OMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF IDEOLOGICAL RHETORIC IN MTN AND ETISALAT TV COMMERCIALS.
A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF IDEOLOGICAL RHETORIC IN
MTN AND ETISALAT TV COMMERCIALS.
ABSTRACT
The thrust of this study is to compare the
ideological rhetoric in MTN and Etisalat TV commercial. The main objectives of
the study were to identify some salient ideological rhetoric depicted in MTN
and Etisalat commercials, to find out the devices where these ideologies are
embedded; to find out their differences in ideology and similarities as well.
The research design used in this study was content analysis. The research
instrument used was coding sheet and personal observation. The study revealed
that some of the ideological rhetoric depicted in MTN and Etisalat TV
commercials are; love, class, masculinity, femininity, mythos. It was also
revealed that these ideological rhetoric are embedded in the language, music,
acting style, set costume. They study also found out that there was no adequate
representation of Nigerian situation in most f their ads. The study revealed
that MTN promotes family love and unity while Etisalat promotes friendship.
Both of them depicted class. Based on the founding, it was recommended, that
MTN and Etisalat should incorporate ethnic languages, in their ads they should
also adopt using Nigerian music in their adverts. It was also recommended that
they should reflect more of indigneous
cultural ideologies.
TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGES
Title
page i
Abstract ii
Table
of Contents iii
List
of abbreviations v
SECTION ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study 1
1.1.1 MTN 3
1.1.2 Etisalat 3
1.2 Statement of the problem 3
1.3 Aims and objectives of the study 4
1.4 Research questions 4
1.5 Significance of the study 4
1.6 Scope of the study 4
1.7 Limitations 5
1.8 Definition of terms 5
SECTION TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Introduction 6
2.1 Theoretical framework 6
2.1.1 Critical political economy theory 7
2.2 Conceptual review 7
2.2.1 Advertising: A rhetorical practice 7
2.2.1 Ideology 11
2.2.2 Ideological value systems 12
2.2.3 Television rhetoric 13
2.2.3.1 TV commercial and values 14
2.2.3.2 The code of television production 15
2.2.3.3 Tools for TV production 17
2.3 Empirical review 22
SECTION THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction 25
3.1 Research design 25
3.2 The population of the study 25
3.3 Sample size 26
3.4 Sample technique 26
3.5 Unit of analysis 27
3.6 Content categories 27
3.7 Description on measuring instrument 29
3.8 Coding 29
3.9 Method of data analysis 29
SECTION FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND
DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
4.0 Introduction 30
4.1 Presentation of data 30
4.2 Analysis of data 34
SECTION FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.0 Introduction 35
5.1 Summary 35
5.2 Conclusion 36
5.3 Recommendations 36
References 37
Appendix 39
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUTION
1.1 The
Background to the Study
TV codes are combined to influence the
audience in TV commercials.TV codes are languages used in the production of the
TV commercials. They codes are categorized into reality, representational and
ideological codes. Reality codes include: appearance, behavior, speech, sound
and setting. Representational codes include: camera, lighting, sound, music and
editing. Ideological codes include: the ideologies and values depicted in the
TV commercials. Ideologies such as friendship, determination, good humour,
class, and love are depicted in TV situation.
Ideology
is relatively coherent system of values, beliefs or ideas shared by some social
groups. They are set of values that can be depicted in a communication medium
such as television. Ideology is another language system in movies such as
commercials, often disguised language that usually speaks in codes. While mass
media do not typically set out deliberately to propagate ideology, in practice
most media content does so implicitly by selectively emphasizing certain values
and norms.
Rhetoric
in the other hand is the art of sending messages to persuade or otherwise
influence an audience. Elements of rhetoric are used to persuade the audience.
A
commercial is a television or radio advertisement. Berkowitz, Kerin, Hartley
and Rudelius (2000) defined advertisement as “any paid form of non-personal
communication about an organization, good, service, or idea by an identified
sponsor” (p.495). Advertisement involves mass media such as TV, radio, and
magazine, which are non-personal and do not have an immediate feedback loop as
does personal selling. Advertisement is the best known and most widely discussed
form of promotion, probably because of its pervasiveness. It is also a very
important promotional tool, particularly for companies whose products and
services are targeted at mass consumer markets like MTN and Etisalat.
The
aim of advertising is to give information about an organization, product,
service, or idea. Advertisement has become one of the most important commercial
ventures in the modem competitive setting. Companies such as MTN and Etisalat
spend a large part of their budget to produce and run TV commercials to
communicate information about their company and product.
A
comparative analysis of ideological rhetoric can be seen as examining the
ideological variables MTN and Etisalat use in persuading their audience.
Ideological rhetoric are those set of values, depicted in advertising situation
to influence the audience. They are the set of values used for persuasion in
movies such as commercials. To find out these ideologies, we have to answer the
question what are the ideologies the TV commercials promote. Many meanings of
TV commercials are ultimately ideological, that is, they spring from systems of
culturally specific values and belief about a particular society.
Because
television commercials frequently reflect ideologies, the work seeks to know
the ideologies depicted in the commercials. What are their similarities and
differences?
From
the researcher’s observation, television programmes especially TV commercials
in as much as they sell products, also teach and reinforce values in the
society. This research is necessary to find, if the television still depict
positive ideologies that are capable of transforming our society.
1.1.1 MTN
MTN
communication LTD is one of 3 initial GSM companies licensed by the NCC to
provide telecoms services to the Nigerian public. It commenced operations in
August 2001 and have ever since been the biggest Telecoms companies and one of
the largest in all of Nigeria.
MTN
carry out several advertising campaign to communicate their products to their
customers and to persuade them to behave favourably. MTN use both product and
institutional types of advertising reach their customers. The researcher chose
MTN because it runs more adverts than any other telecom service provider.
1.1.2 Etisalat
Etisalat
acquired the Unified Access License from the Federal Government of Nigeria in
January, 2007. It commenced commercial operations on 23rd October,
2008. It provides telecom services to Nigerians. Etisalat uses both product and
institutional types of advertising.
1.2
Statement of the Problem
Ideologies
are important to understanding television because they are important part of
our belief system. MTN and Etisalat apart from persuading the audience to buy
their products, also depict different ideologies. Having watched several MTN
and Etisalat commercial, the researcher noticed that he cannot identify with
the commercials some of the MTN and Etisalat commercials. The researcher also
observed that he has nothing in common with the television commercials, because
a man is persuaded, if you identify with his ways. The television commercials
produce false consciousness.
The
researcher tend to discover why the television commercials are not persuasive
enough by comparing and contrasting ideological rhetoric in MTN and Etisalat
television commercials and finding the devices where the ideologies are
embedded.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The
aim of the work is to identify ideological rhetoric in MTN and Etisalat
commercials to compare and contrast their ideologies.
The
specific objectives are to:
i. To
identify some salient ideological rhetoric depicted in MTN and Etisalat
commercials.
ii. To
find out the devices where these ideologies are embedded.
iii. To
find out their ideological differences and similarities
1.4
Research Questions
i. What
are the salient ideological rhetoric depicted in the MTN and Etisalat TV
commercials?
ii. What
are the devices where the ideologies are embedded?
iii. What
are their ideological differences and similarities?
1.5 Significance of the Study
The
research will be of significance to the audience, because it will help them to
identify ideological rhetoric and the devices where they are embedded. The work
will help the advertisers in knowing the ideologies to be depicted in
television station. Also, the advertising regulatory bodies and university
communities will benefit from this work. It will also add to existing
knowledge.
1.6 Scope of the Study
This
study centers on the analysis of ideological rhetoric in MTN and Etisalat.
Here, we shall be considering what ‘ideological rhetoric’ means; what TV
commercials, values, and codes mean. This study will also help us in carefully
looking at tools for commercial production and TV commercial execution. This
research considered NTA Port Harcourt.
1.7 Limitations
Limitations
are factors that impede generalization of findings on a population, which are
inherent in the research methodology. Generalizability is largely determined by
selection of a representative and sufficiently large sample. The limitation of
this study hinges on the methodology. The design used was content analysis. One
problem with content analysis is that the content does not necessarily serve as
the sole basis for claims about media content. Again, the findings of a
particular content analysis are limited to the framework of the categories and
the definitions used in the analysis. Different researchers may use varying
definitions and category systems to measure a single concept.
1.8 Definition of Terms
The
definition of terms are operationalised, indicating that the meaning ascribed
to the terms is predicated on the context and made functional within the
context, to avoid ambiguity and equivocation, but neither deferring from the
conventional meaning nor deviating radically, which is meant that as far as
this study is concerned, that is how one has defined the concept, which may not
be the same as the dictionary meaning.
i.
Analysis:
A
detailed examination or study of the something. Here detailed examination of
ideologies, present in MTN and Etisalat is looked, focusing on their difference
and similarities.
ii.
Commercial:
A television or radio advertisement. These MTN and Etisalat spend a huge budget
to run commercials. Commercials were analyzed to spot out their differences and
similarities.
iii. Ideology:
Are set of values that is depicted in television situation. Ideologies such as
love, class, mythos are depicted in MTN and Etisalat television commercials.
The context of the work, the ideologies are analysed for differences and
similarities.
iv. Ideological rhetoric:
A comparative analysis of ideological rhetoric can be seen as examining the
ideological variables MTN and Etisalat use in persuading their audience.
Ideological rhetoric are those set o values, depicted in advertising situation
to influence the audience.
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