Marketing & Communications Plan

for NABCOA / Health Works Business Coalition

Andreas Shifotoka
Carl Pesat
Clifford Ganaseb

Definitions Clauses:
B2B - Business to Business
B2C - Business to clients
NABCOA Namibian Business Coalition on AIDS
SME Small Medium Enterprises
SOE State Owned Enterprises
Agency Space Dimensions Advertising Agency
Heatlhworks Business Coalition HWBC
MOHSS Ministry of Health & Social Services

Executive Summary:
Namibia faces a number of challenges providing health care to its citizens,
specific to this is HIV/AIDS and related diseases. However the Government
has decided to roll out a programme a ARV Programme to all citizens.
However, in future there will be a reduction in funding for HIV/AIDS in the long
run but there is more emphasis on preventable lifestyle diseases. (Such as
Alcoholism)
NABCOA finds itself at a crossroads in terms of rebranding and this means a
marketing and communications plan must also change to show this change;
and prove its relevance in the workplace to its members and its nonmembers. It should take a step further and change the narrative and
discourse of this sector and Government Stance on wellness and HIV/AIDS
matters.
The ultimate outcome for both the state and NABCOA, is to have employers,
media (SMES, Corporates as well as Local Authorities) buying into wellness
as a necessary equivalent to HIV/AIDS to reduce preventable lifestyle
diseases and deaths in Namibia. This will ultimately reduce the health care
budget of Namibia, household expenditure on health care and focus on
preventable diseases that require the same understanding.
Lastly this paper will prove both why NABOCA needs a new message through
diligent research; and shows proven ways why certain communication
channels are needed to communicate that message. In order to create that
needed traction for both public discourse and to aid decision-makers that
make the best decision possible for their private lives and for the public
sphere. We will show all ways of advertising in order to get your message
across and in a cost effective way and to assess the impact of each medium.

1. Situational Analysis:
External Environmental Analysis

Politics and Government Forces:

Namibias political environment has strongly endorsed policies but not laws to
aid the fight against HIV/AIDS, Namibia has received significant HIV/AIDS
funding and assistance from international donors indicating both their
willingness and competence shown from local based agencies to aid the fight
against HIV/AIDS.
Strategically the Ministry of Health & Social Services should demand more
from its inter-governmental forums and we need advocacy on these issues
not just there but into the public discourse and lobbying done through the
media.
Economics
Namibias health care spending is the largest spending budget vote by the
state according to the 2014/2015 however the states facilities and ability to
handle the masses has come under the medias spotlight frequently and this
was even validated by a presidential commission on the state of healthcare in
Namibia. One of the recommendations of this presidential commission of
inquiry was to improve the quality of services, in addition to maintenance and
modernization of existing health facilities.
The costs of medical healthcare is escalating, fortunately Government
procures HIV/AIDS (Antiretroviral Drugs)
NABCOA should complement Government efforts to expand healthcare and
taking it to corporate companies and its workforce but fundamentally;
NABCOAs new mandate will not just complement Governments focus but
with emphasis on Wellness will ensure that people will reduce frequencys to
the hospitals and clinic nationwide.
Social/Cultural
Healthcare in Namibia is accessible to the general public in all urban areas
however more efforts needs to be done in rural places. In general, most

Namibians are healthy however the workforce of Namibia faces undue

pressure such as inflation, no salary increase, and cost of living is expensive.
Workers cant cope with this and leads to unsustainable lifestyle in terms of
health and expenditure.

Internal Environmental Analysis

Mission
The leading service provider, dedicated to:

Enable employers to provide high quality wellness services to their

employees.

Mobilise and coordinate the private sector response to HIV and AIDS in order
to create a healthy Namibian Workforce.
Vision
A healthy and productive workforce in Namibia
Goal
To provide comprehensive and valued workplace wellness support services
as a sustainable and strategic organisation.
Business Background:
For the last 10 years NABCOA has been providing both HIV/AIDS Testing and
wellness tests to the private sector. Since 2009, NABCOA has started doing
testing to its members. This business model is dependent on the international
donor community and has become a challenge since Namibia has been
accredited with the status middle class country from the World Bank and
Namibia has made notable gains in the fight against HIV/AIDS .

It is against this background that NABCOA has re-engineered their direction

and business focus in order to remain both sustainable and relevant to its
target market.

Market environment:
Customers factors:
Primarily is corporate companies,
Secondary is Local Authorities and Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
Currently the focus is on corporate companies and SMEs however, the new
strategic vision of NABCOA is to expand to expand the client base and
membership.
Increase services to the current clientele and diversify service offerings such
as establishing a capacity to do consultancies for existing and prospective
clients. Such as market analysis of health issues in Namibia.
Competitors factors:
Private medical funds are professionally run and a strong entity.
Greater Brand Awareness
Offices are open to clients
Medical Aid is becoming a cultural norm for working class people
Suppliers:
Supplying of Medical items:
Global fund on VCT from the central medical store
Wellness Screening: (Testing kits)
Nampharm, Genmed, Geka and Anatech (Companies pay for them)
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(Look at Barter Agreements for branding purposes).

2. SWOT Analysis.
This is to demonstrate the full aspects and components of the perceived and
real understanding of NABCOAs brand when it comes to what the brands
limitation is and what it should focus on also.
Strengths:

Service Provider of HIV/AIDS TEST/ Wellness tests.

Do screening for TB/HIV & AIDS/BMI and Blood Pressure

Reinforces Targets values of education and community

Pre-existing museum relationships makes implementation easy

Allow Target employees to fulfill community service

Improved community involvement as well as Improved services

Alignment of the Target brand and wellness

Results-oriented approach to attracting and maintaining customers.

A well-researched, detailed health wellness program that is long-term

focused.

Intensively trained staff.

Weakness:

Brand recognition is not known or misunderstood by the public and

clients. (Bahpelo VS NABCOA)

Requires a new plan and design strategy for exhibits (Expos)

Exhibits are not Targets main focus or expertise

Cost and time of research and implementation

High costs associated with customized, personal service.

The inability to work on a high volume business model.

The costs of attracting a large corporate client.

Lack of professionalism for service offering (Intensive training Required

here

Opportunities:

A brand that can change the discourse for government and help private
employers understand that they can be that change

Gain market pharmaceutical patrons

Advance Targets service image

Greater differentiation by complimenting the target guest better

Participation within a growing market.

The large increase in clients that follow with the acceptance of

NABCAO program by a single company.

The ability to leverage future quantitative analysis that supports the

contention that long-term wellness programs have a significant,
positive impact on a company's bottom line.

Threats:

The rebranding is not reinforced by the needed communications plan to

brand in a different is both not reinforced and misunderstood the value
of branding in the market.

It is difficult to differentiate

Governmental regulation

Lack of immunity to an economic downturn.

Potential competition from larger, well established competitors.

A change in society where the individual begins to take far more

responsibility for his/her health maintenance.

Key Issues

Sign up a sufficient number of medium-sized companies. It is

more cost effective for them to service a couple medium-sized
companies than many small companies.

Continue to drive down the costs associated with serving a

customer.

3. Marketing Objectives:

To promote a diverse set of Service Offerings

To re-introduce and strengthen the NABCOA offerings to the market

To ensure that the company generates increased revenue

To expand the companys client base/membership

4. Marketing Communications messages Objectives (RIP):

1. Customization- NABCOA will offer a totally customized solution for
each company as well as each employee within the compy.
2. Convenience- Clients will not use the service if it is not
convenient. NABCOA recognizes this and strives to make their
services as convenient as possible for the targeted groups.
3. Results-orientated strategy- NABCOA will provide significant value for
the companies themselves in order to grow their market share.

5. Market Strategy:

Customer Equity building strategies: NABCOA based on its strategic plan

should follow this plan as a market strategy, this plan allows for a focus on the
components of customer lifetime value (B2C or B2B), as well as on the size of
the customer base. These can be classified into three areas as outlined
below.
Acquisition: for NABCAO to grow its customer base as well as to replace lost
customers, NABCAO should pursue a strategy of selective acquisition,
acquiring customers (B2B and or B2C) only if the customer lifetime value is
greater than the acquisition cost. New customers (B2B and or B2C) should be
targeted via suitable attraction programs, by offering superior value to the
customer through an appropriate value proposition.
Retention Strategies: through this strategy the idea is to optimize the retention
rate, by building good relationships and providing favourable experiences for
customers (B2B and or B2C), so that there is no incentive for them to defect.
However this is again achieved through customer relationship management
programs, where customer (B2B and or B2C) information should be stored in
a database and analysed to ensure a timeous customer (B2B and or B2C)
contact base.
Add on Strategy; in this scenario NABCAO is to sell any additional offerings
and or services it has under its belt to current customers (B2B and or B2C).
In pursuing such a strategy (customer equity building) NABCOA needs to
focus on a financial optimisation; whereby attracting unprofitable customers or
spending excessive amounts on favoured customers (B2B and or B2C) to
ensure loyalty, is and or are clearly not accountable marketing management
practices. Hence marketing programs will be reviewed relative to the
contribution it will be making in acquiring customers, increasing the lifetime
value with itself as a business.

Marketing Strategy
Target Market/Market Selection:

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Association/International Development Agencies

Corporate companies / SMEs
Government stakeholders

Positioning
Market offering: An invigorated outlook
Value proposition:
Concerning a nourishing and constructive workforce in Namibia

Marketing Value Mix

Provide Value

Communicate

Deliver Value

Value
Service Offering

Advertising/ Promotions

Distribution Channels

Branding

Personal Selling

Servicing: standards

Packaging

Direct Marketing

Pricing

Publicity/public relations

Provide Value
Service Offering
NABCOA should provide wellness strategies as well as programs to
businesses in the greater area of Namibia. A wellness strategy is a long-term
effort, combining both health-promotion and exercise-related activities
designed to facilitate positive lifestyle changes in members of a company's
work force; both for its employees and employers.

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Furthermore, NABCOA will work with a company's senior management to help

its develop a mission statement for its wellness program and in this manner
NABCOA will take its clients employees through a health-risk analysis (costs),
following which each employee will be given the opportunity to meet with a
health professional to design a personalized health program.
Finally, NABCOA (either the clients wellness officer) will furnish employee
progress reports to senior management with which to carry out the incentive
program and largely monitor transformations in the behavior of its work force.

Keys to Success
NABCOA keys to success are:
1.Marketing services to companies and individuals.
2.Dedication and hard work of the founders.
3.Raising productivity.
4.Lowering overall costs.

Branding and Packaging

Whether youre thinking through the implications of branding your employee
health and wellness benefits or youre simply trying to be more effective in
communicating the programs you have in place, Build a Brand Theyll Love:
Branding Strategies
When we ponder about brands, we tend to think of strong consumer ones like
Apple, Coke and Nike. While it might seem foreign or overwhelming to
approach your employee health and wellness benefits in this same manner,
your employees are making a commitment of time and effort to learn about
and participate in whatever programs youre offering.

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So, what are some of the things to consider when evaluating your branding
options?
Using Your Company Brand
A clear benefit of using your own brand is that its instantly recognizable by
your employees. Given all of the time, money and effort thats been put into
creating and choosing the visual communication elements of your corporate
brand, youll need to do less development work up front to extend. While this
options clearly compelling, the natural appeal of these two factors needs to
be considered in relation to what your brand stands for.

A brand that promotes unhealthy consumption or habits will be

counterintuitive to what youre trying to accomplish with your health
and wellness benefits, and it probably wont ring well with your
employees in that framework.

Creating a Health and Wellness Sub-Brand

While creating a sub-brand requires more up front work, it can help to
eliminate employee confusion with your other benefits, and it shifts the focus
to your collective health and wellness offerings as opposed to the individual
programs you may offer. But this would require NABCOA to facilitate such an
activity with heavy financial backings.

Using a Third-Partys Brand

Bringing in a third-party brand makes sense in circumstances where your
companys brand isnt a good fit, but you dont have the resources or desire to
develop your own sub-brand. The key things to keep in mind when assessing
this option are how recognizable the brand is with your employees and

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whether it suggests a personality thats conducive to helping them adopt this

into their work, and ultimately to push this to clients, as well as one that unites
all of your offerings under it. To either co opt with insurance /medical
providers.
Creating a Great Experience
Regardless of the branding option NABCOA chooses, there are certain
principles to keep in mind as you introduce and continuously communicate
your health and wellness benefits to your Clients.
Make it Easy to Understand Nowadays its getting harder and harder to
catch and hold peoples attention. Make sure that whatever you offer is
as clear and easy as possible for your potential clients to understand.
Make it Meaningful Its important to communicate what Clients will get
from your programs, not necessarily what youre offering.
Make it Recognizable The more consistently and frequently a brand
identity is used, the more familiar and recognizable it becomes. Make
sure whichever branding option you choose, youre consistently using it
throughout all of your communication channels websites, emails,
paycheck stuffers, posters and more.
Deliver on the Promise More than creative concepts, your health and
wellness brand needs to deliver on its promises to its clients. Say your
wellness brand is focused on choice.
Having a brand thats clear, simple and consistent helps clients better
understand whats available and become more engaged with your programs.

Deliver Value

Communicating Value
Advertising:

Public Relations

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Public relations, the development and maintenance of good relationships with

different publics are essentially information within an independent medium
(e.g. magazine, newspaper) that occurred because a company provided them
with those (e.g. press release). Publicity is useful; because NABCOA could
enjoy a high credibility at a low cost and even for free, but the exact message
cannot be controlled. This communication form will be of major importance for
NABCOA campaigns as many buyers draw their information from the media.
Being represented, talked about in those will be an essential step in at least
being considered as a choice.
NABCOA should also in respect of community development and social
responsibility use this platform to do forums and or assist in fund raising for
community projects, to change perception of it only being another lotto
campaign or money making scheme. People react to acts of kindness and
perceptions change immanently. There are various Non-Governmental
institutions that are providing assistance to less privileged and disadvantage
communities, with this being considered, NABCAO can use this as a medium
to gain more public attention; as well as press. The face of the brand must
however, act accordingly to avoid miscommunication within the Press world,
so the concept of giving back does not get linked to publicity stunts to gain
emotional favour for the brands equity.
Distribute Newsletters (print / electronic)
Contact spas and doctor's offices in your area and ask to distribute
newsletters at their locations. You can leave a stack of monthly newsletters
with the establishment, and the establishment can distribute the newsletters to
customers. Include information about your product or service in the
newsletter. Include articles on different wellness and nutrition topics. Keep
newsletters brief (perhaps one or two pages). Feature a link to your website
on the newsletter and include your contact information as well as social media
icons.
Seminars (forums)

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Put your public speaking skills to good use by conducting seminars or

workshops on wellness and nutrition. This gives you a platform for educating
local people on the benefits of good nutrition and wellness, as well as for
promoting your company. Create an outline and pitch your presentation to
local colleges and corporations. Offer your services for free or negotiate a
reasonable fee. Visit for 30 minutes to one hour and speak to the attendees
about wellness. Topics might include:

goals and objections

creating a wellness calendar
promoting wellness at work
healthy eating tips, and fitness routines.

Pass out information related to your product or service, and if the school or
company allows, provide attendees with free samples of your products.

Online Advertising
Create a professional website for your NABCOA. Build a site from scratch
using a user-friendly template, or hire a web design company. Your website
must provide ample information about your product or service, and include
content and keywords that are optimized for search engines to attract the right
traffic. Feature pictures of your services, along with persuasive descriptions
and benefits. Contact past or current customers and ask to include their
testimony on the website. Submit the website to search engines and online
directories to attract customers via the Internet.
Search Engine Optimization is needed for making the website and name
visible.

Social media

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What is Social Media: It is an Umbrella term that defines the various activities
that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words,
pictures, videos, and audio. It tracts and mimics social interactions, and
regroups where people group by using the power of the buzz,
a. Social Media Goals
1. Increase member base, recruit new members, draw physical traffic to
facility
Purpose: to make money/to stay in business
2. Brand NABCOA, cause, and facility as a place of quality, establish as
experts in the business.
Purpose: to manage NABCOAs reputation
3. Keep the local community updated on happenings, discounts, events, etc.
Purpose: to increase number of new members
4. Understand how members use social media and monitor what members
are saying about NABCOA, products or services.
Purpose: to stay connected with members as well as
understand their habits on these platforms.
5. Contact local community businesses to inform them that with NABCOA
your luck has increased (more people win, the more disposable income they
have the more they support your business)
Purpose: word of mouth; to spread the word about NABCOA
b. Summary of Existing Online Presence
1. Facebook - No Facebook presence
2. Twitter - No presence
3. Website - Not yet, but no NABCOA website
4. YouTube Channel- No presence

c. Social Media Content Types

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1. Photographs
2. Expert Articles
3. Video Testimonials
4. Member Reminders
5. Mailers
6. Competitions
7. Photo updates
8. Status Updates.
9. Events
10. Facebook tabs
d. Tracking Tools
1. Facebook Insights
2. Simply measured viewed statistics Summaries
3. YouTube Insights
4. Google Analytics
5. Tweet stats

e. Focus Channels
1. Facebook

Purpose: Increase recognition, increase social engagement,

establish online social network, search ability

Metrics for Success: Likes, referrals from social networks.

Purpose: Increase recognition, increase engagement, establish

2. Twitter
network, establish brand, search ability

Metrics for Success: Followers, 2nd-order followers (followers

follower count), social capital (influence of twitter followers),
Klout score, referrals

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3. YouTube

Purpose: Increase recognition, increase engagement, establish

brand

Metrics for Success: Video views, video reviews, stars

4. Website

Purpose: information, validity of the competition, concerns,

terms and conditions

Metrics for success: Search engine optimization, traffic online

presence, Google ADwords spreads the word, increase traffic,
from website to social platforms for engagement with consumers

f. When:
All social platforms to be opened on the (Date to Be Given) to run with
campaign, this allows for transparent information, Social platforms allows for
discussions and serves as a customer relationship tool, to engage and
interact with customers.

Personal Selling:
Personal selling is where NABCOA will use people (the sales force) to sell
the product and or the concept (service offering) after meeting face-to-face
with the customer (B2B or B2C).
NABCOA will promote its product/service through their attitude, appearance
and specialist wellness knowledge. The aim is to inform and encourage the
customer (B2B and or B2C) to buy in, or at least entertain the idea thereof.
A customer can get advice on how to apply the product and or how beneficial
the service is.

7. Marketing Communications Budget (2 or more types):

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Based on final selected media tools

8. Marketing Communications Scheduling:
Based on selected marketing tools. Which are both cost effective and aids in
terms of marketing publicity.
9. Marketing Communications Implementation, Monitoring and Control.
Tracking tools for media mediums to be decided upon.

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