Page 1 of 9

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 02 Issue 7

July 2016

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 73

Elements of Marketing Mix and Its Relevance in Governance:

The Nigeria Democratic Experience

Iliya Bawa1

, Garba Ibrahim2

and Elisha Peter3

1department of Marketing School of Business Studies Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa, Nigeria

EMAIL: iliyabawa84@gmail.com

PHONE: +2348034265951

2

department of Public Administration Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa, Nigeria

PHONE: +2348053583794

Abstract

For any government, the measurement and

goal of providing standards and excellence

in servicing its citizen is of vital important.

Nigerians looked up to democracy as a

better deal, as a means of economic

development, security and end to poverty,

social equality, political participation,

freedom and end to corruption. This high

democratic and political profile is no more.

Today, the Nigeria polity itself is becoming

restructured to tackle the myriads of socio- political economic and infrastructural

challenges facing it. This study examined the

elements of marketing mix that could be

used with a view to meeting the expectations

of the electorate and serving the needs of the

citizens in return for their votes and loyalty.

Major sources of data for the study were

from a vast array of relevant literatures that

deal with marketing and governance. It was

recommended that political party in power

should be likened to a company, the party

ideology to a company’s mission statement

and the elements of the marketing

programme should be handled to fit the

characteristics of the various political

markets so as to meet the expectations of the

electorate.

Keywords: marketing mix, governance,

political party, change, citizens, democratic.

1 Introduction

looking at the democratization process in

Africa, it is important to observe that

authoritarian governments were forced to

change the nature of their regimes as a result

of pressures from civil society. However, the

outcomes of these democratic pressure are

very different.

The question therefore arises, how do we

account for the different outcome? How do

we avoid creating chaos and political

vacuum like in Liberia, Somalia, Rwanda or

Libya in a move to democracy? Answers to

these questions may not be straight forward,

Page 2 of 9

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 02 Issue 7

July 2016

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 74

but the evidence does suggest that the

different outcomes in Africa’s

democratization process have something to

do with the character of civil society, the

history, political structure and economic

conditions in each country.

Nigerians have faced the impact of

corruption, misplacement of priorities and

criminal abuses of public trust by

government functionaries which brought

down the economy. Often, these have led to

loss of lives and impoverished citizens and

vulnerable social groups protested their hash

effects. The peculiar element in public

administration is that everything a

government agency does is public business.

The tax money is being used, so every

citizen has the right to know how it is spent

and criticize public officials with whose

decision they do not agree. A public official

is subject to searching and constant outside

scrutiny. It is a cardinal principle of

democratic government that civil servants be

guided by public opinion. Although the

officials of a private company also have

important public contacts, companies want

to satisfy their clients or customers and they

are also increasingly subject to government

regulations, all of which makes public

relations an important element in business

success. Nevertheless, companies still

remain private in character, and their

internal operations are to a large extent their

own business and not that of the general

public.

For any government, the measurement and

goal of providing standards and excellence

in servicing its citizen is of vital importance

to public agencies, because the agency exists

ultimately for the benefit of its citizens.

When citizens have good experiences with

their government, they are more likely to

feel satisfied with performance and become

more engaged in maintaining that standard

of good governance through their

community. Governance is the outcome of

how good or bad the administration of an

organization or institution was perceived

whereas marketing contributes to the

success of an administration in terms of

effective performance. Onah (2008) assert

that marketing management is the analysis,

planning, implementation and control of

programmes designed to bring about desired

exchanges with target markets for the

purpose of achieving organizational

objectives relying heavily on designing

organization’s offering in terms of target

market’s needs and desires and using

effective pricing, communication and

distribution to inform, motivate and service

the market.

Public agencies are coming under increased

pressures today to not only reduce budgetary

expenditures but to also improve the service

offered to citizens, Excellence is now a

watchword in the public sector. Citizens

accustomed to the instant respond and

consent offered by business in the private

sectors now expect that from the

government agencies, the public agencies

are expected to rise to the occasion by

measuring their ability to satisfy their citizen

customers.

Marketing is a potent force for social

change, a concept, a tool, a profession and

Page 3 of 9

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 02 Issue 7

July 2016

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 75

also a way of life. No one is in doubt that the

world is experiencing change. What manner

of change whether it is typhoon, tornado,

cyclone, hurricane, earthquake or tension or

a combination of all of them, only God

knows. But the way things are shaping out

has left no one in doubt that the old models

have to give way to new market economies

suffering from overdose of un-sensitized

economic dogma which require transfusion

of marketing values and marketing ethics of

trust, responsibility, accountability,

reliability, transparency, equity etc

(Achumba, 2011) while Aimiumu (2009) is

of the view that the key lessons from the

economic meltdown include:

- Unearned affluence is a privilege

that meltdown ultimately

- There is no short-cut to true

greatness

- Abstract economic theory

without marketing values and

ethics is a recipe for disaster

- Skills without competencies

(behaviour, attitude, values) is a

mirage that will never yield

sustainable performance.

- Economic fortunes are driven by

market performance, best

managed with knowledge of

markets

- Economic systems collapsed not

for want of academic brilliancy

but mainly from absence of a

value framework rooted in

marketing discipline.

In this regard, the researchers in this study

concentrated on the marketing mix elements

of product/service, price, promotion and

place or distribution that can strongly

influence the success of any democratic

society.

II Statement of the Problem

The quest for democracy is not just a cry for

some noble principles of governance, but a

quest for survival. People want to get rid of

tyrannical and authoritarian governments

because they have become a threat to their

very lives. They look up to democracy

therefore for a better deal, as a means of

economic development, security and end to

poverty, social equality, political

participation, freedom, end to corruption etc.

Today, this high democratic and political

profile is no more even in a democratic

elected government. As a result of this,

pressures from the civil society,

organizations and the polity led to change in

government in Nigeria during the 2015

general election. Today, the Nigeria polity

itself is becoming restructured to tackle the

myriads of socio-political economic and

infrastructural challenges facing it. Nigeria,

as an emerging and transitional economy

and inline with the change agenda of the

present regime, this study examined the

elements of marketing mix that could be

used by any government with a view to

meeting the expectations of the electorates

and serving the needs of the citizens in

return for their votes and loyalty.

III Research Methodology

The study used secondary data which are

relevant to this study. The major sources of

data for the paper were from a vast array of

relevant literature that deals with marketing