An integrated marketing communications campaign as part of the HIV/AIDS prevention efforts of the AIDS Society of the Philippines

• Main Authors: Ong, Marianne Bernadette Y., Panuelos, Clarisse Shaina C., Poblete, Janela Isobel J., Tan, Joanna Erika V., Ti Yu, Bill Ernest L.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2010
• Subjects: Marketing
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/18209
• Institution: De La Salle University

It has been widely held that HIV and AIDS afflicted only mature individuals. However, recent studies reveal that nowadays, people as young as 15-24 years of age are suffering from HIV. The average age of infection is now 20-29 years old instead of the previous 30-35. Many HIV-prevention efforts in the Philippines are concentrated on high-risk groups such as men who have sex with men (MSMs), OFWs and sex workers. The prevalence rate for the Philippines when it comes to cases of HIV is 0.1% of the population. However, such a small number can be misleading, as the DOH now reports an average of 5 cases per day. In September 2010, the youth accounted for 56% of new HIV cases in the Philippines. Through a survey, it was uncovered that majority of the youth aged 18-24 do not concern themselves with HIV and AIDS. Although they have a small amount of knowledge regarding the matter, many still do not know nor care about the threat they are now faced with. They also have many misconceptions regarding the transmission of the virus that they never cared to correct. This also shows their apparent notion of invincibility with the misconception that they are too young to contract HIV. The youth have the mindset that since they are still young and healthy, they are not really at risk of acquiring the disease. Most of them also assume that such a disease is only present among certain types of people, such as homosexuals and female sex workers. And because of lack of knowledge and awareness, they fail to take into consideration the possible impact such a disease may have in their life. The challenge now is to make the youth realize that ignorance can lead them to fall into the trap of HIV. They must then make themselves aware and educated in order to protect themselves from the damage that can be caused by HIV. To address this problem is an advocacy campaign called “Never Too Young” that aims to prevent further increases in HIV cases among the youth in the Philippines. It is targeted to the youth aged 18-24 from socio-economic classes B and C. The target person is a “young lifestyle indulger”, a 20-year old senior student who studies in a top university in Metro Manila. These “young lifestyle indulgers” have high hopes of living the lives they want, and landing their dream jobs upon graduation. They are exposed to the Internet more than any media during weekdays and weekends, and are tech-savvy. They like surfing the net to be updated with the latest trends, and keep in touch with friends through social networking. They are carefree, lighthearted and fun loving, spending most of their free time with friends partying and living it up. Being young and virile, they are very much open to pre-marital sexual relations, as they also believe the people they meet in the places they go to also belong to the upper class. During sexual escapades, use of condom is not usual, especially when they are in the zone or are particularly sexually attracted to someone. The campaign aims to instill awareness and responsibility among the youth, making them realize the importance of HIV education, as being equipped with the right information can be their first line of defense against HIV. The objective of the campaign include increasing awareness and motivating the target market to get HIV education, but the ultimate measure of success will be the decline in the rate of reported cases among the targeted age group. This will be accomplished by communicating that the youth risk having HIV get in the way of their future and dreams when they remain ignorant of the impact that HIV can have in their lives. However, they can prevent the disease from threatening their lives by knowing pertinent information when it comes to HIV and AIDS. The message of the campaign will be communicated through online channels and communities, as well as out of home advertisements, with an allocated budget of Php 8.5 Million.