Relevance of the work:

Mothers in India follow the centuries-old practice of applying Kaala Teeka (Black Dot) to their children with a belief that it wards-off the evil eye. Mortein reformulated the traditional Teeka by infusing a natural mosquito repellent and created Suraksha Ka Teeka. Also, its design replicated the look and feel of the traditional Teeka. It was made available to mothers through various touch points by approaching them at places where they usually bought the traditional Teeka. This helped them with a familiar experience and elevated the brand’s perception as a healthcare product that protected children from malaria.

Background:

As per the Global Fund 2020-22 Report, Malaria is one of the major public health problems in India. With children 5 times more vulnerable to this disease, their cases were witnessing a sudden outbreak - especially in the Bareilly district of India. The district accounted for 50% of the malaria cases in the biggest state of India, Uttar Pradesh. Hence, Bareilly became the number one priority for Mortein, a trusted name in household insecticide, to act and achieve India's goal of being Malaria-free by 2030.Instead of using modern science to combat this threat, mothers believed in applying two Black Dots (Kaala Teeka) on children every day. There’s a strong belief amongst Indian mothers that applying 2 Teeka (black dots) will protect their children from all harm and ward-off the evil eye.

Creative Idea:

Applying 2 Kaala Teeka (black dots) to protect children from the evil-eye is an age-old practice in Indian households. The mention of this is also found in the 2400-year-old Mahabharata, the most revered book in Hindu religion. But the modern evil, malaria, was now threatening the health of children, and mothers were unable to find an absolute way to protect their little ones. So we used the old-tradition that mothers follow every day and converted it into a life-saving solution. We reformulated the traditional Kaala Teeka and infused it with natural oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, a natural mosquito repellent. Two dots of which would help provide protection against the evil-eye, and also create a mosquito repelling perimeter around the entire child. It was developed to look and feel the same as the traditional Teeka. Its pack was designed using Aipan folk art, as it itself is considered to ward-off the evil-eye.

Strategy: 

The data from the Global Fund Report and WHO showed us the sad reality of malaria in India. The studies of the National Institute of Health helped us gather information about the state of malaria cases in various parts of India. Through which we were able to shortlist Bareilly district that accounted for almost 50% of cases in the biggest state of the country. We focused on children, as they were 5 times more vulnerable to malaria. The Indian Census Data helped us ascertain the number of children, mothers and households in Bareilly we wanted to approach.
The mothers of these children became our primary audience. We engaged with them at multiple strategic touchpoints like their houses, local markets, village squares, etc.
The actionable call was to use Suraksha Ka Teeka, apply it just like the traditional Kaala Teeka, one on the forehead, one on the ankle.

Execution:

After months of research and analyzing the making of the traditional Kaala Teeka, the Mortein Advanced Research Lab devised the right formulation to infuse into the traditional Teeka to make the Suraksha Ka Teeka. Lemon Eucalyptus oil, a natural mosquito-repellent, was used to create it.
An on-ground awareness program was launched which was spearheaded by the brand’s volunteers and local health workers. We deployed a door-to-door distribution campaign to reach the product directly into the hands of mothers. Also, an educational program was deployed for maximum reach. The traditional baby Maalish (massage) Ladies were used to reach out to mothers at their homes.
The product was manufactured in December 2022, following which the initiative was launched in the Bareilly district of India. The brand would soon deploy this innovative solution across multiple districts and areas in India which have high occurrences of Malaria cases.

Results:

In Bareilly, the activity resulted in 4380+ children being protected from malaria, over 750 families impacted and garnered 97% adoption rate among mothers after the initial distribution drive. The important aspect was that mothers across all villages preferred to use the Suraksha Ka Teeka over the traditional Kaala Teeka.
This new product helped brand Mortein establish the position of an expert in household mosquito repellents. The Suraksha Ka Teeka ensured protection to not just children but built hope for their families too. For families, every healthy child meant that an entire generation was protected. Now, children were able to thrive healthily, without any threat to their lives. It also saved them from other fatal mosquito borne diseases.

Cultural Context:

Mothers in India have held a strong belief in the power of Kaala Teeka (Black Dot). Every day starts with applying the Kaala Teeka (Black Dot) on their little ones with a faith that it would protect their children from all evils and ailments. The practice is so widely accepted that they don’t bring children in front of anyone without the Teeka. This belief finds its roots in the almost 2400-year-old Mahabharata, the most revered book in Hindu religion.