Jessica Lineburg

October 15, 2017

BRIEF MARKETING PLAN OUTLINE

I. Executive Overview
A. The Be In The Know Program is a HIV prevention and education program aimed
to reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS by implementing strategies to educate
high-risk populations. Be In The Know offers a combination of street outreach,
counseling, free HIV/STI testing and risk-reduction techniques in order to
promote safe and healthier behavior among youth and young adults in Guilford
County, NC. Be In The Know will be in partnership with Guilford County Health
Department, Getting to Zero Initiative, and Triad Health Project to get HIV to
zero. The program staff include public health professionals who are certified
health education specialists who are devoted to perform the programs mission.
All representatives of the program hold a Masters or Bachelors degree in Public
Health with 3 or more years of experience working with at risk HIV populations,
including outreach and education.
B. An estimated 1.2 million Americans are living with HIV, and 1 out of 8 people
with HIV do not know they have it.1 HIV infections in the United States continue
to be a major public health crisis. HIV has remained in the top 10 global leading
causes of death.1 Although annual HIV infections have declined by 18% in the
United States from 2008 to 2014, HIV continues to spread and progress has been
uneven and diagnoses are still increasing among groups, such as youth, young
adults, African Americans, Hispanic/Latinos, and men who have sex with men.1
In 2015, youth aged 13 to 24 accounted for 22% of all new HIV diagnoses in the
United States.2 Most of those new HIV diagnoses among youth occurred among
gay and bisexual males at 81%.2 More specifically young African American and
Hispanic/Latino males are especially affected.
C. The proposed intervention is to create a health promotion program for youth ad
youth adults at risk for HIV in Guilford County, North Carolina, to prevent new
HIV infections and increase safer sexual behaviors titled Be In The Know. The
overall goal of this program is to create a successful health promotion program to
reduce the transmission of HIV among youth and young adults and promote safe
sex. Objectives for the program are as follows:

Emphasize the importance of HIV testing.

Provide education on HIV and other STIs.
Encourage condom use and other prevention methods.
Highlight the importance of knowing HIV status and practicing safe sex.

Outcomes of the Be In The Know Program are divided into short term and long-
term goals. Short term goals of the program should be achievable under a years
time frame and should result in:

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By June 2018, 55% of program participants who have attended condom

demonstration classes will have the desire to use condoms each time they
have sexual intercourse, measured by a posttest.
At the end of the program, at least 75% of participants will be adequate in
sexual health education, as determined by pre and post tests.
At the end of the program, at least 60% of participants will have gotten
tested for HIV, measured by number of HIV test completed.

Long term goals that should be achieved after one year of the program are the
following:

75% of participants will retain their sexual health education.

65% of participants will report consistently engaging in condom use
during sex.
By 2020, more than 80% of program participants have engaged in a HIV
prevention method reducing their risk for HIV.

II. The Customers (Market Review)

A. The primary target audience of this intervention is youth and young adults at risk
for contracting HIV in Guilford County, North Carolina. More details on this
population are provided below:
1. BehavioralYouth and young adults potentially have higher rates in
risky sexual health behaviors (unprotected sex, higher number of sex
partners, drinking); In 2015 data, nearly half of sexually active students
did not use a condom the last time they had sex.2
2. Cultural Ages 13 to 24 accounted for more than 1 in 5 new HIV
diagnoses in 2015.2 Young black/African American and Hispanic/Latino
males are affected by HIV the most. Black/AA represented 62.1% of HIV
infections in North Carolina in 2016.3
3. DemographicYoung adults employed are more affected than
individuals undeployed. 43% of young adults employed in the U.S. have
HIV, 44% are high school graduates.4
4. PhysicalMales seem to be more affected by HIV than females. In
Guilford County, males had 79.3% HIV infection cases.5
5. PsychographicYouth and young adults at risk for HIV perceive they
are not susceptible to HIV. Spontaneity of sexual encounters, not feeling
at risk of HIV, and partner-related perceptions are associated with not
using a condom during sexual intercourse.
B. The secondary target audience for this intervention is the direct support of friends
and family members. The environment and social relationships with family and
friends has the potential to influence an individuals behavior and experiences.
Support from loved ones can enhance an individuals perceived self-efficacy
towards engaging in safe sexual health behaviors.
III. The Product (Product Review)
A. Products and services of the Be In The Know program will be:

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1. Educational sessions, professional and volunteer-led educational sessions

about HIV, HIV prevention methods, and other safe sexual behaviors. The
program will focus on condom demonstrations to educate participants on
effective and consistent condom use. The program will also provide free
HIV testing for participant to have knowledge of their HIV status. Be In
The Know will participate in outreach to provide the community with HIV
resources for participants to utilize to reduce HIV transmission. Additional
products that directly relate to the program include pamphlets, brochures,
signs, and PSAs via social media.
2. The services of the program offer knowledge. Participants who attend the
educational sessions will receive adequate sex health education, learn the
correct way to use a condom, and other ways to prevent HIV. Those who
use our testing services become knowledgeable of their HIV status. All
participants gain knowledge to protect themselves and others as well as
help spread the message to stop HIV.
3. This program will differ from other health intervention programs by
offering missed services. There are a few organizations committed to
reducing new HIV infections in North Carolina, but even fewer addressing
HIV among youth and providing condom demonstrations to promote safe
sex. Other organizations do not provide continuing HIV educational
sessions in Guilford County.
IV. Strategies
A. Position
1. Be In The Know desires to portray the importance of HIV awareness and
prevention. Having knowledge about HIV can help prevent HIV and stop
HIV. Be In The Know wants to demonstrate that we are not only enduring
the HIV epidemic but also prevailing over it.
2. Offering a combination of education, outreach, testing and fun ways to
promote safe sex among the younger population will be the selling point
for Be In The Know. Gearing away from classroom education settings will
help keep the target population interested.
B. Product
1. Emphasis will be placed on health education and HIV testing. Both topics
are of large importance to reduce HIV among the target population. The
more individuals tested for HIV and knowledgeable of HIV, the less
occurrence of new HIV infections.
2. Program services directly meet the need of the target audience to protect
themselves and their sex partners. Without knowledge of HIV and an
individuals HIV status, the virus can be spread unknowingly resulting in
delay of treatment later causing death.
C. Price
1. All products and services of Be In The Know will be available to
participants and community members free of charge.

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2.Individuals of lower socioeconomic status are affected most by HIV.

Providing services free of charge to those individuals seems worthy when
the outcome is to improve the quality of life.
D. Promotion
1. To promote Be In The Know, there will be mention of all free products
and services and descriptions of benefits of each service offered. In
addition, all services of the program will be relevant to the local
community needs, drawing in participation.
2. Be In The Know services will be promoted via social media including
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat as well as Guilford Countys
Public Health website. Large promotion will be accomplished by posting
flyers in the health department, high schools, community recreation
centers, and college campuses. Program services will also be promoted on
local radio stations, 102 Jamz FM, and 97.1 FM radio.
V. Budget
A. The one-year projection on costs associated with advertising and promotion of the
Be In The Know Program is $1,660.
1.

Item Unit Cost Units

Radio spots-PSA 0 0
Pamphlets $1.10 400
Signs and posters $3.20 100
Brochures $2.25 400
Social Media 0 0

2.

Item Subtotal
Radio spots-PSA 0
Pamphlets $440.00
Signs and posters $320.00
Brochures $900.00
Social Media 0
Total $1,660.00

B. The magnitude of the project and the marketing of Be In The Know permits this
appropriate budget. The more information that can be spread within the
community, the more successful the program will be. A greater number of youth
and young adults in Guilford County will be educated about HIV and have the
ability and resources to prevent it. The printed and published literature will serve
to increase HIV awareness. Radio spots and social media will be effective and

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necessary to reach the target population and help account for those who do not
come in contact with the signs and/or written materials.

References:

1. HIV | Healthy People 2020. Healthypeoplegov. 2017. Available at:

https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/hiv.
Accessed September 17, 2017.
2. HIV Among Youth | Age | HIV by Group | HIV/AIDS | CDC. Cdcgov.
2017. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/age/youth/index.html.
Accessed September 17, 2017.
3. 2016 North Carolina HIV/STD/Hepatitis Surveillance Report. 2017.
Available at:
http://epi.publichealth.nc.gov/cd/stds/figures/std16rpt_rev2.pdf. Accessed
October 15, 2017.
4. Economically Disadvantaged | HIV by Group | HIV/AIDS | CDC. Cdcgov.
2017. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/poverty.html.
Accessed October 15, 2017.
5. 2017 Guilford County Department of Health & Human Services
Communicable Disease Data Brief. Guilford County Department of
Health & Human Services. 2017. Available at:
http://www.myguilford.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/2017-
COMMUNICABLE-DATA-Brief.pdf. Accessed October 15, 2017.

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