Effect Of Social Media Marketing And Online Advertising On Consumer’S Patronage Of Counterfeit Drugs In Enugu State Metropolis: Empirical Evidence From Nigeria

Mba Chris Chukwuemeka

Department of Marketing, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT)

Okafor Ozoemena Christian

Department of Marketing, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT)

Nwatu, Chibuike Basil

Department of Marketing, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT)

Keywords: Social Media Marketing, Online Advertising, Consumer’s Patronage, Counterfeit Drugs


Abstract

The purpose of the study was to explore the outcome of social media marketing and online advertising on consumer’s patronage of counterfeit drugs in Enugu State Metropolis. Specifically, the study was set to achieve the following objectives. Determine the effect of facebook on consumer’s patronage of counterfeit drugs in Enugu state; examine the effect of twitter on consumer’s patronage of counterfeit drugs in Enugu state; ascertain the effect of television on consumer’s patronage of counterfeit drugs in Enugu state and find out the effect of radio advertising on consumer’s patronage of counterfeit drugs in Enugu State. The population of study was unknown. The sample size was of 384. The study used survey design for the study. Instrument used for data collection was questionnaire. A total of 384 copies of questionnaire were distributed, 300 responses were returned while 84 were unreturned. The hypotheses were tested using regression model with aid of Special Package for Statistical Software (SPSS). The findings indicated that facebook had a positive and significant effect on consumer’s patronage of counterfeit drugs in Enugu State; twitter had a positive and significant effect on consumer’s patronage of counterfeit drugs in Enugu State and television advertising had a positive and significant effect on consumer’s patronage of counterfeit drugs in Enugu State. From the findings above, it concluded that all the applied variables are with one another such as facebook had a positive and significant effect on consumer’s patronage of counterfeit drugs in Enugu State. Twitter had a positive and significant effect on consumer’s patronage of counterfeit drugs in Enugu State. Television advertising had a positive and significant effect on consumer’s patronage of counterfeit drugs in Enugu State. Therefore, the study recommended that pharmaceutical marketing executives should persuade customers on one-to-one bases to adopt the online transactions