SOCIAL MARKETING AND PURCHASE BEHAVIOUR OF CONSUMERS IN THE HEALTH SECTOR IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

The health sector in Rivers State is experiencing significant changes as a result of emphasis on knowledge-based medical practices (Jimison & Sher, 2000). Evans and McCormack (2008) observed that a report from Institute of Medicine (2001) stated that there are modernizations in medical science and technology as a result of public health demands comprising an aging population with increased prevalence of chronic medical cases. These chronic cases are not far from the fact that today’s environment is experiencing tremendous changes which could mar or make human health. The society and its inhabitants are faced with different industrial activities that ranges from production, marketing, exploration, to distribution; these activities have one way or the other affected the lives of members of the society.

Over the years, there have been opinions about the need to expand marketing beyond the business scope into a different ideology (Bartels 1974). Prior to 1969, marketing was viewed by scholars as an economic activity where commercial institutions provided goods and services to consumers with the sole aim of making profit (Honeyman, 2008). Scholars like Kotler and Levy (1969) argued that marketing is a key societal oriented activity that goes beyond selling of goods and services, but it also involves performance of other societal programs. Luck (1969) argued that marketing obviously deals with markets and implies buying and selling. Expanding its core activities would alter its focus from critical issues and infringe into other disciplines