Future Dreams Radio Campaign:

A Final Evaluation Report

Executive Summary

The Future Dreams campaign was launched in December 2000, and concluded in September 2001. It was SFH's most ambitious behavior change campaign to date; four key message themes were separately developed in nine Nigerian languages (to ensure high levels of comprehension and social acceptability), and broadcast through forty-two different radio channels. The campaign did meet some logistical barriers – political opposition resulted in broadcast being suspended for some months before being restarted. Nevertheless the campaign proved extremely successful. Both knowledge and behavioral data shows increased knowledge and significantly safer behavior patterns among those who had listened to the campaign compared to those who had not heard it. Interestingly, SFH was also able to observe a significant correlation in condom uptake that paralleled reported changes in behavior. SFH is the leading provider of condoms in Nigeria, selling them into the trade at highly subsidized prices and ensuring wide accessibility and availability. Around the time that the campaign came on air, SFH condom sales began to accelerate, and continued to do so through the life of the initiative.

The main objectives of the campaign were to: encourage consistent condom use in every sexual liaison outside of marriage; increase the desire and intention to use condoms consistently; increase the capacity and skills of individuals to use condoms; and provide solutions to problems encountered during condom negotiation.

The core target profile consisted of sexually active single women and men aged 18-34. The campaign sought to create demonstrable impact by influencing health behavior, particularly that of young persons. In the design and presentation of messages, considerable care was taken to ensure that the campaign messages provided strong support for women in their efforts to assess risky sexual situations and negotiate condom use safely with their partners. The theme was one of optimism – Future Dreams – where every young Nigerian could achieve her or his dreams and have a bright healthy future by using condoms consistently in every sexual liaison outside of marriage, or else feel empowered to abstain from sex until marriage.

Radio was the chosen media of communication, as between 60 to 65 percent of adult Nigerians report listening to radio either every day or most days. A total of 43 radio stations were eventually used, ensuring nationwide coverage. Unfortunately, despite extensive consultation with various stakeholders and the prior approval of all regulatory bodies, the campaign was suspended in February 2001 by the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON).

Evaluation of the campaign took place by comparing information obtained from respondents who reported having heard Future Dreams against those who did not. Although by February 2001, only 19% of all age groups had heard the behaviour change messages, the proportion had risen to 39% by December 2002 with more and more women being reached by the campaign as it progressed.

Future Dreams emphasized that someone who is HIV-positive may still look healthy and can transmit the virus. It also reiterated that one’s healthy-looking sexual partner may have a sexual past that may put one at risk. Nearly three out of every five respondents who heard the campaign understand the nature of asymptomatic transmission, compared to just under one-half for non-listeners. The campaign also sought to reduce the awkwardness or inhibitions associated with buying condoms with the ‘I’m not embarrassed’ message which was designed specifically for the North. A higher proportion of those exposed to the message (51.8%) felt they would not be embarrassed to purchase condoms compared to those who never heard the message (40%).

The proportion of respondents who were consistently using condoms in non-spousal sex increased from 30% in June 1998 to 43% by December 2001, an increase of 43%. Respondents who heard or listened to Future Dreams reported significantly higher consistency in condom use (51%) compared to those who never heard the message (33%) and these differences persisted even among respondents with similar characteristics in terms of age, educational level, sex, region and residence. Similarly, reported use of condoms during last sex act was much higher among those who heard Future Dreams (76%) than among those who did not hear the campaign (54%).

Condom sales rose immediately after the campaign was launched and continued rising, averaging 9.4 million units per month for the next six months. Monthly sales more than doubled between June 2000 and June 2001 from 5.1 to 10.7 million units per month. A careful analysis of this time period has produced no plausible explanation for such a sudden rise in condom sales in Nigeria, unless significant numbers of Nigerians were being ‘converted’ to being condom users. Over the time period concerned, the only intense nationally based behavior change campaign undertaken in Nigeria was Future Dreams.

Lessons learned

Herewith follow some of the lessons learned from the campaign:

  • Research is essential. The messages in Future Dreams were crafted with great care from a solid base of research material. All messages were tested, and then tested again by a cadre of trained research personnel. Intuition or guesswork is no substitute for research.
  • As far as possible, use local languages. Comprehension was hugely enhanced by the use of local language, but more important still, messages became more acceptable and ‘real’. The more localized the message, the better.
  • Do not restrict consultation with perceived ‘problem’ gatekeepers.SFH anticipated most backlash to the campaign in the North, where religious and cultural barriers were perceived to be at their strongest. Extensive consultation in Northern Nigeria led to a careful refinement of messages according to feedback received. It was not however anticipated that SFH would face problems in the more liberal South. In practice, SFH received almost no complaints about the Northern scripts (in Hausa, Fulfude and Kanuri), and anecdotal evidence shows that the ads were commended in many circles including among religious leaders. However, the Southern Nigerian scripts, broadcast in Pidgin English, received most complaints and resulted in the suspension of the overall campaign.
  • Control campaigns directly. SFH did not use advertising agencies as intermediaries in their contacts with media houses, or to place media. SFH chose the requisite radio stations, negotiated directly with them and monitored their performance. This resulted in a hue cost saving, ensured focus, and allowed SFH to leverage the relationships for all manner of other purposes.
  • Turn problems into opportunities. The suspension of Future Dreams could have led to acrimony. Instead SFH was quick to agree to the suspension, agreed that a problem existed and tried very hard to resolve the matter to the satisfaction of others. As a result APCON has become an advocate for the work of SFH, and now sits on an SFH Communications Committee that pre-clears all marketing communications work. SFH has experienced no politically inspired blockage of its work since the Committee was formed.