Assessment of Advertising as a Social Marketing Tool for Managing HIV/AIDS Spread Amongst the Rural Populace in Nigeria

Abstract

The study undertook a critical assessment of advertising as a social marketing tool for managing HIV/AIDS spread amongst the rural populace in Nigeria. It was motivated by the fact that over 70 percent of the populace dwell and earn their living in the rural areas, while over the years, health promoters and marketers in Africa have emphasized the use of above-the-line advertising media, which do not significantly permeate the rural populace. The objectives of the study included to: appraise the effect of above-the-line advertising and below-the-line advertising as social marketing tools for the prevention and management of HIV/AIDS amongst the rural populace in Nigeria. Survey research design was employed in the study. The area of study was three rural communities in Nigeria. The population of the study was 3,000, comprising of farmers, market women, artisans, teachers and students in the areas. A sample size of 240 was judgmentally determined. The main instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire consisting of four-point Likert scale. Non-probability sampling technique of purposive sampling was used to distribute the questionnaire. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was employed for the data analysis. Results indicate that: above-the-line advertising media were not significantly effective as social marketing tools for the prevention and management of HIV/AIDS amongst the rural populace in Nigeria; while below-the-line advertising media were significantly effective as social marketing tools for the prevention and management of HIV/AIDS amongst the rural populace in Nigeria. It was then recommended among other things that health marketers and communicators should de-emphasize the use of mass media in their social marketing campaigns to the populace, especially the rural dwellers.

Keywords: Advertising, Social Marketing, HIV/AIDS Prevention, Health-Marketing.