Poll Results on Choice brand Condom
Choice brand condom is popular in whole African market, esp the SA. Over the last six months, the Foundation asked the following question through its website Poll: The South African Choice condom needs to be rebrand for increased interest in condom use. Of the 137 responses recorded, 95% agreed that Choice condoms need rebranding, 5% disagreed.
We followed this question up through some of our workshops and received responses from both young and adults from various communities. This was to gain their understanding and attitudes towards the South African own brand: Choice condom. Here were some of the responses:
‘It’s better to buy condoms from a shop or drugstore, because they have better quality than those free provided by the government”. 32 year old male, Pietermaritzburg Said.
There is no need to rebrand the Choice condom. People will always find excuses not to use them, even if government rebrands them. Besides, it will be a major waste of money to keep rebranding something that currently works efficiently. If it aint broken, why fix it?”. 30 year old Female told us, Durban. “I would not want to be seen using a free government condom when I’m on a date. This will reduce my status, even if the government were to rebrand, I’ll rather buy one from store.” 25 year old male, Durban.
“I don’t like the way they (Choice condoms) smell. Perhaps they (government) must try to make them in different flavours and colours to make them more interesting”. 23 year old female, Pietermaritzburg
“I am for rebranding – at least every three years. The old brand has a lot of stigma and negative stories attached to it. Perhaps this might also increase demand, especially for us young people, we love to be seen using the latest brands as well as have a variety to choose from”. 18 year old female, Durban
“Choice condoms burst during sex and others leak, they are therefore not reliable and I simply would not use them any more”. 50 year old male, Copesville
Understandably, in January this year, South Africa recalled 1.35 Million prophylactics. This was a third recall in less than five years and it raises questions for most people about the quality of some of the 425 million-plus condoms that the government gives away each year, and the competence of the South African Bureau of Standards that is supposed to ensure their quality is up to international standards.
In 2007, the government recalled more than 20 million defective condoms manufactured locally but recovered only 12 million. The Health Ministry said many of the condoms failed the air burst test. That came after a recall the same year of 5 million defective and locally produced condoms. In that case, the Ministry of Health said a testing manager at the South African Bureau of Standards had taken a bribe to certify the faulty contraceptives condom products, which damage the authority’s image.
An organization that has a lot of experience with condoms, the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce, said many of the 10,000 to 15,000 prostitutes they work with often complain about the free government condoms. The Taskforce said they instead use a brand provided by an international charity. “The CHOICE condoms that the government is distributing are very unsatisfactory and we have a lot of complaints about condoms breaking,” said Maria Stacey, SWEAT’s outreach and development manager.
South Africa’s government sources its condoms from several companies and rebrands them with its colorful CHOICE packaging, in bright blue, red, yellow and green. Spokesman Jabu Mbalula of the Free State provincial health department noted that all the condoms distributed in Bloemfontein were stamped to indicate that they were in batches that had been quality tested by the Bureau of Standards.
Nevertheless, the majority vote counts, SA’s Choice condoms needs rebranding to increase trust and condom use! Not only the package design style, they also need to make sure their quality is up to the bottom standards, this is very important for a brand, esp the government’s project.
