CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Public Relations (PR) is one of the most powerful tools organizations use to create
awareness, build a positive image, and influence the way people think and behave.
In recent years, PR has moved beyond just promoting products or managing crises.
Today, it’s being used to create real change — especially in areas like public health,
education, and social behaviour.
In Nigeria, one of the best examples of this is Dettol Nigeria — a hygiene brand
known for using creative PR campaigns to teach people about the importance of
cleanliness. Through campaigns like the “Clean Naija Initiative,” the “School Hygiene
Education Programme,” and other community-focused projects, Dettol has reached
millions of Nigerians with messages about washing hands, bathing regularly, and
keeping homes and schools clean.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, these campaigns became even more important.
Dettol stepped up its efforts by partnering with schools, using social media
influencers, launching radio jingles, distributing hygiene kits, and even placing
handwashing stations in public places. These are all classic PR strategies aimed at
changing how people behave — not just what they know.
As communication scholar Marshall McLuhan once said, “The medium is the
message.” This means that how a message is delivered — through radio, television,
social media, or face-to-face interaction — can be just as important as the message
itself. Dettol’s use of popular personalities, emotional storytelling, and community
engagement shows just how effective PR can be in driving social change.
This study focuses on understanding how Dettol’s public relations strategies have
impacted consumer behaviour — especially in terms of hygiene habits — and
whether the awareness created by these campaigns has led to actual behavioural
change.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Even though many hygiene education campaigns exist in Nigeria, basic hygiene-
related illnesses like typhoid, cholera, and diarrhea are still very common. People
are exposed to these messages regularly, but are they really changing the way they
live?
This study is based on the idea that knowing something is not the same as doing it.
We want to find out whether Dettol’s public relations campaigns have gone beyond
awareness to actually influence how Nigerians think and act about hygiene. If not,
what are the challenges stopping this change?
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The objectives of this study are to:
1. Identify the public relations strategies Dettol Nigeria uses in its hygiene
campaigns.
2. Examine how these campaigns have influenced people’s hygiene habits.
3. Evaluate how much awareness the campaigns have created.
4. Discover the challenges involved in using PR to promote hygiene-related
behaviour change.
1.4 Research Questions
To guide the study, the following research questions will be addressed:
1. What kind of PR strategies does Dettol Nigeria use in its hygiene campaigns?
2. How have these campaigns affected the hygiene behaviour of Nigerian
consumers?
3. What level of awareness have these campaigns created in the public?
4. What are the key challenges in using PR to change hygiene behaviour?
1.5 Scope of the Study
This study focuses on Dettol Nigeria’s hygiene campaigns between 2020 and 2024,
especially during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic and the years that followed.
The research will cover areas such as Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, where
Dettol’s campaigns have been more visible. The study will focus on people who have
seen, heard, or interacted with these PR efforts and will examine if these
experiences influenced how they think or act about hygiene.
1.6 Significance of the Study
This study is important for several reasons:
- For PR professionals: It shows how public relations can be used not just for
advertising, but also for creating social impact.
- For health brands like Dettol: It helps them measure how well their campaigns are
working and how to improve future ones.
- For health workers and government agencies: It offers insight into how public
awareness can lead to behavioural change.
- For academic research: It contributes to the growing knowledge of how PR affects
everyday behaviour in developing countries.
- For students of Mass Communication: It gives a practical example of how PR
theories and strategies are used in real life.
As Harold Lasswell famously said in his communication model: “Who says what, in
which channel, to whom, with what effect?” This research focuses on that “effect” —
the outcome of Dettol’s message. Did people listen? Did they act? And if they didn’t,
why not?
1.7 Definition of Terms
Here are the key terms used in this research, explained in simple, easy-to-
understand language:
- Public Relations (PR): PR is the way an organization communicates with the public
to create a good image and build trust. It includes things like organizing events,
using the media, engaging with communities, and responding to public concerns. In
this study, PR refers to the methods Dettol uses — like social media, school
programs, and public campaigns — to promote hygiene.
- Consumer Behaviour: This means how people behave when it comes to using
products, services, or information. It includes what they buy, how they use it, and
why they make certain choices. In this project, we are looking at how Dettol’s PR
messages affect people’s hygiene habits — like whether they wash their hands more
often or take cleanliness more seriously.
- Hygiene Campaigns: These are organized efforts to teach people how to stay clean
and avoid diseases. Examples include Dettol’s handwashing programs in schools or
awareness ads about germs on TV. The goal is to create lasting changes in how
people think and act about hygiene.
- Dettol Nigeria: Dettol is a popular health and hygiene brand known for its soaps,
hand sanitizers, and antiseptics. Dettol Nigeria is the Nigerian branch of the global
company Reckitt Benckiser. It has run many PR campaigns to promote good hygiene
practices across the country.
- Behavioural Change: This refers to a lasting shift in how people act — in this case,
changes in hygiene habits as a result of PR campaigns. It’s not just about hearing a
message, but actually doing something different because of it.
- Media Campaign: A planned effort to spread a message using media like TV, radio,
newspapers, and social media. Dettol’s hygiene messages are shared across many
media platforms to reach different audiences.
- Brand Ambassador: A person, usually a celebrity or influencer, who represents a
brand and helps promote it to the public. Dettol has used Nigerian celebrities like
Funke Akindele and Kaffy the Dancer in its campaigns to attract attention and
increase trust.
- Health Communication: This is a branch of communication focused on sharing
health-related messages. It combines PR, journalism, and public education to
encourage people to live healthier lives.
