Case Study: Condoms in Fiji

Introduction:
Marie Stopes International Pacific (MSIP) is a non-profit, non-government organisation working in the area of sexual and reproductive health in Fiji and other Pacific Island nations. Increasing numbers of HIV/AIDS cases, sexually transmitted infections and teenge pregnancies highlighted a lack of knowledge about sexual health and the need for education about condom use within the Fijian community. With a small population of only 900,00 people, HIV/AIDS has the potential to have a devastating impact on Fiji if it is unchecked. To address this problem, MSIP utilises modern marketing techniques and a locally branded product to increase the acceptance, awareness and of condoms within Fiji.

Question 1a:
The main objectives of the MSIP campaign is to raise awareness of the importance of wearing condoms within the general community, to be effective in controlling the spread on HIV/AIDS , and most importantly work towards making condoms just as acceptable in society as coca-cola and twisties.

Question 1b:
This MSIP’s campaign is different from other commercial campaigns as this campaigns objectives are to provide awareness, acceptance in the community aswell as national availability, rather than profit. An example of this is how the cost of a pack of 3 TRYTIME condoms costs 80 cents Fijian. This allows the community to value the product as well as most importantly being able to afford it. The non profit pricing structure was designed to cover production costs as well as contribute to cost recovery for MSIP’s ongoing project activities.

Question 2a:
• This campaign has been successful due to the sales of the condoms exceeding the required targets and meeting the public demand successfully.
• As a result of MSIP’s condom social marketing project there has been a significant increase of community awareness of condoms. Although this campaign is only a short term measure the awareness that the MISP project has provided, has increased the amount of people choosing to protect themselves.

Question 2b:
• In the villages of the indigenous FIJIAN communities there are peer support sellers that enable young people to access the availability of the condoms. These sellers could hold small focus groups and conduct market research which will allow MISP to measure how successful the TRYTIME product is.
• For these focus groups to be successfu,l high sensitivity towards the issue will be conducted with the community. This high sensitivity can be approached in the focus groups which allow small groups of community members to come together in an atmosphere where they feel accepted and comfortable within the small groups.
• This allows each member of the group to feel confident in the discussion and ensures the acceptance of condom use through the following generations. The result in the success of preventing HIV AIDS will not be known for years to come.

Question 3a:
• The Australian market has to take a different approach when marketing the product of condoms. Condoms are much more acceptable in Australia due to the Australian community wanting to prevent unwanted pregnancy.

Question 3b:
These aspects would not work in the Australian market as the population of the FIJIAN community in Australia is very minimal compared to the white Caucasian population.
Rugby is also not the biggest supported sport in Australia , although Australia is a sporting country there isn’t just one sport that is followed and supported by the whole country.
The main object for an Australian campaign would be to prevent pregnancies rather than acceptance within the community.
Having focus groups in high schools and work shops will start the younger population understanding the implications of pregnancies at a young age. Talks and mentoring the youth will also achieve the target of knowledge in the community. Having condoms available in all convenience shops including petrol stations, pubs, clubs and toilets allows the community to buy condoms around the clock. If a marketing campaign targets the younger population in the high schools it allows the youth to feel comfortable with talking about pregnancy prevention as well as health risks related to not wearing condoms. Educating the younger generation will reduce the amount of younger pregnancies in the community.

Question 4:
Involvement in community
• Promoting the condom package with a Fijian couple on the box allows the Fijian community to relate to the product.
• The target market that MSIP is aiming at are between the ages of 16 to 29 years.
• The company has used the nationally recognised rugby sport as their basis for the name of the product. This allows the community to relate to the product .
Honesty
• The main concern for MSIP is to ensure that the quality of TRYTIME condoms will be effective in stopping the spread of the infection HIV/AIDS.
• The instructions on the box are highly descriptive and are clearly printed in two languages, English and Fijian this ensures that the community understands the importance of the product and how to use the product correctly.
Donation to good causes
• International pacific is an non profit organisation which intends to increase the acceptance, awareness and availability of condoms in Fiji.
• The company is promoting the product on a good cause basis rather than increasing the profit.
• This is why TRYTIME condoms are sold at 80 cents Fijian for a pack of three. The price being significantly lower than the competition allowing all community members to afford the product including the extremely poor.

Question 5:
Product:
• To ensure that TRYTIME condoms would be effective in stopping the spread of infection and creating acceptance and awareness
This is achieved by:
• Instructions printed clearly in the two languages they are English and Fijian
• Fijian couple on packaging of the condom this is therefore direct to Fijian market.
Promotion:
• The communication strategy for TRYTIME condoms focuses on the youth market with a core message of confidence protection and masculinity.
• The condoms where launched with an intensive campaign that used role models from the community to endorse the product.
Price:
• The condoms are sold at the retail price of 80 cents Fijian (60 cents Australian) for a pack of three
• The product is lower than competitive products which means condoms are more affordable to all members of Fijian society.
Place:
• Distribution strategy aim is to make condoms more widely available. By teaming up with a socially minded promotional distribution company , MSIP is able to access over 300 stores including pharmacies supermarkets convenience stores and petrol stations.
• Distribution through bars poolrooms and taxi stands has made condoms available in late at night at places where young people associate.
• Distribution among Fijian villages. A network of peer sellers enables young people to buy condoms from other young people who are training to provide advice and condoms within their community.

Question 6:
Product:
The target market for the Fijian community is aged from 16-29 years. At this age anything fresh and bright will appeal to them. For example MSIP used bold colours on the box of the TRYTIME condom. Black was the main colour used, with red being the subcolour.
The meanings for black is associated with power. Black contrasts well with other colours and when compared with red it can become more powerful then just used by itself.
The colour meaning of red is associated with passion, desire and love. Red can also be associated with anything physical.
All of these meanings combined, work extremely well with the box design of the TRYTIME condom product. Condoms are used for passion, love, and desire. Sex is highly physical and of course can make couples feel powerful as one. Wearing a condom can also make couples feel powerful when they know that they are preventing infection or prevention of an unwanted pregnancy.
Humans like to feel in control and this product allows them to do so.
Price and Promotion:
Fiji is a developing country and therefore the average wages are extremely low. Condoms in the Fijian community would not be classed as a necessity but a luxury, as food and shelter would be of higher importance. MSIP have effectively priced the product of the TRYTIME condom by keeping the price low enough to make the product affordable to the community, but ensuring the price is able to recover production and promotional costs. The minimal price has not only added value to the product but has allowed the company to enhance community awareness by printing brochures and providing peer support in the small rural villages.
Place:
MSIP have successfully extended the availability of places to purchase the TRYTIME condom. This extension has allowed the product to become widely available in over 300 specialty stores, including pharmacies, petrol stations, clubs and convenience stores. Prior to the TRYTIME condoms there was no after hours access such as: bars, pol rooms and taxi stands, which is usually where young people associate and generally have a need for sexual fulfillment.
The 24 hour availability has effectively made the product easily accessible to the target market.

Question 7:
Product:
A condom that protects against Sexually Transmitted Diseases and unwanted pregnancies.
Price:
On average a standard condom in Australia will cost anywhere ranging from $1.50 per condom up to $2.50 depending on where purchased. Buying in bulk will also reduce the price.
Promotion:
• Radio
• Television commercials
• Billboards
• Posters behind Toilet doors
• School Education
Place:
Condoms are available in Australia nationwide. Trading hours in Australia vary from town to town.
Condoms are available at all supermarkets, petrol stations, clubs, toilets, pubs, convenience stores, chemists. Condoms can also be bought online, bearing in mind people wanting privacy.
The Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University, Victoria, conducted a survey To provide reliable estimates of the frequency of condom use among Australian adults.
The survey was conducted by computer assisted telephone interviews. The sample was taken from 10,173 men and 9,134 women aged between 16-59 years. The result was that overall 73.1% have used condoms. 69.4% were men and 77.6% were women.
METHODS: Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative sample of 10,173 men and 9,134 women aged 16-59 years. The response rate was 73.1% (69.4% men, 77.6% women).
RESULTS: Although the majority of respondents had used a condom at some time in their lives, fewer than half of the respondents who were sexually active in the year before being interviewed had used a condom in the past year. Condom use in the past year was associated with youth, greater education, residence in major cities, lower incomes, white-collar occupations, being a former smoker, and having more sexual partners in the past year. In the six months prior to interview, 7.1% of respondents always used condoms with regular cohabiting partners, 22.5% always used condoms with regular non-cohabiting partners, and 41.4% always used condoms with casual partners. Approximately 20% of respondents used a condom the last time they had vaginal intercourse, and one in eight of these condoms were put on after genital contact. Condom use during the most recent sexual encounter was associated with youth, living in a major city, having a lower income, having sex with a casual partner, and not using another form of contraception.
CONCLUSION: As in other studies, condom use was strongly associated with partner type and use of other contraception.

Question 8:
The Fijian market’s main objective is to make the community aware of the importance of condom use, and more importantly to make the use of condoms acceptable. Along with this is to make the product affordable due to low economic circumstances.
The main objective for the Australian market is to prevent against unwanted pregnancies, and to make the community understand that condoms are important even if partners are using other forms of contraception.
This shows that the marketing mix is different in both countries as the main objectives that each country is trying to achieve are different forms of protecting each other and community awareness.