Geomarketing is a fairly basic idea. You use a variety of mapping tools in order to make the planning and implementation of marketing activities more efficient and effective. This is not a novel concept in the private sector, and many corporations have long since capitalized on their ability to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software to establish and maintain far-reaching and well-stocked distribution channels (from wholesalers to distributors, and retailers). This is exactly how Starbucks makes sure you are never more than 5 minutes away from an outlet in any city or town in the US, and it's also how Coke make sure they get their product to every last village in the middle of nowhere in the developing world. If they can do it, I think we can too!
Here are some of the many ways that mapping tools could help fine-tune public health programming:
- Improve Access: We could overlay maps showing epidemiological information about disease burdens to identify pockets with, for example, higher rates of transmission of HIV, with maps showing all HIV counseling and testing centers, to identify areas with poor coverage.
- Improve Efficiency: We could overlay maps of physical terrain on maps showing available centers for malaria treatment, to ensure that resources are not being wasted on providing services in high altitude areas with lower rates of malaria.
- Increase Effectiveness: By overlaying maps with demographic information on ethnicity and census information on population density, effective behavior change messages that can be customized to local needs can be appropriately relayed through mass media, and interpersonal communication.
While significant resources will need to be invested in acquiring GIS software, PDAs and GPS equipment for researchers to relay coordinates, as well as on training and capacity building for personnel, much can be achieved once these systems are established at scale. Maps can be made public for all agencies to view, and already many easy-to-use software to do basic mapping are being designed and piloted. The key will be to ensure that these tools are customizable, so that a variety of programmatic needs can be met through the availability of a range of research, evaluation and monitoring capacities. Mapping is a way forward, and a it's time the public health world jumped ahead to keep up with efficiently using these tools to market their messages, health services and products!
