Trend Hunter is a big fan of MBAs Without Borders and it is time for a follow up, in the form of an example.
One University of Alberta student was able to take his marketing skills to Nigeria where he was able to save lives threatened by Malaria by sparking huge demand for a product that was unwanted. His idea to use product placement in Nollywood movies was what made it really take off.
Omar Yaqub took part in MBAs Without Borders, an incredible program for business school graduates that lets them apply their knowledge and skills to help in third world countries. He was able to cause a demand for anti-malaria sleeping nets, an invention the Africans had rejected until now because they considered them "primitive, rural and ugly" according to Business 2.0.
First he revamped the nets to introduce more appealing colours (pinks in Kano, blue in Enugu and green in Lago).
"To change the nets' backward image, he schmoozed producers in Nigeria's booming film industry (known as, yes, Nollywood) and got Hollywood-style product placement in 20 movies and two popular Nigerian soap operas.
"It worked. In nine months Yaqub's team negotiated deals to distribute nearly 4 million nets; he returned to Canada in December, hooked on the rush of social entrepreneurship. 'You feel good. You can sell as much Coke or Pepsi as you want. But if you do this, you've helped alleviate some suffering.'"
First World Marketing Saves Third World Problems
MBAs Without Borders (FOLLOW UP)
Trend Themes
1. Product Placement in Developing Countries - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore the use of product placement in developing countries to create demand for products and address societal issues.
2. Rebranding Stigmatized Products - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Rebrand products with negative perceptions to make them more appealing and increase acceptance in underserved markets.
3. Social Entrepreneurship in Emerging Industries - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Apply business skills and knowledge to create positive social impact in emerging industries of developing countries.
Industry Implications
1. Film and Entertainment - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Collaborate with the film and entertainment industry as a marketing strategy to promote products and create social change.
2. Healthcare and Medical Devices - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop innovative healthcare solutions and medical devices that cater to the specific needs and preferences of underserved populations.
3. Social Enterprise Consulting - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Provide consulting services to businesses and organizations for leveraging their resources to create positive social impact in developing economies.