Strategic communication

Abstract

Scholars have adduced most African organisations’ failure to rely on Western strategic communication models to tackle peculiarly contextual communication problems and finance. However, appropriate media choice in achieving goals of strategic communication in an organisation is significant. Organisations often neglect or treat African indigenous language media as appendages to the conventional media like radio, television, print and recently internet and social media platforms. Using Salawu’s Model of Indigenous Language for Development Communication and explorative research method through review of relevant literature, this study examined how people and institutions have used African indigenous popular music to tackle social issues. Findings revealed that African indigenous popular music medium is unique because of its inherent qualities, encapsulating all other African indigenous media in audio and visual texts and performance. Also, studies revealed that they had utilised music as a communication strategy. Its use covers political parties, protest movements and health issue campaigns for creating awareness. However, African corporate organisations, unlike other organisations, have not used African indigenous popular music as a communication strategy much. This attitude shows their reliance on conventional media when African indigenous language media like music still thrive.