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260 CHAPTER 11 ■ Socialism Meets Social Marketing
US$1.50 per cycle to US$3.00 per cycle. (As a comparison, a can of Coke cost be-
tween US$1.00 and US$2.00.)
Nonmonetary Costs
Although Red Apple contraceptive prices were well afforded by those the pro-
gram targeted, these consumers were unaccustomed, under the Soviet entitle-
ment system, to paying for reproductive health benefits. Additionally, in spite of
Red Apple training to the contrary, one important nonmonetary cost was that
the targeted women would have to potentially ignore their physician’s or phar-
macist’s traditional/historic/likely advice against the use of hormones in order
to buy Red Apple products.
To greatly reduce, if not eliminate, this last cost, SOMARC engaged in
a large-scale effort to train both active pharmacists and physicians, as well
as students of those disciplines, in modern reproductive health, contracep-
tive technology, and Western-style patient counseling and quality customer
service.
Place
The place component of the marketing mix constituted a critically significant
element of the Red Apple program. Procurement, distribution, and retail
supply of contraceptives was the core of Red Apple strategy. SOMARC
Kazakhstan worked throughout its tenure to ensure that, as promised by Red
Apple communications/promotion efforts, a choice of Western standard con-
traceptive products would be consistently available on a national scale through
an independent commercial pharmacy network.
The retail pharmacy was the intersection of Red Apple communication
(promotion) and distribution/supply (place) efforts. As such, it was the focus of
Red Apple attention and budget, and where Red Apple supplier strategy and tac-
tics were largely executed.
Supplier
Place strategy/tactics included:
• Working with potential Red Apple distributors/retailers to broker supply
agreements with Western pharmaceutical manufacturers at favorable
terms.
• Providing training/technical assistance for Red Apple distributors/
retailers in:
