ABSTRACT: The study was carried out to find out the Influence of Indigenous Language in Advert Campaigns on consumers. In carrying out this study, the researcher used survey research method coupled with questionnaire as the measuring instrument. From the findings, it is established that language is one of the powerful tools in conveying advert messages to the targeted audience. Also, advertising in indigenous language has great impact on the targeted public rather than advert in another language because people tend to understand their native language better and that is both the MTN and GLO used indigenous language in advert campaign regularly. They advertised in indigenous language to enhance understanding, to direct advert message to a particular native, and to let the people feel very important, as a result of this, indigenous language catches people’s attention in advertisement than in English language and pidgin language as it has persuading force on customers. It is recommended that to improve and enhance the use of language particularly indigenous language on the practice of advertising campaign only registered word and expressions should be used while less proverbs and idiomatic expression should be adopted in order to make the message understandable especially as this generation are not familiar with big idiomatic expression, proverb e.t.c . Similarly, because of the potential of audio and visual as both appeals to the illiterates, radio and television should be used regularly to present advert campaign in indigenous language to enhance understanding.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The essence of being in business by any commercial organisation is to produce for sales and profits. For an organisation to continue to be in business such organisation must generate enough sales from its products or services to cover operating costs and post reasonable profits. For many organizations, sales estimate is the starting point in budgeting or profit planning. It is so because it must be determined, in most cases before production units could be arrived at.
Similarly, of all marketing weapons, advertising has a leading impact on viewers minds, as its exposure is much more (Katke, 2007). Marketing mix has four subsets i.e. product, price, place and promotion and advertising is a component of the promotional mix, which is used to create awareness about products and services for making purchase decisions (Akinrosoye, 2004).
Marketers use these types of tools for communication purposes. Advertisement evolves date back in ancient times. Different societies used different types of symbols for the promotion of the products and services for attracting consumers. No company can become a market leader unless they invest lots of their investment in promotional purposes (Hussainy et al., 2008). The major aim of advertising is to impact buying behaviour; however, this impact on the brand is changed or strengthened frequently people’s memories. Memories about the brand consist of those associations that are related to the brand name in the consumer mind.
The major objective of consumer behaviour analysis is to determine the factors that influence consumers’ behaviour in a particular circumstance. Consumer behaviour analysis is helpful for advertisers to understand the behaviour of consumers in buying different situations. Advertising as a concept can be defined as a form of communication through the media about products, services, ideas, personalities or organizations, paid for by an identified sponsor (Alide, 2002).
Awofadeju (2013) gives a more widely accepted definition of advertising as the non-personal communication of information, usually paid for any usually persuasive in nature about products (goods and services) or ideas by an identified sponsor through various media. It is an exciting, dynamic, and challenging enterprise.
It’s often persuasive communication in that it tries to persuade the reader, the listener or the viewer to take to the sponsor’s own point of view and also to take some appropriate action. It is not personal or face to face communication rather it is directed to a group of people. According to the understanding of the advertising practitioners council of Nigeria (APCON) “advertising is a form of communication through the media about products, services or ideas, paid for by an identified sponsor”.
The terms advertising was coined from the Latin word “advertere” which mean literally means to draw attention. This is when you are getting the evidence mind in a product, notifying or informing somebody/people of something. However, while planning an advertising campaign one of the strategies is to determine the language and the targeted public (consumers/customers)for the campaign because advertising messages will be encoded in a particular language that the targeted consumer/customer understand and that is why the issue of indigenous language comes in.
Since indigenous language is a native language spoken by a particular people in a particular community so it is very common now that the encoding language for advertising campaigns in that area should be the native language. Research shows that people tend to appreciate their cultural valves at all time which language is one. To this end, the research finds out the influence of indigenous language on advertising campaigns using MTN and Glo as a case.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
This study x-ray the influence of indigenous language on an advertising campaign using MTN and GLO advertising campaigns produced in an indigenous language. Consumers get motivated and influenced by advert campaigns in their native language. In the bid to maximize profit in the prevalent get-rich-quick syndrome of some fraudulent entrepreneurs, some indulge in the ill-practice of advertising.
Absolute social responsibility to the customers of advertised goods and services is not ensured due to the fact that buyers are often misled by chronic imitation and exaggeration of language. Osunbiyi (2001) reiterates that deception perhaps is the worse criticism of advertising in that it is assumed that information given is just to deceive the public.
To this end, the research seeks to find out the influence of indigenous language on advertising campaigns using MTN and GLO advertising campaigns produced in an indigenous language.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
- To examine the impact of indigenous language in an advertising campaign of MTN and GLO
- To know the type of language that catches the attention of customers in advertising messages.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
- Of what impact is an indigenous language in an advertising campaign of MTN and GLO?
- What type of language catches customers’ attention in MTN and GLO advertising messages?
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
It is the belief of the researcher that this study will be useful to lots of students, scholars, consumers of goods and services policymakers, advertisers, advertising agencies and advertising researchers would stand to gain a lot from the facts contained in this work.
Difference companies will find this research very interesting as it will keep them aware of the benefit of using indigenous language in advertising campaigns and how to achieve it.
People that will be carrying out research related to this will find the materials useful as it will provide them with a clue to their own research.
Advertiser planners will at the end of this research see the benefit and how people feel about promotional campaigns that are directed to them by using their native language.
It forms part of academic materials that students, lecturers, researchers, a company can turn to when looking for materials or existing literature on this concept.
1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study investigated the Influence of Indigenous Language on Advertising Campaign. The research was narrowed in scope to both MTN and Glo alongside their selected customers.
However, fifty (50) respondents from MTN and another fifty (50) respondents from Glo while fifty (50) respondents were drawn from the customers of the two giant telecommunication industries in Nigeria. Few respondents were drawn because it will be very difficult if not impossible to study all staff or MTN and GLO alongside their customers due to time available for this work, inadequate funds, the nature and geographical structure of Nigeria and other considerable logistics. However, despite the scope, the findings from the study will be generalized to all other telecommunication firms and other companies.
1.7 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS
INFLUENCE: It refers to the contribution or effect of indigenous language in advertising.
INDIGENOUS: Indigenous is a natural and existence of a natural thing that is the decedent of natural or something that is native.
INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE: It refers to a language of particular native or people that is accepted as the language of communication especially within their cycle.
ADVERTISING: – This is the paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, 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 a total promotional campaign that coordinates the service of a promotional effect design to reach specific goals.