The Perception of Pregnant Women from Manila, Philippines on Prenatal Vitamins with DHA: An Insight for Marketing Campaigns

Abstract

Experts suggest the daily intake of vitamin supplements during pregnancy due to its importance in supporting proper maternal nutrition (Cody, 2011). Ordinary prenatal vitamin supplements that are available in the market also contain Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA), which has been proven to support the brain development of children and decrease the rate of preterm birth (Jackson and Harris, 2018). Due to the multiple benefits of DHA-containing vitamin supplements, the cost of the daily intake of such products during pregnancy can directly affect pregnant women's purchasing behavior for DHA supplements. Understanding this market has important implications for current and future marketing strategies in the Asia Pacific region, where the number of prenatal vitamins has tremendously grown by a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12% from 2008 to 2013 (Euromonitor Report, 2014). This research discusses the factors affecting the purchasing intentions of 160 pregnant women in Manila for DHA-containing vitamin supplements using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a framework. The researcher utilized a series of face-to-face interviews of respondents in government and private hospitals and aimed to determine the relationship between salient beliefs, attitudes, and perceived behavior control towards the intention to purchase or take such vitamin supplements. The findings of the study were used to complement possible integrated marketing communication plans in effectively increasing the recognition, reach, and customer perception of DHA-containing vitamin supplements.