A few years ago Dr. Val Curtis, an anthropologist then living in the African nation of Burkina Faso, contacted some of the largest multinational corporations to teach her how to manipulate consumer habits worldwide. Dr. Val Curtis then used this knowledge to persuade Ghanaians to wash their hands habitually with soap. Diseases and disorders such caused by dirty hands, such as diarrhea, could be prevented with regular soap use but only about 4 percent of Ghanaians were using soap after going to the bathroom.
Dr. Curtis wanted to know find out how she could sell hand-washing the same way multinational corporations sell Speed stick deodorant and Pringles potato chips. Many companies had perfected the art of creating automatic behaviors and habits among consumers which have helped earn billions of dollars. Could the same habit trigger approach help save lives in third world countries?
Studies revealed that Ghanaians used soap when they felt their hands were dirty such as after cooking with grease or after traveling into the city. These hand-washing habits were prompted by feelings of disgust. Dr. Curtis and her colleagues realized that they had to craft a habit where people felt a sense of disgust cued by the toilet. The queasiness then can trigger the need for soap.
Ads started running showing mothers and children walking out of bathrooms with a glowing purple pigment on their hands that contaminated everything they touched. The ads worked. There was a 13% increase in the use of soap after the toilet.
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