- words like single dose , double dose , efficacy , vaccine safety , side effects and even blood clots have become common terms in daily conversations .
In recent times the Covid-19 vaccine headlines have changed from concerns regarding uptake , to questions of the interval between vaccine doses , when more vaccines will become available , which are the next priority groups to get the vaccine , as well as availability of the second dose , and if it is ok to mix different vaccines doses .
The other day , the ministry of health proposed a revision of the interval between vaccine doses , proposing a threemonth interval . I also read that Ontario in Canada has increased the time between the first and second dose to 16 weeks . They have cited evidence indicating that efficacy will not be impacted negatively . This is also being done to ensure that more people get the first dose , since there are issues with vaccine supply and distribution across the world .
Even as all these discussions are going on , many people are still in the decisionmaking phase . The question of consumer decision making is key in this phase of vaccine adoption . The acceptance of new products by users normally spreads through communication to members of the public over a period of time . The adoption process is the decision-making process that a person goes though from the point of becoming aware of the new product , say Covid-19 vaccines to the point of accepting to get the jab .
Research shows that those who accept to use new products , tend to go through five definitive stages before they make the decision to take the product , or in this case to go for the vaccine . The five Stages in the consumer decision to get Covid-19 vaccine are discussed here-under !
First , Knowledge or Awareness Stage
The first stage of the new product acceptance process is awareness , which is the point at which the target users become exposed to the new product for the first time . In the case of these Covid-19 vaccines the information started trickling down during the research phase , followed by introduction phase , and now during the distribution and vaccination stage . I came to learn about the vaccine through the media at first . I had great curiosity about it and so I kept searching for more information .
The Ministry of Health officials have taken the role of consumer education and marketing of the vaccine . They have been supported by some health NGOs in the dissemination role . The job of the marketers at this first stage is to provide information that answers the questions that consumers are likely to be asking and to communicate in a manner that gets user understanding . At this time , the information should be targeted at consumer innovators and early adopters who are most likely to take up a new product in the early stages of introduction . These are the people who serve to introduce the new product to the wider population .
Second , Persuasion Stage
In the 2nd stage , the target users develop interest in the new product and form either favorable or unfavorable attitude about the product . In the case of these Covid-19 vaccines , the marketer ’ s role at this stage is to provide information to help people develop curiosity in the product . This is the time to offer information that will serve to stimulate interest and persuade people about the benefits of vaccination . They need to communicate in a clear and credible manner . This is the stage where they should answer the questions on how it works , the benefits , possible effects , who should take it and so on . They need to share information that is personally relevant to different groups and their situations .
Third , Decision Stage
The third stage involves decision making . This is based on consideration and evaluation of the available information . The consumers will assess the information they have , and probably seek more information in order to draw a conclusion whether to accept or reject the new product , or vaccine in this case . In the case of these Covid-19 vaccines , the role of the marketer at this stage is to facilitate decision making and create confidence , by providing more specific information to help reduce perceived risk and by demonstrating how it has worked on the early users .
Fourth , Implementation Stage
This is the stage of execution of the decision made in the previous stage , or the actual use of the product . At this stage consumers are confident about the product , and are willing to put the new product to use . Their experience with the product will provide them with the critical information to confirm that they were right , or otherwise . In case of these Covid-19 vaccines the role of the marketer at this stage is to get the user to take action and use the product . The marketer needs to ensure effective distribution and availability of the product where demand is highest .
Fifth , Confirmation Stage
This is the final stage in the consumer decision process where the consumer confirms everything from practical experience . Following their usage , consumers seek reinforcement for their chosen decision . If they had a positive experience , they confirm their decision was right , and they are likely to spread positive word of mouth advertising to others .
If the experience was negative or involves serious side effects , the user is likely to spread negative word of mouth about the vaccine and may discourage others form getting the jab .
In the case of the Covid-19 vaccines , there are those who said that they felt fine after vaccination , others said they experienced tiredness and other minor side effects , while others had more serious side effects .
The role of marketers at this time is to track the emerging information . They can find ways to respond to the negative information by providing clarification . Conversely , they can use positive feedback to develop testimonials to communicate to the next groups . It is important to keep providing information to give assurance to those who have been vaccinated while encouraging others . This role of marketing of these Covid-19 vaccines has been carried out by officials from the Ministry of Health , NGOs and World Health Organization .
Dr . Catherine Ngahu is the founder and Chairman of SBO Research , a company with a service footprint in 23 countries in Africa . She can be reached at : CNgahu @ sboresearch . co . ke ; Search for ‘ Catherine Ngahu ’ to follow her on YouTube .