THE IMPACT OF “SUPER STORY” DRAMA SERIES ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF UNILEVER ADVERTS
(UNILEVER SPONSOR OF “SUPER STORY”)
ABSTRACT
            This Study on the Impact of “Super story” drama series on the effectiveness of unilever adverts: (Unilever Sponsors of “Super Story”).
            The choice of this topic arises due to the observation that huge amount it being sunk in sponsoring by buying of airtime for super story by unliever plc.  The researcher therefore wishes to know if “Super story” have any positive impact on the effectiveness of unilever adverts.
            To achieve this, the researcher employed the use of survey method, by using the questionnaire to collect data, and use the two cities Enugu and Lagos as the sampled population.
            After the research, it was discovered that “Super story” drama series have positive impact on the effectiveness of unilever adverts.  It was also discovered that most of the respondents enjoy the drama and the medium through which the drama was aired.  This goes a long way to increase the sales.
            This study therefore recommend that advertises as well as producers must strive hard to utilize drama as well as sound communication in its advertising creativity, while the produces should also produce sound and quality products to aid advertising.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1       BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY:
             Do you ever remember being aroused from sleep in the morning by a commercial from a radio set, which said “Wake up and live with Andrews Liver salt”.  Or do you remember buying a bottle of Eagle stout after hearing the message “Eagle stout puts more strength in you”.  When you are flipping through the pages of our dailies, journals and magazines, you see products being advertised.  In most cases, photographs and art – works are used to convey information about the satisfying attributes of these products and services.
            Have you ever notices people rushing home on Thursday evenings to watch their favorite T.V drama series “Super story”, a drama sponsored by unilever plc, as a means of advertising their goods and services to the general public.
            The enormous growth of the various forms of mass communication in the 20th century has resulted in an increasing need for better knowledge of the processes and effects of mass communication.
            Modern communicators in order to achieve these turn to communication research to help answer some of the questions they do not have time or training to answer for themselves.  They also face criticism and questions about their role in modern society.
            This study on the impact of super story drama series on the effectiveness of unilever adverts arises due to our observation that unilever plc, have continued to sponsor super story drama, not withstanding the cost of the production of the drama and the cost of air time for television broadcast on NTA network.  Apart from unilever plc, other companies such as PZ has also gone into the same programme sponsorship as that of unilever, with the aim of using the programme to reach out to their to get audience, despite the huge amount of money being sunk in advertising the products and sponsoring the drama production.
            Hence, the choice of this aspect of mass communication research called advertising research is aimed at finding out if there is any relationship between the programme (Super story) used in advertising unilever products and the behavior being exhibited by those exposed to it.  The researcher also wants to find out if advertising products through sponsored programmes really make impact on the consumers and if it does, to what extent.
            Before we could understand and write effectively on this topic (The impact of super story drama series on the effectiveness of unilever adverts) lets first look at the word advertising.  However, it is also necessary to trace the history of advertising practice in general with particular reference to Nigeria, as a means of drawing the attention of the readers to what advertising means and its capacity to influence the lives of those being exposed to it.
            It is important to again look at the company, Unilever and Super Story, the will help to make the study clear.
ADVERTISING
            The word advertising comes from a latin word” adventure” which means, “to turn the mind towards”.  Although what could be termed modern advertising started from Europe, but that does not mean that Africans do not have a traditional methods of advertising.  One could bear with us that African or traditional advertising had existed in Nigeria inform of town criers, hawkers and displays.
            As man develops and with the invention of the movable types, print advertisement emerged in about 1436.  It embraces both newspaper and magazine and even posters and other printed bulletins.  The advent of radio and the establishment of Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation in 1960 tend to add more glamour to advertising, giving it the human sense of hearing and feeling.  The development of television even adds more glamour to advertising and incorporate all human sense; sight, feeling, hearing, sound and voice plus colour.  All these were aimed at making communication easier.  Hence, advertising had a face lift from the development of science and technology.
            Advertising is one word that has been given different definitions by authors.  These different definitions, though at variance with one author, contains that same basic element that anchors towards the meaning of advertising.  No generally accepted definition of advertising has been worked out because, as an academic discipline, the study of advertising is fairly new.
            One may then ask, what is advertising?
            According to Agbo, Ukozor advertising is a form of non-personal communication through the mass media that is paid for by an identifies sponsor.  
            Wilham J. Stanton (1981) defined the word advertising as consisting of all the activities involved in presenting to a group a non-personal, oral or usually open sponsored message regarding a product, service or idea.
            According to Philip Kotler (1988), the word advertising refers to any non-personal or one-way forms of communication conducted through paid media under clear sponsorship.
            Advertising was also viewed by Nonyelu Nwokoye (1981) as any form of non-personal paid form of communication through the mass media by an identified sponsor.
            If we should take one modern definition for instance, the one advocated by the advertising age to be the best of all the definitions offered –“Advertising is the printed, written, spoken or picture of representation of a person, product, services or movement openly sponsored by the advertiser and at his expense for the purpose of influencing sales, votes or endorsement.
ABOUT UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC
            The company was established in 1923 and was incorporated as a private company in 1924.  Then in the year 1973, the company became a Public Limited Company.  In 2001, the company decided to change its name from Lever Brothers Plc to Unilever Nigeria Plc.  The shares of the company is currently quoted in the Nigerian stock exchange.  The price per 50k share as at 31st December 2003 was #18.50, while as at 2002it stands for #16.15k.
            The company is principally involved in the manufacture and marketing of fast moving consumer products.  It’s main factories for homer, personal care products and foods are located in Aba, Lagos and Agbara, Ogun State.  The company employs a total of 2,303 people.  It has a board of directors made up of 10 people, with Mr. Felix Ohiwerei as the Chairman.  The company’s secretary & legal adviser is A.A. Ogunbanjo (Mrs).
            According to the Secretary and Legal advice of the company, the corporate purpose of the company goes thus;
            Our purpose in Unilever Nigeria Plc is to meet the everyday needs of
            People everywhere in Nigeria.
            We will anticipate the aspirations of our consumers and customers and
            Respond creatively and completive with branded products and
            Services, which raise the quality of life.
            Our deep roots in Nigeria combines with international experience will
            represent foundations for our future growth.
Our long term success requires a total commitment to exceptional
Standards of performance and productivity, to working together
Effectively and to a willingness to embrace new ideas and learn continuer sly.
We believe that to succeed requires the highest standards of corporate behavior towards our employees, consumers and the society in which we live.
This is unilevers road to sustainable, profitable growth for our business and long-term value creation for our shareholders and employees.
THE RESULT OF UNILEVER FOR THE YEAR 2003
            The net profit for the year is summarized as follows:
Turnover                                                                      #23,693,923
   Profit before tax                                                              2,778,116
Taxation                                                                             (907,875)
Profit after tax                                                                 1,870,259
Proposed dividend                                                            1,846,249
            ABOUT SUPER STORY, (PRODUCED BY WALE ADENUGA)
            Super story drama series is a production of Wale Adenuga , a graduate of business administration form University of Lagos.  The producer who started as a cartoonist for a campus magazine later took interest in the sales of cartons.  After his youth service in 1975, Wale started publishing Ikebe Super Magazine.  In 1976, Ikebe Super made its debut in the Nigerian market featuring jokes, stories and fashion.  Three years later the drama series know to day as super story started.
            According to the producer, 95% of stories on super story actually happened.
            Although many people submit stories, but Mrs Lucille Ebis Ayorinde writes most of the scripts.  The drama currently has it’s own location at Ikorodu town where the recording of Super story is done.  The location itself is a two-story building with twelve rooms and five sitting rooms.  The rooms are in two classes; some for top artistes while others are for artistes on set at that point in time.  The sitting rooms are designed to suit the family setting seen in most of the stories.
            The producer, Wale Adenuga has other programmes; Papa Ajasco, odd world and this life which is transmitted on TV Africa now called proudly Africa.
            Super story is transmitted on NTA network every Thursday from 8.00 pm, through the sponsorship of Unilever Plc.
WHY AND HOW UNILEVER SPONSORED SUPER STORY
            According to the producer Wale Adenuga: “That particular year producers were asked to summit pilots of their drama by the Company, Unilever Plc.  I quickly went to location and recorded one of suara series and submitted.  A week later, I phone, enquiring they said go and rest there are over sixty entries that have to be viewed on after the other.
            Two months later, 20 were selected.  Two months later five videos were selected.  When I heard the big names of the best five, I gave up.  People outside Unilever did the final selection.  At the end of the day, super story came first with wide margin.  What impressed them was the down to earth nature of our presentation.  I give God the glory.  We are like pencil in the hand of the creator”.
            The Corporate Affairs Manager of Unilever Nigeria Plc.  Yemi Adeboye the company in 2002, though of the need for a popular T.V drama programme to and the advertising and marketing of the numerous products of Unilever Plc.  The need arouse due to the competitive nature of the business and the sector where unilever compete with other companies that produce the same brand of goods, such as PZ, Cadbury Plc etc.
            Although the programme some how serve the purpose of social responsibility to the consumers nationwide, the main aim of the sponsorship is to advertise the products to the target audience who will get them during the course of watching to drama “Super story”.  Unilever is totally responsible for the cost of production of the drama and the air time on NTA network every Thursday.
            Now that the picture is clear i.e. the relationship between supper story drama series and Unilever Plc.  The main aim of choosing this topic “The impact of super story drama series on the effectiveness of unilever adverts” it to critically find out if super story is yielding any positive result in aiding the effectiveness of the advertisements of unilever products and the behavior of the consumers towards the products. (i.e. buying habit).
            However, notwithstanding the definition given to advertising, it is necessary to see if there exists any relationship between advertising and behavior pattern of individuals or prospects.
            Practical advertising and marketing cannot be complete without a clear concept of the principles of CONSUMER BEHAVIOR.  This arises due to the volume of products and services available to the consumers increases, markets and advertisers have grown more concern about why consumers buy particular and patronize certain outlets more than their competitors.
            As the researcher said earlier on in this chapter, we are going to check the validity of the selling function of advertising as claimed in this postulation;
            “A successful advertisement is one that sells”.
1.2              STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEMS
As we have seen from the background study, the claim of advertising
i.e. the use of super story drama series as an avenue of advertising unilever products, especially in moving the consumer from awareness to point of purchase and its ability to facilitate sales and reward high quality products, it is then necessary to note that Unilever Plc, producers of Lux soap, Close up Blue band Margarine etc existed all the advertising media in projecting their products to the consumers, especially the use of super story drama series.
            But despite the huge sum of money spent on the sponsorship of super story drama, and the time consumed by the drama on NTA network, unilever products seems to have recorded a little boast.  From the huge amount spent on super story, one would have expected something more than the present state of unilever products.
            Although the aim of the programme it to create awareness of products to the consumer, sales is also one of the yardstick for measuring advertising effectiveness.  Most of the people that are deeply interested on watching super story. (especially the youth) have little or no say in the buying habit of the family, and those that determine the family product usage have little or no interest on the programme “Super story” sponsored by Unilever Plc.
1.3OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
            The main objective of the study is to find out the impact of super story drama series on the effectiveness of unilever adverts.
            There is also the need to find out whether advertising is responsible for brand loyalty in consumers.  It will help us to also find out if consumers choice of a product, or whether it has a natural effect on them.
            Having highlighted the definition of advertising, it is necessary to examine the claims related to the study.  They are the growing conviction that advertising contributes in moving consumer from awareness to point of purchase as well as facilitates sales since advertising effectiveness is usually measured by sales.  As a result the validity or otherwise of these claims would be subjected to test in the study.
1.4     SIGNIFICANE OF THE STUDY
            Researching on this topic beneficial not only to Unilever Plc but also to other producers and manufactures who neglect the importance of research before embarking on production.
            This study is unique from he already done in the area of advertising.  While most researchers study straight adverts on radio, TC, Paper, this study is looking at the use of programmes i.e. the sponsorship of programme (drama) with the aim of using it as an avenue for advertising products (as the case of super story and Unilever Plc).
            This work would therefore be an eye opener on what research can do and the consequences of such neglects.  Also since advertising research is a behavioral research, it is necessary because if affords the advertising agencies who design product adverts to consider other social issues and study the society before putting down their copy into action.
            This work is also significant to producers to always bear their customer’s satisfaction in mind rather than what the producers feel.  In other words, this work may lead many producers to properly analyze and control the production quality always aimed at consumers taste, need and expectation.  This may lead o greater quality control knowing fully well that advertising is directed to the consumer whose sovereignty determines the success of production.  These are based on the realization that marketing begins and ends with the consumer.
            This research is necessary not only to producers, marketers and consumers but also to students of mass communication who want to make advertising and marketing their chosen professions to be care full and master marketing strategies.
            Unilever for instance is a household name and have exhausted all known advertisement in the world to push the product to the consumers.
1.5       RESEARCH QUESTINS   
1.                  Does super story drama series have any impact on the advertisement of unilever products?
2.                  Does advertising have any significant change in consumers buying behavior?
3.                  Does programme sponsorship and adverts have any effect or impact on manufacturers turn over?
4.                  Do people (consumers) look at the adverts while watching super story drama?
1.6              RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
H1        “Super story” drama series have positive impact on the effectiveness of unilever adverts.
 Ho        Super story has no impact on the effectiveness of unilever adverts.
H2        The quality of the product determines the patronage rather than  adverts.
Ho      The quality of the product do not determine the patronage.
H3        Other factors like availability of the product affect buying habit more  than adverts.
Ho        Other factors do not influence buying habit more than adverts.                   
H4          Consumers are aware of products through adverts.
H5          The price of unilever products affects the consumption pattern more  than adverts.
Ho          The price of unilever products do not affect the consumption patter  more than adverts.
H6          It is too early to measure the impact of super story considering it’s  age.
Ho          It is not too early to measure the impact of super story considering the
            age.
1.7              DEFINITION OF TERMS
   1.    IMPACT
CONCEPTUAL:
            Impact means a dramatic or forceful effect.
            OPERATIONAL:
            Impact is the degree of advertising effect on unilever products.
   2.    PREFERENCE
      CONCEPTUAL:
      Is the attitude or act of liking a product better than another.  
          OPERTIONAL:
            Is the ability to choose or select unilever products rather than other
            brands.
   3.    ADVERT CAMPAIGN
   CONCEPTUAL:
   Showing a product to the people, telling item to buy.
   OPERATIONAL:
   Advert campaign are those messages directed to the audience that
   arouse their psychological consumption of unilever products.
4.   SALES TURN OVER
CONCEPTUAL:
Is rapid purchase of a product.
OPERATIONAL
Sales turnover is the total number of unilever products sold by the company in a year.
5.   BUYING HABIT
CONCEPTUAL
Buying habit is the readiness or ways by which people buy a product.
OPERATIONAL:
Buying habit is the manner at which people consume unilever products.
   6.    ADVERTISING
      OPERATIONAL: The act of using super story to inform people  
      about the products of unilever, so as to get them buy.
 7.        COMSUMPITION PATTERN
            CONCEPTUAL
            The way people patronize goods
            OPERATIONAL
            The way people buy the products of unilever plc due to the adverts.
  8.     CONSUMER
      CONCEPTUAL
      A person who buys good or uses services of a particular people.
      OPERATIONAL:
      A persons who buys or patronize the products of unilever plc.
1.8              ASSUMPTIONS
This project is based on the following assumptions which were
important in the formulation of the hypothesis.
1.                  It is assumed that the consumer perception of advertisement do not influence their acceptability of a product.
2.                  It is also assumed that consumers consider super story and the advertisement messages of unilever while buying.
3.                  It is assumed that advert cannot affect a consumer’s behavior.
4.                  Also assumed that the increase in the consumption of unilever products is not only related to advertising.
5.                  Another assumption is that consumers preference of unliever products is related to the price of the product.