Study of the Impact of Advertisement on Sales Performance of Consumer Goods in Port Harcourt, Rivers State

Advertising is a key driver of sales performance for consumer goods companies, and investigating its impact in the Port Harcourt market, Rivers State, South South Nigeria, provides practical evidence for marketing strategy decisions. This study examined the relationship between advertising activities and sales performance for fast-moving consumer goods in Port Harcourt. A survey of 200 consumers and 30 marketing managers from five consumer goods companies operating in Port Harcourt was conducted. Advertising channels assessed included television, radio, social media, outdoor billboards, and point-of-sale promotions. Sales performance was measured by monthly sales volume growth and market share change over a 12-month period. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and simple linear regression were employed. Results showed that television advertising had the highest impact on sales volume growth (r = 0.72, p < 0.01), followed by social media advertising (r = 0.65, p < 0.01). Outdoor advertising showed moderate correlation with sales performance (r = 0.53), while radio advertising was less effective for urban Port Harcourt demographics. Consumer recall was highest for television advertisements (67% unprompted recall), and recall was a significant mediator of the advertising-sales relationship. Social media advertising reach was growing fastest among 18 to 35-year-old consumers, who constituted 48% of the Port Harcourt consumer goods market. The study recommends an integrated television and social media advertising strategy for consumer goods companies targeting Port Harcourt urban markets. Keywords: advertising, sales performance, consumer goods, Port Harcourt, marketing strategy