There has been a lot of innovation in baby care products in recent years. Diapers are one of the most essential baby care products mothers come to trust. However, despite the conveniences offered by diapers, many people in tier-2 and tier-3 towns continue to use cloth nappies, which, in many cases, lead to infection among infants.

Vijay Karnataka (VK), the most read publication in Karnataka, constantly strives to better the lives of its readers and, by extension, the people of the state. VK Shishu Swasthya Shibira (Infant Health Workshop) is a programme supported by Pampers targeted at empowering young mothers with information and tips on baby care.

Let us see how the operations unfolded for this major event.

In a joint discussion between Pampers’ marketing team and the VK team, we decided to start a campaign called Pampers presents VK Shishu Swasthya Shibira, which would become one of the largest consumer contact programmes for the brand Pampers.

The objectives of the programme were:

1. The traditional ways of using cloth nappies was prevalent, and infants would get infections due to this. This need to be changed through awareness.
2. Reach the right target group for the brand and maximise sales.
3. Create a live demo session that would show the product benefits.
4. Use influencers like pediatricians to ensure word-of-mouth marketing helped build awareness.
5. Reach the audience that would watch television in the Kannada language but not go out and purchase diapers.

Vijay Karnataka connected with the Department of Healthcare for Women & Children to support the campaign. The minister’s office obliged, and a letter from the department head was sent to all the district health offices to support the campaign.

As a part of awareness generation, Vijay Karnataka published ads and advertorials with healthcare tips for young mothers with infants. Outdoor campaigns in the form of posters in pharmacy shops, government hospitals, and temples were put up to create awareness a few days prior to each workshop.

A typical workshop would host a pediatrician who would share tips on infant care. A demo session by the host of the show involved a mother on stage. The water-absorbing strength of diapers was showcased in this session. Samples for each attendee would ensure they used the products.

VK also invited social workers (Anganwadi and ASHA workers) to the workshop. These women are actively engaged by the government of Karnataka to help oversee healthcare of young mothers and infants in villages. The idea was to ensure they influence the target group who didn’t attend these workshops and spread the awareness amongst them.

Toward the end of the four-month campaign, Vijay Karnataka had reached 42 towns to spread awareness about infant healthcare. The four-month campaign encompassed outdoor visibility, print ads, advertorials and on-the-ground activities. In all, 42 events were attended by more than 30,000 women including young mothers and influencers. In addition to many takeaways for the attendees, this category grew by 10% year-over-year in Karnataka within a month of completing the campaign.

As a trusted, top publication in the print medium, Vijay Karnataka yet again ensured the Kannadigas (people speaking the Kannada language) were empowered with a campaign that educated them about the health of infants at each home. This is yet another success story that shows influence in society in a positive way.

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