THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM ON THE

PROMOTION OF CONSUMER GOODS. (A CASE STUDY OF JUMMAI

ONLINE MARKETING BUSINESS).

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page
Approval
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Abstract
List of Table
Table of content
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Research Questions
1.4 Objectives of the Study
1.5 Significance of the Study
1.6 Scope and Limitation of the Study

CHAPTER TWO
Review of related Literature
2.0 Introduction
2.1 Concepts of social media
2.2. Advertising on Social Networks
2.3. Dimensions of Social Media Advertising
2.4. Platforms for Promoting Social Media Advertising
CHAPTER THREE
Methodology
3.0 Introduction
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Population of the Study
3.3 Sample and Sampling Techniques
3.4 Sources of Data
3.5 Method of Data Collection
3.6 Instrument of Data Collection
3.7 Method of Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR
Data Presentation and Analysis
4.0 Introduction
4.1 Data Presentation and Analysis
4.2 Summary and Findings
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.0 Introduction
5.1 Summary
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Recommendations
Bibliography
 CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Social media are a fundamental axis for online marketing campaigns of most
companies, focused on knowing the variables that condition the results of their
campaigns in social media marketing (SMM), associated with natural or organic
positioning or (search engine optimization (SEO). This axis has been an object of
recent study as it is a source of technology transfer in the field of marketing. The
aim of this research is to study social media influence on consumer behavior in the
growing telecommunications sector, especially in mobile telephony manufacturers.
The justification of this focus is the progressive competitive development of the
telecom sector, traditionally based on public and monopolistic operators. With the
liberalization process at the end of the 20th century, this market has changed
deeply, thanks to the appearance of many competitors and greater activity for
manufacturers. If we combine this process with the mobile phenomenon and with
the consolidation of social networks as a way to connect with consumers, we can
afford approaching a new view linking both concepts.

1.1 THE BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The background of the study is related to the influence of social media platform on
the promotion of consumer goods on mobile telephony companies represent a
sector that invests more in advertising campaigns and is centered in the social
media. Samsung and Apple are the market leaders, both in terms of share and
advertising investment. Xiaomi, third in the ranking, is a Chinese company that has
become a commercial threat to Samsung, having cheaper mobile terminals. The
Spanish BQ is also positioned at affordable prices.

Based on a quantitative methodology, the general objectives of the research consist

of analyzing the advertising on social networks of four major reference companies
of mobile telephony (Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi and BQ). The research gaps are a
lack of data and evidence about strategies in the mobile telephony companies and
the need of a comparative analysis to promote profitable and monetizable activity
in this sector. As specific objectives, it is intended to review the concept, evolution
and operation of advertising on social networks; observe and analyze the
management model and the strategies of the mobile telephony companies chosen in
social media; compare the different behaviors of each one of the companies
analyzed in the different social media; try to discover similarities or differences in
communication between the brands analyzed; obtain information to support.
decision making on the social media strategy of other companies; and analyze the
impact of social networks on mobile phone companies.

In today’s technology driven world, social networking sites have become an

avenue where retailers can extend their marketing campaigns to a wider range of
consumers. Chi (2011,

Defines social media marketing as a “connection between brands and consumers,

[while] offering a personal channel and currency for user centered networking and
social interaction.” The tools and approaches for communicating with customers
have changed greatly with the emergence of social media; therefore, businesses
must learn how to use social media in a way that is consistent with their business
plan (Mangold and Faulds 2099). This is especially true for companies striving to
gain a competitive advantage. This review examines current literature that focuses
on a retailer’s development and use of social media as an extension of their
marketing strategy. This phenomenon has only developed within the last decade,
thus social media research has largely focused on (1) defining what it is through
the explanation of new terminology and concepts that makeup its foundations, and
(2) exploring the impact of a company’s integration of social media on consumer
behavior. This paper begins with an explanation of terminology that defines social
media marketing, followed by a discussion of the four main themes found within
current research studies: Virtual Brand Communities, Consumers Attitudes and
Motives, User Generated Content, and Viral Advertising.

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS

The dichotomy between advertising and marketing regulations raises the question
as to how advertising techniques may circumvent consumer regulations and distort
the economic behaviour of the consumer (Lindstrom, 2008). It is rare to find a
marketer that shares a similar deep passion for advertising as they might for law
and regulations. Degrees of polarity exist in the creativity of the right brain
attributed to advertisement creativity and the analytical processes of the left brain,
often more attributed to the regulatory processes of law (Loftus & Pickrell, 1995;
Arkush, 2008). The two tend to be opposing rather than complementary, and rarely
do they seek each other out.

Marketers across the globe are increasingly preoccupied with using social media
advertising to create brand awareness, brand image and equity (Alhaddad, 2015) in
ways that identify consumer preferences and to optimise value for their brands and
businesses. Social media platforms, such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, have
changed the way people interact with one another during past decades. The human
nature of online interactions shows people’s engagement in social activities and the
formation of different groups according to their preferences, hobbies and
educational levels rather than advertisers’ expectations on consumer profiles. For
instance, students who come from one university may be connected to one another
through belonging to the same school, while people who meet online may share
similar interests. As a result, advertisers attempt to deliver advertisements to those
people who are interested in their products.
Although social media marketing is a well-researched topic, it has only been
studied through experimental and theoretical research; studies never precisely
describe the benefits retailers gain from this marketing tactic. In reviewing the rich
plethora of multi-disciplinary literature, it is has become clear that studies are
focusing on describing what social media marketing is as well as examining what
factors affect consumer behavior relative to social networking. Despite the initial
progress made by researchers, development in this area of study has been limited.
Research needs to expand by providing a deeper understanding of the long-term
promotional gains retailers obtain from social media marketing. More formalized
studies are also needed to progress beyond theorized or predicted outcomes in
order to gain knowledge of real life applications. This review of literature touches
upon the gaps that currently exist within social media marketing research and
points out the need for future studies to explore the benefits gained by marketing
on social networking sites, especially for small retailers.

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTION

The following are the question formulated to use as a guideline for this study

i. What are the influences of social media platform on the promotion of

consumer goods a case study of Jummia online marketing business?
ii. Are there any advertisers’ strategies perspectives on the social media
platforms they mainly use for advertising brands especially online goods?
iii. Are there any advertisers’ perspectives on the influence of social media on
the promotion of brands especially online goods?
iv. What are the advertisers’ perspectives on the contribution of social media
advertising to consumer preferences for brands on jummia online marketing?
1.4 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

In carrying this research work on the influence of social media platform on the
promotion of consumer goods in Nigeria the following objective have been
formulated.

v. To determine the influence of social media platform on the promotion of

consumer goods a case study of jummia online marketing business.
vi. To explore the advertisers’ perspectives on the social media platforms they
mainly use for advertising brands especially online goods.
vii. To explore the advertisers’ perspectives on the influence of social media on
the promotion of brands especially online goods.
viii. To explore the advertisers’ perspectives on the contribution of social media
advertising to consumer preferences for brands on jummia online marketing.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings of this study are expected to benefit society considering that the social
media plays an important role in most consumer’s selection of brands in today’s
media -centred world and the reality that there exists a greater demand exists for
goods and yet people lack the time to go and shop for their preferred brands
(Perreau, 2014). The ubiquity of social media has increased social media
advertising and content sharing possibilities leading to consumers’ increased and
convenient access to brands. Therefore, the opportunities for multiple connectivity
that social media platforms provide tend to increase communication among
consumers and promote of brands. As such, the different ways through which
social media platforms influence consumers’ preference for brands need to be
uncovered as advertisers are to promote effective communication and advertising
via social media platforms. Given the obscurity of findings on the effectiveness of
social media platforms in promoting brand preferences (Shimp, 2012), this study
can serve as a future reference for researchers on this subject. The study can also
provide other advertisers with insights into which social media platforms are best
suited for advertising and increasing access to consumer preferences for brands,
especially energy drinks. This understanding has potential to reduce advertisers’
wasteful investment in ineffective social media platforms (Motyka, Marcinkowski
2015; Reissig et al. 2009).
 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 INTRODUCTION

These chapters review the work of other authors in relation to social media
platform on the promotion of consumer goods. the researcher will examine the
contributions of different authors with the view to determine where there are
knowledge gap.

2.1 CONCEPT OF SOCIAL MEDIA

To consider social media as a marketing tool a retailer must understand every

aspect of it. Social media cannot be understood without first defining Web 2.0: a
term that describes a new way in which end users use the World Wide Web, a
place where content is continuously altered by all operators in a sharing and
collaborative way (Kaplan and Haenlein 2010). “It is much more to do with what
people are doing with the technology than the technology itself, for rather than
merely retrieving information, users are now creating and consuming it, and hence
adding value to the websites that permit them to do so” (Campbell et al. 2011, 87).
Web 2.0 has evolved from simple information retrieval to interactivity,
interoperability, and collaboration (Campbell et al. 2011).

Kaplan and Haenlein (2010, 61) define social media as “a group of Internet based
applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web
2.0, and allow the creation and exchange of user generated content.” Sinclaire and
Vogus (2011, 294) cite O’Reilly’s (2005) definition: “social media is a broad term
that describes software tools that create user generated content that can be shared.”
However, there are some basic features necessary for a website to meet the
requirements as a social network website: the site must contain user profiles,
content, a method that permits users to connect with each other and post comments
on each other’s pages, and join virtual groups based on common interests such as
fashion or politics. (Gross & Acquisti, 2005; Ellison, Steinfield & Lampe, 2007;
Lenhart & Madden, 2007; Winder, 2007; Boyd & Ellison, 2007 as cited in Cox
2010).

The phrase social networking sites’ is often used interchangeably with social
media. However, social media is different because it allows participants to unite by
generating personal information profiles and inviting friends and colleagues to
have access to those profiles (Kaplan and Haenlein 2010, 63). Thus, social media
is the environment in which social networking takes place and has altered the way
in which consumers gather information and make buying decisions.

Consumers’ Sentiment toward Marketing (CSM) is a factor consider by

researchers to measure how well consumers will perceive social media marketing.
CSM is defined as a concept which refers to the general feelings that consumers
have for marketing and the marketplace (Lawson et al. 2001as cited by Mady
2011). An individual’s perception of the overall marketplace plays a major role in
whether or not they are motivated to partake in consumption activities (Mady
2011). In order to create a successful marketing campaign via social media, a
consumer must be open to the technology. Consumer technology readiness is
defined a “people’s propensity to embrace and use new technologies for
accomplishing goals in home and work” (Parasuraman, 2000 as cited by Mady
2011, 195). Consumer technology readiness is important for retailers to remember
when marketing on social networks because if their intended target market does
not use social media, is not familiar with it, or perceives it negatively, then their
social media marketing will be unrewarding. Analysis of technology readiness can
determine if marketing via interactive advertising would be a good fit for a
retailer’s target market.

The Innovation Adoption Process (IAP) is another instrument that provides

information on a consumer’s acceptance of new technology. The IAP is the
progression through which an individual goes through the innovation-decision
process (Rogers as cited in Mady 2011). Five steps make up the process:
knowledge of the innovation, forming an attitude toward the innovation, deciding
to adopt or reject the innovation, implementation of the innovation, and
confirmation of the decision (Mady 2011). Knowledge of IAP can help marketers
obtain a social media marketing campaign that is fulfilling.

Social media has advanced from simply providing a platform for individuals to
stay in touch with their family and friends. Now it is a place where consumers can
learn more about their favorite companies and the products they sell. Marketers
and retailers are utilizing these sites as another way to reach consumers and
provide a new way to shop. “Technology related developments such as the rise of
powerful search engines, advanced mobile devices and interfaces, peer-to-peer
communication vehicles, and online social networks have extended marketers’
ability to reach shoppers through new touch points” (Shankar et al. 2011, 30).

Shopper marketing is a new concept that has emerged, creating a new touch point
for the interactions between businesses and consumers. Shopper marketing is “the
planning and execution of all marketing activities that influence a shopper along,
and beyond, the entire path of purchase, from the point at which the motivation to
shop first emerges through purchase, consumption, repurchase, and
recommendation” (Shankar et al. 2011, 29). Perceived fit is an important factor for
retailers to consider for shopper marketing; perceived fit is the amount of similarity
between an extension product category and existing products affiliated with the
brand (DelVecchio and Smith as cited in Cha 2009). The more people perceive
shopping services on social networking sites as useful and easy to use, the more
likely they are willing to shop for items on social networks (Cha 2009). Providing
shopping services on social networks can provide business growth for retailers due
to the diversity of consumers who use social media sites. The wide range of
consumers utilizing social networks means that most target markets can be reached
(Cha 2009). This provides an effective platform for retailers to promote their brand
and products to potential consumers. According to Shankar et al. (2011), shopper
marketing can join forces with shoppers to improve products, create clear
messages, identify promoters, and serve as a connection to in-store activities, thus
demonstrating the importance of social media within a retailer’s marketing plan.
Advancements within social media sites have created consumer communities that
are defining new ways in which companies and customers can interact with one
another to share information on brand products. For example, virtual brand
communities are creating a computer-generated space for consumers and retailers
to connect with one another via marketing.

2.2. ADVERTISING ON SOCIAL NETWORKS

The incursion of advertising on social networks has accelerated as the number of

users of these networks has increased. In parallel, metrics have arisen that try to
objectify the performance of the insertions , increasingly aimed at achieving a solid
interactivity with the end user .

Communication in social media is modifying the way in which the businesses and
their consumer behavior interact. Internet advertising incorporated new platforms
and business opportunities for companies and brands. Although television leads
advertising investment, the Internet is the medium that is growing the most. In
addition, promotion in Social Media Marketing (SMM) is more effective in the
long term and creates a strong bond with clients because it reaches a participatory
audience.

The main advantages of using ads on social media are as follows: the constant need
for content creation (cloud journalism) can be profitable through the insertion of
semantically related advertising (social journalism commerce); the monitoring is
almost automatic; there is more flexibility in the ad formats; with a scarce
investment, a great impact on customers can be achieved; cost per click (CPC) is
lower compared to other advertising formats; it is easier to segment and find the
target audience; you can create specific campaigns depending on demographic and
socio-demographic data (sex, age, interests or business experience).

The monitoring factor is probably the addition most valued by the marketing areas
of companies. Big data, in full 4.0 industry, is crossed with artificial intelligence to
illuminate possible new campaigns focused on very specific targets. This helps to
evaluate the results and to know the most loyal followers, from which potential
configuration adjustments or improvements of future campaigns are revealed.

The growth of social networks is affecting traditional media and sectors such as
tourism. In the case of television, hybridization with social networks leads to an
emerging standard, such as HbbTV in a broadband and interactivity framework.
Social media adds millions of audiences and, accordingly, receives more publicity.
Personalization (customization) drives investments that are reduced in the classic
media organizations.

The development of social networks generates, then, new possibilities of

advertising communication. Entrepreneurially, in social networks it is discovered
that power and productive capacity fall on individuals who spontaneously come
together based on certain common interests.

As a comparison between different forms of social media and their ways of using
communication, enterprises announce a product through social networks such as
Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, where brands act to control and
improve their e-reputation by creating a partnership with a public character. Brands
contact those brand prescribers, influencers or brand ambassadors to sponsor a
product or service. This business strategy achieves maximum visibility with
minimal investment.

Social network enterprises manage to make this new advertising format their main
source of income through “collaborations”. Followers are participants in each of
the products they use or services they use. Their public profiles act as a platform
for hundreds of non-traditional ads but with more effect than conventional
advertising due to the relationship created between follower and influencer.

The most efficient and fastest way to turn a company into a viral one is with the
previous selection and subsequent collaboration of a group of influencers. It is
important to highlight the digital role of women, which is more profitable. This is
due to the continuous advertising suggestion in Instagram or YouTube profiles,
where the previous predisposition of female shopping becomes an opportunity for
companies.

The analyzed phenomenon started with blogs, prior to networks such as Instagram,
so they can be considered a first form of social media. Users trust the opinion of
these bloggers if they want to buy a product. Bloggers often impact on various
networks (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube). Brands look forward to
collaborating with them to increase their visibility.
2.3. DIMENSIONS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING

There are five dimensions of social media advertising (Asa’ad & Anas, 2014).
These dimensions facilitate the creation of advertisers’ connections with
consumers and contribute to the building of traffic on company brands on websites.

2.3.1. Online Communities

The main motivation for social media advertising is to enable advertisers to

develop online communities that converge around and consume their brands. A
company or business employs social media platforms to build a community around
its products/business. Vibrant communities create loyalty for brands and encourage
consumer discussions, which can contribute towards brand exposure and
improvements (Taprial, & Kanwar, 2012).

2.3.2. Social interaction

The debate on social media advertising is incomplete without recourse to social

interaction. Consumers of particular brands can use their Facebook pages and
Twitter accounts to notify, quickly and simultaneously, all their followers about
specific subjects (Berselli, Burger & Close, 2012) relating to these brands. In
addition, social networking sites also enable greater interaction with the online
community through broadcasting up-to-date information about the brands, as well
as communicating students’ tastes and preferences for particular brands such as
energy drinks online.

2.3.3. Sharing of Content

Content sharing is another important dimension of social media advertising.

Content sharing is the extent to which an individual exchange, distributes and
receives content in a social media setting. University students share with peers the
brands they prefer on their social media platforms especially when these brands
resonate with a majority of their peers (Babac, 2011).

2.3.4. Accessibility

Increasing accessibility is another important consideration as far as social media

advertising is concerned. Through social media advertising consumers easily
access brands at no or minimal costs via social media platforms. Social media
platforms are easy to use and do not require any special skills or knowledge to use
(Taprial & Kanwar, 2012). Therefore, social media platforms provide user-friendly
content that can be used by both older and younger students.

2.3.5. Credibility

Companies also gain increased credibility when they market their products and
services via social media platforms. Credibility relates to clearly delivering
messages to consumers and establishing sincerity through what is said or done,
connecting emotionally with the target audience, motivating the buyer and
generating loyal customers. The social media provide a good platform for all
businesses to network and to reach out to their target audience, connect with them
directly and generate trust by listening to what they say (Taprial & Kanwar, 2012).
Advertisers, therefore, may generate loyal customers by providing a brand image
that truly addresses the contents of the brand.

2.4. PLATFORMS FOR PROMOTING SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING

Over 2.7 billion people globally and approximately 40% of the world's population
is online (ICT, 2014). Over half of online adults in the USA use two or more social
networking sites (Pew Internet, 2014), with sites such as Facebook, Twitter and
YouTube commonly used to navigate content on the Web in addition to traditional
search engines (Bughin et al., 2011). Social media advertising platforms, with a
near 100% penetration on mobile phones worldwide (ICT, 2014), are increasingly
accessed and used at all times and places and provide the platform for brand
recognition. As a result, companies are proactively engaging in new social media
advertising strategies and tactics (Neff, 2014). For example, a study conducted by
Social Bakers (2014) demonstrates that the number of social media interactions
often contributes to increased visits to the brand's website. Other research findings
suggest that social media engagements are ineffective in stimulating brand loyalty
and sales (Traphagen, 2015). Nevertheless, there are several popular social media
advertising platforms (Facebook, Twitter and YouTube) that most advertisers use
to promote brands and these sites are described below.

2.4.1. Facebook

Many industry surveys (Ascend2, 2013; Gerber, 2014) report that promoting
engagement on large audience platforms such as Facebook is one of the most
important social media advertising goals of marketers targeting consumers of
energy drink brands. Social media advertising is increasingly attracting clients’
attention by engaging and paying attention to their needs. In the early days of
social media advertising, the volume of users who were socially connected to
brands were the primary driving force for engagement. Accordingly, organisations
aggressively acquired fans and followers on platforms like Facebook by investing
heavily in advertisements on the network. Facebook was considered the most used
platform for advertising as it provided easy-to-navigate communication interfaces
for advertising energy drinks. Facebook has become one essential and influential
site for marketers and companies to launch social media campaigns. Facebook
evolved from a private network into a social network with users from all over the
world standing at more than 1.71 billion (Statista, 2016). With regard to its use for
business, Facebook is the place where companies build relationships with its
current and new customers in the long-term (Facebook, 2016). Mollen and Wilson
describe engagement as involvement through “likes” or “sharing” activities on
brands (Dahl, 2015: 155). Moreover, social media encourage interactive
participation between two parties through its shareable content. According to
Ellering (2016), there are effective tactics used to create an active engagement on
social media platforms, and these are:

1. Sharing videos or brands most watched or purchased by consumers.

2. Tagging a consumer in relation to content on the brand in question.

3. Sharing a consumer’s post, which is valuable to the company or brand?

4. Scheduling posts in recommended effective time to increase engagement.

5. Scheduling and increasing content-related posts on Facebook to generate

reach, organic growth and brand awareness.

6. Optimising hashtag usage to double engagement rates.

7. Reposting content that audiences desire.

The use of Facebook advertising can benefit companies by:

1. raising brand awareness;

2. generating leads;

3. Increasing sales locally;

4. Increasing sales via the website, and

5. Promoting current and new applications (Facebook, 2016).

Facebook advertising normally is aimed at a target audience. Literature defines a
target audience as a specific group of people within the target market at whom a
product or the advertising message of a product is aimed (Kotler & Armstrong,
2014; Boundless, 2016). Meanwhile, Rouhiainen (2016) recommends the targeting
of customers with specific segmentation and interest when advertising content,
which leads to deeper engagement and more followers for the company. As result,
the identification of a target audience enhances the results of Facebook advertising
through the alignment of the company’s objectives and products to the
demographics a company desires for its products.

2.4.2. Twitter

Another popular platform for social media advertising is Twitter. Previous studies
claimed that customized advertising on Twitter can be informative, pleasurable and
increases a firm’s credibility. However, customized advertising also may decrease
irritation of customers because messages would be well personalized to deal with
customers’ interests and preferences (Lee, Kim & Sundar, 2015). Almost one in
five posts on Twitter includes a specific brand name and one-fifth of these posts
express positive or negative feelings about that brand (Jansen et al., 2009). When
the number of tweets sent per day, which is 500 million (Twitter, 2015), is taken
into account, the importance of Electronic-word-of-mouth (EWOM) conversations
on Twitter can be seen more explicitly as an average of 100 million tweets per day
mention specific brands. For this reason, companies desire to interact with
customers on Twitter by having exchanging brand messages via consumers’
official accounts. Statistics indicate that 77% of Fortune 500 companies use
Twitter actively and underscore Twitter as the most used social media platform for
advertising products among these companies (Barnes et al., 2013).
2.4.3. YouTube

Another interesting social media advertising platform is YouTube. This website

allows video makers to monetise content in many ways including through
advertisements (YouTube Partner, 2015). Successful YouTubers have huge
followings with some having millions of fans which is essential for business,
especially for advertising and promoting brands. YouTube has billions of total
views (YouTube, 2016), and houses millions of videos ranging from product
reviews of the brands such as energy drinks. Contrary to many companies that
have tried and failed to promote their brands on YouTube, YouTubers succeed in
producing successful videos that provide content that captures customers’ attention
(Rich, 2013). YouTube users make money by employing product placement on
their videos (Rich, 2013), which means that the audience is being influenced
through deliberate and subtle insertion of a product into media entertainment
(Perloff, 2010: 291). YouTube has billions of total views (YouTube, 2016), and
houses millions of videos ranging from product reviews of the brand under study,
energy drinks. It also has become the number one platform to search for
information on virtually anything ranging from content of brands, science and
technology to other social activities such as learning music and sports.

Furthermore, the young generation ranging from the age of 18 to 34 years,

compose two-thirds of the YouTube population and watch YouTube videos more
than any cable TV channel (Perrin, 2015). Basically, there are two types of
advertisement on YouTube videos and these are in-stream video advertising and
in-video advertising. In-stream advertisements let viewers choose to watch brand
advertisements or skip it after playing for at least five seconds. Standard in-stream
advertising can be a maximum of fifteen seconds. In-video advertisements are the
advertisements that usually appear on the lower portion of a company's video.
These advertisements typically appear for the fifteen seconds to the viewer and if
she/he desires he/she can close or minimize them (Pikas & Sorrentino, 2014).
YouTube features a number of video types, which, in principle, could feature the
brand more centrally. Nevertheless, a few studies demonstrate that consumers find
it hard to recall seeing product-related information on this site, thus showing that
brands may often play a more lateral role (Choubtarash& Nourani, 2013, Pikas &
Sorrentino, 2014). Therefore, when the consumer views the advertisement it is
easy for them to stop it or continue watching it on YouTube. This suggests that
whether it is viewed for the first time or is familiar, advertisers must always raise
the bar in their advertising and promotion strategies to get the attention of new
customers.
 CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH DESIGN
3.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter provides a detailed elucidation of the methodology that guided this
study. The research methodology focuses on the manner in which the research is
planned, structured and executed in consistency with established scientific criteria.
The chapter first provides the epistemological stance adopted in the study and then
discusses the research approach, research design, population and sample size and
sampling techniques of the study. The instruments used to collect data, techniques.
Finally, the data analysis process is described as well as the ethical considerations
and limitations of the study.

3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN

The current study adopted a qualitative approach to unraveling advertisers and
student perspectives on social media-based advertising of goods and their influence
on student consumption of these beverages. A qualitative research approach
provides a rich pool of methodological and technical options that researchers can
use to explain human reasoning; advocate for participants’ experience; examine the
contexts in which services operate; develop new theory, and offer insight into the
inner workings of effective or ineffective interventions.

A qualitative approach was deemed appropriate for exploring students’ experiences

of consuming energy drinks to understand how social media technologies influence
selection, decision making about, and consumption of goods. Given the
researcher’s interest in capturing some detailed subjective narratives about
advertisers’ and students’ perspectives on the influence of social media advertising
on students’ preferences for energy drinks, a qualitative approach was ideal for
such investigation.

3.3 POPULATION OF THE STUDY

The research population defines those units for which the findings of the research
are generalized. The target population for this study comprised of online student
students and those having account with Jummia online marketing business so as
they determine the influence of social media platform on the promotion of
consumer goods. The total population collected was 100 peoples on whatsapp
group, so as to enable the researcher to ask his/her relevant questions.

3.4 SOURCES OF DATA

Data were obtained from both primary and secondary data sources using varied
techniques.

3.4.1Primary Data

Primary source of data were obtained through questionnaire. Various interrogation

techniques were used to elicit primary data from respondents. Questions that was
used in the research is closed-ended questions. The closed ended questions were
intended to restrict respondents’ answers; this provided an objective based for
comparative analysis. To make analysis easier, the closed ended questions were
provided with alternatives and clear instructions to interviewees.

3.4.2 Secondary Data

Secondary data are information or data already collected by other researchers or

institutions, usually for different purposes (Blumberg, 2008). Secondary data
enable the researcher to place the study in the context of existing knowledge as
well as broadens the researcher’s understanding to the research topic (Blumberg,
2008). Secondary data sources were newspapers and manuals on the subject matter
which gave the researcher information about the influence of social media platform
on the promotion of consumer goods. (a case study of Jummai online marketing
business).. The internet as well as other relevant publications was also consulted.
3.5 SAMPLE SIZE AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUES

The sample size and sampling techniques were used to select a portion of the
population to represent the entire population in online whatsapp groups and oral
face to face interview. He emphasizes the need for a researcher to select a sample
from which he wishes to seek information, using appropriate sampling techniques.
The method/techniques selected for the study was based on probability sampling.
The method that was employed in selecting sample from the population is simple
random sampling techniques.
Simple random sampling technique was employed in selecting 80 out of the total
population of 100 respondents of the student on online whatsapp chat and student
in Computer Science in Birnin Kebbi.
3.6 METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION

The researcher employed semi-structured interviews to collect data as they are

regarded as most valuable in qualitative studies. She carried out these interviews in
the Computer Science in Birnin Kebbi, places that students were more familiar and
comfortable with compared to the lecturer’s office. The researcher conducted face-
to-face interviews with each of the 30 students. On average, each interview took
30-40 minutes and was audio recorded, using a digital audio recorder. The recorder
was not only a data-soliciting device, but also served to augment the memory of
the researcher and supplement her diary notes. Conducting the interviews took
three (3) months, as some interviews were conducted during holidays when
scheduling appointments was easier than during the university semester when it
was difficult to get hold of the students.

3.7 INSTRUMENT FOR DATA COLLECTION

Both questionnaires and oral interview were used to collect the relevant data for
the study. The student in Computer Science Department and whatsapp group chat
were interviewed orally, in addition to pre-testing the questionnaires. The type of
questions used in the questionnaires is closed-ended one.