Summary
Folk Music for a healthier Rajasthan
Challenge
The Problem of Hygiene in Rural Rajasthan- Rajasthan is one of India's largest states, riddled with myriad health and hygiene problems. Almost 50% of the state still does not practice proper handwashing with soap and water. Nearly 34% of rural population wash their hands with soil. 28% of women who have toilets at their home are not using it. They prefer to practice open defecation. Unsurprisingly, the recent Swacch Bharat Mission report revealed shows the state languishing at the bottom of the list. This poor hygiene record directly affects the state's health statistics. The infant mortality rate and Under-5 mortality rate in Rajasthan stood at 32 and 40 respectively per 1000 children born in 2022, due to poor hygiene. India's leading health & hygiene brand Dettol saw this as one of its biggest challenges. As the force behind one of the largest public health initiatives Banega Swasth India, Dettol understood that conventional hygiene education approaches were likely to find little success when faced with challenges, like illiteracy, socioeconomic disparities, orthodox thinking, and poverty. Our challenge- Rajasthan's poor health indicators and unique challenges demand that its hygiene consciousness be raised through unconventional approaches.
Objective
This case is a compelling example of how applying cognitive concepts in locally relevant cultural contexts can successfully drive lasting behavior change. Traditional health education often falls short, but by tapping into implicit memory and emotional connections, we harnessed the power of Folk Music. Dettol collaborated with local folk musicians in rural Rajasthan- a state with an unenviable health & hygiene record. We integrated hygiene messages into familiar folk melodies, to create India's first folk-music album for Hygiene- Swachhta ke Surr. The catchy tunes and repetitive lyrics were designed to create a memorable auditory experience- making hygiene practices second nature.
Strategy
To make hygiene part of implicit memory of communities in Rural Rajasthan, we leveraged the power of Folk Music. Folk Music is embedded in Rajasthan's rural communities- from daily chores to festivals, weddings, and childbirth. Folk music cuts across genres and generations and appeals to one and all. It is a cultural heirloom that is passed down the generations via oral traditions. Recognizing the power of implicit memory and the emotional impact of music, we collaborated with a renowned Rajasthan Folk musician, Ustad Rais Khan and infused hygiene messages into traditional folk music tunes. This social experiment infused hygiene messages into the folk tunes that resonate with our rural audiences, and become a part of their cultural fabrics in their day-to-day lives: Collaboration with a renowned Manganiyar Folk musician from Rajasthan, Ustad Rais Khan. Creation of India's first-ever Hygiene Album with 5 unique songs centered around different aspects of Hygiene- Swachhta ke Surr, Folk Music for a Swasth Bharat Nirog Banao Rajasthan- Make Rajasthan Healthy Sau beemariyan su bachan ro tareeko- Significance of Handwashing Sundar ghar na saaf raakho- Hygiene at Home School Cool- Hygiene at School "Music is the universal language of mankind" ― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow With more research and data, educationists are pointing towards the potential and effectiveness of use of music as a medium to talk or spawn awareness & educate about societal issues. Music is intimately connected to emotion, attention, and action. We perceive and react faster to music that we hear than to visuals we see. Combining the power of Implicit learning with the emotional resonance that Folk Music creates, we aimed at bringing lasting behaviour change in Rural Rajasthan, in context of hygiene practices.
Data
The conventional marketing efforts to improve the hygiene practices of Rural Rajasthan have ended up creating a cultural dissonance, as there is little resonance with these run-of-the-mill messages. Moreover, a fatigue has developed towards them, leading to people being ignorant of them. Our efforts combined a cognitive concept with the power of a cultural entity to create a unique Hygiene Music Album, that tended to internalize hygiene messages subconsciously. Outside of these efforts, there weren't any factors that were influencing what we were trying to achieve.
Solution
Results
Over the course of the campaign, the villagers attended music and storytelling sessions, which helped them internalize hygiene-related messages subconsciously. The folk songs became a part of their daily lives, and the implicit memory connections began to form. As a result, there was a noticeable shift in behavior, with increased handwashing, dental care, and improved sanitation practices. Spreading hygiene messages through the power of folk music contributed to a decrease in prevalence of diarrhoeal diseases by 17.5%.
