BRANDS ARE HUMANS IN FORM OF PRODUCTS

The Always brand is a big name in an adolescent girl’s mind when talking about sanitary pads. For me personally, it was the first brand of pads I used as I crossed into womanhood, and I have since been attached to it simply because it is the most popular brand out there.

But in September 2019, I moved from liking the brand to loving it, as my emotional demons were stirred when Always rolled out a reward campaign for schoolgirls across Uganda, which I was part of. Through the partnership between CTA Space and HUE, I had the pleasure of working with the brand on the SOLOOZA ALWAYS campaign, which aimed to empower the girl child through education.

Schools were recruited to participate, and they were required to encourage their female students to collect empty packs of Always pads for a chance to win laptop computers, scholarships, and a year-long supply of Always pads.

What fascinated me most was the journey of the winners. They had the most touching stories, and I know that every girl who participated had a compelling story. Here are two examples.

Friends who helped Precious return to school

The first is Precious Kirabo. She had been sent home for school fees as we went into schools to count the packs collected. She was a Senior Two student who had started collecting as soon as she heard about the campaign, but unfortunately, she had already been sent home. The counting was a one-day exercise across the country, and she was not at school to submit her packs.

What is amazing about Precious’ story is how her friends rallied behind her to help her return to school through the opportunity presented by the Solooza Always campaign. Her Senior Two classmates offered their packs to be added to her pile because they felt she needed the win more than they did. To me, this reinforced the idea that when women stick together, they can surmount any hurdle in their way. Rather than the cattiness often attributed to women, these young girls came together to empower each other. This is what the Always brand stands for.

“As you build your brand, aim for it to stay top of mind to your audience.” — Deborah Alinda, Account Manager, CTA Space

A turning point for Immaculate

The second example is another winner, Kahunde Immaculate, a Senior Five student. She would be going to university in a year and was excited about that. What worried her, however, was where her Senior Six school fees would come from.

She attended Kansanga Seeds Secondary School, which is under the Universal Secondary Education (USE) program. She went around collecting empty Always packs, even when she felt disheartened as colleagues teased her and called her names for seeming desperate. But she kept her eyes on the prize. She knew how beneficial it would be to her and her family. Her close friends helped her, and her senior woman teacher constantly encouraged her.

She emerged as the overall winner, taking home a laptop, one million shillings, and a full-year supply of Always pads. She used the money to clear the balance of that term’s school fees, and paid all the fees and requirements for the next academic year. With her Senior Six fees settled, she could focus on her studies and earning the grades she needed to go to university. The campaign presented a turning point in her education.

As a consumer, I am attracted to brands that genuinely come back to lift you. For many brands, the end game is revenue. For Always, it is the symbiotic relationship formed, where you grow together with the brand—a brand that looks to build its consumer.

The Always brand has been about woman and girl child empowerment. Experiencing this up close and personal through the Solooza Always campaign has made me a forever supporter and lover of Always.

— Debbie, Account Manager