identify the target audience

The target population for an educational intervention for Nutraplus is made up of several groups.
In order to adapt the approaches to each group, it is necessary to differentiate between these
groups.
Vulnerable Groups and Target Groups
It is important to differentiate between the vulnerable and target groups for intervention. The
vulnerable group may in fact be the same as a target group of a communication program, but
this is rarely the ease. For example a vulnerable group at risk for protein-energy food
supplement in nutritional product ct. The nutrition intervention for reducing this risk will not be
directed at the young children less than 18 years but rather at all those involved in the care of
above 18-40 years working men and women in the urban areas and that also tier1 and tier II
cities .
An effective communication strategy takes into account activities at all these levels. Each target
group, especially the primary one must then be divided into its "segments" a term often used in
marketing.
Target Groups

Within the target audience there are primary, secondary and tertiary target groups.
The primary target group is composed of persons whose behaviour is to be modified. In these
product given above, these persons could well involved in the care of above 18-40 years
working men and women in the urban areas and that also tier1 and tier II cities .
. In that case the aim would be to modify the manner in which they prepare their daily schedule
in their busy life. (FOR e.g. call center employees, astronoauts, adventurous peoples going for
tracking, business people, soldiers in the battle field)
The secondary target group is comprised of people who will be used as intermediaries to get
the message across to the first target group. In the same example, this could be health workers,
chemist, medical representatives or journalists. It all depends on what the communication
networks are in the community.
The tertiary target group is made up of people who can facilitate the communication process
and behaviour change. There include doctors but also those persons close to the mother - the
father of the child and the extended family.
This implies that the approach will vary for segments differing in terms of educational level,
socio-economic status, etc..
The media and support materials used to reach target market who are functionally illiterate
about the product living in urban areas .
Example:
The product protein-energy food nutrition tablets, the target groups may be defined as follows:
VULNERABLE GROUP: people between 18-45 years .
TARGET POPULATION: persons caring for these target markets a nd .working male and female.
Primary target group: people between 18-45 years
Segment A: persons illiterate about the nutritional tablets living in the tier I and tier II cities.
Segment B: persons literate about the nutritional tablets living in the tier I and tier II cities.
Secondary target group: health workers, , doctors in tier I and tier II cities , journalists from the local
radio station.
Tertiary target group: fathers of the target market, medical representative .

We must not forget that target groups should be participants in the process of social
communication and not mere receivers of information. A one-way communication system for
nutrition education would defeat our aim for an effective global approach. Also, the target
groups must themselves play a role in transmission of messages to other groups and to the
"promoters" of the intervention.
Influential people in the community should also play an important part within the secondary and
tertiary target groups. This group is a catalyst in social communication.

6.2 At what levels are the objectives to be defined?

Nutritional objectives
The primary objective of a nutrition intervention programme is the nutritional improvement of the
target group. This may be measured by dietary, biochemical, clinical, anthropometric and
biophysical indicators. These indicators indicate different stages of nutritional status of a
population.
Nutraplus is a daily health supplement with 20 essential vitamins and minerals that
supplement your daily diet. Nutraplus has energy boosting combination of Ginseng and B
complex vitamins that keeps your body and mind active Nutraplus has anti-oxidants that
destroy free radicals, promote good health and build immunity Nutraplus is safe and non-
additive - a food supplement packed in a convenient capsule format. It improves
performance in activities which require skill, coordination, concentration, learning and memory.
Nutraplus has manifold benefits :
. It increases physical work capacity by countering fatigue and helping oxygen transport to tissue
(for producing energy) during physical exertion.
. It improves endurance, tolerance and compatibility during stressful states.
. It improves performance in activities which require skill, coordination, concentration, learning
and memory.
. It replenishes vitamins and minerals (essential constituents of a balanced diet) and helps
maintain good health.
What is the recommended dose of Nutraplus?
Just one capsule a Day.
The intake should be at the most 2 capsules a day. Nutraplus is completely safe and can be
consumed daily. It can be consumed for 2-3 months at a stretch and can ones again be started
after 15-20 days.

Nutritional status is a complex phenomenon which is influenced by many factors external to an

educational intervention. The time frame within which different indicators are affected by
interventions differ. The nutritional objectives should, therefore, be defined with shorterm and
long-term objectives. An educational programme is basically designed to change behaviour
within the long-term objective of improving nutritional status provided the other external factors
that influence nutritional status are favourable; The immediate outcome is the direct result of
intervention independent of external factors. The improvement of parents and family members
regarding the health of their busy life partner knowledge
It is important to set nutritional objectives in measurable terms, but these objectives will be
achieved only when factors external to communication interventions are conducive to their
achievement.
PROMOTION OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS
India’s nutritional supplement market is expected to more than double in the next four years at over
Rs9,500 crore, a study said.

According to a joint study by industry body Ficci and consultancy firm Ernst and Young, the growth in the
nutraceutical products business will be fuelled mainly because of the changing lifestyle and increasing
awareness about nutritional supplements.

Currently, the domestic market for nutraceutical is around Rs4,400 crore, which is just 0.9% of the total
global business in the category.

Nutraceuticals are dietary supplements which are generally used to fill nutritional deficiencies in food and to
prevent diseases.

Nutraceuticals are divided into three segments, functional foods, functional beverages and mineral
supplements.Out of these functional food has the maximum share while functional beverage has the lowest.

“However, the total market size in India is still very small compared to the global market but there is a huge
potential for these products,” Ernst & Young’s partner Health Sciences Advisory Services’ Muralidharan Nair
said.

There are certain issues such as lack of awareness and no regulations, which need to be sorted out and if
these issues are sorted out, the total market for these products in India can go up to Rs17,000 crore in the
next four years.
Nutraceutical is a term coined by Stephen DeFelice, renowned medical expert, in 1989 as a food, or part of a food,
that provides medical or health benefits, including prevention and treatment of diseases.
Nutraceuticals include health foods, dietary supplements, medical foods, phytochemicals, functional foods, food
medicine, designer food, herbal products, and processed foods.
Global markets are increasingly looking towards India for new and value-added nutraceuticals, particularly dietary
supplements.
India, with its rich history of traditional medicine, is clearly positioned to reap benefits from the huge opportunity
offered by US, Europe and other western markets.
Dietary supplements
Before focusing on the advantages that India possesses, let us gain some insight into what is the definition of dietary
supplements and how big the global market is.
A dietary supplement exists in the form of a capsule, tablet, liquid or powder having medicinal or health benefits,
which has to be taken orally. For example, vitamins, minerals, essential oils and herbal products.
The global market for dietary supplements was estimated at around $68 billion in 2006 by the Nutrition Business
Journal, US, a leading publication on this industry. The global per capita consumption of dietary supplements comes
to $11 per annum, while in Japan, Europe and US it is more than $75 per annum. In the next 10 years or so, the
global dietary supplement market has the potential to reach more than $200 billion.
Right now, the Indian market share in the global dietary supplement market is miniscule. Even if Indian companies
could garner a market share of 5 per cent in 10 years, the potential is tremendous!
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has predicted that the dietary supplements market will reach $5 trillion or
$5,000 billion by 2050, if the market grows at 11 per cent every year.
Factors that are contributing to the high growth of the global dietary supplements market include an increased
awareness of the benefits of having these products, increasing focus on prevention of diseases and maintenance of
good health rather than on curing the diseases, modern lifestyles of high stress and reduced physical activity,
improper food habits, etc., which are leading to a deterioration of health and an increase in lifestyle diseases such as
diabetes and cardiovascular-related ailments. Also, higher disposable incomes, increasing urbanisation, globalisation
and awareness, changing demographics, awareness of limitations in pharma healthcare and the initiatives by
government bodies to increase dietary supplement consumption and thereby reduce healthcare costs, are all
resulting in a higher growth in this segment.
Emerging opportunity
The US and Europe are going to be emerging markets for nutraceutical exports from India because an existing large
market base is already in place and consumers are looking for better and healthier options to prevent lifestyle-related
diseases.
The market potential for the US and European markets alone for nutraceutical exports from India by 2013 will be to
the tune of $75 billion.
A section of Indian companies such as Himalaya, Dabur, Charak, and Zandu, have been active in Ayurvedic exports
to selective markets. However, most of the large companies have not ventured into nutraceuticals or dietary
supplements due to regulatory confusion, lack of adequate awareness and understanding, and poor vision of the
market.
Advantage India
A trend is emerging, where western nutraceutical manufacturers and distributors are eyeing Indian nutraceutical or
dietary supplement companies. They are on the lookout for tying up with Indian companies with innovative products.
Their point is, India, with its rich 5,000-year history of traditional medicines from systems such as Ayurveda, Siddha
and Unani, has got an advantage over others to evolve a new medicine from the existing knowledge.
Indian companies also could combine global knowledge and evolve newer solutions.
India also possesses advantages such as cost effective manufacturing, availability of talented and inexpensive
human resources, and is a hub to a large number of medicinal plants, trees and herbs (bio assets).
The regulations
Every country has evolved its own rules for dietary supplements. Most countries treat these as food supplements,
while others consider them as healthcare products. Ingredients, labelling and claims, promotion, etc., vary from
country to country depending on their rules and regulations.
Although dietary supplements are referred to by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as foods, they are
regulated differently from other foods and from drugs. Whether a product is classified as a dietary supplement,
conventional food, or drug is based on its intended use.
Most often, classification as a dietary supplement is determined by the information that the manufacturer provides on
the product label or in accompanying literature. The Dietary Supplements Health Education Act was passed in 1994,
which now controls the Dietary Supplement regulations in the US.
Since nutraceutical products do not pass through clinical trials the manufacturer is held responsible if the products
are unsafe or have hazardous content. Most countries have a checklist to follow before importation of the product into
that country wherein substances such as pathogens, metallic content, and chemical residue are checked before
permitting imports.

Need of the hour

To grab a larger pie from this world opportunity, Indian producers of nutraceutical products should unite to form a
platform, to market India as a brand. There is a need for an increased collaboration on the manufacturing and
research and development front among Indian manufacturers. There has to be coordination among all agencies,
including policymakers, regulators and manufacturers. The manufacturing, validation, R&D and intellectual property
protection needs to be standardised.
Global Trends, Challenges
Globally, the industry is witnessing new trends, such as new marketing and communication methods, innovative R&D
and product development skills, new retailing programmes, increased validation and clinical research, heightened
awareness due to media and government focus, and greater corporate responsibility due to health awareness
programmes.
The unique challenges facing the industry are with regard to regulations, patenting, pricing, retailing costs, consumer
actions, validation, ingredients, R&D, consumer awareness and education, and false claims by manufacturers.

2.0 COMMUNICATION ANALYSIS

With fast changing consumer beliefs, values and aspirations the marketing executives
perhaps have a difficult task on their hands.
Professionals have gone to the extent of penetrating the consumer mind with technologies
like 'Neuro Marketing' to know what would really click with their identified consumers. The
change is not only rapid but it is also of high magnitude affecting the multiple segments
including health.
However, thanks to this high involvement of consumers, Fast Moving Health Goods (FMHG)
is now a burgeoning market in India. More and more businesses from pharma, OTC,
nutraceuticals and dietary supplements, functional foods and Fast Moving Consumer Goods
(FMCG) are entering into this high growth segment. Indian market is largely a prescription
oriented market. While Rx to OTC switches are implemented more frequently by the pharma
majors, many other pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies who were trying to
promote their products through the doctor are now adopting a different route, the direct
route to the identified end user.
FMHG market represents products for health that are directly promoted to end users. For
eg. Saffola Gold a FMCG product is more like a FMHG product the way it is promoted and
used; health drinks (like Complan and Horlicks) are categorically FMHG products along with
other health beverages such as fruit, energy and protein drinks. Equal, Sugarfree, Natura
and other low calorie sweeteners, Benadryl and Glycodin the cough syrups, Tums and
Gelusil the antacids, Vicks, Coldarin, Anacin, Listerine, Waterbury's Compound, Woodward's
gripe water, and Iodex are some of the other FMHG products. Rejuvenators, weight loss
products, dietary supplements, honey, joint pain relievers and even pregnancy test kits and
emergency contraceptive pills have found their way in this segment.
Nutraceuticals is any substance that is a food or a part of a food and provides medical or health
benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease. They are healthcare products that are
formulated and taken in fixed dosage form such as capsules, tablets, etc. They cover a wide
range of products including dietary supplements and botanicals eg: vitamins, minerals, co-
enzyme Q10, carnitine, ginseng, gingko biloba, saffron, ashwagandha, safed musli, Saint John's
Wort, Saw Palmetto, hoodia gordoni, Malabar tamarind, green tea, psyllium husk, bitter guard
powder, peepal, adatoda, garlic pills, tulsi, kalmegh, brahmi, etc and the list is ever increasing.
Educational Objectives
The specific objective of a nutrition education program is to obtain lasting changes in the
behaviours affecting nutritional status. Adoption of new behaviour depends on many factors
external to the communication program.
Intermediate objectives are those concerned with changes in motivation, knowledge, self
efficacy, preferences for a particular behaviour and in the "savoir faire" -the skills required.
These objectives are the independent outcomes - the promoters of the intervention must attend
to these, in spite of external factors.
Educational objectives must be operationalized. This is described in a later section.
Communication objectives
For the communication program to be effective and bring about lasting change, it must focus on
exposing the target population to the messages, and on the retention of the messages on their
part.
In the field of communication, the methods are as important as the apparent results. This is
because they forge lasting attitudes among the population.
For example, two communication programs can achieve the same objective of message
retention. The first program because of its top-down authoritarian approach results in a
relationship of dependence while the second which is participatory, encourages the population
itself, to make informed decisions to resolve their problems. The second option is to be
preferred.
Summary
A hierarchy of objectives can be formed.
General objective: top of mind recall, trial and repeated purchase of the product Nutraplus.
Specific educational objective: Change in behaviour Intermediate educational objectives: Change in
motivation, knowledge, self efficacy, preferences, decision
Communication objectives:
Exposure to messages
Retention of messages

At what levels are the objectives to be defined?

6.3 How to define educational objectives?
Educational objectives should be operationalized as far as possible. These provide the basis for
preparation of an objective evaluation of the intervention.
To be operational, an educational objective should state clearly:
• what observable behaviours will indicate that the objective has been achieved,
• who will show the various behaviours,
• what will be the results of the new behaviour,
• under what conditions will the behaviour be shown,
• what criteria determine whether the desired result has been achieved or not.

Following are several illustrative examples.

How to define educational objectives?
Specific objective: The objective of the product is to go for the top of mind of recall and trial
among the working people with busy schedules going for work, war, any adventurous activity to
use the product Nutraplus .

Breakfast: A Missed Opportunity. S Affenito. Journal of the Indian Dietetic

Association, 107(4): 565-569. 2007 Abstract: Breakfast has earned the title as
the most important meal of the day, yet it is the meal most often missed. This
statement is supported by research that has shown an association between
breakfast consumption and overall nutritional quality of the diets of children and
adolescents (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7), and national data that document a decline in
breakfast consumption by youth in the United States (8). Moreover, relative to
its energy contribution, breakfast provides a higher percentage of
micronutrients than other meals consumed during the day (9). In addition to
being a marker for an appropriate micronutrient and macronutrient intake
pattern (3), regularity in breakfast consumption has been linked with
improvement in academic performance and psychosocial functioning (10) as
well as cognition (11) among children. Furthermore, breakfast consumption is
considered an important determinant of a healthful lifestyle (12), and its
association with healthful behaviors may favorably influence body mass index
(BMI) (13).
Level of competition in the nutraceutical segment?
The Indian nutraceutical market, like the OTC market, is in the infant stage but is
growing at a very fast rate. And though it is growing at a stupendous rate, India has
more prescription market as compared to OTC and major market players are
confined only to prescription market. The Indian nutraceutical market (excluding
vitamin formulations) is likely to reach $270 million in the next three years. There
are more than a dozen giants in this category with nutraceutical and drug
companies, including Parry's, GSK, Novartis, Abott, Zydus, Raptakos, Paras,
Herbalife, Banner, Amway, USV, Ranbaxy, Nicholas Piramal and Wockhardt and
Sami Labs trying to grab a bigger piece of the nutra pie.
Pharma companies (in the nutra segment) face stiff competition from Fast Moving
Consumer Goods (FMCG) players having similar products?
This truly depends on the product type and the marketing strategy of the company.
In fact, the market for nutraceuticals for both pharmaceutical and FMCG
companies is different. There is no head-on competition between the two sectors.
For a nutraceutical product, a pharma company may launch it in a pharmaceutical
dosage form—a capsule, tablet or a sachet, which is different than an FMCG
company, which may launch the same product as a food item.
With FMCG companies entering into this segment with products, the major change
that might happen, is that these products may become OTC products in the near
future. FMCG/Fast Moving Healthcare Goods (FMHG) products operate
differently from their pharma counterparts in terms of rules and regulations.
Nutraceutical products are governed by FDA and PFA laws, whereas pharma
companies are governed by DCGI. Different categories within the nutra sector
have different profiles so there are no chances of a clash. For instance an FMHG
product like Dabur Real will not have a competition with a protein supplement or
an antixodant.
Pharma companies mostly stick to the traditional doctor-prescription route and
their nutra brands complement their therapeutic range and hence help boost sales.
The ROI is pretty predictable with pharmacos depending on doctors' prescriptions,
the sales pull and pharmacy availability. So, you see there is no clash of interest
mostly with FMCG promoted brands
Difference in the Target Group (TG) for both the sets of (FMCG and pharma) nutra
players?
FMCG players usually talk to masses since they enter as either food supplements or OTC. The
approach mostly is problem-solution based, and is put across on the basis of the route the brand
prefers to take. Pharma companies, on the other hand, either reach masses through OTC channel
or set a niche set of TG through doctor prescriptions. This also depends on the product, whether
it is indication-specific or a general supplement. Companies like Ranbaxy, which made Revital a
strong brand earlier through prescription, are now taking the brand forward through result
oriented communication strategy, which is more positive in tone, though their audience is same
SEC A+, A and B.
Strategies for Nutraplus adopted to fight off competition?
For starters pharma companies need to take steps towards changing the popular consumer
thinking. They also need to focus on the family as a whole. Additionally they need to also re-
look at their product offerings and sales and marketing strategies.
The popular thinking in India is, “only medically unfit people require nutraceuticals. I take good
food, so why do I need any supplements which are so costly? I can compensate by buying more
food for myself.” Nutraplus need to fight this consumer perception first and then the
competition. The hard fact is that even today most consumers do not relate to nutraceuticals. One
reason being, traditionally India has had sufficient herbs that are consumed on daily basis as
nutritives.
As a result awareness has to go up, prices have to come down and perceptions need to change
for this sale of the product to make it big.
Nutraplus is going to offer consumers enough variety to prevent consumers from stopping their
usage due to boredom and tastelessness. All nutraceutical companies need to get more focussed
on marketing these products within Indian masses. Another point to be noted is that while
perceptions are not canging, consumers’ awareness about their health is increasing. Also, their
awareness on product technicalities is gradually increasing as there is a wave of health awareness
amongst higher sections of consumers. Thus Nutraplus is to bring in more standardized products
and highlight these for a competitive leverage. Nutraplus is also looking at cutting in their
margins a bit to make their brand affordable for consumers to start the initial trials, and then stick
to usage.

Additionally, we need to run product usage and category awareness-based communication. The
idea should be to have our nutraceutical brand Nutraplus a part of the monthly ration.
Nutraplus also look at targetting working executives in their offices since they are most prone
to lifestyle disorders - irregular eating, missing meals, eating junk food, smoking, drinking, daily
office stress, lack of exercises, etc. There are other potential set of consumers like women,
adolescent girls, geriatric audiences.

Nutraplus could focus on strategies that encompass the entire family into daily consumption of
these brands, and thus increase volumes. Companies should do lot more for women since they
are under lot more stress in India. For instance, they can run pregnant and lactating mother
loyalty programs. The idea is to involve the entire the entire family. Special programs need to be
worked out for the geriatric population as they form huge numbers and need high supplement
support as their systems keep getting weaker on a day-to-day basis with age.
On the other side, heavy trade and sales force incentivizing, running interactive and interesting
loyalty good health programs and starting consumer loyalty programs will help in the selection
of multiple communication channels to reach out to masses and constantly hammer the brand in
their minds. Adopting newer DTC and direct marketing channels will only benefit the brand
Nutraplus
 Nutraplus, a rejuvenator (Vitamin Mineral Supplement) converted to OTC status in The target
audience was the mass market, people in the lower income brackets, leading a hectic and
physically demanding lifestyles.

The core challenge, to convince consumers that fatigue is a disease that needs to be and can be
treated.The challenge outlined is to create a need for the product, build a belief in its
effectiveness and results, and convince them to not only invest in a premium product, but to
complete the requisite course of dosage.

Idea

We are trying to start off by targeting people straddling multiple roles, challenging life styles,
and the persons who want to succeed in every venture. They would like to give everything their
best and squeeze the most out of every minute available. This tends to drain their energy and
slow down mental and physical alertness, thus compromising on their performance and ability to
carry on through the day.

The idea was to shake the TG out of their misconception, convince them that they need
Nutraplus and propel them to take immediate action to overcome the ‘disease of fatigue’

Solution

A 2-tier communication approach is to be adopted to build mass-scale awareness and relevance

for Revital in people’s lives – with a creative tool to invoke disruption and a creative testimonial
method to build empathy. In essence, to communicate to them that they can do better and feel
better in life after taking Nutraplus.
.
We are also introducing an incentive for trial of Nutraplus. A 3-week challenge is created. It is
revolved around rejuvenation in just 21 days of ingesting Nutraplus
. Through this, we showcased the signs and symptoms of fatigue that have turned into blind spots
–
For example “Do you feel like sleeping a little longer every morning? We also added an
additional hook on the proof of efficacy – 21 days promise or your money back. The strategy is
brought alive with the popular phrases ‘Fast food for life ’ and ‘Battery Full’.

These is to be supported by theme communication on TV. A magazine promotion – Free sample

packs in magazines. A rural van activity, Radio, POS, in-store and new
packaging. Limited period price off is to also be offered to lower price barriers and convert
light users to heavy users(repeated purchase).

Print Magazines is the lead medium which is also used for sampling.

Living it up with Nutraplus

 Nutraplus is an health and food supplement product and rides high on a
positive health concept giving the user mental and physical vitality.
Nutraplus fits into the users hectic lifestyle empowering them with
energy strength & mental sharpness, enabling them to enjoy life to the
fullest, hence making them live the brand punch line of “fast food for
life ”
• Grey Worldwide is to come up with a series of ads for
Nutraplus. First phase of communication is to have 3 television
commercials called the Wake up ad, the bhangra ad and the
Govind ad. Each sought to demonstrate the pre & post usage and
benefit scenario of Revital, where in intake of Nutraplus help
reduce all signs of fatigue and weakness.
• The second phase of television ad the Husmukhbhai campaign,
wherein the puppet portrayal of an everyday man named
Husmukhbhai is seen able to make the most out of life even after
a hectic day of work which his friends and colleagues are unable
to because Husmukhbhai is a Nutraplus user unlike others.
• The third & the current phase of television commercials is
Testimonial creatives where a man & a woman talk about how
their lives have been enriched with Nutraplus regular intake
because it has helped them remain active throughout the day.

Television is a mix of mass reach and frequency channels with sponsorships of key
programmess on mass channels to deliver year round visibility.
Radio: All India Radio during the News and Cricket matches. Other National
channels such as Radio City / Radio Mirchi and are to be sponsored the hourly
time check section.
The four-pronged strategy
The plan is to leverage the scientific edge into a functional benefit to acquire a
huge part of the OTC pie. This is done through the following four stages:
Shift from a molecule towards a consumer solution: A need gap analysis of the
product presented with an unmet need of its target audience. Today's lifestyle is
characterized by stress and fatigue and Nutraplus is positioned as a solution, one
that helped in sustaining energy levels and promoting overall well-being.
Building emotional Assurance: In order to develop emotional assurance, we
have to undertake advertising that would help consumers' to make an informed
choice. This is an assurance that is based on educating him, creating relevance and
familiarity instead of making a blind choice based on prescriptions. Grey
Worldwide would come up with a series of TVCs for the same. The first phase of
ads looks at creating awareness about the benefits of Nutraplus, while the second
phase of TVCs aimed at building relevance and moving the product away from a
problem-solution image. The final and current phase of ads woud focus towards
building familiarity and creating a feeling that many people are consuming
Nutraplus today as a part of their daily health regime. Some of the noteworthy ads
are the wakeup commercials, ‘Hasmukhbhai’ commercials and more recent
testimonial ads.
Creating brand authority: This involved building channels of trust for Nutraplus
both professional as well as personal. With a view to induce trials, the target
customer is looked at the places where person feels tiredness and do not have the
time for food at the most.
A consumer contact program is to be launched in 75 cities across India. Direct
consumer promotion is to be done in ‘anaaj mandis’, wholesale food markets,
chemist outlets and high traffic areas where consumers are informed more about
Nutraplus and its benefits as a daily health supplement.
Enhancing Accessibility: With an intention to be accessible and available to the
consumers in their moment of need, the distribution network of the company is
expanded. Both pharma and FMCG distributors are brought into the trade ambit of
Nutraplus along with efforts made to make Nutraplus available in more
chemists.outlets through enhanced geographical spread and also along side make it
available in all kinds of outlets (chemist and select retail stores). Nutraplus is
expanding distribution from chemist outlets to general stores to make it a part of
the monthly grocery purchase.
For instance, in case of tablets and pills, while the patient might still purchase and consume a
particular brand (even though it is bitter) because the doctor
prescribed it. But once the same brand goes OTC, the company
needs to think from consumer’s point of view, who given a "When you have
choice will not buy something that is as bitter, especially when a prescription
there are substitutes available in the market. The pharma brand, your life
company has to take key decisions with respect to the taste, revolves around
smell, appearance and the dosage form. If it is a tablet in that doctor. With
question, then its size needs to be considered. If it is a liquid in OTC, you move
a bottle, then the attractiveness of the bottle matters to the to a completely different
consumer. "It is not mandatory that you have to change world of
everything but if you do this, the OTC brand will 110 percent consumer marketing"
get benefited," asserts Chaudhari. - Susan Josi
Managing Partner
Also, once the brand moves to the OTC arena, its focus moves Sorento Healthcare
to the consumers from the doctors. "As a result, the entire focus Communications
of your brand and related activities shifts from inside the clinic
to outside the clinic," elucidates Susan Josi, Managing Partner, Sorento Healthcare
Communications.
Thus 90-95 percent of all the activities that are to be undertaken are done in an interesting
manner, and through innovative media like film shows, and the usual above-the-line media like
TV, print, radio and cinema halls. Then there are accreditation programmes implemented at
different touch points with the consumers depending on the budgets available for them. "I mean
the entire focus changes to an integrated 360 degrees way of communicating. When you have a
prescription brand, your life revolves around that doctor and what you want to do with him, how
you want to pacify him and his ego.
Competitors
OTC medicines face competition from other brands that may be in the prescription arena, FMCG
space or in OTC itself. In the case of milk food supplements, there are some quasi ethical ones
like the Protinex, and nutraceuticals which, in a way, have the look and feel of the doctor
prescribed medicinal product and then you have your FMCG counterparts like say Boost. In such
a scenario an OTC brand has to fight off competition from the FMCG players, who have the
highest of ad budgets and marketing spends. They also have to tackle the issue of being available
where needed. While the FMCGs are available at the grocers, OTC brands cannot be available
there.

Doctor dilemmas
Another area of concern is the fact that a typical pharma representative meets 10 doctors and
three to five chemists everyday. But when the brand has to be taken OTC the chemist becomes
extremely important and thus the representatives should be visiting a lot more chemists now and
not just 5-10 per day, to ensure availability, point-of-purchase activity and window display. "All
these things are not possible if the medical representative officer is more used to detailing. With
respect to OTC, the medical representative is actually making the brand available and actually
pushing it to the retailer. And this is a completely different mind set," explains Chaudhari.
"The biggest challenge that companies face with OTC products is managing the media. Getting
the frequency, getting the OTS (opportunity to see the product) are some of the challenges faced
by OTC marketers, which are similar to those faced by marketer of any other product," opines
Josi. Another challenge for marketers is understanding the manner of presenting the product to
the end consumer without intimidating him or scaring him, yet making him a part of your entire
marketing story and bringing the product to him in a more engaging manner. "It cannot be the
same detailing story that we do in the doctors clinic, it can’t be the same postering that we do,
where we just use subtle messaging norm. We have to find a lot more interesting and involving
manner or ways of getting the consumers involved with your brand," states Josi.
Lastly, the doctor, if he is not handled properly may pose a big challenge to the brand when it
goes OTC. "The doctor essentially plays the role of an endorser. He wont be a prescriber, he may
not even be an influencer but still he endorses," states Josi. This is because when a consumer
(patient) goes and tells that doctor that he is using a particular brand that has gone OTC for his
ailment, there are chances that the doctor will be okay with it. So he endorses it. "The worst is
when he goes negative. Now the moment he voices an opinion that is negative, the consumer's
entire confidence in that brand is washed out," she adds. So it is important that the brand holds
on to the doctor as a passive endorser of the brand.
An ethical to OTC switch sounds like a rosy idea for any pharma marketer. However, the journey
to building a great brand is full of hurdles, which if not overcome appropriately, will transform a
great prescription brand into an OTC disaster. While a successful switch may make an
interesting marketing case study, a failure too will be etched in the minds of all the stakeholders.
nandini.p@expressindia.com
(With inputs from Sonal Shukla)

Chapter 7: Designing the messages

7.1 Messages, media and support materials
To distinguish between messages, media and support materials:
• "message" is the formulation of an idea or concept to be transmitted to a specific
population (e.g., "fish is a healthy food for the child");
• "media" is the channel of communication through which the message is transmitted (e.g.
talks at a health centre, school lessons by radio, etc.);
• "supports" are the materials on which the message is transmitted (e.g., poster, radio
program, flannelgraph).
In developing the message the first questions to be asked are: What words should be used and
in what order?. In the choice of media: What type of media? What is the optimal media-mix, for
this situation?. In the development of support material: Which material? What images to use?
Which colours? Which type of sound systems?).
These questions are closely linked. The contents of the messages influence the choice of media
and support materials. These, in turn, influence how the message is formulated. The results of
the pretest, however, may indicate that another choice of media has to be made. This is
significant as the selection of support material is dependent on the choice of media.
Nutraplus is to bag the creative duties for nutritional food supplement following a multi-agency
pitch. Both the agency and the according to us the advertising budget for this brand alone is Rs
10 crore.

Nutraplus would come in gel and tablet forms. The brand will be launched in October and the
advertising campaign will be rolled out in sync.

Since Nutraplus is a young brand, it will have to fight it out with veterans such as Revital, Super
active and Amway and other low cost Chinese nutritional tablets..
A source close to the development informs agencyfaqs! that during the pitch, the agencies were
asked to compute a complete strategy to firmly entrench the brand within the category. The idea
is to position Nutraplus as a brand that consumers would like to reach out to as their monthly
ration and thus create top of the mind recall.

The source reveals that Nutraplus products will have a completely different positioning from
their direct competitors. The media mix comprises of print and television.

Messages, media and support materials

7.2 How to ensure that messages are coherent?

Coherence with objectives
First, all the messages should be consistent with the objectives for behaviour change. In
practice, the specific objective of a communication intervention should determine the messages
to be developed.

Nutraplus:
Specific objective: To shift from a molecule towards a consumer solution, creating
 top of the mind recall, creating brand authority and enhance accesibility
Criteria: the said capsule should be consumed by target market in that age group
once in a day to gain the maximum advantage.
The messages to help achieve this new behaviour must be oriented towards the use of
these products (nutraplus) in the absence of the meal for the target market in their
busy schedule life.

The message must also be in keeping with the intermediate objectives.

On what basis is behaviour to be modified? Should there be focus on improvement in
knowledge, in motivation or self confidence, or should there be emphasis on the values of the
target group?
Depending on the nature of the intermediate objective, messages will be designed accordingly.
These differences may be reflected in the message content. For example, a message for giving
information will vary from one designed to raise self confidence.

Nutraplus:
The challenge outlined is to create a need for the product, build a belief in its
effectiveness and results, and convince them to not only invest in a premium product,
but to complete the requisite course of dosage.
Clinical trials help to overcome consumer and retailer skepticisim.
Positive clinical results provide the third party validation of the product efficacy.
Provide evidence to substantiate product .claims to retailers and government agency.
Essentially to compete against competition in the’ alternative’ category(for e.g.
Boost)

DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY
NETWORK MARKETING
The network marketing means of distribution cuts out the advertising costs for the company.
Their distributors become the advertisers and bring in the customers to purchase the products.
There is a business opportunity as the product is sold. It is a way for anyone to get into business
without a huge financial investment such as is required to start a regular bricks and mortar
business or franchise. Generally, no inventory is required. People can make a part-time or full
time income from network marketing ventures. Although around 98% of people who sign up for
network marketing do not find any significant success in the business or even "fail" at it, there
are still many millionaires being made through network marketing.
Nutraplus is positioned to be the wave of the future, and network marketing is helping to bring
the products to the masses. Network marketing companies selling us in nutritional supplements
are helping people to earn the income to live their dreams. There are many opportunities out
there, and anyone can participate in this business.
Nutraplus is to turn to network marketing as their means of selling their products. Distributors
sign up to buy and sell the products. Those distributors sign up other people as distributors and
create their "downline" in the company. They may earn money by signing up customers and
distributors who all buy the products for which the distributors receive a percentage of the
volume under them if they are buying or selling enough product themselves to be considered
"active." Each company has its own compensation plan to pay its distributors for their efforts in
moving the product
This illustrates that messages have to be designed in accordance with objectives set during the
conceptualization phase of the strategy.
The messages should be coherent. Quite often, it is not the only one but a number of
messages are conveyed to the audience at the same time. Several messages which mutually
reinforce each other may be used to achieve a common objective.

Social Marketing
The programs that produced these results derived from concepts of social marketing. Social
marketing is a consumer-oriented approach to defining, promoting, and making accessible
socially useful practices and/or products. The approach places an exceptional emphasis on
formative (planning) research—with beneficiaries, major influencers on beneficiary behavior,
and program implementers and supporters—in
order to devise and implement an effective behavior-change strategy
that will promote new or modified practices that will both have the desired
nutrition and health impact and that are acceptable and feasible for
most people.
Too often, health and nutrition programs establish services that are
underutilized or not properly utilized, distribute iron supplements to
women who stop taking them and/or do not return for re-supply, or give
technically correct and easy-to-understand nutrition education messages
that people do not put into practice because of their own beliefs or perceptions
or those of people close to them, or because of some real or
perceived practical problem. Following the social marketing methodology
should minimize these dangers.
Social marketing sprang from the success of commercial marketing in
both developed and developing countries, i.e. if particular audiences
could purchase and use toothpaste, snack foods, and analgesics, why
couldn’t they use maternal child health services or the advice offered by
government programs?
Over the last 25 years, many commercial advertising and marketing experts
have joined forces with health, nutrition and population professionals,
not to mention anthropologists, to derive a version of marketing that
6
serves social objectives. Some organizations and programs define social
marketing as strictly a marketing operation often offering subsidies for
“social” products, such as vitamins or contraceptives. Others have defined
social marketing as the communication or advertising part of a
product promotion. But social marketing principles are also commonly
used when there is no real product to promote, supporting behavioral
changes such as improving weaning and breastfeeding practices, increasing
consumption of vitamin A-rich foods, correctly mixing and using
homemade oral rehydration solutions, and supporting community actions
such as construction and maintenance of lead-free play areas for children.
If a program does promote obtaining “products” such as immunization,
prenatal care, vitamin A capsules, iron tablets, the appropriate use
of the products becomes a major behavioral objective.
This paper considers social marketing to be a systematic, analytical
methodology for strategic planning of activities that leads to real and
sustainable behavior change. Communications, training, policy change,
and product development and marketing may all be part of the overall
strategy. Social marketing managers, taking their cue from commercial
marketing experience, manage the integration of behavior-change communications
with service-delivery and other components of programs.
This means that the health care system, including quality of service and
customer satisfaction, become part of the social marketing strategic
plan. This approach has led to significant improvements in service quality
and use.
Communication components of programs have improved with the application
of social marketing’s techniques emphasizing both the benefits of
new practices and giving key information to make new practices easier.
Communication for behavior change goes beyond the traditional health
education approach of providing only essential technical information to
people. It addresses the multiple reasons why a behavior may not be
practiced as revealed through formative research—whether they are
7
purely practical constraints, social norms, or cultural perceptions

Here is an example of three complementary messages:

• "Measles kills,"
• "When your child is eight months old, have him vaccinated against measles,"
• "Protect your child from measles with the ROUVAX vaccine."
Coherence with of her interventions:
All nutrition education interventions in the same community must be coherent. This is often
difficult because many institutions are involved, including those at the national level (school,
health services, social services, agricultural extension, non-governmental organizations), and at
the international level (United Nation Agencies,
These three messages are coherent. They aim to achieve one objective: the immunization of
children eight months and older against measles, organizations for bilateral cooperation, (non-
governmental organizations). How can coherence of efforts be ensured? One way of doing this
is to associate all concern in the planning committee during the planning phase.
Representatives from all development sectors actively involved in nutrition education in the area
should meet for this purpose.
If there is no unity of effort between institutions the public may be confronted with contradictory
messages. They will not know which message should be followed. If this situation does not
change, there can be no expectations for any behaviour changes.
7.3 How to design persuasive messages
Well-designed messages reach their target audience. Although there is no one formula for
message design, there are several useful guidelines. A selected guideline is given below.
How to design persuasive messages

In designing a message, the following points should be kept in mind:

1. Keep it short and simple; include only a few key ideas.
2. Give reliable' complete information.
3. Repeat the idea many times.
4. Recommend precise, behaviour change.
5. Show the relation between the nutritional problem and the recommended behaviour.
6. Make use of a slogan or theme.
7. Ensure that the message is presented by a credible source (as perceived by the target group).
8. Present the facts in a direct manner.
9. Make use of positive expressions, not negative ones.
10. Use humour without being offensive to anyone.

7.4 How to maximize the potential for effective messages

The potential effectiveness of a message is certainly enhanced by format. This concept has
been widely used by commercial advertisers so much so that advertisements today are rarely a
mere description of the qualities of the product.
How can we increase the persuasiveness of a message transmitted through images (symbolic
message). Various procedures have been used in commercial advertising and to a lesser extent
in public service communication. The reader may consult relevant manuals on communication,
marketing and advertising for more information on the subject (10).
Some well known suggestions regarding style which can be helpful in designing more attractive
messages are presented in Technical Files 6 and 7.
How to maximize the potential for effective messages

TECHNICAL FILE N°6: Seven elements of style for symbolic messages

Key Visuals
This technique makes use of a dominant visual around which the message is planned. The key visual
can almost carry the entire message and so the text needed is just a very simple phrase. e.g., The
picture or drawing of a packet of rehydration salts with text "For your child's diarrhoea..."
When the key visual does not carry fully the essence of the message, more explanation is provided in
the text.
e.g., A smiling child holding fish in his right hand.
Text: "Fish is good food"
Key Visuals

Plurality
An abundance of the proposed product or the beneficiaries using it, is used in this technique. It conveys
the idea that everybody is using the product.
e.g., A heap of cubes to be used in a sauce.
A crowd of children and their parents at the immunization centre.
Plurality

Symbolisation
The message can be represented by a symbol. The public is expected to make the necessary
association. For example, W.H.O. uses the umbrella to represent immunization. It is expected that the
reader will understand that in much the same way that an umbrella serves as protection against rain,
immunization protects children against disease.
Exchange
In this method one situation is paralleled with another. One of these should be well appreciated by the
public. The situations will be mutually reinforcing.
Example: Preparing a palm sauce with grains in the village (we see a lady extracting the oil) is
paralleled with the preparation of the same traditional dish, this time with a tin of preserved grain sauce
(prepared by a woman who is clearly from an urban area).
Succession - Before and After

This technique makes reference to a positive change attributed to the use of a proposed new product.
Visuals consist of different pictures placed side-by-side or one above the other.
Example: the-picture of a man lying in a bed (the text says clearly that he is suffering from malaria). In
the next picture he is standing up, smiling and active. The text between the two pictures states that he
takes chloroquine tablets.,
Social Modelling

A well-recognized person when seen practicing a certain behaviour, using a specific product or
 revealing a particular attitude, can incite the same reactions in an admirer. This phenomenon is used
very often in commercial advertising, but not sufficiently in nutrition education.
Social Modelling
A well-recognized person when seen practicing a certain behaviour, using a specific product or
revealing a particular attitude. can incite the same
For example: A famous actress breastfeeding her child can be a way of persuading her female fans to
do the same.
It should be noted that if the "reader" does not identify with the famous personality, it is not likely that he
will imitate the behaviour. Later in the technical file on television, the criteria for identification are
discussed in more details.
Series of images
A visual can be composed of several images in series. The arrangement may be simultaneous or
chronological.
A series of simultaneous images can be used to illustrate the many benefits of eating a particular food.
Images conveying the following ideas can be placed side-by-side: (first picture) Boiled food gives your
child more energy, (second picture): elements of food necessary for growth of the child, (third picture):
those elements in the food which provide protection.
The pretesting of messages focuses on five characteristics:
• attention (does the message have stopping power?)
• comprehension (is it clearly understood?)
• relevance (is the public concerne by the message, is it relevant to them?)
• credibility (is the message or the source credible?)
• acceptability (is the message acceptable to the target group, or offensive in any way?)
There are different methods for pretesting messages, some of which are similar to those presented
earlier for use in surveys.
Focus groups (Technical File N°4) can be convened for pretesting messages to be used in that
community. Also, in-depth face-to-face interviews with resource persons are also useful. These persons
do not necessarily have to be from the community for which the message is intended.
A very appropriate method involves testing within a family.

TECHNICAL FILE N°7: Family trials

This method can be used in diagnostic research as well as in pretesting of message. It is concerned
with testing the first draft of the message in a target community. This methodology is justified by the fact
that nutrition related messages concern the family first and foremost. It is wise to ask persons from the
target population to make suggestions for improvement of messages.
This method, together with observation techniques, personal and group interviews were the reason for
the successful nutrition program in Indonesia (31).
What does it involve?
 Well trained investigators recommend certain eating "health-enhancing habits" to improve the health of
the family (especially the health of their children) to a sample of families from the target population.
Through observation and survey the investigators make a note of difficulties encountered when
recommending the changes. The product of this activity will be a list of appropriate modifications and a
list of the factors which could influence mothers to adopt or to reject the ideas proposed.
This procedure enables the selection of appropriate content for the message.
Example: In promoting boiled food for weaning, the trials will help to determine what are the best
ingredients for the meal (bearing in mind certain factors like the mother's occupation, availability of the
products, how easy it is to prepare, attitudes of the members of the family, etc...)
These trials will also reveal what utensils are available in the family for preparation of various dishes.
Spoons, for example, cannot be mentioned in the message if they are not normally used by the family.
Family trials are also helpful in determining the most persuasive way of stating the message.

Chapter 8: Choice of media and multimedia combination

8.1 What are the media?
The media are the channels of communication through which messages are transmitted. It is
necessary to distinguish between two channels of communication, namely, the face-to-face and
the mass media.
Face to face communication
Oral communication in the form of a face-to-face encounter may take place in two kinds of
circumstances. The interpersonal face-to-face situation (e.g., an agricultural extension worker
speaking to a farmer) and the "face-to-face in a group" situation (e.g., a health officer leading a
discussion with a group of mothers).
The voice is the main organ of face-to-face communication but the use of other support
materials is highly recommended. These support materials can be printed, visual, and audio-
visual. They reinforce the oral communication between the "educator" and his target audience.
Interpersonal Communication, in which two people are brought together in a face-to-face
situation, is of considerable importance in any strategy for public education. In fact, the most
successful attempts to change nutritional habits have been based mainly on interpersonal
communication used in conjunction with other methods.
Face to face communication

It was stated earlier that the aim of the intervention is to modify social communication with
regard to nutrition in order to change what people say about nutrition. The result of an
intervention in nutrition education must therefore encourage interpersonal communication. For
the most part this effort has to be voluntary. There is no real compensation for the mother who
speaks to her neighbour about the necessity of vaccinating her child. However, professionals
who are trained and paid for their interventions (health officers, agricultural adviser, social
assistants, teachers, etc...) must support these efforts.
Interpersonal Communication
In what context can such an intervention take place?
The most obvious time is during consultation in a health centre. The Health Officer takes time
out to speak to his patient (or the parent of the patient if the latter is a child), listen and help him
to find a solution to his problem. This message must complement those transmitted via other
channels of communication. Most people working in development programs are involved in
interpersonal communication. They can reinforce the messages relevant to the public. The
planning committee for the nutrition intervention has to identify these channels and include them
in their multimedia strategy.
Communication in a group situation has been the principal means of nutrition education for a
long time. It was referred to as "discussion" but was often the monologue of a Health Officer
before a group of mothers of young children. Since that time, other means of education have
evolved. In particular, communication in a group situation has improved as a result of field
experience and scientific research.
Communication in a group situation

There is a significant amount of material available on training for group discussion which deals
with methods, group participation and material, and visual or audio-visual supports.
The emergence of special supports has led to the development of innovative training methods.
This will be described in Chapter 11. Technical files will be presented for slide-language, Video-
animation and Popular theatre.
The mass media
With mass-media communication, the transmitter and receiver are never in direct contact. The
interaction is mediated through the visual image, print, or by a combination of these elements.
Radio diffusions use sound (music and words). The programmes come in many formats, talks,
debates, soap operas, advertisements. Regretably, for a long time health education
programmes were limited to debates between journalists and medical experts. Since then a
more effective advertising campaign has been developed which makes use of other formats.
Radio is a very popular media throughout the world. All countries listed in the "Report on
Communication in the World" (38) have at least one public or private radio station. In some of
the poorest countries access to radio is estimated at between 2 and 4% of the population, but in
most of the developing countries, including Africa, the proportion of radios in use exceeds one in
ten. If the population pyramid, as well as collective listening, is considered, it may be inferred
that in almost every country, the majority of adults have direct access to this medium. However,
there is a need to determine the expected media coverage of the population in the country or
region chosen for a nutrition education intervention.
Radio diffusions

The radio may be looked at from two different perspectives: interactive and non-interactive. The
more common way of using radio is non-interactive. Messages are transmitted in one direction,
from the transmitter to the audience. Here the transmitter has no direct feedback on the impact
of his programmes except through opinion polls.
The radio

Conversely, experiences with rural radio have demonstrated the possibility of having lively
interactions with the people in these communities. With this medium, there is a combination of
radio diffusion and direct oral communication with a group.
Television uses sound, moving images and sometimes the written text. Therein lies its
strength. However, it is less accessible than radio. In 1990, 38 countries or territories did not
have a television service (38). In many countries no televised programmes could be received in
any parts of the country. Moreover the number of receptors per 1000 people remains quite low
in most developing countries.
The television
While television is still not easily accessible to most people in rural areas, it continues to exert
enormous influence in urban areas, as was the case in the Ivory Coast program "Télé pour
Tous."
The printed press has its shortcomings. These are linked to illiteracy on one hand and limited
circulation on the other.
The printed press

The circulation of newspapers is quite low in most developing countries. The fact remains that
the printed press cannot be seen as a popular media but rather as an elitist one. Newspapers
can be used in communication projects if the aim is to mobilize a social class comprising opinion
leaders and their social networks.
Posters can serve as a means of communication. It is advisable, however, to use them in
conjunction with other media. This channel associates fixed images with written text, and thus
limits the target audience to the literate population. Posters can be used without any text. The
procedure is complex and demands a particular kind of literacy skill which most people do not
have.
Posters

The support material for a poster is the poster itself, but may also be in the form of a T shirt.
8.2 How to select media and support materials
The selection of media and support is done through diagnostic research undertaken in the
phase of conceptualization of the programme, where the channels and the active
communication networks in the community are identified.
The planning committee should draw up a table with two axes, one for the different media, the
other for supports in accordance with the criteria given below.
What are the criteria for the choice of media and supports?
1. Cost: Can the use of this media be accommodated financially? (cost of using the
media, training people for the relay, buying and producing the support).
2. Accessibility: to what extent does the target audience have access to the media?
3. "Ease of Use" of media (taking into account the competence already acquired
by the people responsible for the intervention) Is this media easy to use?
4. Credibility of each media type: Is this media credible?
5. Community participation: Does this media encourage participation?
6. Dissemination of the message with time: Does this media allow for extended, long-
term dissemination of the message?
 7. Relation to objectives of the intervention: Can this media tee used to achieve the
objectives?
For each criterion, each type of media is graded (good, satisfactory, bad). Once complete, the
table helps the reader to consider the best choice depending on the importance attributed to
each criterion.
In each situation, the criteria must be set in order of importance. The choice is then made with
regard to the most important criteria.
For example, in a situation where finance is limited, the criterion for cost appears at the top of
the table.
In another situation where the problem of financial means is less acute, but where more
importance is given to the long-term effects of the programme, the duration for diffusion of the
method would be one of the main criteria.
The planning committee has to consider which media are best suited for achieving the
intermediary objectives of the intervention.
The Table 2 summarizes the relative strengths and weaknesses of the various media in relation
to changing improving the various parameters of nutrition education and Table 3 provides a list
of media and their effectiveness in reaching the various target groups. Both of these tables will
help in the selection of a suitable media for reaching a target group.
Table No. 2 - Relative strength of the media in changing various
parameters of nutrition education
Acquisition of

Knowledge Mental Concepts Procedures Verbal Psycho Attitudes

of fact image Principles skills motive
Rules or skills

Only verbal
* 0 * * * 0 *
communication

Verbal
** * 0 * 0 0 *
communication +
fixed image

Verbal
** ** ** ** * * **
communication +
moving image

Verbal
* ** 0 * 0 0 *
communication +
3 dimensions
object

Verbal
** 0 * * 0 0 *
communication +
printed material

Verbal
* * * ** * * *
communication
+demonstration

Radio (non
* 0 0 * * 0 *
interactive)
 Television
** * ** * ** * **

Written press
* 0 * * 0 0 *

Poster
* * 0 * 0 0 *

0 = little effect * = moderate effect ** = good effect

Below is a list of target publics that you may wish to reach and the different means of
communication.
Lets take the example of rural women. In order to reach them one can make personal contacts,
use radio, organize cooking demonstrations, show flipcharts in the market, health centres and in
other meeting places.
Lets now take another example of the Government authorities. The best way to raise their
interest are circulation of information notes, meetings and debates, television, written
publications and may be also through radio programmes.
Table 3 - Comparative effectiveness of means of communication in
reaching various target groups
Means of Rural Rural Urban Field Village Governmen School General
communicatio women men populatio workers leaders t authorities children public
n of groups n

Television
++ ++ +

Radio
+ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++

Written press
+ + ++ + ++

Posters
+ + + ++ + + ++ +

Popular
++ ++ + ++ + ++ +
theatre

Video
+ + + ++ +

Means of Rural Rural Urban Field Village Governmen School General

communicatio women men populatio workers leaders t authorities children public
n interpersonal n

Practical
++ + + + ++
demonstration

Fix film
++ ++ ++ ++ + + ++

Audio casette
++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++
 Personal
++ ++ ++ ++ + ++
contact

Flanellographi
++ + ++ ++ + ++
e

Flip chart
++ + ++ ++ ++

Brochures
+ + ++ + + ++ +

Means of Rural Rural Urban Field Village Governmen School General

communicatio women men populatio workers leaders t authorities children public
n of groups n

Meetings
++ ++ ++

Information
+ ++ ++
notes

Inter-village
+ + + ++ +
visit

+ = less effective
++ = very effective
8.3 How to determine the best multimedia combination
An essential element of many successful public education program has been to use of a
multimedia combination.
This media mix involves an organized concomitant use of several channels of communication.
One may speak of synergy if the overall impact of the intervention is increased through the use
of several types of media, each reinforcing the other, so that their collective impact is greater
than the sum of their influences taken separately. The basis of a media mix is the association of
interpersonal communication with mass-media communication.
Each channel of communication is specific in its own way. The challenge is to find the best
combination which can result in the realization of the objectives for each target group.
To achieve this, the credibility of the message must be assured. In this regard, health workers
are often the first choice because nutrition is considered a priority in their field. All the same, if
nutrition education aims at promoting food production, other categories of worker may better
suited to the task (e.g., agricultural extension officers). It is often through communication on a
person-to-person level with members from the target community that the best source for the
message can be determined. These sources should be identified during the diagnostic research
phase.
The other channels of communication can play an additional role in the communication strategy.
Radio, for example, can spread the message to a much larger audience than that could be
covered by the development agents. Posters can ensure long-term exposure to the message.
Today, in many countries, T-shirts are still being worn years after they were distributed to
advertise the merits of oral rehydration.
It can therefore be seen that the ideal approach is to select not one, but several complementary
media to maximize the potential for a successful intervention.
This also explains why intersectoral collaboration is necessary. No one sector can control all the
media-related elements of the intervention.