AN ASSESSMENT OF TWITTER BAN ON DIGITAL MARKETING

ABSTRACT: The main focus of this study is to assessment of twitter ban on digital marketing using GoTv Lagos State as case study. The study adopted a survey research design and with the aid of convenient sampling techniques, 80 participants who are staff of of GoTv walk-in centers in Lagos State was enrolled for the study. A well structured questionnaire was issued to the respondent of which a total of 77 responses were received and validated for the study.Data was analyzed using simple percentage as well as frequencies and table. Findings from the study revealed that the revenue, profitability of digital marketing and brand awareness of GoTv product in Nigeria has been affected by the recent twitter ban as the  extent to which brand products were patronized through digital marketing on firm’s twitter handle has reduced. The study therefore recommends that GoTv company should devise other means to create awareness of their product to the public via other social media platforms and as well utilize social ad and SEO method. Moreso,The federal government of Nigeria should recognize that the ban on Twitter is affecting different spheres of the economy. They should adhere to the terms of and rules of ECOWAS and revoke the ban since the ban is a bridge of the fundamental rights of the citizens

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY: The evolution of technology is inextricably linked to the growth of digital marketing. One of the first significant occurrences took place in 1971, when Ray Tomlinson sent the very first email. The technology that he developed at the time established the foundation for individuals to transmit and receive data using a variety of equipment ( Amy, 2022). The year 1990 is often regarded as the beginning of digital marketing since it was at this time that the Archie search engine was developed as an index for file transfer protocol (FTP) websites. In the 1980s, the storage capacity of computers had already grown to the point where it was large enough to store massive amounts of client information. Many businesses moved away from using restricted list brokers and instead opted to use internet strategies such as database marketing. These sorts of databases made it possible for businesses to keep more accurate records of their clients' information, which in turn altered the dynamic between purchasers and providers of goods and services. The promotion of goods and services via the use of internet and other online-based digital technologies such as desktop computers, mobile phones, and other digital media and platforms is referred to as digital marketing (Amy ,2022). The emergence of this technology throughout the 1990s and 2000s brought about a shift in the manner in which companies and brands employ technology for marketing. Digital marketing campaigns have become more prevalent as digital platforms have become increasingly integrated into marketing plans and everyday life, and as more people use digital devices instead of going to physical shops. These campaigns use combinations of search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), content marketing, influencer marketing, content automation, campaign marketing, data-driven marketing, e-commerce marketing, social media marketing, and social m. (Amy, 2021).

The majority of companies who operate on social networks via digital marketing were thrown into a state of uncertainty when the Federal Government of Nigeria stated on June 5 that it would officially prohibit twitter from operating in the country. Twitter is a microblogging and social networking website that was developed in the United States. On Twitter, users publish and engage with messages that are referred to as "tweets." Tweets can only be posted, liked, and retweeted by registered users, while non-registered users are only able to view them. Twitter may be accessed by its users either via the website's user interface or through the application software available for mobile devices. It is sufficient to state that digital marketing is improved via the use of social networks; hence, there is no reason to doubt that a restriction of this kind would have an impact on the profitability of brands and enterprises whose twitter handles and whose firm conduct digital marketing. The purpose of this research is to investigate the implications of Twitter's restriction on digital marketing, and it is based on the hypothesis stated above.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

One of the key objectives of modern digital marketing is to raise brand awareness, the extent to which customers and the general public are familiar with and recognize a particular brand. Enhancing brand awareness is important in digital marketing, and marketing in general, because of its impact on brand perception and consumer decision-making. However, it is important to note that many businesses and brands depend on digital marketing for advertising their product on social media handle such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, WhatsApp and more. Thus for a company that has built an online presence and reputation if they are no longer able to access any of their media account it invariably connotes that they are on the verge of loosing the niche they have spent years to build.Wherefore this was the uncertainty that strucked most businesses and owing to the decision of the federal government on one of the sociabrands l networking site as twitter.

On 4th June 2021, the Nigerian government officially put an indefinite ban on Twitter restricting it from operating in Nigeria after the social media platform deleted tweets made by the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari warning the south eastern people of Nigeria predominantly occupied by the Igbo people of a potential repeat of the 1967 Biafran Civil War (CNN 2021).The Nigerian government claimed that the deletion of the President's tweets factored into their decision but it was ultimately based on "a litany of problems with the social media platform in Nigeria, where misinformation and fake news spread through it have had real world violent consequences". Although the ban was condemned by Amnesty International, British and Canadian missions and the Swedish Embassy in Nigeria as well as domestic organizations like - the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), the implication of this ban is likely to effect brands and businesses operating via digital marketing and on the adverse this may affect their customer engagement, decline in brand awareness and the profitability of such brands, while the new startup brands might go into extinct on the long run if nothing is done. Therefore it against the backdrop that this study is set present a careful examination of the implication of Twitter ban on digital marketing.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The main objective of this study is to assess twitter ban on digital marketing. Specifically the study seeks to

1. Ascertain the nature of twitter ban effect on brands and businesses who operates via digital marketing in Nigeria.

2. Investigate the extent to which brand products were patronized through digital marketing on their twitter handle before the twitter ban in Nigeria.

3. Investigate the extent to which brand awareness were created and brand niche built through digital marketing on their twitter handle before the twitter ban in Nigeria.

4. Examine if the revenue and profitability of digital marketing in Nigeria will also affected by the recent twitter ban.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The research is guided by the following questions

1. What is the nature of twitter ban effect on brands and businesses who operates via digital marketing in Nigeria?

2. What is the extent to which brand products were patronized through digital marketing on their twitter handle before the twitter ban in Nigeria?

3. What is the extent to which brand awareness were created and brand niche built through digital marketing on their twitter handle before the twitter ban in Nigeria?

4. Will the revenue and profitability of digital marketing and brand awareness in Nigeria be affected by the recent twitter ban?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Since this study portrays the nature of twitter ban effect on digital marketing and also the significant roles played by this sector under study, it is therefore pivotal to note that the findings and theoretical aspect of this work will be relevant to the major business brands and businesses who operates online via digital marketing. More so study will also be significantly useful to students and researchers and other individuals who may have the interest to gather or carryout any study related to the topic under study.

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of borders on the examination of twitter ban on digital marketing. The study is therefore limited to GoTV Lagos.

1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The limitations of this study includes:

Finance: Due to the economic difficulty that the researcher was experiencing, the prospect of a greater sample size, which would have enabled the study to reach a larger region, has become impossible; thus, this work is limited to only Lagos state based GoTV centres.

Time: It was not surprising that the researcher was limited by time frame as it posed a direct challenge to the effective coverage intended in the course of this report. It is the intention of the researcher to interview all the employees of the selected GoTV outlets but because of numerous activities of the researcher which borders on both academics, work schedules and other social activities it became relatively impossible to explain the intention hence only the digital marketing department was enrolled as participant of the study.

Attitude of respondents: The majority of workers fail to collect the questionnaires, and some who do collect pay urgent attention required in filling and returning it, and others did not return theirs at all. Others were less accommodating and may have provided untrustworthy information because they were afraid of being exposed, despite the researcher's promise that all information would be treated with the utmost secrecy and only for education purpose.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Twitter: Twitter is an American micro-blogging and social networking service on which users post and interact with messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and retweet tweets, but unregistered users can only read them. 

Twitter Ban: this is the authoritative pause in the operation of twitter as mandated by the Federal government of Nigeria on June 5th 2021 until the owners of the social network meet the newly established requirement given to them by the government of Nigeria.

Digital marketing: Digital marketing is the component of marketing that utilizes internet and online based digital technologies such as desktop computers, mobile phones and other digital media and platforms to promote products and services.

Brand Awareness: Brand awareness is a marketing term that describes the degree of consumer recognition of a product by its name. Creating brand awareness is a key step in promoting a new product or reviving an older brand. Ideally, awareness of the brand may include the qualities that distinguish the product from its competition.