Tuesday, September 25, 2012

WHY SHOULD A COMPANY LIKE COCA COLA CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE?



According to the American Advertising Association, advertising is any paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods and services through the mass media and with an identifiable sponsor. So advertising is not just about making known in order to sell as propounded by Frank Jefkins.

Coca cola bottling company producers of coca cola, fanta and sprite as we all know is one of world’s most popular companies. 

Their foremost product, coca cola was first introduced in 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia and has since been a catalyst for social interaction and inspired innovation.

Thirsty consumers worldwide now enjoy coca cola company products 1.7 billion times every single day- about 19,400 beverages every second. 

May 8 1886, coca cola was created by john pemberton and served at Jacob’s pharmacy. nine drinks aday were sold during this year.

The company’s accountant, frank robinson  named the drink coca cola because he thought the two ‘C’s would look well in advertising. 

By 1888 asa candler begun acquiring personal control of coca cola formula and patents from john pemberton.

Calenders were first used for advertising by asa candler and after 1892, he focused his energies exclusively on producing coca cola.

Today, coca cola is one of the world’s strongest brands ever, having huge presence on the various continents having more innovations like sprite and fanta joining the family.

But if this is so, why should the company continue to advertise?
Coca cola should continue to advertise to increase awareness. 

Frequently advertising reaches more consumers and increase market share. Frequency builds awareness; awareness builds familiarity and familiarity builds trust. 

It is believed that your audience needs to be exposed to your advert 2.5 times to sink in and build awareness. Just like dieting, advertising gets the best results over time. each advert builds on prior brand recognition.

Secondly coca cola must advertise to announce a change in the product. Since 1886 when coca cola begun, the product has gone through a number of significant changes till now. 

Even though coca cola is still a beverage drink, the product has been transforming through the churning out of new additions. The coke light for instance was launched to add a new flavor. 

The coke light has no sugar and most preferred for diabetic patients. This is an addition and must be advertised to grasp a new market and by so, they increase their market share.

Coca Cola Company may advertise after introducing a totally new product but in the same product category.

In the same beverage products zone, the company will need to advertise a newly introduced product. For instance, sprite and fanta are all products of coca cola bottling company.

Minute made fruit juice is also their product and there is the need to advertise such a product when being introduced to the market.
Additionally, the company may advertise to announce a price change. I am sure when coca cola started in the 1880’s; the price of the product is not the same till now. 

The prevailing economic situations are different now. It is logical to increase the price of a product when the cost of production goes up, hence the need to advertise. 

Similarly the company may advertise a price change if they are offering a promotion within a specific period. For instance coca cola even though sold at 1cedi may be sold for 50pesewas within a period of promotion or a raffle.

Another point is that it important to advertise to beat competition. Several soft drinks like pepsi cola, mirinda and other similar products are all competing for a market. 

Maintaining a market share and subsequently increasing it is derived from continuous advertisement; that is, the more you advertise; the popular the product gains recognition in the minds of consumers hence increase in awareness and patronage.

It is also important for coca cola to advertise in a newly identified market to make in rolls as a ‘new comer’ or a fresher. 

Whenever a product is introduced to a new market, there is the need for conscious efforts geared at making their presence felt through promotional channels. 

For instance in 1994 when the South African bottling company (sabco) was given the coca cola franchise to operate in Africa, there were conscious advertising efforts to announce its presence.


Another interesting aspect of advertising is that today’s ad may influence but tomorrow’s will close the deal for a lukewarm prospect. Like pushing a ball up a hill, it is better to push slowly than to push quickly and run out of energy halfway up. Hence the need for coca cola to continuously advertise till the product gains the total control and influence the company is looking for.

Apart from the above mentioned reasons, the issue of product life cycle has a link with continuous advertisement. All products and services have certain life cycles. The life cycle refers to the period from the product’s first launch into the market until its final withdrawal and it is split up in phases. During this period significant changes are made in the way that the product is behaving into the market i.e. its reflection in respect of sales to the
company that introduced it into the market. Since an increase in profits is the major
goal of a company that introduces a product into a market, the product’s life cycle
management is very important. Here conscious promotional efforts must be made to push the product to gain strong market share.

The understanding of a product’s life cycle can help a company to understand and realize when it is time to introduce and withdraw a product from a market.  

The processes include Product development, Product introduction, Product growth, Product maturity and finally Product decline. In all these phases especially the first four, will need advertisement to enable the product gain a large market share.

REFERENCES



Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Fire Destroys Properties Worth Thousands Of Cedis


Fire has destroyed properties worth thousands of cedis at Odornaa near circle.

Our colleague Edward Kwabi visited the affected area and reports, over 300 people have been rendered homeless as a result of the fire.

Panic broke out yesterday 23rd November, 2010 at Odornaa along the railway line near Circle at about 2 pm after a disastrous fire broke out.

According to an eye witness, the fire started when a broken cable caught fire after coming into contact with a cooking device.

People stared in awe as their homes and shops erected along the railway line went up in flames.

Over 150 structures have been affected leaving over 300 people displaced.

The fire service arrived at the scene about 15 minutes to save the situation but there was little to be done as the fire had already gutted structures.

A young woman in her mid-twenties lamented the loss of her baby but authorities of the fire service are yet to confirm.

The regional fire commander, Edwin Blankson said the fire service is yet to establish the cause of fire.


source: www.tv3.com.gh

Saturday, July 17, 2010

GJA-GIJ LAUNCHES NEW CONSTITUTION


The Ghana Journalists Association Chapter of the GIJ has launched a new constitution.

Students were advised to uphold the ethics of the profession and read widely to acquire more knowledge.
the newly elected executive of the Association were also sworn-in.

The vice president of the Association, Edward Kwabi, noted, the club has held several fora on the practice of journalism, the challenges of the profession and the importance of specialisation all in a bid to build the capacity of members.

The patron of the club Tim Quashigah advised the students to maintain a high sense of responsibility and decorum in practice.

TV3 news anchor Nana Aba Anamoah advised the students to read broadly.

sourece: www.tv3.com.gh

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Only 8 Institutions Accredited to Run and Award Diplomas and Degrees


The National Accreditation Board says it has so far accredited only eight institutions to run and award communications diplomas and degrees.

The Executive Secretary of the board, Kwame Datteh hinted of stringent measures to weed-out unaccredited institutions.

Our correspondent, Edward Kwabi reports that statistics from the National Accreditation Board indicates less than ten tertiary institutions in the country have been accredited to run courses in communication studies and journalism.

That notwithstanding, over a dozen schools claiming to offer such courses have sprung up throughout the country.

Such institutions resort to aggressive media advertisement wooing students for admission.

Apart from the Ghana Institute of Journalism, the University of Ghana, National Film and Television institute and the University of Cape Coast, the board has also accredited four private institutions to offer communication-related courses

He said plans are underway to prosecute schools awarding tertiary certificates without accreditation.

He explained the accreditation acquisition procedures and time-frame.

Kwame Datteh advised parents and students to verify the status of any school before enrolling.

He called on the public to assist in curbing the menace.


source:TV3 News

Story from Tv3.com.gh

Monday, February 15, 2010

Efua Sutherland Children's Park in a Diplorable State


The Efua Sutherland children's park is in a deplorable state.

The facility lacks modern play games which officials say make it unattractive for children and young people who patronize it.

Our correspondents Baisiwa Dowuona-Hammond and Edward Kwabi examine the state of the major children's recreational facility in the capital and report experts say apart from the fun and emotional fulfillment experience, recreation and leisure is crucial to the develop of the child.

They contend, it also provides children and young people with the freedom and space to explore new things and master new skills.

Unfortunately, very little can be said of the recreational centres in the country.

The Efua Sutherland Children's Park, the major recreational centre is in a poor state.

Since establishment in 1979, the facility has seen no major rehabilitation, making it unattractive.

The park which is under the auspices of the ministry of women and children's affairs lacks modern play equipment and decent toilet facilities.

The basket ball court for instance was near collapse as well as some broken chairs that still sat unattended to.

The only train the facility boasts of was in a deplorable state and officials complained about the rail tracks which is yet to undergo repairs.

Not to mention the makeshift train ticket stations which were completely broken down.

One other thing that caught our attention was the overgrown grass, compounding the poor sanitary conditions around the park.

The scene indeed leaves much to be desired, posing danger to the health and safety of the children.

According to the acting Director at the department of children, ministry of women and children's affairs Peter Eduful, the facility is understaffed, making it difficult to keep it in order.

He however called on corporate bodies and individuals to support the rebuilding of the Efua Sutherland Children's Park.

Author: TV3 News source: www.tv3.com.gh

Mining in Wassa- A threat to lives


Residents of Wassa Amenfi east district in the western region have complained about the alarming operations of galamsey operators in the area.

They are worried; activities of these illegal miners have had a bad effect on sanitation.

Edward Kwabi, our correspondent reports, the situation is a health threat to the community.

The only source of drinking water for the people in the Wassa Amenfi east district, river Ankobrah, is said to be polluted with chemicals from mining activities.

Residents of Adansi, a gold mining community in the district, say their sources of drinking water have been used either as sites for mining or construction.

Due to lack of potable water, inhabitants have no option but to drink the water from Ankobrah.

Illegal miners have rendered roads in the district almost unmotorable.

They mostly leave dugged out holes uncovered which are a threat to the community.

Residents are also apprehensive; some Chinese miners have taken over their land without compensating them.

Residents claimed, the Chinese firm promised them good drinking water and electricity but nothing had come of these promises.

They are aggrieved, mining activities have destroyed their cocoa farms and efforts to have the authorities intervene have proved futile.

Meanwhile the only school in the community is in a deplorable state, with a new one yet to be completed.

Residents are therefore appealing for support from government and NGO's.

Author: TV3 News source: www.tv3.com.gh

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

DEFINING KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY..............



Generally speaking, the term Knowledge Society refers to any society where knowledge is the primary production resource instead of capital and labour. It may also refer to the use a certain society gives to information. A Knowledge society "creates, shares and uses knowledge for the prosperity and well-being of its people". Knowledge societies have the characteristic that knowledge forms a major component of any human activity. Economic, social, cultural, and all other human activities become dependent on a huge volume of knowledge and information. A knowledge society is one in which knowledge becomes a major creative force.

Knowledge societies are not a new occurrence. For example, fishermen have long shared the knowledge of predicting the weather to their community and this knowledge gets added to the social capital of the community.

What is new is that

  • With current technologies, knowledge societies need not be constrained by geographic proximity
  • Current technology offers much more possibilities for sharing, archiving and retrieving knowledge

Knowledge has become the most important capital in the present age, and hence the success of any society lies in harnessing it.

SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_society

The proposition 'knowledge society' acknowledges the might of the brain power over of any other kind, be it economic or military or political. The position that a country enjoys in the present day world is determined by its ability to make best use of its brainpower. The capability created by knowledge is the foundation upon which our future is to be built.

SOURCE: http://presscouncil.nic.in/speech11.htm

According to New Webster’s Encyclopaedic Dictionary of the English Language (1997 Ed) ‘Information’ is knowledge communicated or received concerning a particular fact or circumstance, news. Or "Knowledge gained through study, communication, research, instruction, etc, data, facts.

‘Knowledge’ means acquaintance with fact, truths. "Knowledge is a information combined with experience, context, interpretation, and reflection. It is a high value form of information that is ready to apply to decisions and action. (T. Davenport et al. 1998).

Knowledge exists in the minds of the people and when combined with capital, labour, existing knowledge and other inputs, produces goods and service and is thus a factor of productivity. This fact has been realised by many of the developed countries during their transformation into stronger economies.

SOURCE: http://presscouncil.nic.in/speech11.htm