Uganda (2008): FoQus on Concept Development (Marketing Planning) Study: Umbrella Brand Development and Communications to Support Delivery of Subsidized ACT through the Private Sector

This study aims to gather information useful for designing the following five elements of the concept for use of ACTs by caretakers of children from age zero to fourteen years: brand, campaign or message personality, the position, and the marketing strategy. Specifically, the study objectives are to: (a) Identify beliefs to reinforce and beliefs to change related to timely use of ACTs /antimalarials in malaria treatment by care takers of children aged zero to fourteen years among these children. (b) Build one or more character archetypes (c) Identify current strategies used to behave, either by the target audience members themselves or positive deviants (d) Understand the current brand perceptions of ACTs (e) Describe target audience members' opportunity, ability and motivation to process malaria and malaria treatment communications. Between July and August of 2008 PSI Uganda will conduct a FoQus on CD study to gather information in the above mentioned areas. A qualitative approach involving spoken narratives will be used to collect data. This method was chosen for its ease of use and the rich that emerge when study participants are given opportunity to share their personal stories. Spoken narratives allow researchers (marketers) to make an emotional connection with the target audience and help create a picture of "typical" experience. Story telling is a fundamental human way of relying information, so data feels "natural" to both moderators and participants. This method is also relatively simple for inexperienced moderators to implement.