Project Context

According to a study conducted by UNICEF in Mexico…

• Only 30% of the participants (girls, teenagers and people who menstruate) have a registry of the duration of their menstrual cycle, symptoms and flow.

• Only 6% of girls and teenagers have correct information about menstrual hygiene.

• 43% of girls and teenagers skip school when they get their period.

The Challenge

• Current behaviours such as the taboo and stigma around menstruation among different age groups were identified as the main challenge.

• Girls and adolescents who menstruate lack access to relevant content regarding MHM.

• There is an important lack of MHM resources in the Mexican context.

To address the stigma around menstruation in Mexico, and to promote adequate Menstrual Hygiene Management practices, UNICEF México commissioned MAGENTA to develop a strategy to promote Oky, the first application for menstrual hygiene management designed for girls and by girls. Oky was developed by a group of children, girls, boys, and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19. It was initially launched in Indonesia and Mongolia, and it was adapted for the Mexican context as part of the "Hygiene is our Right" alliance established by Essity and UNICEF Mexico in 2019. 

The objectives

1. Raise awareness about the need and relevance of accurate and timely information on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM).

2. Increase the commitment of key stakeholders to promote the Oky application at the institutional and community level.

3. Improve mothers, fathers and caregivers’ knowledge and support regarding MHM using the Oky app.

The communications strategy was developed to address these behavioural insights:

• There is a general stigma and taboo around menstruation among girls and adolescents who menstruate that result in negative emotions such as shame and body negativity

• Taboos and stigma around menstruation along with the lack of information have a direct impact over the everyday lives of girls and adolescents who menstruate, causing them to decide to skip school or miss other activities such as physical activity or recreation • Girls and adolescents who menstruate normalize certain symptoms such as period pain and abnormal flows due to the lack of relevant, timely, and attractive information

• Caregivers perpetuate stigma and shame around menstruation, which impacts girls’ and adolescents’ perception of their own bodies and natural processes

What we did

1. SBC Strategy design: MAGENTA developed a Social and Behavioural Communications Strategy rooted in behavioural insights, aimed at positioning Oky as an app that improves the access of girls and adolescents to important information about their menstruation and gives them tools to manage it. The insights were obtained from a benchmarking exercise and a thorough literature review, and these informed the development of the strategy design and implementation activities.

2. Key message creation: We designed key messages directed at three target audiences

   • Primary target audience: Girls, boys, and adolescents aged 9 to 18.

   • Secondary target audience: Mothers, fathers, and relatives of the primary

   • Tertiary target audience: Key stakeholders in the educational sector (teachers, principals) and the health sector (doctors, nurses)

3. Identification of communications channels: We identified communications channels, focusing on social media platforms.

4. Visual design and material production: Recognizing the power of visual storytelling, MAGENTA invested in the creation of visually appealing materials that conveyed Oky's messaging effectively: MAGENTA created Oky avatars that were gender-neutral and empowered people who menstruate to adopt healthy MHM practices. The graphics, images, and videos developed for Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok represented diversity, and inclusivity, and aimed to tackle the stigma around MHM.

5. Monitoring and Evaluation: MAGENTA implemented a robust monitoring and evaluation plan. Key performance indicators such as reach, engagement, downloads, and app usage were tracked and analyzed to assess the effectiveness of the campaign. We also performed a social listening exercise, which consisted of monitoring social media platforms and channels used for the promotional campaign. In these spaces, search for mentions of Oky, as well as keywords and concepts related to the communication campaign.

Components of the strategy

• Adaptation of the Oky map to the Mexican context: avatars and brand design.

• MAGENTA identified that online activities are not enough to engage with adolescent girls. In order to reach the target audience, it was important to develop offline activities that ensured the connection between users and Oky

  • Involvement of community leaders in schools: creation of a database that included different schools in priority states, to identify community leaders. Additionally, MAGENTA identified different thematic pillars that would lead the conversation with schools

• Implementation of social media boosting activities: the boosting activities were carried out through the “App Promote” technique, which is aimed at promoting downloads.

  • Monitoring of indicators

  • Social listening

• MAGENTA generated insights from the strategy that informed recommendations to ensure the project’s sustainability.

Impact

The impact of this campaign was achieved through raising awareness, promoting dialogue, and fostering behaviour change related to menstrual health. The social marketing approach of the strategy allowed to achieve positive behaviour change regarding MHM by ensuring its participatory and sustainable design.

Results

• Audience Reach: Reached a total of 2,401,442 users aged 13 to 64 years old

• Target Audience: 91.9% of users identified as female, with 65% falling within the age range of 13 to 17 years old.

• Geographic Reach: Significant reach in key states including Estado de México, Oaxaca, Jalisco, CDMX, and Baja California.

• Community Voices: Influential community leaders actively discussed and promoted the campaign on their social media channels

• Audience Expansion: Adjusted audience segmentation to successfully reach people between the ages of 35 and 44, accounting for 20% of the total audience.

• Click-Through Rates: Priority states demonstrated high rates of clicks on social media, indicating strong engagement and interest.