The effectiveness of advertising through the social media in Gauteng

Abstract

In this day and age, with the very strong impact of globalization, digitalization and social media, advertising is changing. Many companies and advertising role players are forced to implement new consumer and business models and apply innovative business strategies. Social media marketing has become a norm for most companies. The process of marketing is used through social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. By utilising the social aspect of the web, social media marketing is able to connect and interact on a much more personalised and dynamic level than through traditional marketing. The target audience is a unique generation and has developed a personal filtering system against the onslaught of traditional media. The current idea is to try and build customised relationships with future clients from a young age, by developing a relationship that complies with their requirements which social media has made a possibility. This study attempts to investigate the effectiveness of advertising through social media, focusing on the social media medium of Facebook to determine the key correlations and factors that affect the effectiveness of advertisements on Facebook. The target audience utilised is based in the geographical region of Gauteng. A survey was circulated via email to everyday consumers (n=189). Their attitude towards the brand used in the survey, as well as their loyalty to brand, were explored. Descriptive statistics and correlations revealed that many factors actually influence one's attitude to a brand and the actual effectiveness of the advertisement. Some trends of interest that were found were the fact that brands that have achieved a strong market presence, automatically attain the attention of consumers in the advertisements. The use of models correlated to the thought processes of consumers also played a role in determining how advertisements are actually perceived. There are four particular constituents that contribute to advertising effectiveness on Facebook, namely brand engagement, brand attitude, brand image and consumer engagement. In conclusion, for advertisements to be effective on Facebook, a brand must be established and have a strong brand reputation as the advertisements on Facebook serve to supplement the brand rather than to put the brand up the ranks in terms of reputation. It is suggested that the survey is reviewed and the study expanded to a less stratified and more multi–cultural environment.