Television Advertising and Subscribers’ Choice of Telecommunication Service Providers in Calabar, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined television advertising and subscribers’ choice of telecommunication service providers in Calabar. Its specific purpose was to determine the effects of movies-based advertising, programmes-based advertising and news-time advertising on subscribers’ choice of telecommunication service providers. The study adopted cross-sectional survey research design. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain primary data from 246 customers of telecommunication companies. Descriptive statistics were applied for data analysis and interpretation, while the hypotheses developed for the study were tested using multiple linear regression. The findings of the study revealed that movies-based advertising, programmes-based advertising and new-time advertising had significant positive effects on subscribers’ choice of telecommunication service providers in Calabar. Therefore, we recommended that telecommunication service providers should strategically choose popular movies and youth-centered TV programs like BBNaija, Nigerian Idol, and The Voice for advertising on cable TV to effectively reach a dynamic and sizable audience, particularly the youth who are the predominant users of telecom services in Nigeria. We also recommended that these companies should leverage prime slots during news hours on popular cable TV stations to promote their various product packages, aiming to increase customer patronage and boost sales volume by engaging with an active viewership. Furthermore, from the limitations of the study, we have suggested for further studies to be conducted on a nationwide basis, to include subscribers from different regions of the country in order to enhance the generalizability of current research insights.