and maintain a competitive good or service. Advertising or marketing tactics are the strategic actions that direct the promotion of a product or service to influence specific marketing goals (Market Business News, n.d). Marketing tactics include a wide range of strategies and actions that marketing executives take, such as distributing or launching promotional products, sending emails, and communicating through social media platforms. TV and radio advertising, targeted articles, and setting up club and association memberships are also types of marketing tactics.

Kristen (2021) offers some advertising tactics can be used for product. The tactics include but not limited to offering loyal customers an exclusive preview, use a special introductory offer, make use of Google My Business, run a social media contest, spread the word via email, write a blog post, share customer reviews, post on social media and run Facebook ads. To this end, the research investigated advertising strategies and tactics in promoting products with a particular focus on the Arial detergent.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

For business to yield profit and survive in any competitive environment it need the help of advertising, as a result advertisers employ lots of strategies and tactics to win the mind of consumers and use varieties of media ranging from traditional media to the new media. Since advertising strategy and tactics is a plan to reach and persuade a customer to buy a product or a service and a series or set of strategic methods or actions aimed at promoting a business’ goods or services.

Unfortunately, despite the huge importance of advertising strategy and tactics to the overall advertising campaign, less researches have been conducted while most research focused on advertising generally especially in Nigeria, while most of the studies carried out on advertising strategy were done in foreign countries (Brink, Odekerken & Pauwels, 2006; (Lu, Gou, Tang & Zhang, 2016). and their findings cannot be effectively replicated in Nigeria. It is against this background that the study investigated advertising strategies and tactics in promoting products with a particular focus on Ariel Detergent.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The primary objective of this study is to examine advertising strategies and tactics promote products in Delta state The specific objectives of this study are to:

Determine whether there is a significant relationship between advertising strategies and product promotion.

Examine type of advertising media which effectively promotes Arial detergent product in Delta State.

Ascertain whether the form of advertising strategy adopted influences product awareness and acceptance.

Ascertain whether the form of advertising strategy adopted influences consumers patronage of Arial detergent product in Delta State.

 

1.4 Research Questions

Is there a significant relationship between advertising strategies and product promotion?

What are type of advertising medias which effectively promotes Arial detergent product in Delta State?

What are the form of advertising strategy adopted to influence product awareness and acceptance?

What are the form of advertising strategy adopted to influence consumers patronage of Arial detergent product in Delta State?

 

1.5 Research Hypothesis

Ho: There is no significant correlation between advertising strategies and product promotion.

Ha: There is a significant correlation between advertising strategies and product promotion.

 

1.6 Significance of the Study

This study is essential to serve stakeholders in the manufacturing organizations with the needed insight into how best to achieve effective advertising campaign. It is the belief that the findings of this study will benefits students and researchers of advertising and consumer behaviour especially on why and how they behave in certain way and react to same product in different ways.

Other beneficial are company policy makers, advertisers, advertising agencies and advertising researchers. It will assist advertisers to understand best advertising strategy and tactic they can employ in driving their advertising goal.

Equally, the findings of this study will serve as an additional literature on advertising strategies and tactics for students and researchers who will like to carry out similar research.

1.7 Scope of the Study

This research which investigate advertising strategies and tactics in promoting products was narrowed in scope to Arial detergent in Delta State. Thus, the geographical scope of this study is Delta state. The choice of chosen of Delta state is due to its proximity to the researcher and other logistics. Other reasons including but not limited to time frame to carry out this study, fund, also it will not only be difficult but impossible to study all detergents in Nigeria and consumers.
Hence, demography of respondents such as age, sex, education, marital status and others were studied before the administration of the research tool to the selected respondents.

1.8 Limitations of the Study

The researcher encountered minor obstacles when conducting the study, as with any human endeavor. The significant constraint was the scarcity of literature on the subject due to the nature of the discourse, so the researcher incurred more financial expenses and spent more time sourcing for relevant materials, literature, or information and in the data collection process, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size. Furthermore, the researcher did this investigation alongside other academic activities. Furthermore, the sample size was limited because only a few respondents were chosen to answer the research instrument, therefore the results cannot be generalized to other secondary schools outside the state. Despite the constraints encountered during the research, all elements were minimized in order to provide the best results and make the research effective.

1.9 Definition of the Terms

Advertising:

This is the paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of idea, goods or services by an identified sponsor. The message is usually disseminated through one or more of the mass media.

Advertisement Campaign:

This is simply a part of total promotional campaign which coordinates the service of promotional campaign which coordinates the service of promotional effect design to reach specific goals.

Advertising Strategies and Tactics:

These are means or ways by which a company makes its product or service witness high sales volume or known to the users.

Promotion:

An action taken by a company’s marketing staff with the intention of encouraging the sales of goods and service to their target market.

Arial Detergent:

Is a marketing line of laundry detergents made by Procter and Gamble

1.10 Organization of the Study

The study is categorized into five chapters. The first chapter presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, objective of the study, research questions and hypothesis, the significance of the study, scope/limitations of the study, and definition of terms. The chapter two covers the review of literature with emphasis on conceptual framework, theoretical framework, and empirical review. Likewise, the chapter three which is the research methodology, specifically covers the research design, population of the study, sample size determination, sample size, and selection technique and procedure, research instrument and administration, method of data collection, method of data analysis, validity and reliability of the study, and ethical consideration. The second to last chapter being the chapter four presents the data presentation and analysis, while the last chapter (chapter five) contains the summary, conclusion and recommendation.