Question

The promotion of the female condom has suffered a lot setbacks in Zambia compared to the male condom. UNILUS has just won a female condom social marketing project. You have been recruited as a manager to oversee the project. The funders of the project i.e. USAID have already given you the first assignment around the power factors affecting the market segment in which you will be working. Using the construct of culture (the lens through which you view the world, how you make sense of it, and how you express yourself within it), discuss the merits and demerits of promoting the sale of female condoms by using the following opposing cultural dimensions:

a. Directly stating vs. implying messages.

b. Following hierarchy vs. Engaging in debate.

c. Dissent accepted vs. Unanimity needed.

d. Individualism vs. collectivism.

Answer 1

A Mass Marketing Campaign by UNILUS (University of Lusaka, Zambia) was done to examines the intention to use female condom among men and woman in Lusaka, Zambia. The study used data from a presentative sample of consumers at outlets that sell or distribute the female and male condom. It was observed that in spite of the high level of awareness the use of female condom was lower than the use of a male condom. The present study asked respondents to use a female condom in the future. Since the product was also promoted through posters, magazines, point of sale materials at retail outlets and radio advertisements. Female peer educators played an important role in educating consumers about the method and its use by holding educational sessions at retail outlets, workplace, and bars or night clubs.
The condom prices can be the barrier to their use, though it was heavily subsidized. Despite this subsidy, its price was
high. The USAID supported by taking the burden of distribution and marketing costs of both male and female condoms.
In particular, their findings suggest economically vulnerable, unemployed, unmarried women were most likely to report non-use of male condoms. They may have a low sense of empowerment, knowledge, experience, and beliefs in the sexual field. This study investigates whether there were any changes in knowledge and normative beliefs regarding abstinence and condoms and personal risk perception of acquiring HIV among Zambian secondary school students who exposed to a peer sexual health intervention. Schools were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups.
The primary purpose may be birth control but a condom is also able to provide other benefits to the user. One such advantage is protection from sexually transmitted infections or STIs.The present findings show that women are as likely as men to intend using the female condom. There is evidence that condom social marketing can increase condom use, although such evidence comes from studies lacking sufficient rigour. Community randomized controlled trials of condom social marketing would provide much stronger evidence, but they are expensive, so large scale condom social marketing programmes are supported by little evidence. Although the effect size across studies was moderate, the cumulative effect of condom social marketing could be substantial in longer-term evaluations. Knowledge, attitudes, practices, and behaviors associated with female condoms in developing countries.HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors in rural African countries.