Kotex breaks period taboo on MXit

Ogilvy & Mather Johannesburg (O&M JHB) was given the task of marketing this campaign through a variety of channels including TV, PR and mobile, to change the way women and the world think about periods and women's health.

"This is a breakthrough project for this exciting, innovative brand. It is a good example of an integrated through-the-line campaign. In a world where it's so hard to get through, we're delighted that this campaign has resonated with so many young women," says Robyn Bergmann, creative director at O&M JHB.

The Kotex MXit portal encourages young women to have long-overdue conversations with their friends, mothers, aunties, gogos and health practitioners in an effort to break through the stigma that so ominously surrounds feminine health. The portal was the perfect choice to facilitate this conversation with over 10 million active users of which 47% are female.

Kotex Feminine Care senior brand manager, Tsakane Mthenjane, says the idea for this campaign is to get girls to makeover their worlds, starting with their period. "Our reasoning is that if you makeover one aspect of your life, you empower yourself. This has a knock-on effect. You gain confidence, make more changes, influence others and change the world around you."

Successful app uses quizzes, polls

On the app, the conversation is constant and interest is maintained by dealing with specific topics through quizzes, polls, tips and how-to. Topics include confidence and self-belief, South African feminine role models, busting myths surrounding periods, traditional versus modern women, and many more.

Since its launch in April, the MXit campaign has had over 130 000 visits to the app in the first two months. Over this time, there were many repeat visits, with around 60% of users returning. The average time spent on the app was just under five minutes, which means there has been a warm reception, as women were reading and interacting with the available content.

Corli de Kock, social media manager at Social @ Ogilvy says, "This campaign is our opportunity to make a difference in young women's lives on a platform they are already comfortable with. It has been incredibly informative to the growing of girls who have been in contact with our health care professional, Sister Burgie Ireland. Even as the Ogilvy agency team, we are enjoying discovering how our own bodies work!

"It is clear that there is a massive need for education and knowledge surrounding this topic and the brand is in the perfect position to fulfil this need."

On the app, girls have an opportunity to ask Sister Ireland questions privately. She will answer them individually, sharing her years of experience as a nurse, educator and midwife.

Product discount

"We've also tapped into new technologies to create mobile coupons that the girls can use to get discount on their next brand purchase. The system is run entirely on MXit and doesn't require printing out vouchers for redemption," explained Corli.

The brand has also seeded content on another MXit app, Ask Kim. Close to 20 000 users have spent more than 14 minutes each engaging with content around being your own best friend and the importance of self-respect and knowing your body.