Visibility | 10 Winning Moves

When UAM partners are educated and protected, they can bring others to the game by raising the profile of malaria control through the use of marketing footprints and other resources. The third pillar, visibility, helps them do just that.

For decades, communities in Africa have viewed malaria as an unavoidable part of life, despite the Herculean efforts made so far to combat it. The UAM partnership seeks to change these views. As new players join the fight and take up the UAM logo, they contribute to a movement that is gathering strength to end malaria.

To successfully increase the visibility of the UAM brand and campaign, organizations can incorporate malaria messaging into their product packaging and advertising. UAM partners in the private sector have branded delivery trucks, flour sacks, gas canisters and coupons, scratch cards, coffee mugs, electricity bills, and even water bottles to help gain recognition and appeal for the campaign. Effective advertising has rangedfrom billboards and print ads to website banners and SMS.

Physical real estate can offer additional visibility. Pitchside advertising or messaging on a scoreboard can reach tens of thousands of spectators, as well as countless viewers through television broadcasts. Organizations may choose to hang banners outside their offices or on nearby street poles to emphasize the need for urgent action.

One of the aims of the UAM campaign is to channel people’s passion for football into effective malaria control. From dusty fields to brimming stadiums, football is ubiquitious in Africa, and the opportunities for visibility are endless. For example, an organization may sponsor local tournaments under the UAM banner, providing simple prizes such as trophies or cold beverages to draw competitors. It may recruit local football stars to present malaria messages during game broadcasts or in public service announcements. Or it may provide T-shirts for volunteers, fans and stadium workers. When athletes themselves warm up in UAM branded uniforms, and the media covers the event, the potential audience increases exponentially.

One of the most visible and dynamic elements of the UAM campaign is the UAM bracelet. Sold for about USD 3 and handmade in South Africa, the beaded bracelet finances Global Fund malaria grants and provides much needed revenue for the disadvantaged South African men and women who make them. It is a replica of the UAM logo and a symbol of one’s outwardly visible commitment to the campaign. The UAM bracelets have been purchased for entire companies and football federations for their staff and members to show their commitment to ending malaria.

10 Winning Moves

1. Think big. Find creative ways to put your malaria messaging where people will see it. Think airport welcome signs, national monuments, presidential motorcades, parks, schools, football stadiums, and beyond.
2. Dress up your office space with giant banners or street signs that passers-by can see daily.
3. Leverage your retail presence by adding the UAM logo to your company uniforms, delivery trucks, coupons, receipts and product packaging.
4. Advertise with malaria messaging at football games. Provide fans with T-shirts or other souvenirs that will help them take home the message.
5. Don’t underestimate the power of traditional media, such as billboards, newspaper ads, posters, radio and television commercials.
6. Use SMS to send messages to consumers and community members.
7. Hold community events that focus on malaria, such as concerts, art shows, sleep-outs, and sports competitions.
8. Ask local or national celebrities to appear at your events or in your public service announcements.
9. Invite local reporters to your malaria-related events, so as to gain maximum exposure in the press.
10. Order a colorful UAM bracelet to raise awareness––and USD 1 million for life-saving nets in Africa.