Background:

The Social Marketing Project (SMP), launched by Population Services

International (PSI) is a population control program introduced in
Bangladesh. The 2 products introduced were Raja condoms and Maya
contraceptive pills, and marketed using social marketing. Over time, sales
of Raja increased continuously and dramatically. On the other hand, Maya
though had an initial boost in sales, the sales went down drastically, losing
a huge chunk of the market share. The RMPs rejected Maya, claiming it is
an inferior product.
Rajas Success:
Raja was a successful venture in Bangladesh because of various reasons.
Raja or king in Bengali instilled a perception of masculinity, bravery and
power. It was more associated with sex than it was with birth control,
which was looked down upon by the conservative Muslim population in
Bangladesh. It was not freely distributed and had a price attached to it
(albeit subsidized), which provided retailers, wholesalers, semiwholesalers and distributers with a sufficient profit margin. This
encouraged them to market and distribute Raja over the free Government
product.
Raja condoms were available over the counter at pharmacies, retail stores
and even pan stores where men congregated for social conversations. The
price attached to the product also conveyed a sense of value to the
customer, encouraging him to buy it. In the rural areas, men were the
primary shoppers of the household, so they were made more aware of the
product by the retailers and shopkeepers.
Mayas Failure:
On the other hand, Maya proved to be an unsuccessful venture, mostly
because of its subsidized price. The substitutes in the market were priced
up to 16 times more, providing the retailers and distributers with much
higher profit margins than Maya. Also, there was a common perception
among professional doctors and rural medical practitioners, that Maya
was an inferior product compared to its market substitutes.
The RMPs were not enlisted in the campaign which spurred them to
badmouth it and write off the hunger and pain of poverty as a side effect
of the pills. This resulted in them advising their female patients to
discontinue the usage of Maya. However ,Maya did, in fact, have a few
side effects on the womans health, but only in the first few cycles, which
nonetheless influenced the women to discontinue its usage in the
beginning itself.

In rural areas, men primarily shopped for household and pharmacy items.
Therefore, they too had to be convinced of the usefulness of the product
for their spouse. Maya was associated with birth control and not just sex,
which is another factor that didnt encourage its usage. Also condoms
and contraceptives can be seen as substitutes to each other as well
(either the man uses the condom or the lady uses the contraceptive pill),
in which case a Raja condom was cheaper than an entire 21 pack of pills.
Revamping Sales as Rani:
In order to clear the negative perception that Maya has instilled among
the RMPs and customers, the same contraceptive pills can be released
under a new brand name. It can be marketed as Rani, and advertised
with a colorful, attention grabbing Queen of hearts mascot on its cover.
This will instill a feeling of grace, power and femininity in the customers.
Men are the primary buyers of household and pharmacy items and
therefore they need to be convinced of the products usefulness. To
achieve this objective, the brand must appeal to the protective tendencies
of the man, who will want his woman to be safe and healthy. Therefore it
must be marketed as something trustworthy.
The pricing of the contraceptive pill pack should higher which will lead to
an increase in profit margins for retailers and distributors, therefore
encouraging them to market the product to the customers over its
substitutes.
The customers can be influenced with the help of the rural medical
practitioners, who should be enlisted this time round as they have a
considerable influence over the target market, irrespective of their
professional background. The RMPs can be encouraged to disseminate
information about its benefits and initial side effects, which will eventually
fade away, to its customers, thus eliminating any fears concerning the
product.

Social Marketing vs Conventional Marketing:

Social marketing combines commercial and public marketing with social
science and policy. It is aimed at changing or maintaining peoples
behavior in a sustainable and cost-effective for the benefit of individuals
and society as a whole. It integrates research, best practice, theory,
audience and partnership insight to develop segmented social change
programs that are effective, efficient, equitable and sustainable. The

primary aim of social marketing is "social good", while in "conventional

marketing" the aim is primarily "financial".
In a conventional marketing system, the relationship among the channel
partners are limited to buying and selling from one another. Each partner
in the channel often seeks to benefit for their own good. The primary aim
is to build demand for the product, cut costs and improve customer
satisfaction, but there is no concern for the society at large. The aim is to
maximize profit with little or no concern for t