Abstract:
The phenomenon of hawking traditional medicines on commercial buses is rampant in
Ghana, notwithstanding its ban by regulatory authorities. This study examined the
marketing communication strategies used by traditional medicine vendors to sell their
wares to passengers in commercial vehicles. The study collected data using qualitative
approach involving in-depth interviews and participant observations of five traditional
medicine vendors. These vendors were selected using purposive and convenience
sampling techniques. The study found that traditional medicine sellers employ both
ethical and unethical communication strategies in persuading passengers in commercial
vehicles to purchase their products. Some of the ethical communication strategies they
employed include identification techniques such as starting every sales encounter with
prayers and/or comedy; sales promotions; and direct marketing. These strategies were
aimed at building rapport with consumers, establishing trust, enhancing the credibility of
the products being sold, and deflection of any suspicions or doubts consumers may have
about the product. The unethical communication strategies adopted by the vendors to sell
their products included propaganda techniques such as exaggerations, embellishments,
half-truths and misrepresentations in relation to the efficacy of the medicines. These
questionable promotional themes emphasised exaggerated efficacy, cheap price and other
melodramatic claims, and overstate the benefits to be derived from using the medicines.
The study, therefore, recommends that government and industry stakeholders, especially
the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), the Ghana Federation of Traditional Healers
Association (GFTHA) and others must train these vendors in ethical communication
about the efficacy and dosage of traditional medicines, so as to reduce any negative
consequences on the general public health.
Description:
A DISSERTATION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION AND
MEDIA STUDIES, FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES EDUCATION
AND COMMUNICATION SUBMITTED TO SCHOOL OF GRADUATE
STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION WINNEBA, IN PARTIAL
FUFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF THE
MASTER OF ARTS (BUSINESS COMMUNICATION) DEGREE.
JULY, 2017