An Associate Professor of Advertising, Public Relations and Media Studies at the Department of Communication and Media Studies, Imo State University, Owerri, Kingsley Onyebuchim Nworgu, has decried what he calls erosion of kingship status of the consumer of products, services and media contents, advocating aggressive “consumer education, consumer protection and consumer solidarity.”
Nworgu disclosed this recently during an inaugural lecture/conversation series of ‘Town and Gown Arena’, an initiative of the lecturer and academics, both ‘in and outside’ the institution.
In his ‘lecture /conversation’, titled: ‘Interrogating the ‘kingship’ of the consumer in the 21st century market economy’, Nworgu, head of the newly established Department of Advertising, said from research, observations and realities on ground, the consumer appears to have kingship relevance problems in view of the seemingly non recognition of his/her pride and importance as the end-user of any product put out by the manufacturers, suppliers and service providers in the recent times.
The media, he said, should also be objective, neutral, fair, truthful and professional in the delivery of information and news materials/contents.
The immediate past Head of Department of Mass Communication of the institution, just unbundled to the status of Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, insisted that to recover the relevance of the consumer in market place of ideas, economy, “there must be consumer education, consumer protection and consumer solidarity,” as a ‘sine qua non’ for healthy reciprocity among key players in the value chain of manufacturing and consumption of various products and services, including that of the media.
In the interactive knowledge sharing, socialising and networking activity, Nworgu said there should be re-awakening consciousness and sensitisation, among other media marketing refining strategies to be applied by the players and stakeholders in the industry to ensure that the media also plays pivotal role in the dissemination of information to the public.
He said: “The conversation has brought us to the fore the fact that the kingship of consumers are being eroded by manufacturers of goods and providers of services. The warning is that if this trend is left unchecked the consumer’s kingdom where he reigns as king will be totally taken over and the consumer will be left helpless to the manipulation of manufacturers and service providers.”
The academic cited examples of recent treatments meted to consumers, regretting that some banks do not quickly reverse money transferred, but unable to be delivered to the intended recipients and beneficiaries.
He also gave a knock on those who sell products by deception, regretting the experience he had not too long when he bought a ‘factory-faulty’ item from a trader twice, yet the manufacturer and the seller could not change the item. He expended twice N25,000 each, making a total of N50,000, lamenting that the two items are literarily displayed as decorations in his living room.
He stressed: “I bought a product from the seller. I discovered that it was not working. I repeated it and from the same seller, but when I asked, I was answered, that is how I bought it. Till date, those items are serving as decorations in my living room.”
