Amy Lockwood: Selling condoms in the Congo

Translator: Linying Deng Reviewer: Sunny Kan Ngai Hang

I am a reformed marketer,

我係一個改革營銷者

and I now work in international development.

依家從事國際發展

In October, I spent some time in the Democratic Republic of Congo,

今年十月，我去咗剛果民主共和國

which is the [second] largest country in Africa.

非洲（第二）最大嘅國家

In fact, it's as large as Western Europe,

事實上佢同西歐差唔多大

but it only has 300 miles of paved roads.

但築路長度只有 300 英里

The DRC is a dangerous place.

剛果係一個危險嘅地方

In the past 10 years, five million people have died

過去十年

已有五百萬人喪生喺東部嘅戰亂之中

due to a war in the east.

But war isn't the only reason

但導致人民生活困難嘅，並非只有戰爭

that life is difficult in the DRC.

There are many health issues as well.

仲有好多健康問題

In fact, the HIV prevalence rate

事實上，喺成年人中

is 1.3 percent among adults.

HIV 感染率係 1.3%

This might not sound like a large number,

聽上去唔算多

but in a country with 76 million people,

但喺一個有 7,600 萬人口嘅國家

it means there are 930,000 that are infected.

呢個數字就表示有 93 萬人受到感染

And due to the poor infrastructure,

由於公共設施落後

only 25 percent of those

只有 25% 嘅患者獲得賴以生存嘅藥物

are receiving the life-saving drugs that they need.

Which is why, in part,

呢個亦係捐贈機構

donor agencies provide condoms

以低價或免費提供安全套嘅部分原因

at low or no cost.

And so while I was in the DRC,

所以喺剛果期間

I spent a lot of time talking to people about condoms,

我花咗大量時間同居民談論安全套

including Damien.

包括狄米恩

Damien runs a hotel outside of Kinshasa.

狄米恩喺金沙薩周邊經營酒店

It's a hotel that's only open until midnight,

佢間酒店淨係開到午夜

so it's not a place that you stay.

所以唔係用嚟過夜嘅

But it is a place where sex workers and their clients come.

性工作者同佢哋嘅客人係呢度嘅常客

Now Damien knows all about condoms,

狄米恩好了解安全套

but he doesn't sell them.

但係佢唔賣

He said there's just not in demand.

佢話根本冇人買

It's not surprising,

咁唔出奇

because only three percent of people in the DRC

因為喺剛果

只有 3% 嘅人使用安全套

use condoms.

Joseph and Christine,

約瑟同克莉絲汀

佢哋開嘅藥鋪有賣安全套

who run a pharmacy where they sell a number of these condoms,

said despite the fact that donor agencies provide them at low or no cost,

佢哋話雖然捐贈機構提供咗 廉價甚至免費嘅安全套

and they have marketing campaigns that go along with them,

仲做咗相應嘅宣傳

their customers don't buy the branded versions.

但客人都唔買呢啲有牌子嘅

They like the generics.

反而鐘意冇牌子個啲

And as a marketer, I found that curious.

作為營銷者，我覺得好奇怪

And so I started to look at what the marketing looked like.

於是我開始研究佢哋嘅營銷策略

And it turns out that there are three main messages

結果發現

捐贈機構嘅安全套廣告 主要包含三種信息︰

used by the donor agencies for these condoms:

fear, financing and fidelity.

恐懼、經濟同忠誠

They name the condoms things like Vive, "to live"

安全套嘅名包括「生活」

or Trust.

同「信任」

They package it with the red ribbon

佢哋用印有紅絲帶包裝

that reminds us of HIV,

見到就會諗起 HIV

put it in boxes that remind you who paid for them,

又會放喺箱入面提醒你邊個係供應者

show pictures of your wife or husband

又印有妻子或丈夫嘅照片

and tell you to protect them

提醒你要保護配偶或謹慎行動

or to act prudently.

Now these are not the kinds of things that someone is thinking about

呢啲都唔係一個人購買安全套之前 所諗嘅嘢

just before they go get a condom.

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

What is it that you think about

你喺買安全套之前會諗啲乜嘢？

just before you get a condom?

Sex!

性！

And the private companies that sell condoms in these places,

喺呢度銷售安全套嘅私人公司

they understand this.

了解到呢一點

Their marketing is slightly different.

以至佢哋嘅宣傳策略有所不同

The name might not be much different,

名稱可能差唔多

but the imagery sure is.

但包裝就差好遠

Some brands are aspirational,

有啲牌子雄心勃勃

and certainly the packaging is incredibly provocative.

包裝極具誘惑

And this made me think

於是我諗到

that perhaps the donor agencies had just missed out

可能捐贈機構冇捉住 市場營銷呢一個重點

on a key aspect of marketing:

understanding who's the audience.

就係要認清客戶群

And for donor agencies, unfortunately,

對於捐贈機構嚟講，好不幸

the audience tends to be

佢哋嘅客戶並唔係 佢哋所幫助嘅國家嘅人

people that aren't even in the country they're working [in].

It's people back home,

而係佢哋本身國家嘅人

people that support their work,

支持佢哋工作嘅人

people like these.

類似呢度顯示嘅各方

But if what we're really trying to do

但係如果我哋真正要做嘅

is stop the spread of HIV,

係阻止 HIV 傳播

we need to think about the customer,

我哋就要考慮到客戶

the people whose behavior needs to change --

即係個啲行為上需要改變嘅人

the couples,

包括夫妻

the young women, the young men --

年輕女子、年輕男子

whose lives depend on it.

呢點關係到佢哋嘅生命安全

And so the lesson is this:

我哋學到嘅教訓就係

it doesn't really matter what you're selling;

你賣乜嘢唔緊要

you just have to think about who is your customer,

但你要思考邊個係你嘅客戶

and what are the messages

你要傳遞乜嘢信息

嚟令到佢哋改變行為模式

that are going to get them to change their behavior.

It might just save their lives.

咁樣可能會救佢哋一命

Thank you.

多謝

（掌聲）

(Applause)