Today, at the 2015 World Social Marketing conference in Sydney, Australia, Tessa Meyer, head of marketing and communications for PSI’s South Africa network partner SFH, will present her findings for how to use social marketing to get couples to test for HIV together. Meyers’ abstract is a finalist for top abstract at the conference.
By Tessa Meyer, head of marketing and communications, Society for Family Health (South Africa)
In 2014, New Start HIV Counselling and Testing —South Africa’s largest non profit HIV prevention program — had a big challenge. People were testing in large numbers, but they were testing as individuals, not as couples. Our goal was to increase the number of couples who tested with New Start. Our target was a 10% couple testing rate, but in previous years we had missed it. So we set our challenge, reach 10% in 2014!
And how did we propose to do this? With a big, bold, Vegas style campaign! The “Give your partner the greatest gift” campaign.
The campaign objective was to increase the number of couples who got tested together for HIV from 7% in Jun 2013, to 10% in Sept 2014. The target audience for this campaign was sexually active couples aged 25 – 39 who live in the four districts where SFH operates. These areas are Nkangala and EMalahleni in Mpumalanga province, and Mangaung and Lejweleputswa in Free State province.
Why test as a couple?
Couples testing is beneficial for many reasons:
- It has been shown to improve family communication and encourages partners to support each other.
- It discourages risky behaviour and in positive couples, it enhances adherence to treatment.
The couples HIV counselling and testing services were free, in terms of monetary costs. However, the campaign did take into account emotional costs, which were mitigated through the experienced counsellors who are trained to communicate and deal with emotional costs during their sessions so that the couple feel comfortable to discuss these in a safe environment.
The campaign was a through-the-line consolidated effort. There were:
- Above the Line (ATL) efforts with radio and streetpole ads
- Below the Line (BTL) efforts with community mobilisation, roving billboards, interpersonal communication, pamphlets, promotional items
- And public relations with community radio and print media
It ran over a 6-week period in July and August 2014, with a two week pre-testing awareness campaign, two weeks of concentrated testing, and a post-testing maintenance period.
The pre-campaign had a timeline of one month before the actual campaign, consisted of street pole ads and community radio. During the two week couples counselling campaign, in addition to the street pole ads and radio, the BTL elements were initiated. These included using Interpersonal Communication (IPC) through community mobilisers, mobile billboards, loud hailing, playing popular music that attracted the target audience, distributing Information, Education and Communication (IEC) material as well as the distribution of promotional items, such as branded water bottles, key rings and framed photos.
We held the campaigns at high traffic areas within the districts. Two high traffic areas in each district were chosen, with the team spending one full week at each area.
And the results were staggering:
- The total number of couples tested during the two-week campaign period was 1265
- The growth versus the previous month was 152%
- The 10% couples target (for the full year Oct 2013 to Sept 2014) was reached!
The successful 2014 campaign compelled us to run the campaign again in Feb 2015, which resulted in even better results!
- The total number of couples tested during the 2week campaign was 4465!
- The growth versus the previous month was 352%
Why is this important?
In South Africa, the prevalence of HIV is staggering. It is estimated that 12.2% of South Africans are living with HIV or AIDS. That’s 6.4 million people! Testing for HIV is at the frontline of fighting this war.
The New Start “Give your partner the greatest gift” campaign was a great example of a social and behaviour change intervention.
New Start is managed by Society for Family Health (SFH), a Population Services International affiliate.
