1. BUILDING CAPACITY IN
MARKET SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT
INFORMATION
FLOWS
within Market Systems
& Value Chains
Curriculum developed by:
Mike Field, Adam Smith International
Margie Brand, EcoVentures International
Richelle Matthews
Delivered in Mombasa, Kenya at the Kenya BDS Donor
Coordination Group Pre-Conference Training
December 2012
Trainers:
Mehrdad Ehsani, Kenya Markets Trust
Clement Tulezi, Kenya Markets Trust

2. Key learning:
Recognize and leverage
multiple formal and informal
points of information
transfer within the market
Recognize and encourage
private sector promotions as
central mechanism to
sharing market information
Recognize and strengthen
media as its own value chain
to leverage change in
markets

3. Part One:
Understanding and
Leveraging
Information Flows
Recognize and leverage multiple formal and
informal points of information transfer
within the market / value chain

4. Multiple Information Sources in markets
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Want more than just
a single source of
information
x
x
x
x
Want multiple sources of
information that together build
a picture of the message
• All the sources do not have to give all the
information
• All the sources do not have to be ongoing,
but could act as a stepping stone to change

5. Information flow: Water flowing through healthy rivers is like the
flow of information through healthy market systems / value chains
Good quality:
• Clear (transparent, honest)
• Readily available
• Constantly flowing (not held as • Tried and tested paths
source of power)
(evidence-based)

6. Accessing Multiple Points of
Information
This is Susan. She is a
subsistence maize farmer in
the western part of Kenya.
She is semi-literate. She lives
in a rural area about 50 km
from a large town. She heard
from her neighbour that there
is a new type of input that she
could use on her maize.

7. Accessing Multiple Points of
Information
Where and how
can Susan learn
more about the
inputs?
She wants to learn more
about this. Her questions are
...
• What are these inputs?
• How and where can she
access them?
• How must she use them?

8. Accessing Multiple Points of
Information
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Input Shop
Family and friend network
Local leader
Extension worker
NGO
Community training
Posters
Television
Radio
Newspaper
At the market

9. Accessing Multiple Points of
Information
What if Susan has no access to
quality information?
… It is not easily and readily
available
… It is not a good quality
… It is not clear and transparent
(it is dishonest)
… It is not constantly flowing (but
is held by some sources as a
show of power or influence)
… It is not based on tried-andtested evidence

10. Accessing Multiple Points of
Information
What if Susan has no access to
quality information?

She may purchase the wrong type of
inputs, which would affect her
production

Someone could cheat her

There could be no feedback back to
retailers or others on the inputs

She could negatively impact her
neighbours’ crops and create poor
social capital

She may spend more than she needs
to … and on the wrong inputs

11. Examine Push & Pull of information
PUSH:
Want to identify ways
to PUSH information
through the system
PULL:
Want to identify
incentives to PULL
information through
the system
and provide feedback
back into the system

12. Information
& Influence
Mapping
Map the sources and
flow of information
and influence
between each
market actor in the
market system /
value chain in which
you are operating.
Global Enabling Environment
Global
Retailers
National Enabling Environment
Sector specific
providers
Cross-cutting
providers
National
Retailers
Exporters
Wholesalers
Processors/Traders
Producers
Financial (cross
cutting)
Input Suppliers
• Tried and tested paths
• Clear (transparent, honest) (evidence-based)
• Readily available
• Constantly flowing (not
held as source of power)
Good quality:

13. What makes
information flow
between
producers
and their buyers
and suppliers
more or less
effective?

14. Information flow between producers, buyers & suppliers
Ineffective Information Flow:
Effective Information Flow:
One-off communication
Long-term with repeat communication
Limit upgrading (investments and
improvements)
Promote upgrading (investments and improvements)
Do not guide effective upgrading:
Information provides no clarity to time
and resources investments
Guide effective upgrading: Information provides
guidance for where time and resources should be
invested
Lack open communication and
transparency
Have open lines of communication and transparency
Information retained as source of power
in market
Information shared
Is not mutually beneficial
Is mutually beneficial
Increase cost inefficiencies
Reduce costs
Limit ability to respond to changes in
market
Support greater responsiveness to changing market
Reduce market confidence
Building market confidence (e.g. enhancing access to
better quality or more affordable information can
shift self-perceptions from being price-takers)

15. Types of
Information
Vehicles

16. Multiple Information Sources in markets
• What
are sources of information in markets?
All are effective at different times for different purposes…
All have their own interests!

17. Media Self-Interests
 All
media has its own self-interest
 Can
you think of examples?
 Why
is this important for market facilitation
practitioners to recognize?
 How
could we subtly work with or work to
change this for the benefit of the poor?

18. Leveraging different information channels
INFORMAL
Interpersonal
Communications
FORMAL
Mass Communications

Between two people or smaller
group of people


Generally immediate feedback


Better understanding of recipient

Hard to confirm recipient of
message
•
•
•
•
•
•
Telephone
Face-to-face
Small meetings
Letters
Formal reports
Community
meetings
•
•
•
Television
Radio
Print (e.g.
newspaper)
•
Firm-to-firm
feedback &
communication
Addresses large/ diverse group of
people
Feedback not immediate
•
•
•
SMS platforms
Internet
Outdoor media
(e.g. billboard)
Equally powerful for influencing market actors
BUT scale and replication differences

19. Case Study: Shamba
Shape-Up TV Series,
Kenya
•
What are the messages that Shamba Shape-Up is trying to
share?
•
What behaviour is it trying to change?
•
Is it an effective or less effective form of communication
to poor, smallholder farmers by market actors?
•
What could even more effective strategies or channels be
that could be used by market actors?

20. Strengthen Push & Pull of information
PUSH:
Want to strengthen
ways to PUSH
information through
the system
PULL:
Want to strengthen
incentives to PULL
information through
the system
and provide feedback
back into the system

21. Case Study: Coffee sector in Uganda
Bulema Coffee Factory
USAID’s LEAD Uganda project

22. Bulema Coffee Factory
Business as Usual …
•
Bulema coffee factory provides hulling
services to farmers at a price; this service
costs more to operate when the coffee is
wet. Bulema also buys coffee from
farmers
•
Buying agents travel to the field at harvest
time and buy coffee from farmers; they
bring it back to the factory warehouse
•
Buying agents who work for Bulema offer
subjective prices to farmers (e.g. based on
observations, biting the bean)

23. Bulema Coffee Factory
Future …
• Use equipment and processes to
transparently assess coffee quality against
standards (i.e. moisture meters, screens
for bean size)
• Use various channels (media and radio, inperson outreach events, market days) to
communicate pricing and quality
parameters.
• Offers training and public information
services to farmers.
• Offers premium pricing for quality coffee –
prices are differentiated based on specific
end-market requirements
• Establishes strong trust relationship
between agents and farmers
• Provides support, advice, connections to
input services and suppliers - to improve
volume and quality of coffee supplied

24. Bulema Coffee Factory
Future …
• Gives farmers feedback on how they
are performing with respect to coffee
quality standards, and specific advice
on how to improve in the following
season
• Gives performance incentives – cows,
goats, recognition, and prizes – to
high-performing suppliers
• Markets coffee aggressively to buyers,
meets their requirements, and is able
to secure higher prices because
meeting end-market requirements
• Expands hulling operation, improves
its management and achieves lower
operating costs for factory
• As market requirements change over
the years, Bulema is able to manage
supply chain and meet current market
demands

25. Case Study: Coffee sector
in Uganda
•
What is the role information flows
are playing in this firm’s business?
•
How can the business use media to
address some of the information
flow issues?
•
What are the benefits of using media
this way?

26. Project Facilitation Role
What do you think
the role of the project
could be in supporting
access to information?

27. Part Two:
Using Market Actors
as key information-sharing
mechanisms
Recognize and incentivize the private sector
as key mechanisms to sharing market
information

28. Using Market Actors
as key information-sharing mechanisms
• What are ways that market
actors (public or private) can be
used to share information into
the market system?
Examples
Marketing
Promotions
Competitions
Discounts
Demonstrations
Embedded technical support
Customer loyalty programs

29. Promotional events that:
Educationbased
• Give smallholder farmers an ability in their
village to learn, see demos, and ask questions
Promotional
Events
• Targeting solutions (not individual products)
• Education-based (contain educational info)
• In local communities (such as local open-air
markets)

30. Education-based promotional events
targeting solutions
Why:
•
•
•
Stimulate information
flow in the marketplace
Create higher comfort
level and more trust
with the market actor
Lead to testimonial
information-sharing
(advertising) that is high
effective with
smallholders

31. Buying
Discounts
Discounts that are:
• Targeting solutions (not individual
products)
• Driving high volume orders and
bulking of orders
• In local communities (such as at local
open-air markets)

32. Buying Discounts
Why:
•
•
•
•
Stimulate information flow in the marketplace
Discounts lower the financial risks of farmers to try
new products and services
Lead to testimonial information-sharing (advertising)
that is high effective with smallholders
Discounts that incentivize trialing new products create
a higher comfort level and more trust with the market
actor (e.g. with the input provider)

33. Contests that are:
Local
Contests
• Targeting solutions (not individual products)
• In local communities (such as at local openair markets)
• In-person (e.g. planting, picking, or ploughing
contests) or local radio-show contests

34. Local Contests
Why:
•
•
•
•
Stimulate information flow in the
marketplace
Lead to testimonial informationsharing (advertising) that is high
effective with smallholders
In-person contests create more
diffused and effective
demonstrations by having multiple
farmers test a product / service
under supervision of input firm
Create a higher comfort level and
more trust with the market actor
(e.g. with the input provider)

35. Engaging with
consumers and
injecting new
information into
interpersonal
networks
Case Study: Private Sector Leveraging Media
Obuoba FM and Golden Stork
ADVANCE project Ghana
Primary implementer: ACDI/VOCA. Donor: USAID

36. Obuoba FM & Golden Stork
Highly successful agricultural competition:
•
Partnered with Golden Stork (input
company) to offer a radio contest on
inputs
•
Winners answered questions on air
from content that had been discussed
in the program, won product (inputs,
and a backpack sprayer
•
To receive the prize all winners needed
to attend a training at the radio station
on how to use the inputs properly
•
Gifty had never learned how to use
inputs, and was so happy with
knowledge that she shared this with
the rest of community network
•
Gifty established herself as a distributor
of the product within her community

37. Customer
Loyalty
Programs
What:
• E.g. specials for customers with
certain number of repeat purchases
• E.g. part of buyer clubs

38. Customer Loyalty Programs
Why:
•
•
•
Stimulate information flow in the marketplace
Create a higher comfort level and more trust with the
input provider
Lead to testimonial information-sharing (advertising)
that is high effective with smallholders

39. Leveraging market
actors’
Marketing &
Promotional
activities

40. Market actors’ marketing & promotions as
information-sharing mechanism
Market systems that function well
have a high degree of marketing and promotional activities
Marketing & Promotional Activities
benefit the flow of information in the system
because they are:
Informational
Cost effective
Help customers have choices
More informed buying decisions
Build relationships & ongoing source of
information
Supports application of information through
decreasing risk of trying new things

41. Private sector marketing & promotions as
information-sharing mechanism
Benefits
Example: Benefit to smallholders
Informational
Provide information to smallholders on what is available in the market
(e.g. what new herbicides or soil testing services are available) and even
how to use it (e.g. when the promotion involves demonstrations)
Cost effective
Are absorbed by the firms as part of their targeted promotional activities
directly to their new or existing customer base, rather than being
separate general information campaigns
Help
customers
have choices
Provide comparisons on different products and services available from
one retailer or even between retailers (e.g. what are different types of
seeds or pesticides that smallholders might choose from)
Informed
buying
decisions
Provide comparisons on characteristics of products/services and which
situations they are most useful for. Helps smallholders make more
informed choices (e.g. which sprays to use when)
Build
relationships
Develops ongoing relationships with smallholders as customers and
therefore an ongoing information source
Supports
application
Promotions could mean that products or services are available at lower
cost through discounts to smallholders, incentivizing them to try out the
new info as there is less financial risk in doing so

42. Marketing & promotions as
information-sharing mechanism
• Think about what information
flows might be needed within
the market systems that you are
working in
Benefits
• Discuss examples of where a
private (or public sector)
promotion or marketing tactic
by a retailer, buyer or other
market actor may be able to
provide this information and
influence
Informational
Cost effective
Help customers have choices
More informed buying decisions
Build ongoing info source
Supports application of
information

43. Case Study: Input Supply Retailer with Agents
Inputs Sector in Kenya
Dfid’s Market Assistance Program (MAP)
Hand outs: Summary of Magos Input Supply case

44. Magos the Input Retailer
In the beginning:
• Had one retail outlet with no
other distribution channels
• Accepted cash only
• Had no regular promotional
activities
• Had links to a small spray team
which did not use much
• Had no embedded information as
part of his product and service
offering
• Was product not customerfocused

45. Magos the Input Retailer
Expanded retail outlets:
• Has multiple retail outlets
Expanded reach to rural areas by setting
up field agent network:
• Has field agent teams
• Field agents accept orders
• Field agents discuss inputs with the
farmers
• Farmers can pre-order the inputs
Runs Promotions:
• Input stalls (demonstration, ordering
and sales) set-up in different rural
towns on their open-air market days
Makes deliveries:
• Has invested in a van to make
deliveries to rural areas

46. Magos the Input Retailer
Expanded Financial Services:
• Accepts M-PESA is a form on
payment both in the store, at the
open-air market promotional
stores, and at the delivery van
Links to 3rd-party Suppliers:
• Refers farmers to spray services
and directly signs farmers up for
appointments during open-air
market days
• Starting to distribute soil testing
kits and collect soil testing
samples on commission basis for
soil testing company

47. Magos the Input Retailer
Setting up management information
system and customer research tool:
• Testing cell phone research tool to
keep in contact with customers,
take orders, and research usage
and needs
Provide Technical Assistance through
Embedded Services:
• Provides information on how to
use and apply inputs effectively
and safely as part of the sale of
products through sales agents

48. Project Facilitation Role
What do you think
the role of the project
was?

49. Project Facilitation Role
Agent Model:
•
Introduced idea of agent model through
meetings / presentations
•
Organized study tour to Zambia to see model at
work (smart subsidy to cover travel costs)
•
Will be supporting trainers on how to train
agent network
Promotions:
•
Introduced idea of input stalls at open-air
market days
•
Covered initial transport costs (smart subsidy
that had a rapidly decreasing cost share model)
3rd-party Supplier Linkages:
•
Introduced idea of promoting linkages to spray
service teams to increase customers for his
other inputs
•
Introduced to soil testing facility
Management information system and customer
research tool:
•
Introduced to SMS research tool

50. Incentives
Buying Down
Risk
Demonstration
Effect
Upgrading
Crowding In
Exit Strategy

51. Incentives
• Understanding and
building on the drivers
(interests and motivations)
of the actors to take on a
new behaviour (take on or
participate in a new
activity)
• May be social, personal,
financial, etc.
• Agrovet and 3rd-party support
services want to grow their
businesses and make higher
profits, by:
• developing better relationships
with customers (for repeat sales
from farmers)
• reaching new customers (by
selling to new farmers in rural
areas)
• making more sales (by making it
easier to order, access and pay
for their products)

52. Buy-down risk
• To demonstrate the benefits of
new market behaviours, a
project might decide to
decrease (“buy down”) the risk
of a market actor trying out the
new behaviour - using strategic
“smart” subsidies.
• It may seem too risky for the
market actor to bear the cost
and time of taking on the
behaviour/activity on their own
for the first time
• A cost share was used by the
project to share costs for the
open-air market day
promotional stalls as a
demonstration to agrovet that
this would indeed bring in
more customers and sales.
• The project covered a rapidly
decreasing % of the cost of
transport for the first 10 openair market days

53. Demonstration Effect
• Effects on the behaviour of
individuals or firms caused by
observation of the actions of
others and their consequences
• Uses early behaviour change
adopters as examples / models
• Goal: deepen ownership of
behaviour changes in the value
chain actors, and broaden the
change throughout the value
chain so that it becomes a
“norm”
• Other input suppliers
(agrovets) see how successful
the agent network and rural
market day promotions are,
and start setting up services to
reach poorer farmers in rural
areas.

54. Upgrading
Investing time, money or
other resources into
improving the enterprise
• Invested in new technology to
improve his business (M-PESA
payments, cell phone
customer research tool)
-
• Invested in bringing in new
partners to be able to offer a
more sophisticated range of
products and services
-
-
Process upgrading (new
production techniques or
improved technology)
Product upgrading (improving
the product or other product
lines)
Functional upgrading
(improving skills)
• Invested in improving skills
and buying new equipment to
run local promotional events

55. Crowding-in
• Interventions catalyze or
bring in other players and
functions into the market
system so that it works
better for the poor.
Can result in:
• Expanded breadth (more
transactions in the market)
• Expanded depth (supporting
functions)
• Expanded reach (new areas or
markets)
• Increasing number of agrovets
may see the success of a
business strategy to target
rural farmers, and start
copying or adapting the
activities of the agrovet
• Increasing number of support
service providers are seeing
the benefit of partnering with
agrovets to target poorer
producers (spraying, soil
testing, …)

56. Exit Strategy
• Stopping investments in a
certain activity once a certain
level of uptake or behaviour
change has been reached.
• “Rolling exit strategies” stop
cost-sharing, using a wait-andsee approach, to see if a market
actor self selects to take on an
activity by themselves, showing
that they have the ownership
and capacity to continue
without the project’s support.
• The project stopped costsharing open-air market day
stalls as the agrovet started
seeing value and demonstrated
the ownership, capacity and
means to take on the activity
• The project planted the idea of
an agent network, but waited
to see if the agrovet took the
initial steps to put this in place
before investing more time and
money into strengthening the
network.

57. Part Three:
Media market system
as a leverage for change
Recognize and strengthen media as
its own value chain to leverage
change in markets

58. Radio
Mobile Phones
Broadcast Television
Poorest
Cable/Satellite TV
Media
Poor
Newspapers
Media
Rich
Internet
Wealthiest
Magazines
Media: People see
and hear information
… but what actually
influences them?

59. Potential of rural radio to impact
poverty through behaviour change in
market systems
Why the focus on radio?
 Among three
main categories of mass media tools - radio,
television and print media - influence of rural radio at a
local level cannot be denied
 Improving the content,
listener orientation, and proactive
advocacy of radio on behalf of its listenership is a critical
piece to achieving sustainable poverty reduction
 Interventions in
rural radio and media can provide
attributable gains to income in select market systems /
value chains

60. Media … traditional role for media providers
in rural areas

Content driven by advertizers paying for advertizing space
(e.g. Radio’s Pay-to-Air Model)
•
•
•
•
CONTENT: Limited ownership
over content
AUDIENCE: Limited value
placed on audience
ADVERTIZERS / SPONSORS:
Limited understanding of needs
of clients
ADVOCACY: Limited advocating
on behalf of their audience

61. Media … new Influence-Advocacy
model to strengthen market systems
• Educator /
Information
Provider
• Investigator
•Value placed
on audience
• Ownership over
content
Content
Clients
(Advertizers /
Sponsors)
Audience
Advocacy
• Market
Connector
• Advocate /
Watchdog
• Understand
needs of clients
• Advocate on
behalf of
audience

62. Media … new Influence-Advocacy
model to strengthen market systems
Understanding characteristics of their Audience:
What media needs to sell:
• Audience segment
• Ability to influence that audience!
Audience
Clients
What media needs to do:
• Gain an in-depth understanding of the
characteristics of audience through market
research and strategic interaction
• to understand who precisely is listening
and what they want to hear (interests,
demographics, needs)
• Become more responsive to needs of the
audience, in sectors that are working
Content
Advocacy

63. Media … new Influence-Advocacy
model to strengthen market systems
Understanding their Clients:
Content
What media needs to do:
• View sponsorship and advertising
relationships as core to their business
model and sustainability
• Understand range of client segments in
order to have tailored pitches / proposals
• Create client relationships and
mechanism to track on-going clients’
perceptions, expectations, and
satisfaction
Audience
Clients
Advocacy

64. Media … new Influence-Advocacy
model to strengthen market systems
Content Ownership and Quality Control:
Advertizers respond to content, therefore …
What media needs to do:
• Building quality and credible content that will
promote strong relationships with their audience
Content
Audience
Clients
Advocacy
• Actively take on information provider/educator,
watchdog/advocate, and market connector roles, by
owning their content, as opposed to
sponsors/advertisers directing it
• Generating content that is demanded by audience
segment to increase number of listeners, build trust,
loyalty, and ultimately influence

65. Media … new Influence-Advocacy
model to strengthen market systems
Advocacy:
Content
Audience
What rural media (eg radio) has potential for:
• Shape public dialogues that form community
rules / standards
Clients
Advocacy
• Influence masses and act as advocate or
watchdog on behalf of audience
• Give poor people a voice to make their opinions, grievances
and ideas known
• Reveal hidden public or private sector wrongdoing or
incompetence, point out important, but ignored, community
issue that require resolution, or highlight unfair or unjust
treatment of particular groups or individuals
• Deepen trust levels and increase ability to influence audience

66. Media in the role of Advocator for it’s
audience
Listeners are engaging with the
identity of the station
An influential station becomes a
part of the listeners community

67. Radio as an
effective outreach
medium among
the rural poor

68. Media market system value chain map
Sources of
Information
Government
Legislation Lobbying
Journalist
Associations/Free lance
Quality
Info
Service
$
Services
ICT companies
$
$
Skill Centre: Universities
/institutes
News Agencies
$
Media Houses
Services
Private sector eg. input
suppliers, banks
Services
Advertising
Agencies
Readers
Statistics
Advertising Agencies
$
Services
$
Consumer
Associations
Time/ Attention
Information/Advocacy/market linkages
$
Info on Media Habit
Media Research
Companies
Advertisers
Media Consumption
Data
Audience
Improved
Programming

69. Engaging with
Consumers and
Injecting New
Information into
Interpersonal
Networks
Case Study: Strengthening Radio sector in Kenya
Radio Nam lolwe, Nyanza
Dfid’s Market Assistance Project (MAP)
Kenya Markets Trust

70. Radio Nam lolwe
In the beginning …
Audience:
•
Had minimal understanding of audience.
•
No focused effort to begin to engage with audience
•
No data on audience based on reputable research
Relationships with Advertisers / Sponsors:
•
Not developing tailored marketing proposals for clients
•
Not actively seeking out advertisers
•
Proposals were lengthy and convoluted
•
Focused on Pay-to-Play - so did not focus on building
long-term relationships with advertisers
•
No strong revenues from program – believed that no
high interest amongst sponsors to advertise
Content:
•
Content generated mostly from the internet - read by a
presenter
•
Existing agricultural radio show
•
Focus on a Pay-to-Play business model, so did not have
control or ownership over their content, unsustainable
•
Used SMS technology to interact with audience
•
Not actively developing content that put them in role
of educator/ information provider,
advocate/investigative or market linker

71. Radio Nam lolwe
Now / near future …
Audience
• Starting to realize that don’t have very
much information about audience
• Beginning to understand that need that
information to develop tailored marketing
proposals to clients
• Expressed interest in buying listenership
data from Synovate
• Presenting offers to advertizers that add
value and offer multiple touch-points with
audience
• Have piloted Frontline Radio SMS platform
to engage audience through polling and
feedback
• Engaging with audience to maintain and
increase listenership e.g. voting process for
attending Equity Bank promotional event

72. Radio Nam lolwe
Now / near future …
Content / Advocacy
• Engaging audience through offering diversified
content
• Education on pesticide control (by chemical
company)
• Weekly financial tips (by bank)
• Farming tips (by seed company)
• Educational campaigns on entrepreneurship
targeting fishermen, sugarcane, rice and cotton
farmers
• Weather and soil fertility tips
• Trying out new strategies for content
• Radio contest (with chemicals company)
• Drama (with ag radio)
• Talk show (with MOA)
• Radio contest (with agro vet)
• Campaign to nominate farmer representatives
live-on-air for a forum sponsored by a bank
• Trying out promotional events as a new information
source for program ie. live coverage and gathering
interviews
• Outdoor promotions on good farming practices

73. Radio Nam lolwe
Now / near future …
Relationships with Advertisers/
Sponsors
• Redesigning offers to be more
concise and visually focused to
clearly and effectively communicate
the pitch
• Developing
offers that are tailored
to align with business objectives of
advertisers/ sponsors
• Understand value
and opportunity
for increased revenue by proactively
seeking out advertiser relationships

74. Project Facilitation Role
What do you think
the role of the project
was?

75. Project Facilitation Role
Relationships with Advertisers:
• Linked to market actors to approach for
advertising/sponsorship and content involvement
• Technical support (Staff subsidy)
• Helped refine commercial (marketing) offers to be
tailored to business objectives of clients
• Reformatted offers/proposals to be simplified and
visually focused so that pitches are clear and concise
Content:
• Technical Support: Built capacity on how to take
ownership of content, and new program formatting
• Provided technical resources on developing radio
dramas
• Linked to technical experts for interviews
• Technical Support: Supported integration of
promotional events into product offering to improve
content and to take on role of market linker,
information provider/ educator
Advocacy:
• Introduced idea of investigative reporting that would
support a stronger advocacy role

77. Engaging with
consumers and
injecting new
information into
interpersonal
networks
Case Study: Private Sector Leveraging Media
Obuoba FM and Golden Stork
ADVANCE project Ghana
Primary implementer: ACDI/VOCA. Donor: USAID

78. Obuoba FM & Golden Stork
Highly successful agricultural competition:
•
Partnered with Golden Stork (input
company) to offer a radio contest on
inputs
•
Winners answered questions on air
from content that had been discussed
in the program, won product (inputs,
and a backpack sprayer
•
To receive the prize all winners needed
to attend a training at the radio station
on how to use the inputs properly
•
Gifty had never learned how to use
inputs, and was so happy with
knowledge that she shared this with
the rest of community network
•
Gifty established herself as a distributor
of the product within her community

79. Obuoba FM & Golden Stork
In the beginning …
Content:
• Program content always presented in same format
• No support from management to do field interviews
• No tactics to actively engage listeners except call-ins
Relationships with Advertisers/Sponsors:
• Despite popularity, had trouble securing advertisers
• Advertisers only wanted ad spots during sports programs
• Did not develop proposals tailored to clients
• Not proactive in identifying prospective advertisers
• No value placed on developing relationships with clients
Audience:
• No strategy to build trust and loyalty with audience
• No strategy to focus on demand-driven content
• Content was one dimensional / studio driven
• Single touch-points with client call-ins
Advocacy
• Management unsupportive of host investigating issues
• Management did not understand opportunity to leverage
passion of presenter to investigate issues and continue to
build trust, loyalty and influence

80. Obuoba FM & Golden Stork
Now / near future …
Relationships with Advertisers/
Sponsors
• Developed tailored pitch to add
value to Golden Stork’s strategy
• Developed content that offered
multiple client touch-points
• Developed pitch for radio contest, ad
spots and educational event
• Focused on developing long-term
relationship
• Collected data on number of phonein’s/ inquires for client
• Prepared second offer to client prior
to completion of first to leverage
momentum and success of current
promotion

81. Obuoba FM & Golden Stork
Now / near future …
Audience
• Engaged with clients through phone-in and
SMS for contest, and interpersonal
interaction at education and training event opportunity for planned and casual
communication
• Leveraged word-of-mouth networks to build
brand of radio station and their client
(Golden Stork)
• Educated audience on proper use of inputs
throughout radio contest, and training on
how to use products. Embedded
information through providing information
and creating a feedback channel through
phone-ins, SMS and interpersonal
communication
• Took on role of market linker and
educator/information provider
• Built trust with Gifty who has shared
information. Contest was able to leverage
word-of-mouth promotion

82. Obuoba FM & Golden Stork
Now / near future …
Content
• Golden Stork was expert panelist on
program. Sales rep interviewed and
audience could ask questions, in order to
engage with audience - provided market
relevant information on the use and
purchase of inputs
• Station still "owned” content by
interviewing Golden Stork as opposed to
Golden Stork directing content
• Contest improved content through
multiple touch-points, and increased
incentives to listen
• Generated content through interviews at
education event

83. Project Facilitation Role
What do you think
the role of the project
was?

84. Project Facilitation Role
Relationships with Private Sector Advertisers:
•
Linked to private sector actors
•
Technical support:
•
Developed tailored marketing proposals (showing
insights into clients marketing objectives)
•
Gathered data and information to provide to client
for feedback on success of promotion
•
Coached on strategies to develop and add value to
client relationship
Content:
•
Helped develop idea for contest and promotion e.g.
having input demonstration as part of prize
•
Supported setting up promotional event
•
Smart subsidy:
•
•
Paid for cost of participants to attend input training
(Golden Stork paid for prize, Obuoba FM hosted
promotional event at their facility)
Project field staff attended training to support Golden
Stork staff

85. Project Facilitation Role
Audience:
•
Technical support:
•
•
Gathered information about callers and number of
callers for contest to provide to client
Audience engagement:
•
•
•
Attempted to introduce SMS platform management didn't want to pay for the platform
despite cost share offer - host increased use of SMS
on personal mobile phone
Built trust/ loyalty with audience through providing
them with valuable knowledge
Program Design:
•
Supported on how to create more engaging and
relevant content, opportunities to gather content
and link in market actors and experts
•
Created opportunity to engage with audience in
meaningful way e.g. input training, and as a result
tapped into family and friend network. Gifty took
on role of star and brought new information into
her network

86. Constraints in media market systems
that market facilitators can support
 Market
facilitators (practitioners) can
strengthen media market systems by
recognizing key constraints to overcome
 In
this way media can become an active
leverage point to support market and
value chain development activities
•
Example of constraint: Lack of listenership
profile and numbers required by private firms
prevents quick buy-in to local radio stations
that are closer to smallholder listeners

87. Dealing with constraints in media
market systems
Bayer Crop Sciences

Western region field representative
from Bayer Crop Sciences identified
local radio station as primary
communication medium for
agricultural information to people in
his sales territory
however…

Bayer’s marketing department
preferred to advertise with Nation
Media Group
why might this have been?

88. Dealing with constraints in media
market systems
Bayer Crop Sciences

Bayer’s marketing department utilizes
Media Buyers whose research focus
on listener demographics and number
of listeners

Media Buyers do not have research
on the local radio’s listenership

Media Buyers place greater emphasis
on number of listeners compared to
how listeners may absorb information
differently

89. Dealing with constraints in media
market systems

Local radio station has not been
able to generate marketable data
on its listener demographics or its
total listener base

Local radio station does not have
relationships with Media Buyers
used by firms like Bayer

Local radio station has not been
able to generate a marketable
pitch on why its listeners are more
likely to absorb information
compared to national stations
Local Radio Station

90. Case Study: Radio Mangelete
Dfid’s Market Assistance Program (MAP)

91. Radio Mangelete
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Only truly community-owned radio
station in Kenya
Owned by a network of 33 women’s
groups (837 women)
Not managed by radio or media
professionals
Content generated by women with
emphasis on empowerment issues
Content driven by listener needs and
interests
Nature of programming creates
personal and trusted relationship
with listeners
BUT … struggle to generate revenue
through advertising or outside
content

92. Radio Mangelete
Audience:
• Highly dedicated, regular listeners
• Deep trust of Radio Mangelete
content
• Likely to amplify Radio Mangelete
messages through interpersonal
communication

93. Radio Mangelete
Relationship with Clients
(Advertisers/Sponsors):
• Limited capacity to quantify
listenership
• Limited capacity to market airtime
to advertisers or content
generators
• Disconnected from formal media
system

94. Radio Mangelete
Content:
• Well-targeted to listener needs
and interests
• Focused on issues of particular
interest to women
• Often deals with highly personal
issues
• Limited in the breadth of issues
covered

95. Radio Mangelete
•
•
How might the project work with
this type of media firm?
What are the key areas that they
might address?

96. Case Study: West FM, Kenya

97. West FM
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Family-owned and privately
financed station
One of only two stations that
broadcasts programming in
KiSwahili and English
Listener base is not limited by local
language dialects
National and international
following
Technologically advanced with
professional website and
streaming content
Active social media presence
Global audience interests not
always connection to needs of
local constituents
Limited advertising revenue

98. West FM
Audience:
• Not geographically limited by
local language dialects
• National and international
following as a result of
professional website and social
media presence
• Not always well-connected to
local listenership
Ownership:
• Family-owned and privately
financed

99. West FM
Relationship with
Advertisers/Sponsors:
• Limited capacity to describe the
characteristics of listenership
and followers
• Quantitative measures of social
media followers, but limited
capacity to quantify local
listenership
• Limited capacity to segment
followers into distinct groups by
geography, demographics, or
media platform followed
• Has not successfully marketed to
Media Buyers

100. West FM
Content:
• Does not always meet the needs
of local listenership
• Emphasis on national and
international issues driven by
wide network of followers
• Brings national and international
issues to local listeners
• Local issues for local listeners
underrepresented among
content programming
• Little emphasis on pushing local
issues out to national and
international audiences

101. West FM
•
•
How might the project work
with this type of media firm?
What are the key areas that
they might address?

102. Prepare a roleplay showing
how you will make your offer
Selling the Offer to
Media Buyers
Selling the Offer to
Media Stations
•
•
You work for a
development project
You want to make the case
to a radio station that they
could take on an advocacy
and information-giving
role which would be better
for their business and their
audience
•
You work for a radio show
•
You want to make the case
to media buyers
(companies or other
stakeholders who could
sponsor programs or buy
advertising space) to be
involved in your advocacy
and information-giving
strategy