Testing New Marketing Models for Improved Cookstoves - Uganda

Overview

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.

Given that 95% of Ugandans rely on solid fuel for cooking, and the vast majority use unimproved wood stoves in rural areas, replacing dirty and inefficient household wood stoves in Uganda provides a tremendous opportunity to improve health. Impact Carbon has been implementing an improved cookstove program in Uganda since 2005 which has now commercially sold more than 80,000 stoves. However, the program has not been successful in selling clean burning household wood stoves due to challenges related to the four categories of major barriers discussed above. Targeted research addressing these barriers will allow the team to test new sales and marketing methods to increase uptake of fuel efficient cookstoves. This has the potential to significantly reduce indoor air pollution as more households adopt fuel efficient cookstoves.