Improving Organizations Profitability Through Effective Advertising

1.1 BACK GROUND OF STUDY
INTRODUCTION:
Prior to the era of industrial revolution, the pattern and method of salesmanship was both crude and cumbersome chiefly because the gap between the productive and consumption sectors of society was small and manageable. However, with the present complication and sophistication among both the producers and consumers occasion by high level economic and technological developments, businesses are now reshaping, refocusing repositioning and redirecting their operations and marketing strategies in order to face the obvious challenges posed by modern day marketing.
Every business concern has a major objective for which it was established but whatever may be the goal, the overriding force undoubtedly remains profit maximization.
To accomplish the afforested, these businesses make conscious efforts of finding out what their customers want, providing them, creating the needed awareness on the availability of these goods and services and offering them at the right place, time and cost. It is by so doing that such a business can assuredly claim greater percentage of the market share and at the center of the these activities is the pivot, the stimulant , the propeller, the sole of business called advertising.
Advertising as one of the strongest promotional tool remains a strong force in the hands of business entities. A popular saying has it that if you do not blow your trumpet, nobody is going to do that for only when you say, “here I am “, that people will actually know where you are. Advertising does this and more for organization especially the hotel business. It creates especially awareness, packages, the product, services etc and presents it to the intended consumer and assists him in making the right choices.
The following definitions and opinions by some authorities and schools of thought on the meaning and roles of advertising will perhaps give more insight into the concept.
According to Stanton W.H
Advertising consists of all the activities in presenting to a group of non-personal oral, or visual openly sponsored message regularly regarding a product, services or idea.
Jones (1955:14) sees it this way:
Advertising was probably coined in England in the early days of the print to turn the attention of voters
The American Marketing Association (AMA) defies it as:
A paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas and services by an identified sponsor. The Advertising Age (1932) (an Ad magazine) has a summary of the views of some professionals
In the field thus:
Advertising is the printed, written, spoken or pictured representation of a person, product service or movement, openly sponsored by the advertiser and at his expense, for the purpose of influencing sales, use, vote or endorsement.
Finally Starch (1966:2) Succinctly defines as the paid form of mass communication designed to influence people to farvour a product in order to induce them to buy it.
From the foregoing definitions and views we begin to see that advertising has the following more purpose for business, especially the hotel entities.
1) To create awareness on the availability of a product, user, vote, person, idea etc
2) To educate the target user on the constituents of what is being advertised.
3) To offer other services such as how to use the products, where to get it, what the cost is etc.
4) To induces sale
5) Ultimately, to increase and maximize profit thereby enhancing the revenue base of the business- hotel. These (above) are only a tip of the Ice –berg on what advertising is capable of doing for hotel business.

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Hotel business market their goods and services to both internal and external publics in order to reap profit for future survival and growth of the business. Advertising as one of the variables of the marketing communication mix helps in actualizing not only marketing objectives but also the overall corporate objectives of the organization.
It is however sad to note that some hotels especially in Enugu urban hardly utilize or avail themselves of the unique services offered by modern advertising . in some cases, it is hard to identify the location of these hotels, what they offer, their modus operandi and the likes. To such (these hotels), the minimal revenue acuring to the business is enough. Therefore , to involve advertising is to in cure unnecessary cost. They ignorantly consider advertising a cohessal waste of time and resources. This indeed is a sad commentary!
The unavoidable consequence are:-
These hotels remain perpetually hidden and unknown
They end up operating below their capacities
Business yields continually decrease over the year.
Some end up paying the supreme sacrifice of untimely demise and …………………………
It is therefore the intention of this study to critically review the likely benefits hotel business will make in terms of profit maximization by availing themselves and using the communication.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
The prime objective of this study is to find out the effectiveness of advertising in profit maximization of hotel business in Enugu metropolis.
Additionally, the study will also aim at the following:
To determine the general impact of advertising on consumers.
To determine the extent of consumer awareness of hotel advertising
To identify what consumer patronage of these hotels are as a result of advertising.
To make recommendations in line with our observations.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Does effective advertising lead to increase in profit of hotel businesses in Enugu Urban?
Are customers and the general public aware of hotel advertisement?
To what extent do these adverts influence customer patronage or table hotels?
What medium of advertising is most effective for hotel advertisement?

1.5 FORMULATION OF HYPOTHESIS
Ho: The extent of customer awareness of hotel advertisement is satisfactory
H1: The extent of customer awareness of hotel advertising is unsatisfactory
Ho: Advertising is responsible for profit maximization by hotels
H1: Advertising is not responsible for profit maximization by hotels.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The study will be of importance to advertisers, hotel businesses and the general public.
It is anticipated that results from this study will help to evaluate and identify better ways of making hotel advertising and business operations more effective.
It will additionally add to the existing body of knowledge of advertising and other related fields.

1.7 SCOPE OF STUDY
The study will cover only major hotels in Enugu Urban Hotels outside this zone will not be studied so as to make for more realistic investigation.

1.8 LIMITATIONS OF STUDY
Time and money constraints constituted a serious cog in the wheel of progress of this study.
How I –literacy level and the culture of secrecy nearly hampered the success of the work. pressure of work was also a major source of work to the researcher.
Will all sense of humility, the researcher lacked the requisite expert knowledge on data analysis – the use of high scientific equipment such as the computer which could have aided and speeded up the effectiveness analysis of collected data. Such aspect of the investigation were thus done manually