Trust is a low-cost brand, with two product lines. Lovers' Plus retails for approximately R8-R10 ($1.10 - $1.35) for a three-pack; Trust sells for approximately R3 - R3.50 (less than $0.50) for a three-pack.
The Condom Social Marketing program is run very much like a for-profit FMCG business. The program has sophisticated sales and marketing staff, along with a network of sales agents working on commission; a logistics partner that handles ordering, distribution, and invoicing; and a well-trained trade marketing group to negotiate with wholesalers and retailers. In the formal sector, the brands are carried in petrol station convenience shops, grocery stores, and pharmacies--including several of the country's leading retail outlets. The program also reaches out to the informal sector (from which approximately 40% of sales are generated), recruiting and training free-lance agents to service townships, informal settlements, and rural areas.
Lovers' Plus is a self-sustaining business. It generates sufficient revenue to completely cover costs and contribute to other organizational initiatives, including running the Trust brand and a partnership with government for distribution of free condoms in high-risk areas. The Trust brand is also supported in part by donor contributions.
In 2009, the program sold fifty million condoms; the target for 2010 is 64 million condoms sold. Together, Lovers' Plus and Trust have market share in South Africa of 80% by volume and 48% by value, according to internal analysis based on data from Nielson Research.
