Marketing, Promotion & Consumer Engagement

A drug seller initiative should include marketing and public education plans to improve customer awareness regarding product and service quality and the importance of complying with treatment. In Tanzania, community members called ADDOs, the “full-dose” shops because of efforts to get people to take their full dose of medicines.

In addition to raising awareness among customers, advertising, signage, and the use of logos can also promote the initiative among shop owners and dispensers, local government, and community leaders.

mcp

Implementation Activities Tools/Resources
  • formative research to characterize consumer perceptions
  • and implement marketing and initiative launch plan and materials
  • Promote consumer engagement in medicines use

Toolkit

 

Conducted formative research for behavior change communication strategy development using focus group discussions:

– Defined audiences and desired behaviors.
– Prepared and tested materials for 28 focus group discussions with consumers, DLDB owners and dispensers, and community leaders.
– Conducted three focus group discussions in intervention districts.
– Conducted 15 in-depth interviews with key government informants.
– Analyzed and reported findings.
– Met to discuss findings.

Conducted focus group discussions to evaluate the ADDO brand/logo and radio scripts, with subsequent TFDA approval of the brand name Duka la Dawa Muhimu (loosely translated as “essential drugs shop”), the logo, and radio scripts. Consumer opinion drove the final decision on the name and logo.

Contracted with a social marketing expert who provided technical leadership and developed a marketing plan including advising on selecting and advertising agency and a billboard company. The strategy was based on the results of the formative behavior change research.

Contracted with a professional advertising firm to develop logo and radio spots, help with name selection, and billboard creation, all centered on the theme of trust.

Conducted launch in each district to mobilize the community and build awareness of ADDO services; award certificates to dispensers and owners. Officially implemented ADDO Program in the Ruvuma region, with launches in Songea Urban, Songea Rural, Namtumbo, and Mbinga.