THE IMPACT OF ADVERTISING ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
(A CASE STUDY OF COCA COLA COMPANY)
ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study is to investigate the impact of advertising on consumer behavior taking coca cola as a case study. The researcher gathered primary data information through the distribution of questionnaire. A total of 48 respondents were analysed using Chi-Square through SPSS. The scope of study for this work was based on the University of Benin. The result of the findings shows that there is a significant relationship between advertising and consumer behavior towards the consumption of Coca cola. It was recommended that; more strategies should be introduced to motivate and entice consumers towards whatever product line a company is trying to promote for the success of the product in the market, the right promotional mix should be employed for adequate patronage of the product like bonus gift items, price reduction, etc. Aside advertising, a company should in all effort promote consumer goods that are of high quality because quality speaks volume. And aside media advertising, word of mouth is recognized as another potent form of advert that is less expensive and effective.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background to the study-    -
Statement of the Problem    -
Research Question    -    
Objectives of the Study    -
Research hypotheses    -    -
Scope of the Study        -    
 Significance of the Study-    -
Limitations of the study    -     -          
Definition of Terms    -    -
CHAPTER TWO:  LITERATURE REVIEW
     Introduction    -    -    -
     Background of Coca Cola-    -    
     Nature and Concept of Advertising     -    -
2.4    Classification of Advertising     -    
2.5    Criticisms of Advertising -    -    
2.6    The Principles of Good Brand Advertising -    
2.7    Advertising Campaign Process Research Inputs
    The Basic Information Function of Advertising
     Role of Advertising -    -    -    -    
Complex Buying Behaviour -    -
2.11    Dissonance Producing Buying Behaviour     -    
2.12    Habitual Buying Behaviour    -    
2.13    Variety Seeking Buying Behaviour    -    -
    Basic Determinants Of Consumer Behaviour    
   Environmental Influences On Consumer Behaviour    
      Buyer Response Sequence     -    -    -
CHAPTER THREE:  METHODOLOGY
3.1    Introduction    -    -    -    
3.2    Research Design    -    -    -    
3.3    Sampling Plan    -    -    -    -
3.3.1    Sample Frame     -    -    -
3.3.2     Sample Size     -    -    -    -
3.3.3    Sampling Procedure -    -    -    
3.3.4     Sampling Technique -    -    -    -
3.4     Sources of Data -    -    -
3.9    Method of Data Analysis    -    
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSES AND INTERPRETATION
4.1.    Introduction    -    -    
4.2    Chi-Square Analysis    -    
4.3    Hypothesis Testing    -    -    
CHAPTER FIVE:   SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1    Summary of findings-    -    -    -    -
5.2    Conclusion -    -    -    -    -    
5.3    Recommendations -    -    -    -    -
Bibliography    -    -    -    -
    CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background To The Study
Product and advertisement or advertising are inextricably intertwined, and as suchit will not be necessary to talk about advertising if there is no product to offer and there is no general public to receive the offer. Production is therefore incomplete until the product get to its final consumer. For a product to get to its final consumer, the consumer must be aware of it, that means awareness pre-empts consumption. Awareness comes only through effective communication. It should be noted that,  after producing the product, packaging it, putting  price on the product, distributing and positioning it to meet the need of the consumer, it will be a fruitless exercise if the product is not brought to the  knowledge of  the consumer. And this is the essence of advertising.
According to Runyon (2001: 445) one of the valid purpose of business is to create customers, and the ultimate aim of marketing effort is consumer satisfaction. This can be achieved through advertising.
According to Okunna (2002, P.99) advertising is the non – personal communication of information, usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature about products (goods and services) or ideas by identified sponsors through various media.
communication is one of the function of advertising which is just one of the promotional mix elements- advertising, personal selling, sale promotion and publicity; and promotion is one of the marketing mix elements which is the 4ps – product, price, place and promotion. The entire marketing mix element as such communicates in one way or the other to target market. Promotion plays a significant role in carrying the message of the product across to the consumer. This it does by a careful selection of the promotional alternatives which are as follows: Personal selling, Sales promotion, Publicity, Public relation and Advertising.
Among these alternatives advertising seems most favored to communicate product information that will lead to decisions favorable to the producer. Hence, it is expected to accomplish the following task:
It must attract the attention of the target market.
Secondly, it must inform people, who read, listen or watch message.
Thirdly, in order to be considered effective, it must stimulate a significant portion of the market to change attitude or adopt a new attitude that may lead to action  that will be favorable to the advertisers in the future (Kaufman 2001:48)
Considering this, it can be understood that the first purpose of advertising is to provide information. But even then, consumer may hesitate to make an exchange. They need assurance. Hence, some persuasion is necessary to encourage them. Professor Neil Borden  of Harvard university  speaking on the nature  of persuasion (influence) in our socio-economic  system said that “ the use of influence in commercial relation are exercised  freely in many walks of life in our free society  in the home, classroom, courts,  pulpit and so on.
1.2    Statement Of Research Problem
One of the fundamental questions of advertising and marketing according to Okigbe (2006 – 2007) is “what makes people buy”. To answer this question is to explain the difficult but fascine key concept of consumer behaviour.
Consumer behavior according to Runyon (2001:29) quoted in Okigbe (2006-2007) is that aspect of human behaviour that relates to “planning, purchasing and using of economics goods and services. Because of its complex nature, consumers behavior requires clear analysis and understanding for people to use advertising to influence it.
In Dr. Anthony A. Ijewere book “marketing theory and practice”, A Nigeria perspective  (2005:109) consumer behavior was defined as the study of the decision making processes and  overt arts of both final and intermediate users and buyers in the purchase  and consumption  of goods and services.
Finally, this work is designed to investigate to what extent advertising influence consumers’ behaviour and hence, to what extent it helps in building brand loyalty. The study is based on the assumption that all other internal and external factors that could influence consumer behaviour are kept and advertising isolate as the study.
      Research Question
Some of the questions that the research intends to proffer solution to are as follows:
Does advertising of coke have any influence on the consumption of soft drink?
What extent is the influence of advertising on consumer behaviour in relation to other marketing mix elements?
Given the advertisement of other soft drinks, to what extent does the advertisement of coke induce the preference of coke over its alternatives?
    Objectives of the Study
Recently a lot of importance has been attached to advertising by marketers. In view of this, the study is designed to:
Determine the influence of advertising on consumer behaviour.
Examine and assess the effects of advertising as a determinant of the consumer choice of coke over other mineral beverage drinks.
Evaluate the influence of coca cola advert as a preference over its alternatives.
Research Hypothesis
Ho1: There are no relationship between advertising and consumption of coke
Ho2:    Advertising does not have greater influence on consumers than the quality of the product.
Ho3: The effects of coca cola advert does not create a preference over its alternatives.
Scope of the Study
The study particularly focuses on the youths, the soft drink advertising, and how the youth comprehend and appreciate the advertising message.
University of Benin is chosen for this study because of its large population of youth who form the basis of this study.
Significance of the Study
The study would assist companies, particularly the Coca cola company, to know how best to make their budget allocation to the different elements of the marketing mix especially in advertising.
Finally, the study will serve as a source of reference to researchers in the field of advertising and consumers behavior or other related topical issues.
Limitation Of The Study
    The researcher encounteredsome constraints while embarking on this study. One major constraint was in the gathering of information the reason being that some of the data were rather too sensitive to obtain from the company (Coca cola) and as such the researcher could not get a hold on those information, an example of such information include the budget for advertising by the company, advertising strategy etc.
More so, Coke is widely consumed by various classes of people in the metropolis and because of time and financial constraints, the study would be limited to consumers in the University of Benin, therefore the result may differ a little if the same research is conducted on larger scale of coke consumers.
    The researcher is aware that respondent might not have given accurate information that could better reflect the market realities. A little percentage of error should therefore not be ruled out.
1.9    Definition Of Terms
Consumer Behavior: was defined as the study of the decision making processes and overt arts of both final and intermediate users and buyers in the purchase andconsumption of goods and services
Advertising: can be defined as “a paid message inserted in a medium”. A business definition of advertising therefore would include the origination of these ideas with purpose being to motivate consumers along the path to making a purchase.