Testing New Marketing Models for Improved Cookstoves - Uganda

NCT01611350 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: TRA001
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 3,500
• Locations: 2 countries
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Air Pollution, Indoor; Behavior

Keywords

Indoor Air Pollution; Marketing Methods for Increasing Technology Adoption; Optimal Contracts for Technology Adoption

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Effectiveness of Marketing Messages in Increasing Willingness to Pay

  We will test whether or not certain marketing messages increase willingness to pay through a secondary price auction.

  During February 2012 we will assess whether or not different marketing messages increase willingness to pay.

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Test the Effectiveness of the Novel Sales Offer to Increase Uptake of Purchasing Energy Efficient Cookstoves

  This will be assessed from March 2012 to July 2012

• Measure the Effects of Fuel Efficient Cookstoves on Health, Fuel Use and Time Spent Collecting Fuel

  Will be assessed between April 2012 and August 2012

Study Arms (5)

Health Marketing Message

EXPERIMENTAL

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

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

Savings Marketing Message

EXPERIMENTAL

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

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

Savings and Health Marketing Messages Combined

EXPERIMENTAL

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

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

Novel Sales Offer

EXPERIMENTAL

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

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

Early vs. Late Buyers

EXPERIMENTAL

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.

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

Interventions

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

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

Health Marketing Message; Savings Marketing Message; Savings and Health Marketing Messages Combined

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

Early vs. Late Buyers

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

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

Novel Sales Offer

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

All households are eligible to purchase a stove.

Contact the study team to discuss eligibility requirements. They can help determine if this study is right for you.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, Berkeley: lead
• United States Agency for International Development (USAID): collaborator
• Impact Carbon, 501c3: collaborator
• Centre for Integrated Research and Community Development Uganda (CIRCODU): collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, California, 94720, United States

Location

Mbarara District

Mbarara, Uganda

Location

Related Links

• Published article for RCT 1: "The effect of marketing messages and payment over time on willingness to pay for fuel-efficient cookstoves

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Behavior

Study Officials

• Theresa Beltramo, PhD

  University of California, Berkeley

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SEQUENTIAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Model Details: 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.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 8, 2012
• First Posted: June 5, 2012
• Study Start: February 1, 2012
• Primary Completion: November 1, 2015
• Study Completion: November 1, 2015
• Last Updated: February 28, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-02

Locations

UG (1); US (1)