Project Releases New Media Messages to Combat Use of Illegal Wildlife Products in Vietnam
The Saving Threatened Wildlife project released a new creative set of key messages and visuals on September 27 aimed at altering consumer behavior surrounding the use of illegal wildlife products in Vietnam.
In a step toward reducing demand for illegal wildlife products, the materials were designed to target specific users and draw upon local consumption evidence and insights collected by TRAFFIC during social research in 2022.
“The launch of these visuals and the participation of many different representatives highlight the support for, and need, to reduce the demand for illegal wildlife products. The involvement of different sectors, such as the tourism and traditional medicine associations, also sends a strong message that they want to see a social change in the association of their sectors with illegal wildlife products,” said Michelle Owen, Saving Threatened Wildlife project representative.
Five culturally tailored messages and visuals were tested to resonate with local audiences, addressing the motivations behind the consumption of illegal wildlife products, and encouraging social mobilization with youth and government agencies. The materials target five groups, including traditional medicine practitioners; general users; international tourists; youth mobilization; and governmental agencies.
“Research has shown that the demand for illegal wildlife products still exists despite the fact that the knowledge of the Vietnamese people has been increasing over time. To address this issue, our project continues to use behavioral science to influence buyer behavior, purchasing preferences, and consumer disuse of illegal wildlife products,” said Bui Thuy Nga, TRAFFIC Senior Program Manager.
The messages and visuals will be spread via social networks, distributed to targeted groups in high-traffic tourist locations, interactive events, and integrated into collaborative initiatives with partners including tourism and traditional medicine associations.
Since 2021, the Saving Threatened Wildlife project has aimed to reduce demand for illegal wildlife products by influencing and changing consumer behavior in an effort to support Vietnam’s efforts to control and stop the current and increasing situation of wildlife trafficking that may lead to the extinction of species in the wild.
The project is funded by USAID to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) through the Management Board for Forestry Projects (MBFP), and implemented by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), TRAFFIC, and Education For Nature.