Cross-Channel Message Consistency In Herbal Medicine Advertising A Comparative Analysis Of Packaging Information And Radio Presenter Mentions

PurposeFor many developing country citizens, traditional herbal medicines offer affordable alternatives to expensive orthodox options. Consumers learn about them from different sources including the packaging, which by regulatory demands must provide certain information. In countries such as Ghana, many herbal medicine brands combine packaging information with radio presenter mentions (PMs) as the primary modes of advertising. The purpose of this study is to compare radio PMs of herbal medicines to their packaging information to see how consistent they are in providing credible information to consumers.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses comparative qualitative content analysis to compare information about disease indications, directions for use and warnings/cautions as provided on the packaging and in PMs to gauge the extent of their congruence.FindingsFindings show that there are substantial cross-channel message differences. These differences range from under-representation to sometimes, blatant misinformation, suggesting the possibility that audiences will have difficulty relying on them for decisions.Originality/valueThe study calls attention to the credibility of cross-channel messages in supporting consumers of medicinal products. Secondly, because of the predominance of the normative view in medical advertising, channels such as PMs that accommodate message variation and improvisation have eluded critical analysis. By its focus on the presenter mention advertising format, the study also draws attention of health communication scholars to begin to include emerging modes of medical advertising in their analysis.