The Impact of Social Media Advertising on Alcoholic Beverages: A Study of Guiness Ghana Brewery Limited

Abstract

Even though social media is known to affect and influence consumers ~ decision with respect to the purchase of certain products, there is a paucity of empirical findings on how social media influences consumers' decision with respect to buying alcoholic beverages. The general objective of this study was to assess the impact of social media advertising on consumer goods; a study of Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited (GGBL). This study adopted the descriptive survey approach and collected data from 200 customers of Alcoholic beverages based in the Greater Accra region. This study found over 50% of the respondents find adverts through social media as more interesting, more interactive, more marketable and more innovative. Effects of social media on customers are mixed. Enriching content on their social media platforms is key to influencing consumer decision-making. In fact about 53.5% of the respondents either strongly agreed or agreed that that the emotional cues in the contents of the ads on the company's social media platform affect their decisions. Content shared by customers must therefore be censored and controlled to avoid mischief and blackmailing of GGBL.