Fri 11 Mar 2011 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
The departure of a staffer central to the NZ AIDS Foundation's social marketing approach to HIV prevention campaigns has seen a change in responsibilities, at least in the short term. Matt Creamer, who three and a half years ago joined the Foundation "to help the NZAF add social marketing to existing models of health promotion within our HIV prevention work" will finish up on April first," according to a Foundation spokesperson. Creamer was an integral part of the prevention and communication team set up under previous NZAF executive director, Rachael Le Mesurier. " “I’ve loved my time at the NZAF and I’ve always wanted to finish my law degree as well," Creamer says. "I’ve got an amazing opportunity to complete my degree at Murdoch University in Perth so I’ve had to make the very tough decision to leave the NZAF. I’ll remain deeply committed to the mission of the NZAF and hope to visit often - although it shan’t be in winter, let me tell you!" Creamer's boss, Simon Harger-Forde, NZAF Director HIV Prevention and Communications, will be "managing the NZAF social marketing work directly in the meantime to ensure continuity and as little disruption as possible to Get it On! " according to the Foundation spokesperson. "To ensure that Simon has capacity, the NZAF communications staff will be managed by Shaun Robinson, NZAF Executive Director, until the end of June." Social marketing, the Foundation explains, "is the application of marketing principles to behaviour change. Many gay men prefer to buy particular products, a few examples are VW Golfs and brightly coloured, old-style American Apparel briefs, and other products popular with certain gay male demographics. They do so because they are influenced by targeted marketing."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 11th March 2011 - 6:18pm