T-MARC

The primary objectives of the T-MARC project are to:

• Develop and manage a cost-effective marketing, sales and distribution network that will improve access by key populations to branded products related to HIV/AIDS prevention and care, reproductive health and child survival.
• Develop and manage a broad-based communications initiative that enhances the knowledge of Tanzanians about core issues related to HIV/AIDS, family planning/reproductive health and child survival, including accurate information about relevant products and services as well as persuasive information to encourage and sustain healthy behaviors.

T-MARC’s business model is based on:

• Practical "Win-Win" Partnerships with the private sector based on commitment to being cost-effective and results-oriented embedded in locally controlled ownership.
• Dynamic Cooperation with other organizations and agencies including government, donors, NGO’s, community-based organizations (CBOs) as well as sales and marketing groups engaged in the distribution of quality products and dissemination of accurate information related to these products.

Total Market Approach or "Full Market Impact"

T-MARC employs a "total market" approach that involves multiple partners from the private commercial sector, NGOs, and the public sector in a comprehensive effort that aims to decrease risky behaviors and increase preventive health behaviors, and generate/fulfill demand for an affordable and accessible range of preventive health products. This approach ensures alignment with USAID’s strategic objectives, T-MARC project objectives, and the T-MARC Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP). AED has created a model called "Full Market Impact" (FMI) for enacting a "total market" strategy. (See the diagram of the FMI approach for Tanzania.) FMI encompasses six areas:

1. Supply: T-MARC increases the supply of preventive health commodities by supporting partners in the private, NGO, and public sectors to introduce new products and brands that meet the needs and desires of target groups. In accomplishing this objective, T-MARC enacts a market segmentation approach where the commercial sector, public sector, and NGOs all play critical roles in serving the "total market." Within the private sector, T-MARC stimulates competition and promotes the need for a level playing field to encourage commercial investments and build sustainability.

2. Demand: T-MARC increases preventive health product use by generating demand through coordinated, research-based communications campaigns that aims to promote growth of the whole product (e.g., condom) category as opposed to promoting growth for any single brand. T-MARC and its partners, who are in leadership roles, jointly execute focused behavior change communications that include peer education programs, interpersonal communications (IPC), and other activities that directly interface with target groups. T-MARC supports commercial partners’ targeted brand marketing efforts with an innovative matching funds scheme.

3. Distribution: T-MARC, with investment from the commercial sector expands the reach of health products and services. Further, T-MARC expands formal partner distribution capacity and works with NGO partners to help reach key target groups not easily reached through the commercial sector.

4. New Products/Quality Assurance: T-MARC works with its partners to introduce new products and services. T-MARC takes steps to ensure that all new products and services attain a quality standard that Tanzanian consumers would expect and deserve from the private sector.

5. Equity: T-MARC increases use of important public health products among at-risk, poor, and vulnerable populations by ensuring that they have access to subsidized products. At the same time, T-MARC is exploring the use of innovative approaches such as targeted subsidies (e.g., vouchers) for discrete products, when such approaches seem viable and a more appropriate way to deliver subsidies to people who really need them.

6. Sustainability: T-MARC drives development of a sustainable “total market” of preventive health products by generating increasing cost recovery and cost sharing with partners for heavily subsidized products, promoting full price products, and facilitating lasting partnerships between suppliers and distributors. T-MARC forms commercial partnerships on a "joint risk, joint investment" approach.

T-MARC Team

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) heads a consortium of commercial and private partners including Emerging Markets Group, Deloitte & Touche/Tanzania, Crown Agents, Sumaria Group/Shelys Pharmaceuticals, and a wide variety of other private and public sector partners. Please refer to the separate AED backgrounder for more information on AED.

T-MARC Management

Well-respected Tanzanians with vast experience in both the private sector and public health lead T-MARC, now a locally registered non-profit company. T-MARC therefore is an organization run by Tanzanians for Tanzanians.

T-MARC Marketing Services

T-MARC can help private sector partners develop, launch and market new health products in Tanzania. T-MARC’s marketing services include:

• Conducting primary and secondary research, including
  • Market segmentation studies
  • Willingness-to-pay/pricing research
  • Knowledge, attitudes, practices and behaviors (KAPB) studies
  • Retail audits
• Conducting marketing feasibility studies and country assessments
• Identifying partnership opportunities
• Assessing the capabilities and resources of potential partners
• Negotiating partnership agreements with the government
• Negotiating and facilitating contracts between partners
• Developing marketing and business plans for products and services
• Registering new products
• Exploring new manufacturing methods
• Building demand through targeted "social marketing" campaigns
• Solving problems and streamlining operations
• Project monitoring and evaluation

In addition, T-MARC can provide financing to commercial partners through matching funds for approved marketing plans.

Shelys Pharmaceuticals and Beta Healthcare

T-MARC’s key commercial partners are Shelys Pharmaceuticals and Beta Healthcare, subsidiaries of The Sumaria Group, one of the largest and most successful conglomerates in East Africa. Shelys and Beta Healthcare collectively reach 17,000 retail outlets (including 400 pharmacies and 5,000 duka le dawa or drug shops) in Tanzania through a network of 72 wholesalers. Shelys and Beta Healthcare products are generally leaders in their pharmaceutical and OTC product categories. This is primarily due to the strength of Shelys/Beta distribution network, as well as to vigorous marketing activities that include extensive medical detailing and retail merchandising through van promotion teams.

Contacts

Tanzania:
Dr. Martin Alilio
Acting Chief of Party
Tel. 202-884-8968
E-mail: malilio@aed.org

Hally Mahler
Communications Advisor
Tel. 255 22 2700772/3/4/2700782
E-mail: hmahler@tmarg.or.tz

Address:
T-MARC Project
P.O. Box 63266
17th Floor PPF Tower
Ohio Street & Garden Avenue
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

USA:
Dr. Martin Alilio
T-MARC Project Director
Tel. 202-884-8968
E-mail: malilio@aed.org

Jenny Barker
Program Officer
Tel. 202-884-8830
E-mail: jbarker@aed.org

Address:
Academy for Educational Development
1875 Connecticut Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20009-5721