Creative Brief

Campaign to ReducePangolin Scale Consumption

Among pregnant or lactating mothers driven by medicinal or health value beliefs

In China

Background / USAID Wildlife Asia Project – Need to Reduce Consumer Demand
Pangolins are believed to be the world's most trafficked mammal, accounting for as much as 20% of all illegal wildlife trade (Wikipedia).According to IUCN, more than a million pangolins were poached in the decade prior to 2014. The animals are trafficked mainly for their scales, which are believed to treat a variety of health conditions intraditional Chinese medicine, and as a luxury food in Vietnam and China. Annual demand in China between 2008 and 2016 was estimated at around 200,000 individuals. During this same period, 206 seizures in China confiscated a total of pangolin scales and live animals equivalent to around 64,000 pangolins – or just 4% of the amount illegally trafficked into China.
The illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be worth between USD 5-25 billion annually. It is linked to corruption, criminal gangs, and, in some cases, terrorist groups. Nevertheless, wildlife trafficking is generally less effectively addressed than other types of global crime. Successful prosecution rates are low, and severe penalties are very rarely handed down. High demand for wildlife parts and products and the huge profits to be made, coupled with gaps in enforcement capacity, and nominal political engagement all exacerbate the problem.
USAID Wildlife Asia seeks to help counter wildlife crime through three basic strategies – reduction in consumer demand for wildlife parts and products in China and in Thailand, strengthened law enforcement and improved policies and regulation.
Key Findings from Consumer Situation Analysis in China, Thailand and Vietnam

A. Key findings of Situation Analysis - General

Findings of the Situation Analysis (review of findings from available consumer research studies on ivory, rhino horn, pangolin and tiger parts and products)conducted by the USAID Wildlife Asia Project reveal many commonalities among the consumer segments across products and countries (Thailand, China, Vietnam). Among the key findings relevant to the three countries are:
  1. Confirmation of two primary drivers that underlie consumption/use of focal wildlife parts and products – status (for gift giving and for personal consumption) for ivory, rhino horn and pangolin; and medicinal value for rhino horn, pangolin and tiger products
  2. Identification of potential audience segments for medicinal value-driven consumers (e.g. older consumers, including post-menopausal women who use products for pain, bone ailments, and rheumatism; men who consume for enhanced libido/sexuality; those with chronic, life threatening diseases; and lactating mothers)
  3. Establishment of the links between consumers who consume for status and those who consume for medicinal value – medicinal value-driven consumers are also status-driven consumers (those who consume for status use wildlife products for medicine and those who use for medicinal value were seen as having higher status)
  4. Appeals to social good, environmental protection and animal conservation were not strong motivators or drivers of reduced consumption of focal wildlife parts and products
  5. Social networks are important in influencing norms around status-driven consumption; traditional Chinese medicine practitioners are key influencers for medicinal use of wildlife
  6. Desire to purchase focal wildlife parts and products remains among many consumer segments, including previous buyers and aspiring or likely buyers
  7. Existing and past campaigns primarily focused on raising awareness of conservation-related objectives but few have addressed the status and medicinal-value factors that drive consumption behavior. Few impact evaluations of these campaigns have been done.
  8. Further research is needed to probe these drivers e.g., sources of beliefs about medicinal value, beliefs in traditional medicine vs. modern medicine, the strong “pull” of social networks in consumption of ivory, rhino horn and pangolin, role of family values and tradition in purchase and consumption, differences between buying and using (if any), profile of “gift receivers”, and influence of the “macho” culture.

B. Situation Analysis Findings specific to China

  • Pangolins still are still legally used as ingredient in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) since as they are included in the Pharmacopeia of TCM. Pangolins fall under the State Category II protection under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1989.
  • Troughout Chinese history, pangolins have been viewed as an important source of medicine and food. Pangolin scales, combined with other materials, are used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to promote blood circulation, stimulate lactation, disperse swelling and expel pus, while pangolin meat is consumed as a luxury food item, often as a display of social status and hospitality.
  • Pangolin (scales, liquor, meat) is bought for medicinal value. Scales are believed to cure rheumatism, skin disorders, wound infections. Scales are also consumed by lactating mothers in the belief that the product enhances breast milk. Pangolin meat is consumed also because it is considered “an expensive status symbol” and “exotic wild animal”.
  • Information was found about consumers of pangolin for China and Vietnam but not for Thailand. Respondents said pangolin is eaten as meat, is made into a wine, and its scales are also used for medicinal purposes. Like rhino horn, pangolin is associated with powerful medicinal qualities and also with high status. It is valued as a treatment for rheumatism, skin disorders, and wound infections and to improve both the quality and quantity of breastmilk in lactating mothers (specifically pangolin scales).
  • Under Chinese legislation introduced in 2007, none of these establishments were able to source pangolin scales legally as the authorities only permit scales from verified stockpiles or from legal African imports to be used in around 700 licensed hospitals and patented medicinal remedies. Nevertheless, 18% of TCM retail outlets with scales for sale said they had bought them from pharmaceutical companies.Compared to TRAFFIC surveys carried out in December 2006 to January 2007, the percentage of TCM retail outlets selling pangolin scales had decreased from 81.5% in 2006/2007 to 61.8% in 2016 although the percentage of stalls in TCM wholesale markets had increased from 12.5% in 2006/2007 to 34.9% in 2016.A single snapshot survey in June, 2016 of 39 websites found 94 traders on six websites who had published a total of 153 advertisements for pangolin scales, one for pangolin meat and two for live pangolins.
  • In October 2015, WildAid surveyed 3,000 residents from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanning and Kunming to measure public awareness of pangolins and the poaching crisis and gauge attitudes towards conservation. Ten percent of respondents had purchased pangolin products in the past, while 18% had considered doing so. Of consumers, the majority (66%) had purchased prescription medicines containing scales or consumed pangolin liquor, with a smaller percentage consuming scales and meat. Alarmingly, 70% of respondents believed pangolin products have medicinal value, the majority believing scales can cure rheumatism, skin disorders and wound infections. Meat was consumed largely because it is an “expensive status symbol” and an “exotic wild animal,” despite the fact that 74% of respondents believed consuming pangolin meat is illegal.
  • In 2016, Horizon China surveyed1800 residents from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Harbin, Fuzhou, Wuhan, Chengdu, Xi’an, Taiyan and Kunming to gauge Chinese public attitude to the consumption of pangolins and relevant products" in order to understand the public perception of pangolins and relevant products, and to understand their consuming behavior, motivation and attitudes. The result on the situation of purchasing or taking the medicine or health care products with the pangolin ingredient showed that 85.9 % of the public have never taken the pangolin for medicine purpose in the past year. While the survey on the situation of taking the medicine or health care products with the pangolin ingredient showed that 18.1%of the public will purchase or take the pangolin products for medicine purpose in the next year.
  • Pangolin products are also considered especially suitable for gift-giving.
  • There is a significant group (Women: 15-49 years old) Current Buyers/Consumers. (Women of reproductive age)

Target Audiences / Target Audience: Pregnant or Lactating mothers who buy, use or give pangolin scales as gifts, based on medical value and health beliefs and their influencers (TCM practitioners, family, friends)
Desired Action: What do we want target audience to do? / To never buy, use or give Pangolin Scales.
Openings: What communication openings and vehicles should be used? / Agency to propose media or channel(s)
Mandatories: What are some creative, message and /or campaign elements that MUST be included in creative execution? / Agency to propose thematic key message (reason why) to support the Desired Action.
Agency to propose mix of materials and provide sample of key material to communicate the Key Message / Agency to propose mix of materials and provide sample of key material to communicate the Key Message