Request for Proposals: Motivational Campaign on Food Safety in Hawassa (Ethiopia)

Deadline: 20-Mar-23

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is requesting proposals for Motivational Campaign on Food Safety in Hawassa.

In Ethiopia, the EatSafe program activities will be focused in Hawassa, specifically the Aroge Gebeya market. EatSafe in Ethiopia has already generated evidence on consumer and vendor knowledge, perceptions, needs, choices, and practices related to the safety of nutritious foods purchased in Hawassa, as well as evidence on hazards associated with the market and the target food commodities. At the end of last year, the program designed three interventions to increase consumer demand for safe nutritious foods in the market. EatSafe currently seeks to implement these interventions in the Aroge Gebeya market to assess their potential to influence behavior of consumers to demand safe and nutritious food.

This RFP pertains to one of the proposed interventions – the Food Safety Motivational Campaign for shoppers at the Aroge Gebeya.

Objective

The purpose of the campaign is to motivate consumers to identify and choose “clean” vendors when shopping in Aroge Gebeya. Clear, visual cues will be provided to facilitate the process. The campaign will also highlight how unsafe food could potentially affect a family’s health, particularly the health of young children.

• Campaign Audience:
  • General shoppers at the Aroge Gebeya, with targeted messaging for specific user groups.
    • Caregivers of young children.
    • People shopping for their families.
    • University students
    • Industrial Park workers.
• Barriers:
  • Incorrect beliefs and myths about what makes food safe or unsafe (details will be available)
  • Overconfidence in ability to identify and purchase safer foods.
  • Lack of conversations around food safety at home and in the market.
  • Lack of understanding of the severity of the problem, particularly for young children.
• Key Food Safety behaviors GAIN wantS to change:
  • GAIN wants shoppers to prioritize purchasing food from vendors that
    • Have clean hands, clean clothes, clean surfaces, clean water (if visible), clean produce, clean surroundings.
    • Properly separate and sort clean/new food from dirty/damaged/old food
    • Elevate from the ground food that is ready for sale and cover or shade food.
• Messaging Approach:
  • Connect the practice of selecting a clean vendor with home food safety practices (i.e. you wouldn’t do “IT” when cooking at home, why buy from a vendor who does “IT?”)
  • Motivational messages should communicate:
    • The risk for food borne disease (FBD), particularly for young children
    • Potential financial waste from buying food that spoils fast and likely to cause illness, causing suffering and incurring medical costs.

Required Scope of Work

The Motivational Campaign and all resources developed as part of the work should, as much as possible, target consumers in and around Aroge Gebeya market. All assets must be developed in Amharic and when appropriate translated to Sidama. The firm, in close collaboration with EatSafe, will undertake the following activities:

• Using evidence gathered by EatSafe to develop Five (5) Motivational Messages that are calls to behavioral action for consumers while they are shopping in Aroge Gebeya:
  • Messages should be developed in Amharic first and then translated to Sidama and English for EatSafe review.
  • Messages should be practical and doable.
  • Messages should build on local cultural heritage and identity.
  • Messages should connect how consumers shop for food with keeping their families safe and healthy, paying particular attention to the health of young children.
    • Example: “Look for and buy from clean vendors in your market (clean hands, clean clothes, clean tables, clean surroundings), because your families health depends on it”.
  • Messages should connect how consumers shop with what they should do at home when handling food (storing, preparing).
    • Example: “You cook with clean hands and clean water at home to protect your family, make sure your vendor does the same.”
  • Messages should be appropriate for the communication channels presented by the Firm in the proposal.
• Refine and finalize the Campaign Plan that was submitted as part of the proposal.
• Design and Produce Campaign Assets Once a dissemination plan is finalized, develop the entire suite of campaign assets. Below is an illustrative list of assets based on initial meetings with local stakeholders; however, the Firm is expected to refine this list based on the finalized Campaign Plan
  • Posters Ads and larger murals for
    • Main thoroughfares in marke.
    • University and industrial park.
    • vendor stalls.
  • Ads, Jingles and/or original songs for PSAs on local TV/radio advertisements and van promotions.
  • Short videos for.
    • social channels.
    • church booths.
    • industrial park TV channels.
    • university emails.
  • Memes for social and email comms.
  • Flyers to disseminate at Church booths and at Industrial Park.
  • Ads for TukTuks.
• Implement Campaign
  • EatSafe expects the Firm to fully implement all components of the plan. This could include, but is not limited to:
    • Add buys and placements on local television stations.
    • Add buys and placements on local radio stations.
    • Billboard buys and placements around the market.
    • Construction of new billboard or painting of murals around market space.
    • Social media buys and placements.
    • Monitoring of the Campaign to ensure its fidelity to the Plan.
• Regularly report on the progress of the Campaign.
• Assist EatSafe in producing final report about this Campaign for USAID.
• Travel to Hawassa as needed.

Eligibility Criteria

• Proven record with full creative agency capabilities, tools, and technologies to perform the design and execution of digital marketing and website development campaigns.
• Proven experience in creative implementation of digital communication, promotional and targeted ad building tools across various industries.
• Experience on consumer feedback and insight assessment towards implemented digital promotional activities.
• Clear and systematic thinking that demonstrates good judgment, expert problem solving, and creativity for innovative recommendations.
• Any experience towards engagement in creative works on food business or health or nutrition sectors. A focus on complementary foods is a plus.
• Experience working in a public/private partnership environment highly desirable.
• Qualified team expertise in creative digital strategy, content development, design work, digital marketing expertise, promo production, website development, online database, management, digital ad building.
• Ability to provide translation services in Amharic and Sidama in digital executions.
• Ability to deliver on short deadlines with the expected quality and outcome intact.

For more information, visit GAIN.