The Challenge

Plasma donation is needed to make life-saving treatments for people with rare diseases and chronic conditions. However, it can take up to 1,200 donations to treat just one patient for a year. Although donors can receive compensation for donating plasma, global demand for plasma medicines continues to grow and outpace supply. Nearly 42 million people speak Spanish at home, making up over 15% of the U.S. population. However, Latinos account for only 2-4% of blood donors, and the rate of donation for Hispanics is around 1%, largely because there is a cultural stigma around getting paid for plasma.

The Big Insight

Spanish-speaking Latino families are looking for ways para mantener a sus familias (to support their families). While compensation is a key motivator, Latinos also take pride in being highly generous when their heartstrings are pulled. This insight allowed us to reframe the way compensation is associated with plasma donation – not as a stigmatizing act of desperation, but as a reward for the heroic act and altruistic generosity of giving time to the act of plasma donation.

The Solution

We created a new awareness campaign TU TIEMPO ES DINERO (TIME IS MONEY) to let Spanish Speaking Latinos know that when they do good for their community by donating plasma, Plasma Services will compensate them for the time it takes to donate, and their time is very valuable.