Abstract

Advertising plays a functional role in the advancement of human society as it provides relevant and varied information to guide consumer buying decisions. It is in the course of carrying out this vital function that it is caught in the cross fire of contending social perceptions. This study was aimed at gauging the social perception of consumer advertising by undergraduate students of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt. Primary data was generated by the administration of questionnaire to 391 respondents out of which 350 were retrieved. Findings revealed that respondents have greater negative perceptions of consumer advertising than positive attitude towards it. The study also revealed that  consumer advertising has a degree of influence on its audience. However, the magnitude of such influence is predicated upon individual differences.

Key Words: Perception, Consumer, Stereotype, Advertising, Attitude.

^JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 6, No. 2, October  2014, 225 – 237 

©Delmas Communications Ltd.

About the author

Itieke – Idamieba Harry is a Lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Faculty of Management Sciences, Rivers State University of Science and Technology Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Full Article

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