Relationship between the Use of Language on Billboard Advertisements and Consumers’ Urge to Purchase Products in Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between the language of expression used on outdoor billboards and consumers’ urge to purchase products in Lagos State, Nigeria. It adopts the descriptive research of the survey type. Three hundred and sixty-two product consumers selected through purposive sampling technique and all of the seventy-two registered product advertisers formed the sample for the study. Data collected were analysed using percentage, frequency count and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Statistics. The result of the study reveals that there is no significant relationship between the use of language on the billboard advertisements and consumers’ urge to purchase products in Lagos State. In addition, it reveals that language of expression is an important factor when campaigning for product patronage and that, adopting appropriate language of expression on outdoor bills influences and induces enormous consumers’ urge to purchase products in Lagos State. The implication of the findings is that the official language (English) for outdoor product advertisement is no more as effective as the Nigerian indigenous languages and an advertising regulation on community signage is called for. Based on this, it is recommended that advertisers in Lagos State should adopt more of the language that is native to a particular target population on outdoor billboard product campaigns.