Testing New Marketing Models for Improved Cookstoves

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

3500 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2012-02-29

Study Completion Date

2015-11-30

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of different sales offers and different marketing messages to increase the uptake of energy efficient cookstoves.

This research will address the following major barriers to the acquisition and correct use of improved cookstoves into four main categories:

* Inappropriate product or marketing for intended users
* Lack of consumer trust in new products
* Failure to address consumers' financial constraints
* Failure to achieve behavioral change

To do so this research includes 3 Randomized Controlled Trials including:RCT 1- Testing the Effectiveness of Marketing Messages in Increasing Willingness to Pay; RCT 2- Testing the Effectiveness of the Novel Sales Offer and its ability to Increase Uptake of Purchasing Energy Efficient Cookstoves; and RCT 3-Measure the Effects of Fuel Efficient Cookstoves on Health, Fuel Use and Time Spent Collecting Fuel.

RCT 1 studies the price women are willing to pay for the improved stove. It will also test the effects of the two most effective marketing messages identified during the Phase 1 Feasibility stage (e.g., improved health, saves time, and has high status) on increasing willingness to pay. RCT 1 will run second price auctions in 36 parishes with an average of 60 participants per meeting.

From RCT 1, RCT 2 tests the effect of a Novel Sales Offer- which includes a free trial, and time payments- on purchasing decisions of participants versus those that receive the Traditional Offer- a cash and carry offer. Based on a pilot in urban Kampala conducted by Dr. David I. Levine (co-P.I. on this project) results show a 44% uptake for households offered the novel offer vs. a 4% uptake for those offered the traditional offer. The hypothesis is a novel offer will significantly increase uptake of fuel efficient cookstoves in rural Uganda when compared to a traditional offer.

RCT 3 measures the impacts of fuel efficient cookstoves on health, fuel usage, and time spent collecting fuel. For RCT 3 we will randomize those who accept the Novel Offer into early and late groups. To measure the impacts of improved stoves on health, fuel use, time spent collecting fuel, etc., there will be a baseline and follow-up survey and associated quantitative measures on our full sample and a small endline on select quantitative measures for a sub-sample.

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Detailed Description

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Given that 95% of Ugandans rely on solid fuel for cooking, and the vast majority use unimproved wood stoves in rural areas, replacing dirty and inefficient household wood stoves in Uganda provides a tremendous opportunity to improve health. Impact Carbon has been implementing an improved cookstove program in Uganda since 2005 which has now commercially sold more than 80,000 stoves. However, the program has not been successful in selling clean burning household wood stoves due to challenges related to the four categories of major barriers discussed above. Targeted research addressing these barriers will allow the team to test new sales and marketing methods to increase uptake of fuel efficient cookstoves. This has the potential to significantly reduce indoor air pollution as more households adopt fuel efficient cookstoves.

Conditions

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Air Pollution, Indoor Behavior

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

SEQUENTIAL

We conducted a series of sequential RCTs. The first RCT tests how willingness to pay for a fuel-efficient cookstove varies with 1. marketing messages and 2. sales offers that address household financial constraints The second RCT 2 tests the comparable purchase from a traditional cash-and carry sales offer to uptake of the novel offer- which includes a free trial of the cookstove and the right to return the stove with no payment and a rent-to-own model where the customer pays in time payments.

The third RCT examined the effects of fuel-efficient cookstoves on wood use, household air pollution, and cooking behaviors in rural Uganda RCT 4 examines the effect of peer usage on consumer demand for efficient cookstoves with a randomized controlled trial in rural Uganda.

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants

Study Groups

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Health Marketing Message

Marketing message focused on health effects of cooking with wood on a three stone fire.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

RCT 1- Testing the Effectiveness of Marketing Messages in Increasing Willingness to Pay

Intervention Type OTHER

We are testing whether any marketing messages effect participants willingness to pay for the fuel efficient cookstoves. All marketing messages are true.

Savings Marketing Message

Marketing message focused on savings (both time and money) related to using an energy efficient cookstove.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

RCT 1- Testing the Effectiveness of Marketing Messages in Increasing Willingness to Pay

Intervention Type OTHER

We are testing whether any marketing messages effect participants willingness to pay for the fuel efficient cookstoves. All marketing messages are true.

Savings and Health Marketing Messages Combined

One group will receive both the savings and health marketing messages.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

RCT 1- Testing the Effectiveness of Marketing Messages in Increasing Willingness to Pay

Intervention Type OTHER

We are testing whether any marketing messages effect participants willingness to pay for the fuel efficient cookstoves. All marketing messages are true.

Novel Sales Offer

This group will receive a free trial and time payments when purchasing an energy efficient cookstove.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

RCT 2- Testing the Effectiveness of the Novel Sales Offer and its ability to Increase Uptake of Purchasing Energy Efficient Cookstoves

Intervention Type OTHER

We are testing whether households who receive the Novel Sales Offer have higher uptake than those households who receive the Traditional Sales Offer.

Early vs. Late Buyers

Of those who accept the Novel Sales Offer, half the buyers will randomly be selected to start their free trial within a few weeks of the sales meeting, while the other half- the late buyers- will start their free trial a within 2 months of the sales meeting.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

RCT 3-Measure the Effects of Fuel Efficient Cookstoves on Health, Fuel Use and Time Spent Collecting Fuel

Intervention Type OTHER

Of those who accept the Novel Sales Offer, half the group will be randomly selected to start their free trial early while the other half will receive their free trial late. Those who receive their free trial late will serve as a control group for fuel consumption and Particulate Matter exposure in kitchens.

Interventions

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RCT 1- Testing the Effectiveness of Marketing Messages in Increasing Willingness to Pay

We are testing whether any marketing messages effect participants willingness to pay for the fuel efficient cookstoves. All marketing messages are true.

Intervention Type OTHER

RCT 3-Measure the Effects of Fuel Efficient Cookstoves on Health, Fuel Use and Time Spent Collecting Fuel

Of those who accept the Novel Sales Offer, half the group will be randomly selected to start their free trial early while the other half will receive their free trial late. Those who receive their free trial late will serve as a control group for fuel consumption and Particulate Matter exposure in kitchens.

Intervention Type OTHER