INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA FEARLESS ENERGY DRINK ADVERTISING ON THE PURCHASING BEHAVIOUR OF THE UNDERGRADUATES OF UNIVERSITY OF BENIN

ABSTRACT

This study examined the Influence of social media fearless energy advertising on the purchasing behaviour of undergraduates of University of Benin. The study was birthed out of the paradigm shift and growth in use of social media for personal and business communication. Previous studies have proven the power of social media advertising in shaping purchase decision and consumer behaviour without addressing the overall influence on users. The goal was to investigate the extent to which undergraduates of the University of Benin are exposed to fearless energy drink advertisements on social media, determine the perception of undergraduates of the University of Benin on social media Advertising, identify the social media platforms on which young people mostly view fearless energy drink advertisements and investigate the extent to which social media advertising could influence purchasing decisions among undergraduates of the University of Benin. To provide a theoretical framework, the study was anchored on Source credibility Theory and Social Presence Theory: Survey research design was adopted with a sample size of 398, and questionnaire as the primary instrument of data collection. 398 copies of the designs questionnaires were distributed, and from this number, 8 were screened out for inaccurate filling and 390 were used, representing a useful rate of 98% through three stages using the simple random, stratified and simple sampling procedure. Findings from the analysis of the data gathered showed that the majority of UNIBEN undergraduates have been exposed to fearless energy drink Advertisements on social media platforms and their level of exposure is high. The study concludes that social media has provided advertisers with a means of achieving their objectives through interpersonal communication. Additionally, social media advertising has given rise to an online economy where location is not a requirement for connection. Social networking apps including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and others have become popular among advertisers due to the favourable interactions and relationships they create between them and their customers.  Hence this study recommends that Companies should spend more on social media advertising so they can interact with their audience more frequently, gain a larger customer base, and gain a larger portion of the market.