PSI India: Will Balbir Pasha help fight aids?

(i) Should PSI India go for a mass media campaign in its fight against AIDS? Why?
PSI India initiated Operation Light-House, a mass media campaign, to bring about the necessary
change among high-risk male workers, such as those connected to ports and other associated
industries. USAID was given $20 million over a five-year period to implement it. For the following
reasons, PSI India should use mass marketing as the most effective method of raising awareness:

a. It would be very challenging for IPCs to contact every single person individually given the
volume of cases and the vulnerable population. Additionally, the campaign will be able to
reach a wider audience and spread the word to a variety of demographics, including sailors,
truck drivers, and sex workers. It will also be able to target males who, for a variety of
reasons, are unwilling to wear a condom.
b. It can start a public conversation about the disease and the critical need for safe sex
education within the target population.
c. Individuals may be inspired to use the HIV/AIDS helpline and VCT programmes, which may
result in behavioural modifications.

(ii) Is the concept proposed by Lowe Lintas a fictional character named Balbir Pasha better
for generating AIDS awareness for highlighting particular barriers for condom use in the
target population (male migrant workers between 18-34)?
Since the campaign uses everyday language, the average person may relate to Balbir Pasha.
Therefore, if the execution is done properly, it will eventually result in greater knowledge of and
comprehension of the disease and may even contribute to its reduction. By creating the fictitious
persona of Balbir Pasha, each and everyone experiencing comparable problems can relate to him
without jeopardising anyone's reputation. With anonymity in place, many AIDS/HIV-related issues
can be resolved without damaging anyone's reputation.

Another option was to increase the number of IPCs, pay more on their training, and edit the study
materials appropriately. All of this is doable, but it would require financial commitment, which the
planned budget for the first several years cannot afford.

(iii) Assuming the mass media campaign is approved how should the ad budget be
allocated between the different media? (Assume a campaign that runs for three months)
The following issues must be resolved for a campaign to be successful:

 The percentage of the population at high risk of contracting HIV;

 The segment of the population at high risk of contracting AIDS;
 The mass media channel that can most effectively reach this population.

Different mediums available and their price:

 Media Cost ($) Duration
Television 300 35 seconds
Newspaper Ads 500 Per placement
Billboards 1200 Month

Above mentioned table showcases that Television is the most expensive mode of Media among all
however the reach via Television is more compared to any other medium. In order to make the
awareness campaign a success a tailored media mix can be followed:

Media Ads Per Month Allocation

Television 210 Highest
Newspaper Ads 30 Lowest
Hoardings 30 Moderate