malaria man and company

formerly known as the fighters. a quest to conquer malaria for the sake of puru.

[malariaman]

We found this ad for NetMark fairly effective because of the emphasis that the commercial places on not only improving health by protecting individuals from getting malaria but also on the economic benefits of the net. The ad does not depict disparate villages but rather homes and temples that seem to be quite modern but still distinctly African. Furthermore, the ad emphasizes that, although previous generations suffered from malaria, the current and next generations do not have to and explains specifically why. The ad also does not place emphasis on one particular age group, depicting both adults and children, thus, widening its appeal. Additionally, the people in the ad that directly espouse the idea that malaria nets our the "new way to live" are those that seem to be educated and, thus, probably respected within the community, specifically nurses, religious figures, and teachers. Because of this, the viewers of this ad may want to emulate what they see and buy the net to not only protect their own families but to buy into the idea of a new African future.

As far as other BoP products or services directed towards developing world customers that could benefit from an online video campaign, we believe that water purification systems that can be bought in Latin America, in particular, could benefit from such. Because access to the internet is on the rise in Latin America via internet cafes or even at home seemingly faster than infrastructure development in many countries, campaigns that are able to show how the product works and how it could possibly help improve the overall health or future of a particular region might be successful, especially if these messages are being sent by individuals that would typically be respected in the community.  

[malariaman]

The marketing efforts through this video were very effective in helping developed world citizens understand PUR's efforts in providing clean water to those at the bottom of the pyramid. The documentary-style commercial provides an accurate and unfiltered peek into the lives of those in Tanzania who have to do all the things that we do in our daily lives, but with dirty water. This commercial brings the reality of the citizens in Tanzania to viewers in the developed countries as they are able to see children drinking dirty water such as this; it evokes emotions from its powerful imagery. This commercial makes a very convincing plea for its audience to purchase PUR products. No charity is required from its privileged viewers - all you need to do is buy the product and a way to help the world is already included with your purchase. Subconsciously, customers will keep in their mind that by buying a PUR filter, they not only buy clean water for themselves but clean water for someone else in the world. They are empowered to help the world in some way with minimal effort.

Sustainable food systems like Growing Power Inc. are a Base of Pyramid service in the US that would benefit from an online video campaign. These programs may have a high start-up cost to establish community gardens in urban areas but their payoff in terms of feeding those in lower socioeconomic classes is huge. An online campaign could accurately showcase the potential in these food systems as well as garner awareness and potential financial support for the sustainability of these food systems. As people are more aware of these kinds of solutions for vacant lots in urban areas, more community gardens could be created to be a sustainable way to feed the poor with minimal long-term costs.