PLANNING YOUR CAMPAIGN. In the following sections, we will review various methods for adapting existing models to your context or - if you can’t find a proven model that translates to your context - developing a demand creation campaign from scratch. When promoting HIVST and related services, it can help to approach the task with the same mindset as a commercial marketer. At the highest level, demand creation strategies can be divided into two categories: • “Push” strategies that encourage distributors and other influencers to actively promote products and services to the target consumer • “Pull” strategies that seek to generate demand among consumers. Your campaigns for HIVST and related services will likely employ a combination of both. Traditionally, commercial marketers think in terms of the “Ps”: Proposition, Product, Place, Price, and Promotion. An explanation of each of these “Ps” is provided in the table below. THE 5 “PS” OF EFFECTIVE MARKETING CAMPAIGNS Proposition • How can we frame the value of HIVST (and HIV testing in general) in terms our audience will appreciate? Should we focus on convenience? Privacy? The ability to reach underserved populations? Something else? • How can we best frame the value of counseling, treatment and prevention? Product • How can you inspire confidence in the quality and reliability of HIVST kits? • What counseling, treatment and prevention options are available and are they appropriate for your target audience? Place • Where will HIVST kits be available? Where will we display our messages? For example, can you place brochures or signs in local pharmacies? Can you coordinate promotional events when mobile services with HIVST kits are in town? • Where can intended users access counseling, treatment and prevention services? Should they be provided with literature when they receive their HIVST kits? How else can you raise awareness? Price • This guide assumes that HIVST products will be made available free of charge. • Are there costs associated with counseling, treatment and prevention options? Are the costs reasonable for your intended users? Promotion • What channels are you using to create demand for HIVST and related services (e.g., social media, billboards, events, brochures, etc.) and will the messages resonate with your intended audiences and move them to take advantage of HIVST and related counseling/treatment/prevention services? In the following sections, we will review each of the P’s as they relate to HIVST and related services.
