EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON MARKETING EFFORTS OF AFRICAN FOOD MANUFACTURERS

Abstract

The research work consists of three main parts, with four chapters that’s the introduction and conceptual part of social media networking. The introduction part explain what social media is about or the definition of social media and the marketing effort that is surrounded and connected to social media networking including the benefits in which users get in using the network, and the effort and impact that social media network has. The first chapter also explain and described what African marketing is about and it conceptual meaning of African marketing, how investment is evaluated in African marketing, I ended the first chapter with how African food manufacturers uses social media networking. The next part of the Thesis, is the empirical part and the theoretical research which gives information and understanding of the literature review on what social media marketing is about and its definition as well as its benefits to customers and sellers at large, and what marketing mix is about and how buyers and sellers respond to the market and it ends with customer behavior and customer relationship. The empirical research dealt with the research methodology. The research questionnaires, research problem, research strategy, and it end with the research questionnaires results as well as conclusions. I then concluded with how the respondent of the questionnaire responded to the research questionnaires. The last chapter conclude with the research background on what the thesis aim and ambition of the of the researcher has in mind, the problem discussion of the thesis work, the scope of the thesis work, the abstract which explain the strategy and how the research was contracted and it finishes with recommendation, references and conclusion of the writers. My Aim and ambition of this thesis is to present a strategy on how food manufacturers can use social media in their marketing communication. I also explain the issues of social media marketing in which the marketer needs to target the right and potential clients and customers, in other to get detailed information and clear answers from respondents for the consumers. The main objective of this thesis work is to understand and have a broad idea and knowledge about the benefit of social media networks channels to businesses and organization in Africa. To know the important of social media network to customers and consumers as well as the benefits that they get in buying a product online. To know and understand why companies in Africa like to use social media channels in selling their products to consumers. In my research, I realized that social media help most businesses in Africa to get their targeting and potential audiences through the use of online social media channels such as e-bay, Facebook, skycanners websites, e-dreams website ( which most people uses it to buy their flight ticket).